Chapter 1

Lilly sat in the kitchen chair staring at the dieing plant. What is wrong with you? She thought to herself. She had watered the plant everyday and still it looked dry and dead. She would not let it die. She picked it up and walked down to the bus stop. She waited for the bus that went into town.

After a few minutes, the bus came and she quickly jumped on only to notice everyone staring at her. She raised an eyebrow in question. What was wrong with her? She looked down and noticed a big dirt stain on her white T-shirt. Great she thought. I will have fun getting that out.

She took a set on the left of the bus. She sat the plant beside her and then zipped up her jacket to cover the stain. She waited patiently as the bus tugged along.

They came to another stop and Lilly noticed a boy, of more than likely her age, get on the bus. He was cute. Dark brown hair, light blue eyes, tall, and evidently good taste, because he had on a Panic! At the Disco T-shirt, a band that she had recently fallen in love with. They were usually really original.

He walked through the bus, carefully narrowing down the possible places to sit. He looked at her and smiled.

"Can I sit with you?" he asked her looking her in her eyes, begging her not to make him sit with the strange looking woman two seats back or with the man in the front who almost took up the entire seat by himself.

"Sure," she said turning her eyes away from his hypnotic glare. Usually boys of any type could not make her cry but something about this boy was different. He did not look at her like the boys she knew at school. They only looked her over with hungry eyes, eyes the never really looked at anything but her body. She was a beautiful girl and she knew it. She had straight brown hair that always fell into her deep greens eyes in that certain way that made guys look twice.

She sometimes thought about cutting it all off but she knew that that would only make people think she was lesbian and that would only make those immature, horny ass boys stare more at the thought of her and another girls going at it.

Her train of thought broke when she realized that Mr. Blue Eye's was staring at her. She looked back at him, returning his glace with the same type of strange intensity that he was giving her. She got the feeling that he was trying to figure out something about her.

"So… what's your name?" he asked continuing to stare at her unrelentingly.

"Lilly Tilpin. What's yours?" she asked allowing herself to smile and flash her eyes in his direction.

"Tancred Torsson. So what's with the plant?"

"Well…I was in town the other day and I was walking by this flower shop and for some reason I just had to go in. I wondered around for a while and then the woman that, I assume owns the place came up to me and asked if she could help me. I told her that I didn't really know what I was looking for and she handed me this plant."

"Oh...well that's weird. Why are you taking it back?"

"I'm not its just that no matter what I do it just keeps dieing. I water it, I put it in the sun, I have done everything but nothing works. So I am going to ask her to help me fix it."

"Well that makes sense," he said in a playfully mocking voice, as he smiled at her.

"Hey don't make fun of me," she joked back.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

The bus came to a stop and they both got up. He moved into the aisle and stepped back making room for her to get in front of him.

"Ladies first," he said holding his hand out in front of him almost bowing in a curtsy.

"Why thank you young man," she laughed as she curtsied back as she stepped in front of him.

She wondered if he was looking at her ass, as he followed her down the aisle of the bus.

They stepped of the bus and he walked beside her down the street.

"You aren't some type of stalker, rapist are you?" she asked, eyebrow raised in a joking yet, suspicious manner.

"No…but I might be considering it."

They were at the flower shop door and she stood there not knowing whether to be flattered or to be totally freaked out. He opened the door and she stepped inside.

The room smelt like a place she dreamt about. And she felt so comfortable here…as if she was home.

"Hello honey," said the woman behind the counter. Lilly was really weirded out until she figured out that the woman was talking to Tancred. This had the overall effect of freaking her out even more. She had followed a psycho into his lair and now she was going to be one of those girls who vanished without a trace until 2years later when her skeleton was found along with a blood-dried knife and with no trace of who had done it. Should she start screaming or just run for the door?

"Hey mom," Tancred replied.

A huge rush of relief rushed over Lilly as she watched the boy step behind the counter and put on an apron.

"Hello again miss," said the woman. "How can I help you today?" she said curiously eyeing the plant.

"Well no matter what I do it just keeps getting worse."

