I Love You With My Whole Heart
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“It’s so pretty,” I whispered to myself as I looked down at the sparkling gem set in my palm. “So beautiful.”
My breath caught in my throat as I turned the stone over and saw a name inscribed on the back of it. A name I knew well, and one that made me smile.
“Hello, dear heart,” a voice said from behind me.
I spun around quickly, taking in the sight of the familiar face, and then jumped when I saw the man’s hands were missing. I dropped the stone into my palm and stared at them in horror, trying to understand what had happened.
The man chuckled softly, his voice warm and comforting. “You’re safe now.”
“Who are you?” I asked, stepping closer to him.
“My name is Justin,” he replied with a smile. “And you are welcome here.”
I reached out and touched his arm. It was solid and strong, but there was nothing of the man that I had known before. The laugh lines were gone, leaving only smooth skin and an air of mystery behind him.
“What did you do to him?” I asked, looking back at the man I’d come to know as Justin.
His lips curled into a knowing smile. “You really don’t remember?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“He’s gone now,” Justin said. “And will be forever if you wish it.”
“How can you say that?” I asked, glancing back at the man who had been my father. “How can you just leave him here?”
“Because he was never meant to stay,” Justin said simply. “And now he has his freedom.”
“Freedom?” I repeated, staring at the man whose soul I knew was trapped in this world.
“To go where he chooses,” Justin said. “And to choose the path he takes.”
“But how—” I began, but stopped as I felt something pull me back. I looked up at Justin, confused, but he just smiled and then vanished.
“Justin?” I called out, but he was gone.
I turned my attention back to the man who had been my father. He was still wearing the same clothes, but they were dusty and torn. His hair was unkempt and his eyes were empty. He looked as though he hadn’t slept in weeks, and I could see the lines of pain etched into his face.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
The man shook his head sadly. “It wasn’t your choice to make, child. Not yet.”
“But now I am,” I said.
“No,” the man replied, shaking his head. “Not yet. You have more learning to do.”
“More learning?” I asked. “What kind of learning?”
“Learning about yourself,” the man replied. “And the magic you carry inside you.”
“Magic?” I repeated, turning to look at the gem again. “This is magic?”
“Yes,” the man said. “A stone of power.”
“What does it do?” I asked, turning to look at him.
The man looked at me and then sighed. “It can bring you closer to the person you love. To open their heart and allow them to know the depth of your feelings for them.”
“Can it do other things?” I asked.
“Many other things,” the man said. “But those are for you to discover. And when you have learned all that you need to learn, then we will meet again.”
“And what if I don’t want to meet you again?” I asked.
“Then you won’t,” the man replied. “And I’ll be gone.”
I nodded slowly. “That’s fair.”
“Now go home, my dear,” the man said. “You’re not ready for this yet.”
“Okay,” I said. “Thank you.”
The man smiled at me and then winked. “Goodbye, my dear.”
“Goodbye, father,” I whispered, holding up the gem as I walked away.
***
“Did you find it?” Aislinn asked from behind me.
I turned to look at her, smiling at the sight of her bright blue eyes staring back at me. She was beautiful and her long red hair made me ache to run my fingers through it. I wanted to tell her how much she meant to me but knew I couldn’t say it now. It would have to wait until the time was right.
“Yes,” I said, handing over the stone. “Is there something wrong with it?”
“No,” she replied. “It’s beautiful.”
“There is a lot of power in it,” I said, holding it out for her to see. “And I don’t know if I can control it.”
“What do you mean?” Aislinn asked, taking the gem from me and looking at it closely. “How could you possibly lose control of magic?”
“Magic?” I repeated. “This is magic?”
“It’s a stone of power,” Aislinn said, touching the rough surface. “And I’ve never seen one like it before.”
“You’ve never seen it before?” I asked, turning to look at her.
“Not until you gave it to me,” she replied. “But that doesn’t mean I haven’t known about it.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“Because I thought you’d already figured it out,” Aislinn said. “But I guess I was wrong.”
“Does it have another name?” I asked.
“It’s called the Ruby of Fire,” Aislinn replied. “And it’s supposedly a gift from the gods to be used by the first king of Atlantis.”
“Atlantis?” I asked. “Was that your father’s kingdom?”
“It was,” Aislinn said. “And so is this.”
“But why did he give it to me?” I asked, suddenly feeling a little afraid. “Is it because he knew I would someday need it?”
“Maybe,” Aislinn replied. “Or maybe he just wanted to help you. Or maybe it’s destiny.”
“Destiny?” I repeated, not sure I liked the sound of that.
“I think it means the stone chose you,” Aislinn said. “That you were meant to find it and use it.”
“Do you believe that?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Aislinn replied. “But I think you should figure out what it does before you worry too much about destiny.”
“What are you going to do with it?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” Aislinn replied. “But I will have to ask my father when I see him again.”
“Will you?” I asked. “Tell him how I feel?”
“Yes,” Aislinn said. “But it won’t be for a while.”
