The Royal Pursuit Read online

  “I couldn’t hurt her, even if it meant giving her up,” he softly said.

  “We speak not of Ann but of Amanda.”

  The man raised his eyebrow quizzically.

  “To answer your question, your decision to spare Amanda’s life has changed the course of the future. We know you love Atlantis. Your choice has come at a great cost to you. We have set for it to fall back into the ocean in one hour.”

  He sighed. “I feared that would happen.”

  “Atlantis will rise again, but when it does, you will help Amanda destroy it.”

  He blinked in surprise. “Why would I do such a thing?”

  “We do not know. But our children will be there to assist you and Amanda at that time. That is what we came here to tell you. Our job is done here. We must leave.”

  The man watched them walk out of the room. He didn’t understand why he would destroy this wonderful city, his home. With a heavy heart, he walked to the library and looked out the window at the spectacular view. He would check the mirror, to see if the Augurs were right, but he knew they couldn’t lie. It would be pointless to check such things. Instead, he decided to help Queen Ann defeat William Nichols.

  The second stage of William’s plan was to wake up the clones that Zeus had made long ago. The thirty clones, like the buildings, would still be in perfect shape, untouched by time or the water that had been Atlantis’ home for centuries. These clones would soon wake up to do battle with the queen and her allies. All they were waiting for was their secret chamber to be opened. William would head there as soon as he saw to Hathor’s death.

  He ran out of the room and down to the chamber, hoping he wasn’t too late.

  ***

  William entered Zeus’ old office and touched the bottom left corner of Zeus’ picture. The wall behind the picture slid open. William walked into the elevator and pressed the down button. He was glad the man in white had told him about this place. He was going to need an army to defeat the prisoners in the cube. He couldn’t let a bunch of aliens run loose in the city. Once they figured a way to escape, they would come after him.

  The elevator stopped at a large ivory room filled with thirty objects that resembled glass coffins, and these coffins were in an upright position. The clones were preserved in them, fully equipped for war. They looked just like Ares, strong and tough. Their armor was made out of a silver metal William didn’t recognize. The guns and knives on the walls hung on hooks, waiting for the clones to take them.

  William recalled what the man in white had said. “Zeus, fearing someone might try to usurp his authority as the head leader, created the clones to defend him. These clones are hard to defeat. The simplest way to eliminate them is to press the small black button located in both eyes of Zeus’ picture in his office. Though they were meant to defend him, he knew he might have to destroy them if they malfunctioned and turned against him.”

  William quickly programmed the clones to attack the Palers, Nicals and Razians, which the man in white had already shown him to do. Soon, they would no longer pose a threat to him.

  The lids to the clones’ containers slid open, and the clones wasted no time in waking up. One by one, they grabbed a weapon of their choice. The first one in their single file line punched in a password in the number pad on the wall. The wall split in half and revealed a tunnel, which they entered.

  William followed them, wondering where they were going. They led him to the basement, which was under the lobby of the arc. He growled when he realized the large cube that had held his prisoners was empty. How did they escape? Where did they go?

  “Search and destroy everyone you find except for anyone from planet Earth,” William ordered the clones.

  They nodded and split up.

  He watched them as they climbed the steps to the lobby. He grunted as he stormed back through the tunnel then took the elevator back to Zeus’ office. He needed to find out where everyone was, and in order to do that, he needed to go to the future machine.

  ***

  Athen ran with the two Palers and five Nicals through the lobby of the arc. Leader Paff and nine of his expert military fighters waited for them at the entrance on the male side of the arc, guns in hand in case someone attacked them.

  “Is everyone alright?” Paff asked.

  “Yes. We’re fine,” Jaz said. “We haven’t seen or heard anything since we were trapped. Athen found a crack in our prison wall, and we chipped at it until we had an opening big enough to slip through.”

  “Great thinking, Athen,” Paff replied.

  “He’s been very helpful to us,” Optima added.

  Athen blushed at her compliment.

  “Do you know where Queen Ann or Hathor are?” Jaz asked Paff.

  Paff shook his head. “We just arrived here. Our spaceship is outside.”

  Athen was pleased at their concern over the queen and king. He had heard the Palers were good allies, and seeing their loyalty now, he was convinced of it. “I am sure they will be looking for the Book of Spells. Someone took it from us when we were captured,” Athen said. “Has anyone seen a man wearing all white?”

  “No, we haven’t,” Paff replied.

  “I have to find them. I can’t return to Raz if the queen and king are missing.”

  “We fully intend to help.”

  Before they could form a plan, twenty-five of Ares’ clones marched into the room and began their attack. Startled, they rushed to hide behind some furniture.

  Paff handed Jaz and Falon their guns. “Does Athen have a weapon?”

  “No, and neither do any of the Nicals. They are ill prepared for an attack,” Falon replied.

  “We will have to separate the clones,” Paff said. He ordered four of his men to follow Jaz and Falon while the rest would follow him. “We’ll meet at the spaceship.”

  Jaz, Falon, and four Palers quickly headed to the other couch. They shot at the clones on their way to the couch, and fortunately, they made it to their destination.