"Well…," said the woman walking over towards Lilly. "It looks to me like you have been watering it too much."

"Oh…," Lilly said, blushing slightly.

"No need to worry though dear, Tiger Lilies are very resilient plants. Bounce right back."

"This is a Tiger Lily?"

"Yes, why?"

"Well….it's just kind of strange that you gave me a Tiger Lily considering my name is Lilly, especially since you never knew my name."

"Yes…I suppose it is a bit strange isn't it," the woman replies in a slow serious voice and a glimmer in her eye that looked much like the glimmer her sons eyes had held earlier. Lilly got a weird feeling in her stomach as she looked at the woman. She felt like in a place and time somewhere far away from Richlands that she and this woman would have known each other. And even though she had never meet this woman before in her life she felt as though a grave and dark secret rest between them waited for the right time to be told.

"Well…,"Lilly said turning to go to the door, "thanks for the help with the plant," she called over her shoulder. Then, she left in a hurry.

Tancred lay in bed that night tossing and turning. Could that girl, Lilly, have possible been one of them? The odds were greatly put against it, but still he wondered. He wondered about the gleam that had been in her eyes as she looked at him and how he got this feeling from her that wasn't like the ones he got from the normal girls he had meet. If she wasn't one of them then she certainly could fool him. By the way his mother had acted; he suspected that the girl could have fooled her too.

It had been three days since Lilly's visit to the flower shop and she still found herself thinking about the woman and the boy. She found it strange though that when she had told her mother about the freakish encounter she had gotten very ….upset and dropped the plate she was washing on the floor. She told Lilly that it probably would be best if she stayed away from that flower shop. Lilly had not objected but she had most certainly not agreed either.

So, the next day Lilly took the bus back to the shop. She sat on a bench across the street for the longest time and just couldn't seem to decide whether to go in. Her decision was made for her when a familiar voice from behind her asked if she was some kind of stalker, rapist.

"No," she replied not yet looking at him, "but I am thinking about it."

"So why are you here?" he asked her setting down beside her.

"Well….to be quite honest….I have no idea. I just had to come but once I got here I just couldn't go in."

"Oh…well since you're just sitting out here how would you like to go and get an ice cream or something with me?"

She turned and looked at him, eyes flashing in that certain way that only girls can do. The way that makes guys want to just crawl on they knees and beg for mercy, sex, or continuance of whatever is going on or is about to happen.

"Yeah," she said getting up and holding his stare for a moment.

"Okay then let us be off." He stood up and started walking in the direction of the ice cream parlor. She had made him nervous but she had meant to so she didn't mind. She was young and in her eyes, there was nothing wrong with flirting.

Tancred walked down the street barely managing a bashful glance at his companion. Her eyes were the give away, the thing that told him that she had to be like him. There was no other explanation. The way she had looked at him made him wan to squirm. And he had never felt that way with anyone. No one else had eyes strong enough to compare to his. Normal eyes where as inferior to his a poor man was to a millionaire.

"What's wrong?" she said smiling at him with a look and a smile that said she knew exactly what she had done to him. He wanted to ask her. She didn't act like one of them, but parents were known to hide the secret from there children.

"Nothing," he said as he opened the door for her.

"Okay…," she said. "So what's your favorite kind of ice cream?" she said beaming at the selection of flavors placed before her. "Mine is cookie dough."

"Well I would have to say the same. It is either that or maybe superman."

"Yes that is a good one too."

He ordered them two large cones of cookie dough and paid for it (of course) and then they left the shop.

Lilly was a little worried. Had she scared him? She just meant to tease. That was all but now he seemed to avoid her eyes as they walked back towards the flower shop.

"Hey," she said, letting her emotions vent through her words. "Did I do something wrong?"

Tancred looked up somewhat startled by the question. No, she hadn't done anything wrong. If anything, she was too perfect. Too perfect in the way she moved so gracefully and in how her body curved in all the right places and most certainly in the fact that she may be like him.

"No," he said smiling at her. "You haven't done anything."

"Then why won't you look at me?"

