Atlantica

Chapter Two

I wake with a scream. Blackness turns to color as my eyes adjust to the lighting. I take in my surroundings and find myself in a huge room decorated from floor to ceiling in greens and purples. Everything looks watery. I look around, trying to remember why I'm here. And then it hits me. The miscarriage, the crying, the lies. My eyes water at the memory of Caden's hurt look.

Gritting my teeth, I fight the tears. I don't want my punishment to get any worse. I look down, scarcely noticing that I have legs and not a tail. I slide off the big, soft bed and walk around the room.

Suddenly, the door on the far wall slams open with exaggerated force. A boy swims into the room, stopping short at the sight of me. His dark hair falls just over his eyes and his tall, lean build triggers a familiar feeling in me. The feeling of knowing him hits me so hard that I take a step back.

"Anna? Where's your tail?" He asks.

"It's Annabeth. And I don't know. When I woke up it was gone." I reply.

"My apologies, your Highness. I was under the impression that you remembered me. The name's Kraven Jay Royale, Prince of the Light Atlantis." He says, bowing formally.

I think my jaw hits the floor. He called me Anna. No one calls me that anymore. Except for Caden of course. But other than him, no one has called me that since I was little. Kraven's soft, manly voice calling me Anna draws up a memory I had long forgotten. A memory from when I was 7 years old.

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"Grab her! She's the only female born from the Queen! She's got the mark!" A human yells.

"Anna, jump in the water! You have to swim away!" Kraven bellows, fighting the humans surrounding us.

"I can't leave you, Kraven! Jump with me!" I cry, tears pouring down my face.

"Stop crying, Anna! Your mother will be angry!" He yells at me.

One of the bigger male humans grabs for me, snatching on my hair. The scream that escapes my lips causes Kraven to hesitate in his attack. That's all the humans need. They overpower him and knock him out. Then they force me into a big black machine on wheels.

In the big ugly machine, they strap me to a table and strip me. I had stopped crying by now. Kraven told me not to cry anymore, so I refused to. The embarrassment of being strapped to a table and naked made my eyes sting but I still didn't cry.

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"Kraven?" I whisper, my lips trembling.

Tears begin to form at the corners of my eyes. Eleven years has passed since I was here. Kraven had been my escort and the love of my seven-year-old life. And my mother? Yes, she is the Queen.

Suddenly, he's standing right in front of me. His abrupt closeness makes me flinch and step back. He reaches for me hesitantly. When I remain still, he yanks me into a big hug.

"We've all missed you Anna." He says, his voice cracking with emotion.

"Where are Lucas and Mykael? What about David?" I ask, trying to remember their faces.

"Don't worry about them right now. You're to see your mother soon. She'll be expecting you with a tail." He says, smirking.