The Cursed Empress: Aria & Liam

By Coline Monsarrat

During a fierce sailing competition, Aria and Liam unexpectedly find themselves drawn into a mysterious crystal cave. Suddenly, they're faced with a seemingly impossible task: lifting a curse that has befallen the Empress of Atlantis.

As they strive to uncover the truth behind the curse and outsmart the dark force threatening Atlantis, Aria and Liam must navigate treacherous waters, dodge bizarre scientific experiments, and encounter long-extinct creatures with a knack for mischief.

Will they unlock the enigma and outsmart the dark force threatening Atlantis? Can they avert the cataclysm prophesied by Plato and restore harmony to this wondrous realm? But perhaps the most significant challenge lies in winning over the hearts and minds of the island's inhabitants, convincing them of their pure intentions.

 

Amidst the heart-pounding thrills and extraordinary discoveries, Aria and Liam's infectious humor and unwavering friendship shine through. Their misadventures will have you laughing out loud and holding your breath equally.

 

It's a rollercoaster ride with non-stop surprises, perfect for adventurous kids aged 8 to 12.

 

Aria & Liam is a middle-grade book series where each book can be enjoyed in any order, allowing young readers to explore captivating stories in their chosen order.

 

"Packed with action and plenty of twists and turns, this is the perfect adventure story for kids, but it tells more than just a children's story." - Anne-Marie Reynolds for Readers' Favorite.

"The impressive part of Monsarrat's storytelling technique is how she subtly injects important morals into the subplots." - Essien Asian for Readers' Favorite.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Apicem Publishing
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223321545

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Sailing Competition

In Atlantis, thousands of years ago…

The full moon casts a brilliant light across the mysterious island of Atlantis. A gentle wind sweeps over one of its purest citizens.

Finally, the moment has arrived: The planets have aligned to create a perfect opportunity for casting a curse on the gemstone. Utilizing the dark energy from a black hole to place a hex on the crystal will be instrumental in bringing down the Empress—what an excellent idea!

By altering the stone’s positive energy into a negative one, it will take no more than a few months for the Empress to perish. While the poison subtly administered to the monarch could have made this job much quicker, the failure does not matter—the perfect solution has been found.

The murderer takes a deep breath and then begins to speak the magical words that will bring destruction to this serene paradise:

"In the void of darkness, where all is consumed,

I call upon the power of the black hole,

May its energy bind and connect,

Stone and crystal; one and the same.

Grant me this wish, O great cosmic force,

As I speak this secret tongue,

And imbue this object with your power,

Forever cursed, by my will, it shall remain."

A powerful gust of wind knocks the candles and ruby off the altar. The candle rolls across the ground and the ruby lays flat not far away from the altar. Dark smoke billows around the island before it merges with the gem, forming a single entity.

You should never have been made empress. Not long now, and all will be made right. The throne will be mine!

Not too far away, the remarkable Crystal of Life that had been placed in the hands of the creator of Atlantis since its creation starts to dim its shine.

"Ariaaaa! Be careful; you are going to crash the boat!" yells Liam as his navigation teammate turns the tiller sharply, causing the boat to lurch.

The sun shines and glistens over the lake of Sommetville, where a dozen small sailboats are sailing rapidly and more or less smoothly. With the warm weather back, Aria and Liam welcomed the opportunity to participate in a sailing camp during the school vacations. Aria’s excitement was heightened when she learned that a competition would seal the end of the week. What better way to end the vacation than by winning a sailing competition?

Of course, winning will require some serious training: She did not lose any time dragging her best-friend Liam to the library so they could study everything they could about the art of sailing.

Liam, who was initially pumped about the idea of enjoying his vacation sailing quietly with his friends, begins to regret his choice. Between the forced labor in the library and his best friend’s impulsiveness, one thing is certain: There is nothing quiet about their time on the water.

After analyzing their biggest strengths in sight of the crucial competition, they agreed that Aria would be in charge of the helm, and Liam would manage the sails to suit the sailing conditions.

However, letting Aria be in the driver’s seat has turned out to be a dreadful idea.

Since the start of the week, their boat has been responsible for three collisions and one shipwreck.

Poor Amelia had to take a forced swim following one of their explosive collisions.