"There's just something about your eyes…something different. But in the best way possible," was she like him? He wanted to know so badly, but if she didn't know then how was she supposed to tell him, there where certain ways that you could find out.

Her ears should be slightly pointed, she should have an outstanding singing voice, and the dead give away should be a birthmark that looked like the sun. All his people had one. His was located right beside his belly button.

How would he ever find out though?

Lilly knew that he was thinking something but just couldn't tell what. It annoyed her really to not know what people where thinking, especially if it was about her.

There were at the flower shop door and Lilly watched as Tancred walked in without hesitation. She on the other hand paused outside that door, out of fear or maybe worry, and when she did go in she proceeded with caution.

Tancreds' mothers smiling face welcomed her. A face that's first name she still didn't know, but somehow the woman had this 'calming" affect that seemed to surround her and whenever Lilly saw her she always felt at ease.

"Oh if it isn't Lilly! Tancred just wont stop talking about you here lately!" she evaluated as she hugged Lilly and smiled at her son knowing that she had made him turn almost every shade of red.

"Mom," Tancred said in an annoyed voice.

Lilly blushed and realized that she had, for some strange reason, spoken about Tancred a lot too. She just couldn't seem to get him off her mind. His blue eyes haunted her dreams at night and every morning since they had meet she awoke hopping that by chance she may see him. She just couldn't explain it. It was as if something inside her that she couldn't control pulled her to him. The same something that had pulled her into the flower shop not so long ago. She felt as though a part of her was tired of hiding and demanded to be heard.

"So Lilly what brings you here?" Mrs. Torsson inquired.

"Nothing really I was just in town and decided to drop by."

Mrs. Torsson looked at Lilly for a long time. More like she analyzed her really. Her eyes made Lilly nervous.

"Well it's getting late; I really should be heading home now." Lilly said as she bolted to the door.

"Oh Lilly, do me a favor would you…Tell your mother that Latisha said hello, please." Lilly let the door slam behind her she ran to the bus stop in fear and confusion. She didn't know why she felt so strange. She felt like she was loosing grip of her life. What was going on? She turned around when she felt a hand touch her shoulder; it was Tancred.

She could run he had to say that for her, Tancred thought as he ran down the street after Lilly.

He could shoot his mother for that. He knew Lilly was scared to death of his mothers' cold eyes. And when Lilly left the flower shop in a crazed panic, Tancred found himself running after her. Afraid he may never see her again if he didn't.

He caught up to her at the bus stop and before he even thought about it, he placed his hand on her shoulder. She turned around scared and shocked and then she just sort of fell into his arms. Sobbing hysterically.

"What's happing to me?" she cried. "Why do I feel like I'm falling apart from myself?" She looked up at him eyes glazy with falling tears. "I feel like all I can do is watch helplessly as I change into something that I don't know what is and when I look in your eyes…I feel like….that something inside of me wants to have you…like you're the key to it finally taking over."

Tancred just stared at her. What was he to say to that? Nothing he supposed because, there was nothing that he could think of. She fell into him again sobbing.

"I think I should take you home." Then they got on the next bus to Starlit Hill.

Lilly felt like such an idiot for crying the way she had. For over reacting like that, but there was something about Tancred smooth comforting arm that was ever so lightly wrapped around her shoulder, that made her want o forget everything. She felt warm and safe in his embrace and had almost dozed off when the bus came to a halt at her street.

The two of them got off the bus together and walked to her door.

There they stood in awkward silence for a while.

"You should probably go home now," Lilly began, "your mother is probably worried about you."

"Yeah….good-night Lilly," he said and began walking towards the road.

Lilly then reach out and touched his arm. He stopped and turned around only to have a soft kiss planted on his lips.

"Thank you," she said and then she had opened and closed the door before Tancred even realized what had happened.

Tancred sighed to himself as he got off the bus in front of his blue house. He liked her. He knew that for sure. He wished she hadn't run off so fast. He opened the door and stepped into the never-ending commotion that always filled his house.

He went up the stairs and into the room he shared with his older brother Lysander.

