Page 21 of In Rising Tides

But in her heart, she felt nothing when looking at the place she had been born and raised.

It was strange, given that not too long ago, Lyra had been willing to give up almost anything to return to Atlantis.

But she had lived through so much now. Had found her mom and Wilder. A life she wanted to live.

The contempt she felt looking at Atlantis now made her want to burn it down. Light the match herself and set it ablaze until the palace was only a pile of ash. Something that wouldn’t be possible beneath the surface.

Lyra decided right then and there she would carry the fire within her and would unleash it when it was possible to destroy it all.

She missed fire, missed its heat, and the way it danced as it consumed.

She missed Daisy, Maelys, Ridge, and Otto.

She missed Wilder.

Lyra blinked hard to keep the emotions at bay.

Drystan swam ahead, taking the lead of their group and smiling with pride at the kingdom he had claimed.

But something in the distance caught her eye as well as the guards stationed beside her. Several more wooden tridents were planted in the seabed, but one looked odd.

Angler swam towards the display and ripped the odd one out of the ground before throwing it down. With slow movements, he picked something up and hurled it into the distance.

Lyra realized it had been a Venus shell.

Drystan whistled and then nodded to Angler when he returned, but no words or explanation were shared.

It was odd, and she struggled to put the pieces together.

Drystan had said that Atlantis had changed.

Did that have something to do with it?

She shifted, and a dull throbbing through her chest and fins was all that remained of the soreness she had felt before.

They swam closer and closer to the city, and it felt familiar, yet foreign.

Anxiety pulsed with each pump of her heart, and she could hear it pounding in her ears.

Lyra had seen several of her father’s parades when he returned from tours of the outer territories.

She could remember the roar of the crowd, the blasting of the horns, and the cheers that were screamed with the waving of her father’s banners.

It was the only time the kingdom seemed joyful outside the palace walls.

Usually, there was a mundane toiling of lengthy existences when she swam through the streets on her way to markets or the reef. But during parades, there was excitement, pride in their kingdom, and reveling in the power of their mighty king.

The blood pounding in her ears at the memory drowned out everything around her, and she took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders.

Lyra needed to break the Tidal Tithe, and then she could return to the land. She would not have to live out her life trapped here any longer.

Each thrust of her tail brought her closer, the city gate looming like a maw about to swallow her whole.

The urge to run again slithered down her muscles like a snake coiling to strike. But it was too late to turn back now.

They swam through the gleaming silver archway that marked the perimeter of Atlantis.

Lyra held her breath.