  Athen was glad to get the gun they handed him.

  The Nicals shook their heads as the Palers tried to give them guns.

  “I’m sorry, but we are not familiar with weapons,” Ruler Dour replied.

  “I forgot,” Jaz said. “You and the other Nicals will have to stay in our spaceship until we’re safe.” She turned to the other Palers. “We will have to form a circle around the Nicals to protect them.”

  The Palers formed a circle around the Nicals, and Athen joined the Palers.

  “I will provide a diversion,” Falon offered.

  Falon stood up and rushed towards the clones. Paff and his men followed his lead, giving him the backup support he needed.

  “Keep shooting at anyone who notices us,” Jaz said. “Ready? Go!”

  Athen and his group got up and rushed to the spaceship. One of the clones turned to them and shot at them. Athen fired his gun, but it didn’t seem to make a dent in the armor. What kind of material were they wearing that was so indestructible? Choosing another option, he found an unprotected spot in the clone’s helmet, so he shot it between the eyes.

  The clone fell lifelessly to the floor.

  “Shoot between their eyes!” Athen yelled above the heavy firing.

  The Palers started doing as he suggested.

  Once they reached the spaceship, the Nicals rushed inside, out of harm’s way.

  “Good luck, Athen,” Optima hurriedly wished. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she followed her companions into the ship.

  He didn’t have time to enjoy her kiss. Instead, he followed the Palers back into the building so they could fight their enemies and find Ann and Hathor.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Hathor pounded the wall angrily when he found that the room at the top of the arc was empty. He was sure William would be there. He tightened his grip on the sword and turned to leave the room. He had to find William before William killed Ann, and he didn’t have much time.

  When h
e made it down the stairs to the next level, he saw five clones surrounding Ann, Kent, and Stacey. The clones’ backs were towards him, so keeping quiet, he rushed to them. He thrust the sword into one of their backs, but the sword crumbled like sand when it made contact with the armor. He stared at the handle of the sword in shock. Razian swords were made to go through just about everything.

  “They’re not attacking us,” Ann told him. “They’re just staring at us, and they look like Ares.”

  As soon as the clones turned to him, they growled. Hathor backed up. They might not be attacking Ann, Kent, or Stacey, but they look as if they planned to attack him.

  Ann used her magic to transport him to the lobby, not realizing, of course, the lobby held more of them. He gasped at the sight of twenty-three clones shooting at the Palers and Athen.

  He hurried to hide behind a desk.

  Athen came up to him and handed him a gun. “Where’s Queen Ann?”

  “Upstairs. These Ares look-a-likes weren’t attacking her or Stacey or Kent.” When he saw his friend’s confusion, he said, “It’s a long story. Ann sent me down here with her magic. Ares’ clones were going to shoot me.”

  “Their armor is impossible to destroy. You have to shoot them between the eyes. It seems to be their only weak spot.”

  “William is around here somewhere. I have to find him!”

  “I haven’t seen anyone but the Palers and Nicals. He must be upstairs.”

  Hathor groaned. “I was afraid of that. I’m going to have to go back up there.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Athen said.

  They crawled along the floor, careful not to catch the clones’ attention. They reached the stairs unharmed and quickly began their ascent.

  ***

  Ann breathed a sigh of relief. She didn’t want the clones to harm Hathor. Sending him to the lobby was the first thing she’d thought of. Since the clones weren’t attacking her or her friends, she didn’t sense any immediate danger.

  “Let’s try to go downstairs,” she whispered.

  Stacey and Kent joined her as she took a step forward. The clones didn’t stop them. Well, that was a hopeful sign. The three continued walking, and the clones just remained standing there, watching them with mild interest.

  “Let’s go,” Ann told them then turned and ran down the stairs, aware they were following her. Unfortunately, she bumped into William as he was leaving Zeus’ office.

  “Where is Captain Reed?” he demanded, narrowing his eyes at them.

  Ignoring him, Ann urged Stacey and Kent to go back up the stairs with her.

  “Captain Reed is dead,” one of the clones told William.

  Ann’s eyes widened in surprise. She didn’t know they could talk.

  William frowned as he looked at Ann. “So I take it you didn’t have the abortion after all.”

  Kent pushed past the clone, who easily moved aside to accommodate his wishes. Without another word, Ann and Stacey followed Kent.

  William chased them up the steps.

  They made it to the hallway and broke into a run.

  “Get Ann, the Queen of Raz! Bring her to me!” William ordered the clones, who were patiently waiting for his instructions.

  The clones moved into action and pursued her. One of them caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her. Kent came up behind him and pushed him away from her. Stacey ran to help him, but two clones held her back. The clone turned around and punched Kent in the stomach. Kent knelt down, clutching the wounded area.

  The man in white suddenly appeared from a doorway and used his cane to whack the clone on the head. Unconscious, the clone fell to the floor.

  William hurried towards Ann.

  “I’ll hold him off,” the man in white told her. “Go to the room at the top of this building. I’ll catch up with you there and take you to Hathor.”