His brother lay on the bed, his nose buried in a book. Nothing out of the normal for him though. He looked up at Tancred with his coal black eyes and smiled.

"So where have you been, lover boy?" he teased. "Did you go see that little girlfriend of yours?"

"Shut up already. God you can be so annoying at times. No strike that all the time."

"Oh come on little brother. You know I'm only playing around," he said as he got up off the bed and walked over to Tancred.

Tancred started to run but was too late; his brother had him in a death lock in less then a millisecond. How he hated being the youngest.

"Let go," he choked with what air he could manage.

Annoying is not even a close description for Lysander, but as always mother saved-well sometimes ruined- the day.

"Lysander Sage leave your bother alone!" she yelled form the bottom of the stairs. "I swear the next time…" her angry voice trailed off into a mumble as she walked away from the stairs.

Lysander walked over at his brother, as he flopped down on the bed and began quizzing him on the days events.

"So what's this Lilly girl look like anyways?"

"She's got green eyes, brown hair, skinny, but not extremely, and she's medium height."

"Is she hot?" his brother asked in a mocking tone.

"Yeah she is," Tancred said as he hurled the pillow from his bed to his brothers' face.

Lilly went into her house shaking. She had kissed him. A boy she barely knew. Given it wasn't an exceptional kiss or anything but still yet. That just wasn't like her. She walked into the living room were her parent sat close together on the coach.

"Where have you been?" her mother asked in not mean but a little overly curious tone.

"The flower shop."

"I thought we agreed that you wouldn't go back to that place Lilly?" her father chimed in turning red with sudden and most definitely uncalled for anger.

"You two agreed that not me." Lilly stormed to her room, slamming the door shut.

Why did it mater so much. It was only a flower shop, a boy, and his mom. That's when Lilly remembered Latishas'' message. She pulled the door open marching back into the living room.

"Oh and by the way mom," she said in a spiteful voice, "Latisha says hi."

Her mother jumped up grabbing her arm.

"What did she tell you?' her mother said growing crazier by the minute.

Now don't think Lilly's parents are crazy and abusive. They are normal calm rational and loving but evidently, Lilly had crossed the line.

The mention of Latisha had set her mother overboard because the next thing she knew her, her mother, and her father were speeding away in the car. It seemed like forever but when they finally stopped, it was in front of a big blue house.

Tancred awoke to what sounded like his down being beaten off the hinges.

He and Lysander stared at each other for a moment in their sleepy confusion. Then they ran down the stairs to see what the fuss was about. Imagine Tancreds surprise when he saw the tear stained face of Lilly in his living room.

Lilly was even more upset when she found out that the house was Tancreds. He came running down the stairs in only his boxers, followed by another blonde headed boy in the same attire. She assumed it was his brother but they looked very different.

"THS WAS NONE OF YOU BUSINESS LATISHA!" Lilly's mother screamed.

"She has the right to know and you and Craig know it!" Tancred's mother responded in a quite yet frustrated voice.

Lilly was getting tired of being referred to as a third person. Especially, when she was standing right there.

"What should I know mom?" she asked looking at her mother, still sobbing.

Her mother looked from Latisha to her father; he sighed and then shook his head disapprovingly.

"We didn't want it to control your life like it controlled ours honey," her father began. "It is such a great gift but is also an unbearable burden.

"What is?" she asked softly. She felt like she was the only sane person in the room. What was all this about a gift. She had never been gifted at anything her entire life. Well except singing. She did love that but it would never get her anywhere. So what was this about? She looked at her father for an answer and then to her mother. Both shook there heads.

"If you wish to know then let Latisha tell you. I refuse to be part of it anymore. It nearly cost me and your father something very dear to us once and I will not let it happen again. If you are wise Lilly you will forget this night and come home with us now," her mother said.

But Lilly was too curious now. She wanted to know.

"I feel like I should be able to know this secret that you two have kept form me, but if it is so bad then I don't know if I wan to."

"The decision is yours alone Lilly. And if you two remember it cost many people greatly to save what you nearly lost," Latisha said, with what seemed like tears in her eyes.