The competition is raging, and despite Aria’s best attempt to maneuver the boat, they nearly flip it over a few times in a matter of minutes. Liam is entirely unable to adapt the sails properly to Aria’s brusque gestures. Liam also notices her thrilled and fearless smile, which suggests nothing good for the future of their sailing.

Look out! suddenly shouts Liam with his hands clenched on the edge of the boat.

My dear Liam, you’ll have to relax a little. It’s not like we’re in the middle of the sea! Let me remind you that we have a competition to win! retorts Aria before narrowly avoiding their friends’ boats.

It’s a good thing we didn’t let you maneuver the boat in Egypt. Otherwise, we would have all ended up as dinner for crocodiles!

The mention of their trip down the Nile sends Aria into a reverie. How cool would it have been to sail on the Nile, she thinks. Then, a shock that nearly sent her over the edge brings her out of her dreamy state abruptly.

ARIA! LIAM! Shouts Mr. Murphy with jolting eyes.

Their sailing instructor quickly heads to the scene of the crash. In more than twenty years of teaching kids this sport, he has never seen two students that horrendous in maneuvering a boat.

How many times do I have to tell you to look where you are going? If this continues, I’m going to disqualify you! he strictly states before driving away, leaving an astonished Aria and Liam behind.

Are you happy? You are going to get us disqualified because of your reckless attitude! sighs Liam, who secretly hopes they will triumph even though he doesn’t want to admit it.

He’s got some nerve! replies Aria with bewildered eyes.

Excuse me? Liam retorts, surprised.

Yes, didn’t you hear? continues Aria without noting the sarcasm in her friend’s voice. He wants to forbid us from winning the competition! That’s because he knows we’re going to win! states Aria confidently as she grips the bar with both hands, her statement causing Liam to pause in disbelief.

You must be joking, he finally blurts out. You are so good that Amelia already took a dive, and we almost had to go swimming ourselves! His voice rises in pitch as he stands up.

Aria can’t come up with a retort, so she smiles through gritted teeth and reluctantly admits that her friend is right.

Give me the helm; I’ll take over the reins before we crash into the rocks! Take care of the sail, says Liam, without giving her a choice.

But we are in the middle of the competition, and you have never driven the boat! Aria whines while dragging her feet to her new position. But you’ll see, it’s not that easy!

Liam does not take into account the warning. Nobody can be that bad. He quickly settles with dignity at the navigation station, ready to kick back the race. At first, he’s surprised by how much power you need to steer the helm. It doesn’t look heavy at all, but appearances can be deceiving. The light breeze blowing on the lake has much more impact than he originally thought.

The boat starts to sail quietly but at a steady pace on the lake, and, despite some wobbles, Liam manages to keep the course toward the floats, indicating the finish line.

Liam finally starts to enjoy sailing: Aria’s driving has made him seasick all week! To avoid vomiting during the competition, he even refused the delicious breakfast his mother had prepared for him this morning.

Aria shows a lot less spirit under this calm, too quiet for her taste. Her legs start to fidget under the lack of adrenaline that this new method of cruising has taken.

Did you know that the Hydroptere team set the Guinness record for the fastest sailboat race in the world? says Aria happily, whose silence has always made her feel more anxious than relaxed.

Liam raises his eyebrows at this revelation coming out of nowhere. Unfortunately, he knows his best friend too well! She’s definitely going to take her time reciting all the boring details about this event, disabling him from the joy of enjoying this quiet moment!

And yes, my dear Liam! They managed to reach a speed of 51.36 knots over a distance of one nautical mile. Can you believe it? That’s about 59 miles per hour! she declares in an ever-increasing theatrical tone.

Yes, impressive indeed... murmurs Liam before looking at his competitors’ placement in the race.

BE CAREFUL! abruptly yells Aria to a dreamy Liam.

The young boy jumps at the high-pitched cry, causing the ship to capsize. Less than a few feet away from the boat lies a rocky shoal whose spikes do not bode well for the good maintenance of the boat’s hull.

With a quick movement, he pulls the tiller toward him to make the boat’s trajectory shift to the right. Aria clings to the mast of the boat to avoid falling before stretching the sail to reduce the cruising speed.

