Atlantis in Peril by T. A. Barron Read Free Book Online

waterfall, the starry sky arching overhead—Atlanta and Promi tossed and turned the whole night. Like endless cries for help, their experiences at the lakes kept echoing in their minds.
    Only Quiggley had no trouble sleeping. Curled inside a cupped oak leaf near Atlanta, he slept soundly for at least seven minutes—a full night’s rest for a faery. For the remainder of the evening, he explored the forest in moonlight, one of his favorite times to be with the woods and its creatures. By dawn, he was halfway across the forest, so he decided it was time to return to Atlanta.
    Meanwhile, morning light touched the companions’ mossy meadow. The waterfall grew brighter, until it looked like liquid sunshine pouring over the rocks. A nearby spider’s web transformed into golden threads. High in the branches of a mahogany tree, a nest of young bluebirds awoke and started chirping hungrily.
    For Atlanta and Promi, though, this wasn’t a time to enjoy their surroundings. Bleary from lack of sleep, they rose and gathered a bit of breakfast—some licorice roots, a few walnuts, and a kind of miniature melon often found near waterfalls.
    Sitting next to Atlanta on the moss, Promi sliced the melon with his dagger. He handed half to her. Together, they ate the succulent fruit as juice dribbled down their chins.
    â€œMmm,” said Promi with a smack of his lips. “Good melon. Almost as sweet as the sugarmelons that grow in the spirit realm. Just last week I found some growing on the banks of a river of honey.”
    â€œToo bad you don’t have a sweet tooth,” Atlanta teased. “Otherwise you might actually enjoy those things.”
    He grinned. “You might enjoy them, too, if you’d let me take you there sometime.”
    Chewing her last bite of melon, she shook her head. “You know it’s against the law for mortals to visit the spirit realm.”
    â€œI suppose,” he said with a shrug. “But by the same token, immortals aren’t allowed to visit Earth. And that’s never kept me from coming to see you.”
    Her blue-green eyes looked at him worriedly. “How difficult is that journey? I mean, are you putting yourself at risk by coming here?”
    â€œNo,” he said, pausing to wipe his sticky hands on the moss. “The only risk is getting caught. And my
specialty
is never getting caught.”
    â€œIt’s really that easy?”
    â€œAll I need to do is catch a good wind and fly here, now that I know how. I’ll never be as fast as a wind lion like Theosor, of course—but it’s still a fairly quick trip.”
    â€œI mean, it’s easy not to get caught?”
    â€œChild’s play. I’ve always been good at escaping pursuers! And there’s really no harm in it. My father keeps telling me that my travels here are tearing holes in the veil between the worlds. But I don’t buy it.”
    She leaned closer. “Why not? Sammelvar, the great spirit of wisdom, wouldn’t lie to you.”
    Bitterly, Promi asked, “Really? You’re saying I should trust the same man who has always treated me as just a pawn in his grand plans?”
    Atlanta peered at him, guessing he was still struggling with yesterday’s vision at the Lakes of Dreams. Or could there be something else going on, something he wasn’t telling her?
    Or maybe, she wondered, was there more to his vision than he’d revealed? Just as there was really more to her own?
    Trying to comfort him, she suggested, “Maybe your parents just want you around more. It must be nice for them to have you back.”
    â€œAre you kidding?” Promi scowled. “That’s the last thing they want! Especially after that fight.”
    â€œWhat fight?”
    â€œJust before I came here. My father berated me for going through the veil. Made a big fuss that my visits to Earth are tearing so many holes that the veil could