Her father looked at her and touched her face.

"Maybe they were right. Your powers are just too great to keep hidden. Maybe… we shouldn't have kept this from you. I only ask that what ever you decide to be careful and not to be foolish." He father hugged her and then her mother.

"She may stay with us until morning," Latisha interjected. "Then she can decide. Let her sleep on it and if she chooses to know I will take her tomorrow."

"Take me where?" Lilly asked.

"Well to Atlantis of course."

CRAZY! LONATICS! Was she surrounded by mental patients?

"Tancred you and your brother take Lilly to your sisters' room. She can sleep in the spare bed in there. I and her parents have a lot to talk about.

Lilly looked around the room hopping for any sign that this was just some strange joke. But the only thing she saw were grave and serious faces.

"Yes mom," Tancred and his brother said in unison.

Tancred walked now the steps and took hold of Lilly's hand. His brother and he lead her up the stairs.

"So you're Lilly?" said Tancred's brother. "I'm Lysander, brother of this here loser,' he said smiling at his younger brother and then winking at Lilly.

Tancred's grip got a little tighter as he led her down the hallway.

Lysander opened the door and slipped in quietly. Tancred went in next pulling Lilly in after him.

Lysander sat on the edge of a bed, a small blonde headed girl hiding behind him.

"This is Lilly," Lysander said. "She's going to sleep in your room tonight."

The little girl peeked out from behind her big brothers shoulder. Her bright blue eyes staring at Lilly. She eased out from behind her brother and carefully placed each foot on the floor.

"She doesn't talk much. Not since our dad died," Tancred whispered in Lilly's ear.

The little girl walked over to Lilly and grabbed her hand. She smiled and then lifted her arms up so that Lilly could pick her up. Lilly reach down and picked up the small girl.

"She doesn't usually like new people," Lysander said, rather astonished.

"Anyways you'll sleep in this bed. Mine and Lysander's room is right now the hallway. So if you need anything just ask."

"Thanks," Lilly said.

"Well, I guess we all better go to bed now huh?"

"Yeah. Probably."

The boys left the room silently and after she put Emily back in bed she collapsed on the other one. Today had really taken a lot out if her. She fell into a deep sleep. She dreamt of a dark haired man and a light haired woman. The woman was crying and she was holding in a baby. And the man stood with a serious face and a sword in his hand. She woke up to find that she was being watched.

Tancred lay in bed thinking of Lilly. She was one of them. Why hadn't her parents told her? And what was his mother talking about, when she said she had lost something great? And what had she had to save?

Everything was so confusing. He thought about it all until he couldn't think anymore. He fell asleep and dreamt of a story his mother always told him and his siblings.

It was about a young man and woman who had fallen in love. The woman was the princess of Atlantis. The boy was a warrior. At the time the their kingdom was at war with a kingdom from the west (the people from the west were Shade; deadly creatures possessed y evil sprits) and when the young man found out he had to go off to fight the girl found out that she was with child. Soon the battle grew to be outside the palace walls. The day came for her to have her child and it was a girl. The warrior tried to protect his family but soon the enemies had broken through the walls and invaded the palace. The princess placed her daughter in the care of a servant and the servant girl promised to raise her. The princess also asked her friend to watch out after the young girl. She gave her friend a crystal necklace that would protect her she told her friend that one day the events of that day would repeat themselves and that her daughter would be the only one who could save them. And then the princess and her prince left. Then just as the people of Atlantis thought that they were going to be defeated the ground started to quake. The Shades fell to the ground and began screaming. A bright light fell over the city and then the Shades turned to dust. And as the light began to fade….so did Atlantis.

Emily was staring at Lilly when she woke up. She jumped when Lilly let out a startled scream. Then she smiled and climbed into bed with Lilly.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" Lilly asked the little girl who was lying against her.

"No."

Lilly raised her eyebrow wasn't this little girl supposed to be shy? Quite?

"Then why are you awake?"