Before Liam can even begin a new maneuver to turn the boat around, the ship enters a narrow corridor carved into the rocky mountain that borders the lake. Soon, the faint light coming from the outside becomes less and less present, plunging the navigators into the darkness with only the light of the rocky crystals of the cave.

Chapter 2

The Fading Crystal

Aria and Liam stare at each other as their boat keeps sailing into the darkness. Their hearts pound, and their breathing becomes heavy, unsure of what lay ahead. Liam quickly turns his head in an attempt to find a way to make a U-turn. But, to his greatest despair, the narrowest part of the river does not permit any maneuver. Despite the twists and turns, the boat has no issue navigating alone, leaving Liam even more perplexed.

"I must say you are not that bad at driving!" admits Aria to break the overwhelming silence.

"I wish I could say that I am driving, but I am not," Liam responds with a pinch of panic in his voice.

That explains everything! I was wondering how it was possible that you could maneuver that well… finally responds Aria while looking at her surroundings.

Aria’s eyes widened, but their sudden entrance into a cavern makes her lose her voice. Thousands of shiny crystal rocks cover the cave roof above them, illuminating the space and casting a magical glow that leaves them both in awe.

Startled at first, Aria’s fear slowly fades away as she takes in the breathtaking view. The cave walls are covered in detailed formations that shimmer in the dancing light cast by shining crystals above. It is almost like the sparkling ceiling is alive, and the tranquil sound of dripping water only adds to the surreal atmosphere.

WOW, drops Aria in amazement. You definitely found a way to spice up this day!

"Where the heck are we?" continues Liam, half in shock, half astonished at this surreal and breathtaking view.

I don’t know… Maybe a magical cave that will transport us to another time, laughs Aria without hiding her excitement.

"Come on, my dear Aria, let’s not get too excited! You know I have greatly enjoyed our past adventures, even if I almost ended up in a lion’s mouth. But we don’t have time for that now; we are not going to win the competition if we stay here."

"Who cares about winning the competition when we get to see that!" Aria responds sharply, presenting the collection of shining crystals to her teammate.

What the heck is happening to you? Did the crystals hit you with a curse or what? responds Liam, who has never seen his friend turn down an opportunity to win anything.

Come on, my dear Liam, don’t be ridiculous! Crystals don’t curse! You really need to start listening in science class.

The air is damp and cool, and the sound of dripping water echoes through the cavern. Aria and Liam hold their breath as they realize the ship has stopped in front of a wooden pontoon. After a furtive glance, none of them dares to move under the mesmerizing atmosphere of the cave.

Look! screams Liam after a long silence while showing the other side of the cavern.

What? responds Aria trying to see what is happening.

The cavern! It is closed! retorts Liam while jumping in panic. We came from there, and now it’s just a rocky wall!

Aria stands up to confirm her friend’s observation. Indeed, the corridor has mysteriously disappeared, making her more and more excited about what is to come.

Liam’s panic drastically increases as he realizes the situation they are in. Despite the coolness of the cave, drops start to fall down his face. The high ceiling seems to come closer, making him increasingly claustrophobic.

You really have a gift to put us into trouble, my dear Liam! exclaims Aria with an ironic smile.

"Me?" answers Liam without being able to accuse his friend for once.

Yes, you! I am not the one who drove the boat here. I remember you…

Aria’s lengthy accusation statement is stopped by a coughing noise that resonates in the cave. Aria and Liam freeze in place. Slowly, they turn toward the direction of the sound, and their eyes widen in astonishment.

A girl and a boy standing on the bank of the cavern, appearing to be the same age and dressed in funky clothes that cast no doubt on the fact that they are from different eras. However, it is the radiant smiles on their faces that truly capture the adventurer’s attention.

Are you Aria and Liam, the history investigators? asks the girl with a hopeful voice.

Here we go again… declares Liam, huffing and puffing, unable to hide the half-smile on his lips.

We are, indeed! Aria and Liam from Sommetville, at your service, Aria says, dipping into a bow.

We are so happy to see you, my brother and I! the girl beams with joy, yet her expression quickly turns to a slight frown when she glances at Liam.

Don’t mind him! interrupts Aria after catching a glimpse of their guest’s reserve. "He’s always slow to react, but once his ‘adaptation period’ passes - which