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Excerpt of War in Atlantis

War in Atlantis written by Rebecca Black

Sapphire and The Atlantians: War in Atlantis

Chapter 17

What follows is an exceptionally dark excerpt from book two in the Sapphire and The Atlantians Series of Novels: War in Atlantis. This scene is extremely dark, so please stop reading if it is too violent for you.  The darkness is necessary to foreshadow a few elements at the end of this book and the beginning of the next. 

Backstory

First, a little backstory.  Atlantians have gifts: empathy (more than simple telepathy), telekinesis, seeing (future and past), and healing.  Sapphire is surprisingly gifted (you'll have to read the books to learn more about her gifts).  Arion, an extremely gifted empath, can alter thoughts and memories.  Moreover, he can alter a person's reality.  In a nutshell, he is evil—deliciously evil.

In the following, scene for this book, Sapphire, our female protagonist, is weary after many days of no sleep.  Consequently, she stumbles into a quiet room to take a short nap before the next battle.  What follows is what happens.

Sapphire's Vision

“Exhausted, Sapphire stumbles into a quiet room to lay her weary head down for a short nap.  As she closes her eyes, a white, longhaired cat jumps up onto the plump settee on which Sapphire reclines and curls up next to her.  The feline’s gentle purring lulls her into a deep sleep within seconds.  

Soon, she finds herself slowly strolling through a field of fragrant flowers and herbs.  The variety of heady scents suggests her grandmother’s home is nearby.  Reminiscing, she notes the vernal field leading into a dark forest—very common in the north. 

Gazing up through the towering pine treetops and into the sunny blue sky, she is surprised by a majestic brown hawk with a red tail, “By the stars, I’ve ever seen a hawk-like that in Atlantis.” Oddly, she feels a connection to the regal raptor as she watches it swoop around the tall trees of the forest.  Suddenly a shrill scream precedes the hawk’s fall from the sky.  Her eyes follow its swift descent as it lands with a thud at Sapphire’s feet.  Soon after it hits the ground, the majestic hawk slowly transforms into Alex. 

Falling to her knees sobbing, she lays her body protectively across his, only to find it slowly dissolving into a pool of blood.  Blood drips from her hands as she pulls herself up.  As she stands, she looks down to find her clothing stained a dark red.  Dazed, she begins to scream, but a violent spin silences her. 
Lightheaded and confused, she finds her dreamscape transformed into her adopted uncle’s home in San Francisco.  Xavier, graying dark hair, dressed in a fine navy-blue silk suit, walks into his contemporary white kitchen happily humming a jazzy tune.  Reaching out to him, she yells for help. 

Alas, the scene dissolves once again as she finds herself teleported onto the cold, gray granite streets of eastern Atlantis.  Broken, bloody bodies lying in the street, doorways and across window ledges morbidly greet her.   Her hands shake and her stomach lurches.  On wobbly legs, she raises a quivering hand to her mouth and whispers, “They are all dead.”  

Outside forces spin her once again as she witnesses a montage of bloody scenes, all much the same—no survivors.  The spinning halts abruptly, and like a discarded ragdoll, she drops painfully onto a white marble floor.   Her entire body aches and she feels nauseated. 

As she slowly pushes her body from the hard, cold floor, she notices drops of fresh blood scattered across it.  She finds the contrast of red and white a macabre testimonial of victory and brutal loss.

A familiar blustery voice jolts her attention toward a group of arguing white-robed Atlantians sitting in intricately carved, heavy wooden chairs set around a similarly designed round pedestal table. 

Yelling incoherently, Arion appears to their left.  They ignore his taunts and complaints as they continue their intense discussion.  Seething with anger, Arion steps behind a graying, attractive Atlantian woman and with one swift movement, stabs her with a long, shiny black knife.  He pulls her by the hair so he can watch her face as she dies.  Gazing into her eyes, he grunts, “And, you thought yourself immortal, didn’t you, Calisto.” 

Before the others can subdue him, each fall to the ground moaning in pain.  He pulls the knife from Calisto’s back so roughly that blood spatters across his tan suit.  Pointing the bloodstained knife at them, he declares, “Enjoy an eternity of confusion and pain, my Tui Siri Masters.””

More From this Trilogy

Sapphire & the Atlantians

Return of The Tui Siri: Book 3


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