We follow Juliet for half the day until we arrive at where Atlanta was last scene.
‘She isn’t here,’ Cerridwen says as she cautiously looks around.
I walk over to a ring of black crystals on the grass and lean down to inspect them.
‘She was here,’ I say as I stand. ‘Stay back here with Valkrim. I think she might still be around here somewhere. Remember the plan,’ I remind her.
She nods and races back over to Valkrim’s side.
I walk by a couple of trees, ‘Atlanta, why did you do it? Why did you release Thypon?’
‘Because, sweet sister, you and the others deserve to suffer just as I have,’ she says, stepping out of the shadows.
‘Atlanta, the people of Mysteria do not deserve this fate. They have done nothing wrong,’ I say to her.
‘I know, but hurting them is the best way to hurt you and your friends,’ she says and looks over my shoulder at Valkrim and Cerridwen.
I extend my hand toward her, ‘You don’t have to keep doing this, Atlanta. Let Helios and Aria go, and then come with me to help restore Mysteria.’
I see a flash in her eyes, but then she steps back, ‘No,’ she says, looking away.
I step toward her but stop as soon as spheres of black mist form in her hands. I emit spheres of light in the palms of my hands, ready to defend myself if she attacks.
‘Sister, please,’ I say, shaking my head no to her.
She wields her dark power toward me. I duck and watch as it hits a tree behind me. Black crystals encase the tree before it bursts into a pile of ash. As I turn to face Atlanta again, Cerridwen pushes me out of the way using a spell as a group of small whisps fly toward me, ‘Repeliate!’ she shouts as I fly back.
Valkrim runs over to me and takes my hand to stand me up. Then he stands by my side while Cerridwen stands on my other side.
‘Three against one. This is a bit unfair,’ Atlanta says with a scowl.
‘You have given us no other choice, Atlanta,’ I reply.
Atlanta extends her hands on either side of her and summons poltergeists to crawl out from the ground.
’Electrous Flaros!’ Cerridwen shouts as they come running towards us.
Each one explodes into sparks as they are zapped by lightning. Valkrim creates a shadow to form around Atlanta. She uses her shadow magic against it but is beginning to struggle. I form a ball of light over Valkrims shadow to strengthen it. It finally engulfs Atlanta in a ball of light and darkness. The ball begins to form black crystals to break herself out.
‘Restraino Detainous,’ Cerridwen says.
A dark swirl appears inside the swirl with Atlanta. Acting like a snake, it slithers around her and pins her arms to her side. She screams in anger as she tries to fight it off.
I notice a pouch attached to Atlanta’s belt. I raise my hand and make it magically levitate towards me. I tip the bag up, and two dark marbles roll onto the palm of my hands. I hold them up and peer into them to see Aria in one and Helios in the other.
I whisper an incantation before rolling them across the ground. We watch as they crack and then split open. A mushroom cloud bursts out of each marble and slowly dissipates for us to see Aria and Helios free.
I magically form a crystal ball and roll it toward Atlanta. Once it’s at her feet, a bright light captures her and sucks her inside the crystal ball, sealing her inside. I walk over to it and pick it up.
‘It didn’t have to be this way, sweet sister,’ I say to her.
She slams her fist against the wall of the crystal ball, then tries to use her magic to break it open.
‘You will only exhaust yourself,’ I tell her.
She falls to her knees and cries.
Not wanting to see her like this, I place the ball into the pocket of my white flowy dress.
Aria and Helios run over to me and embrace me with a hug.
‘Selene, you saved us! We are forever in your debt,’ Aria says.
‘Thanks for Cerridwen and Valkrim’s help,’ I say, smiling at them.
Aria and Helios turn and hug Valkrim and Cerridwen in thanks.
Aria turns to me, ‘How did you know I was missing?’
‘Well, after Thypon was released, we investigated and found out through other deities, who said that it was odd you suddenly stopped visiting them daily. When I searched your home, I found black crystals from Atlanta’s magic. I knew she was responsible for your disappearance. Then Juliet just informed us she had fought against Helios and sealed him into one of her marbles. I figured she must have done the same to you. So, when I saw the pouch on her belt, I assumed she may have placed you in there.’
‘Atlanta released Thypon!’ she replies in horror.
