Gallery

As dawn broke over Isla Kela, a strong wind blew up from the coast, bringing with it the salty scent of the sea. Cassia breathed it in deep; it was something that he could never smell in Atlantis, even after the water started pouring in. “I suspect this isn’t your first time on the surface, Cassia.” Cassia didn’t hide his grin as he led Mikhail across the windy moor. “Not everyone wanted to drown with a bunch of crumbly old buildings.” ...

After spending so much time running around underground, Hummingbird appreciated the routine of the surface much more. No more euoplos and their big scary clubs! (Though Peach Pit had been very nice.) No more nasty, mean iguanodons! Sure, the surface wasn’t always peaceful, it still had carnos and acros and cryos that weren’t as sweet as Fainel, but at least she knew what to expect. Like Lovebird and Macaw running up to her, looking much too confident, which she kne...

Selena knew from the start that the surface was treacherous. Not all Atlantians knew that—some viewed it as a paradise, a faraway sanctuary that would save them from being swallowed up by the sea. But as a member of the royal guard, Selena was privy to all sorts of things, and that included matters of the world beyond the dome. She heard about the carnivorous titans that made the surface world their home, the acrocanthosaurus, and the scythe-clawed therizinosaurus. She’d had run-ins with ...

As summer rolled in, the land and sea became warmer, and if given the choice, Swavelli always chose the sea. To her, warm air was oppressive; it settled on her shoulders like a great tower of stones, pinning her beneath its weight. A hot day on land meant she was doomed to sloth until a cloud came by and passed over the sun, granting her some reprieve. The ocean was another story. A warm ocean was a cuddle from Seffe’s feathered pelt, a hip-bump from ...

Randolph awoke in the middle of the night to find Rebecca gone. Normally, that wouldn’t have alarmed him. Him and his clutchmates were closer than their cousin Saika’s feathers, but they all needed their space from time to time, though Roxanne was more prone to it than the elder two. But Rebecca hadn’t wandered off for a rambling walk in the woods lining their territory, she’d gone out, alone, into the depths of the Atlantian jungle. And Rebecca...

For the first time in several weeks, Hummingbird and Macaw emerged into true, heavenly sunlight, not the artificial kind they’d gotten used to in Atlantis. Macaw had forgotten how warm it was, how it soaked pleasantly into his bare skin and made him want to run! But, for once, he was exhibiting some self-control. Coming back to the surface was exciting, but it wasn’t what he’d been dreaming of all this time. Ahead of him were Lahna and Va...

“Are you three enjoying your stay?” The royal guard, Selena, was back at their room in the guest house, her tone soft despite her many quills and spikes. “Very!” Hummingbird was in the middle of having her feathers preened by a pair of monkeys. A larger group was giving Fainel a well-deserved massage, and Macaw was taking a nap—imagine that!—on a nearby tower of pillows. “I am happy to hear that. And I’m very sorry to interrupt, but I ha...

“I hate this place so much.” Randolph glared at Rebecca, willing himself to not snap at her. “You were the one who wanted to come here in the first place, remember?” They were, of course, talking about Atlantis. “That was because this is where Papa and Aunt Fainel were going,” she said, rolling her eyes. “It was mysterious! Enigmatic!” Randolph was surprised she knew words that big. “But ...