  Ann didn’t argue. She didn’t bother looking back as she ran up the staircase she found at the end of the hallway. She knew Stacey and Kent were safe since William wasn’t interested in killing them. He wanted to kill her. Since she had sent Hathor down to the lobby, she knew she would have to deal with him unless Pallid managed to kill him. But she wouldn’t bring Hathor to her. William would definitely kill him, but he might not kill her. That being the case, it was more important she deal with William herself.

  She made it to the top room without any difficulty, but she soon realized three clones had followed her. She instinctively backed up when she saw them.

  She didn’t notice she had been standing at the edge of the floor, so when she took a step back, she fell off of it. Her dress caught onto one of the hooks, which were at the ends of the rods that supported the floor, leaving her hanging upside down.

  She glanced down at the lobby and gulped. That would have been a long fall if the hook hadn’t caught her dress the way it had. She had almost plummeted to her death. She took a moment to calm her nerves. She would never get out of this predicament alive if she panicked.

  Taking a deep breath, she examined the rods that supported the floor above her. If she swung fast enough, she could grab one of them. Then she might be able to climb back onto the floor.

  Jaz’s scream from below caught her attention. She dared to look down and saw the clones were fighting the Palers. Using Raz’s magic, she formed a protective barrier around the Palers so they would be safe from the clones’ attack. That matter out of the way, she concentrated on her next task: getting back to the floor.

  She moved her arms back and forth, slowly at first so that she could test how securely the hook was holding on to her dress. The hold seemed sturdy, so she became more aggressive in her actions. She was thankful for the different scenarios Hathor had her practice in her combat lessons, for this was one of the skills she’d managed to master. She was swinging fast and high by the time she got close enough to grab one of the rods. She missed the targeted rod twice before she caught it. Breathing heavily from the exertion, she hugged the rod tightly and closed her eyes.

  She heard the struggle above her. Fortunately, she was well hidden so no one up there saw her. The three clones who had followed her into the room fell off the floor and plummeted through the air until they landed on the lobby floor.

  Shivering, she listened to the dialogue between William and Pallid.

  “I can’t let you do this,” Pallid said.

  “This is my destiny,” William snapped. “I can’t believe you were going to let Ann’s child live. You will lose your city if Amanda is born.”

  “Some things are worth more than a city.”

  “Ann won’t stay with you. She wants Hathor.”

  “I know. Sometimes you must do what is best for someone else. I don’t intend to break up their marriage. I am going to send them back to Raz.”

  “Over my dead body!”

  “I figured as much.”

  She heard a few things being thrown around but couldn’t tell what they were. When the commotion died down, she climbed onto the floor. The dress didn’t make it easy, but she managed to get back on the floor with little noise. She noted that Pallid was lying unconscious on the floor, blood oozing from his temple. A chair was lying on its side next to him. She peered over at William who was anxiously flipping through the Book of Spells, probably searching for the spell that would take him to her.

  She quietly stood up and produced a sword in her hand. She knew she didn’t have much time to make her move. She had the advantage, but it wasn’t going to last long. She crept to him, his back turned to her the entire time.

  She took a deep breath. It was now or never. She raised her sword and plunged it into his back. Her aim, however, was just as good as it’d been in high school. She missed his vital organs. Instead she got the area close to his shoulder.

  Yelling, he whirled around, his face filled with rage.

  Noticing the gun in his hand, she quickly produced a shield so that it protected her when he fired his gun.

  Her heart rate picked
up as she waited for what he’d do next. She had to react to him. She couldn’t let her guard down. Focus. Don’t get distracted.

  “You’ll lose, you know,” William scoffed. “You’re no match for me.”

  She turned as he went around her, unwilling to take her focus off of how he was moving.

  “You’re just a woman. Do you really think you can win against a man?”

  She soon realized he was circling her, as if he was trying to confuse her enough so that she’d miss what his hands were doing. She saw him pull the trigger and moved the shield in front of her face. The bullet bounced off of the shield and fell to the floor.

  Her throat was suddenly dry with fear. She had to do this. She had no other choice!

  She took a step back, aware that the edge of the floor was close to her feet.

  “This is a silly game we’re playing. It’s too bad, really. I mean, you used to love me. You were completely devoted to me. It was actually pathetic. I even dumped you for Teresa, and you were willing to take me back. It’s no wonder I didn’t respect you.”

  William took a few more steps around her.

  She turned so she was facing him. Her feet were further from the edge of the floor now. Three more steps. If he took three more steps, he’d fall off the edge.

  William let out a heavy sigh and took two more steps. “And now this is how it ends. What a way for you to die.”

  One more step. She threw down her shield and swung her sword, aiming for his neck, and this time, she met her goal.

  She caught him off guard. He didn’t see it coming. By the time he fired his gun, he was already falling off the edge of the floor, so the bullet shot into the ceiling.

  His headless body fell down to the lobby, but his head bounced toward her on the floor. She shrieked and kicked the head away from her.

  After a moment, the adrenaline stopped rushing through her, and she collapsed to the floor, shaking with relief. She couldn’t believe it. She’d actually defended herself!