“Yes, I’m an Atlantean.” My voice echoed through the hall. “I believe in unity and kindness and peace. I hoped the wider magical world felt the same, because I want to be part of it. If I wanted to follow the Atlantean way, that’s where I’d be. But I’m here, getting abuse thrown at me for something I had no part in.” I unraveled the flowing middle finger and stretched the water out over the heads of my peers until the liquid formed a second ceiling of sorts. “Maybe if you got your judgmental heads out of your asses for a second, you’d see that getting to know me and Persie is a way better prospect than being the bad guys, hurling hatred for no reason. Make an opinion based on fact, not fiction.”
I let the water drop. Gallons of it collapsed, drenching everyone. I put up an umbrella of Air to stop me from getting wet. But the others… they deserved it. Not just for me, but for Persie.
Every expletive known to man exploded from the soggy, peeved gathering. Those who’d stayed sitting jumped up, and they didn’t look happy. Charlotte and her clique had taken a hefty bucketload of water. The one who’d insulted me squawked, whining about her hair. But Charlotte just stood there, dripping and quiet, as inscrutable as ever.
“What the hell?” Bike-Pump Teddy shouted, waving a waterlogged vintage watch in my face. “You wrecked my dad’s watch! You’re going to pay for this.”
“Nope, that’d be you.” A few sparks of red flared out of my body, a warning of Fire, which I whipped around me in a spiral.
He reeled back, spitting out a petulant, “You’ll see.”
A snarl of agreement ran through the crowd. Apparently, they hadn’t listened to a word I’d said. Now, they wanted to take out the irritation of their unexpected shower on me. Well, they could bring it. Either they heeded me or they didn’t. Whatever. I didn’t want to fight, but I’d defend myself if I had to.
“What is the meaning of this?!” A stern bark made everyone jump.
I turned to find a livid Tarif Hosseini at the door. Standing at an imposing height and built like an Ifrit, he had Arabian features and curly dark hair flecked with gray at the sides. He’d looked like a gentle giant at our general assembly, but now his strong features were hardened into a stern expression.
Everyone fell silent.
“Well? An explanation, NOW!” I knew the others would start pointing fingers soon, so I jumped in first.
“I soaked them, Mr. Hosseini. Apparently, I don’t deserve to be here because of what I am.” Some might’ve called it snitching, but I wouldn’t let these people put the blame entirely on me. “They’ve been saying all the things they’ve been wanting to say to an Atlantean, and they threw in a few comments about Persie while they were at it.”
Hosseini’s eyes narrowed. “Is this true, Charlotte?”
What, you don’t believe me? I sat back and wondered whether Charlotte would back up her friends or tell the truth.
Charlotte sighed. “Yes, Hosseini.” I looked at her in surprise, thinking that when push came to shove, she would have sided with her friends, not me. But she looked… disappointed. Her mouth was serious, her eyebrows pinched. Perhaps she didn’t want to carry her mantle any more than I wanted to carry mine. “There are some”—her eyes fell on Bike-Pump Teddy—“who’ve gone out of their way to make Genie feel unwelcome here.”
“This is disgusting behavior!” Hosseini cast a piercing stare at everyone in the hall. “Discrimination is not tolerated under any circumstances. You all should know that. You’re not children, or perhaps you all need re-educating on how we treat people?”
A grumble of apologies echoed around the room.
“Atlanteans are amongst the most powerful beings on Earth, and we’ve come to rely on much of their technology. Our puzzle boxes, our glass orbs, our training methods, and our healing methods. Their blood is the blood of our ancestors, and they existed in a world without war for centuries. Can you say the same about ours? No.” A lilt of the Middle East came through in his commanding voice, though it was less of an accent and more of a musical note. “You should be honored to have an Atlantean here. She is descended from lauded hunters, who saw and caught creatures that even our most decorated hunters have never seen. You could learn a great deal from Genie.”
A wave of surprised whispers rolled through the crowd. I guessed that showed just how little they knew about my homeland. Did they think we didn’t have hunters?
That’s right. You didn’t know that, did you? My mom’s career made me prouder than anything. If they’d wanted to hear stories, I’d have happily regaled them. But they’d only just described me as a powerful upstart who hadn’t earned her spot. And now, Hosseini had delivered a few home truths. That made him my new favorite, usurping Nathan from the top spot.
“Get out, all of you, and take this evening to reconsider your actions here. If I so much as hear a hint of this sort of thing happening again, there will be far greater consequences. Consider this a first, and last, warning.” Hosseini dismissed everyone, and they all went running. He turned back to Charlotte. “Charlotte, you’ll help clean this up?”
Resentment passed over her face, but it was quickly replaced by her usual armor. “Yes, Hosseini.”
He noticed and visibly returned to that gentle giant I’d seen on stage, touching Charlotte’s shoulder in a friendly fashion. “People look to you as a leader.” He gestured to the room-turned-aquarium. “We want to set a good example for those who are… ignorant. When people in authority stand back in the face of discrimination, it gives validation to the act itself. We must always fight that battle.”
Charlotte bowed her head. “I know, I could have—no, I should have intervened more firmly…”
I wondered if she was sincere, or