‘Unfortunately, so, and even worse, he entered Mysteria during the final moments of the solstice,’ I inform her.
‘I’m so sorry, Selene. This is my fault. We were talking, and I spoke too much and mentioned how you all created Mysteria and how the veil works. I forgot I wasn’t meant to tell anyone until after I had already said it,’ she sobs.
‘We can’t change what has happened in the past, but we can change the fate of Mysteria,’ I assure her.
‘But how?’ Helios says, stepping closer, ‘None of you can enter Mysteria until the next solstice. It will be too late by then,’
‘That’s right. We can’t enter through the veil, but I can enter their dreams and bring them into my dreams. I was able to toss the sceptre of divine power through the veil. I’m going to enter Nina’s dream. We have chosen her to use the sceptre to become a deity like us.’
‘But what if she doesn’t want to become a Goddess?’ Aria asks.
We all stare at one another, unsure, as that had never crossed our minds.
‘We have carefully chosen her because we know she will use this power for good. We know her body can physically handle it. We know she will be a great leader and a loving Goddess. No one is as suitable as she is. If she does not choose this fate, if she does not want this, then Mysteria will be doomed. Thypon will kill everyone and destroy the lands. There will be nothing left but him and his monsters.’
Cerridwen places her hand on my shoulder, ‘Selene, I’m so sorry. I should have let you through the veil when you tried.’
I place my hand over hers, ‘The past is the past. Let’s focus on trying to stop the terrible fate of Mysteria,’ I say to her.
She nods and holds her head up high, ‘Juliet, take Aria and Helios home. They will need much-needed rest. The rest of us should get back to Selene’s domain so she can focus on contacting Nina.’
***
Before taking a seat at my table, I summon a small dark purple velvet cushion with thick gold edging and place it on the table. I put my hand in my pocket, take the Crystal ball holding Atlanta inside, and place it on the cushion.
Ogrun leans over and squints, ‘Is that really Atlanta?’ he asks.
‘Yes, we were able to free Helios and Aria as well. They have returned to their homes to rest with Juliet keeping an eye on them,’ I say to him.
‘What a relief,’ he says and looks more intently at Atlanta, ‘I suppose you have nothing to say for yourself?’ he says to her.
Atlanta glowers back at him and folds her arms before turning her back to him.
I bring my attention to Ogrun, ‘I’m hoping not much has happened while we’ve been gone?’
He straightens, stiffens and nervously looks around and bites over the small tusk that protrudes from under his top lip. He looks like he is seeking a black hole to swallow him up.
Impatient, I tap my fingers on the table and give him a sharp stare.
‘Well, you see…. A lot has surprisingly happened,’ he shrugs.
‘Spit it out, Ogrun,’ Valkrim warns.
Ogrun takes a deep breath and blurts it all out at once, ‘After you all left, and they were in the field, dragons attacked them. All the children but one was captured and flown away as well as most of the adults including Magnus and King Damon. The witches and the mage could use magic against the dragons, so they weren’t taken away. Nina and Sir Hugo also managed to escape the dragons.
They became distraught and decided, since they were close to Mystic Pride, to continue to go there, where Nina then created a star portal. Then Ember suddenly turned into a fox, and the children fell to the ground sound asleep and couldn’t be woken. The spell that kept children asleep during the old war has returned, so in order for Amber to change back and the children to wake the war must end to break it, which means putting an end to Thypon.
Nina and Sir Hugo then entered the star portal to Moon Crest Castle and found Magnus, King Damon, and the others locked up individually in cages hanging from different heights outside the castle wall. They tried to free them but were attacked by minotaurs and harpies. As Nina was about to fall to her death, Alec came out of the shadows and flashed by, catching Nina just in time. Thypon was returning to the castle and knew they could not save Magnus and the others at this time, so they fled with Sir Hugo following a fair distance behind them.
While waiting for Sir Hugo to catch up, Alec and Nina found an injured dragon whom Nina ended up helping. The dragon then flew Nina around half of Mysteria, and she named him Vermilion, which has now become her friend and pet. She has not long arrived in Thornwell and just gone to sleep for the night,’ he says, panting and catching his breath.
‘Wands!’ I say, tapping my fingers on the table and staring at Atlanta in thought.