“I understand,” I said. “I’ll wait.”
“Good,” Aislinn said. “Now we have to go back.”
“Right,” I said, standing up. “Let’s get ready.”
***
We were back in the cave of the guardian a few minutes later. The guardian was waiting for us as we stepped out of the tunnel. He looked at me and then turned to Aislinn.
“You’ve returned,” the Guardian said. “Where is the girl?”
“She’s not here,” Aislinn replied. “I sent her home.”
The guardian frowned and then looked at me. “Your turn.”
“I can’t find her,” I said. “She just disappeared.”
“I’ll help you look,” the guardian said, walking away from us.
I followed him into the tunnels, following his directions to a chamber where I’d been before. “Wait here,” he said, turning to face me. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Okay,” I replied.
He walked away and I waited for him to return. A few minutes later he appeared with a young woman. She looked frightened, but curious as well.
“Who are you?” she asked.
“My name is Demetri,” I replied. “And this is Aislinn.”
“Aislinn,” the girl said. “I’ve heard of her.”
“Why?” I asked.
“She’s the one who brought me here,” the girl said. “But I didn’t know she was a goddess.”
“You’re a goddess?” I asked.
“No,” she replied. “But I’m supposed to be a queen. It’s just that I haven’t met my people yet.”
“She’s a goddess?” Aislinn asked.
“I am,” the girl replied. “And you must be Demetri. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“That’s nice,” I replied. “What is your name?”
“I’m called Kayla,” the girl said. “Kayla of Atlantis.”
“Kayla,” Aislinn repeated. “Atlantis? Where are you from?”
“I don’t know,” Kayla replied. “But I’m supposed to meet them soon. My father told me so.”
“Atlantis,” I repeated, looking at her curiously. “Do you mean the island nation off the coast of Greece?”
“Yes,” Kayla replied. “It’s an old legend, isn’t it?”
“Sort of,” I replied. “But it might be true.”
“Is it?” Kayla asked. “Have you ever seen it?”
“I have,” I replied. “When I was younger. But I’ve never been there since.”
“So Atlantis is real?” Kayla asked.
“I think so,” I replied. “And so are you.”
“Me?” Kayla asked. “How can I be a goddess?”
“You have the Ruby of Fire,” I said. “The same stone that Aislinn has. And so do I.”
“Really?” Kayla asked. “But I don’t know anything about it.”
“Neither do I,” I replied. “But we’re all supposed to use it.”
“To what?” Kayla asked. “What am I supposed to do with it?”
“I’m not sure,” I replied. “But I think you’ll find out when you see your people.”
“Okay,” Kayla said. “Let’s go back.”
“We will,” I said. “But first let’s look for the guardian.”
“Okay,” Kayla replied.
A few minutes later we were walking through the tunnels again. The guardian was waiting for us as we emerged. He looked at Kayla and then turned to me.
“She’s yours,” he said. “But you must not forget her.”
“I won’t,” I replied. “I promise.”
“Good,” the Guardian said. “Now go ahead.”
We walked away from him and down the tunnel. Once we reached the chamber where I’d seen the guardian before, Kayla stopped and pointed to a door. “There,” she said. “That’s the entrance.”
“Do you want to go in?” I asked.
“No,” Kayla replied. “I’ll wait here.”
“Okay,” I said. “Then I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay,” Kayla replied.
I stepped inside and the door closed behind me. There was no sign of Kayla, but I could hear her talking to someone. I walked around the room and saw a young woman sitting on the floor. She had long black hair and blue eyes.
“Hello,” I said. “I’m Demetri.”
The girl smiled and stood up. “My name is Aislinn,” she replied.
“Where did you come from?” I asked.
“From Atlantis,” Aislinn replied. “But I’ve been searching for my people ever since I came here.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because they’re the ones who brought me here,” Aislinn replied. “And I don’t know how to get back.”
“Atlantis?” I asked. “Is it really there?”
“Yes,” Aislinn replied. “I’ve seen it.”
“So have I,” I replied. “But I didn’t know it was a real place.”
“It’s a legend,” Aislinn said. “Like the lost city of Camelot.”
“Did you see it?” I asked.
“Not really,” Aislinn replied. “I mean, I saw pictures of it. But that’s all.”
“Same with me,” I replied. “I read about it, but I never thought it was true.”
“We were told it was,” Aislinn replied. “But my father didn’t believe it. He wanted to find out for himself. So he found a way to get here. And now I’m stuck.”
“You should be careful,” I said. “Your father might not want you to leave.”
“I know,” Aislinn replied. “But I have to try. If I stay here much longer, I’ll forget Atlantis.”
“Maybe we can help each other,” I suggested. “What if I take you back to the surface and you tell me where Atlantis is? Then I’ll go there and bring your people back here.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Aislinn replied. “How do we start?”
“I need to get my Ruby of Fire,” I replied. “And then we’ll head down to the surface.”
“Okay,” Aislinn said. “Let’s go.”
The End