"I have a present for Lilly," Emily said in a hushed voice. She held out her open hand and in it was a crystal necklace. Lilly reach for it. Drawn in by its mystic beauty. The little girl smiled and clapped her hands. "Daddy said that you would come one day. And he told me not to tell anyone else about your present. That it was a surprise. And I didn't. Lilly is happy right?"

"Yes. I am." The little girl climbed down to the floor and jumped into her own bed. Lilly put the necklace on. It was beautiful. It was shaped like the sun and reminded her of her birthmark. She lay back down and stared at the little girl until she fell back asleep.

Lilly awoke the next morning from being shook. She opened her eyes and saw Emily.

"Time for breakfast!" she shouted and ran out the door and down the stairs.

Lilly woke up and stretched. Then she started her way down the stairs. She meet Tancred in the hallway. He smiled at her.

"My sister really likes you," he said as they walked down the stairs.

"Yeah, seems that way."

They walked into the kitchen where Latishas' attention quickly went to Lilly's neck.

"Where did you get that?" she said getting up form the table.

"Emily gave it to me."

She turned to the little girl.

"Emily?"

"Daddy told me not to tell."

For a moment, she thought Latisha was going to cry but then she put a smile on her face and went back to the table.

"So Lilly what do you want? Pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast. What's your preference?"

"Um…pancakes would be great."

"Pancakes it is!" she said turning to the counter and putting two pancakes on a plate and then covering them with syrup.

Lilly felt strange. Why had she flipped out over the necklace?

"So have you decided yet?" Tancred asked while chewing a mouthful of pancakes.

"Well… Last night I thought I might not go…but then I had this dream… And when I woke up Emily was there and she gave me this necklace."

"A dream?" Latisha said. "What kind of dream?"

"Nothing really. There was a woman holding a baby and a man holding a sword."

"The woman was your great great great grandmother. The princess of Atlantis. The man your great great great grandfather. He was a great warrior in that time. The kingdom was at war with Shades and the day after the princess gave birth the enemies broke through the walls. She gave her child to her servant and she gave her friend a necklace that she said in time her daughter or her daughters daughter would need. And then she left with her prince. Soon after a bright light came over Atlantis and the Shades screamed and then turned to dust. As the light faded so did Atlantis. They say that the princess hid the great city because no one understood their kind anymore. But whatever it was the princess and her prince were never seen again."

"That story was about her family?" Lysander asked.

"Yes," his mother responded with a sly smile in Lilly's direction. "And ours. The friend of the princess was your great great great grandfather."

"Wow," Lysander and Tancred said in unison. Both in shock form the piece of family history that they had just gained.

"Well, that explains the necklace," Lilly stated.

"Not exactly," Latisha said. "The legend says that the necklace would be returned to the royal family when history began to repeat itself."

"You're not suggesting that I am supposed to save Atlantis are you? No one even really knows where it is."

"We do. And as a matter of fact I do believe you are supposed to save it. The day you came into the shop I had had a weird felling all morning like something wasn't right. I knew who you were when you came in. It was no coincidence that you meet my son. You two were drawn together by a force much more powerful than you could know."

"That's crazy mom! Even for me!" Tancred said laughing at his mothers words.

"But it is true. There is a dark magic that is getting closer to Atlantis everyday. I can feel it. You all can too if you try. Every Atlantian risks being discovered if someone who means us harm discovers Atlantis. We all have magic in us. And over the years we have used our magic to adapt ad blend into our new surroundings. We have keep Atlantis a secret this long. And now our secret risks being discovered. We…you must stop it."

"This is crazy talk!" Lilly said in a annoyed and unbelieving voice. "I didn't even know anything about this stuff. Now you're telling me that I am supposed to save a lost city!"

"Lilly you have to understand you're our only hope. Our kind is almost gone as it is. Given a few move generations and we will be no more. But Atlantis itself keeps us alive forever. The few who still live there will live much longer than any of us because Atlantis keeps them alive. It is a city filled with wonder and magic. If Atlantis dies so do they…and so do we.."

"So what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Go there. Do what you are destined to do. Save our people."