Page 20 of Taken By the Crab King of Atlantis

“No reception down here as part of my arrangement. But they warned me going in, so I told her not to expect to hear from me. She’s stuck in a safe house until something changes, and nothing is going to change without the money I get from this.”

Sofie shakes her head. “Yen, you’re incredible. Few people would do this for someone else. But I want you to give him a chance to surprise you, okay? He might be more than you expect. Including… down there.”

“Wait, what?” My eyes widen.

“I mean, he’s a god.” She shrugs. “I just don’t want you to get there and be freaked out.”

“So it’s better to freak me out now?”

“It’s maybe better to talk about it now than in the moment.”

“You sound like Aya,” I say.

“Well, your sister is very progressive about this stuff.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be calming my nerves? This is not helping, Sofie.”

“Okay, well, the gods are very gentle, and I don’t want you to be surprised, even if things don’t look like what you expect.” She has her hands out to the screen, placating me.

“I’m expecting nothing.”

“Then you’ll be fine. You’ll be fine, Yen.” She gives me a thumbs-up. “Is that everything you need from me?”

“More than I needed,” I say with irritation, and she laughs.

“Enjoy yourself!” she sings out and closes the connection.

Afterwards, I sit in the silent room, gathering my thoughts. Sofie is my friend, but her situation with her Gemini boyfriends are different. They travel the world together freely. Karkinos is the leader of a kingdom. I’m here to complete a contract and return home with a solution to my sister’s problems. That’s all.

I tap fingers on the table, thinking. The Beethoven piece that’s never far from my subconscious plays out in my mind. I hum along with it, and it soothes me. Every time I had to do a piano recital, I’d slip into a different mode, like I became someone else.

With the makeover Quan’s given me, I’m already halfway there. How did Quan put it? I needed to look on the outside like I have to feel on the inside. Straightening my spine, I take a deep breath and open the door.

8

KARKINOS

I'm nervous, which irritates me.

“Would you like a glass of wine, my lord?” a blue-haired waitress asks.

“Not yet,” I snap. She looks startled and I soften my tone. “Not yet, I am waiting for...” I don’t finish the sentence, but I think about what we call her. ‘The sacrifice’ is a loaded term, and a reminder that she’s here reluctantly.

“On the other hand, bring me the wine,” I say, not wanting to be alone with my thoughts and the watching eyes of the room.

Tonight is about putting on a show, so I have both the best seat in the room, and the most visible — on a semi-private balcony on the second floor. The room inside is full of visiting dignitaries and from my vantage point I can see most of them. I may feel like a man on his first date in almost two hundred years, but I have the audience of a king.

The air is cool and even, as it always is in Atlantis, with the whisper of a magic breeze that circulates the city and keeps the air fresh. The night sky glows gently, luminous fish beyond the dome casting light in the absence of stars, and the restaurant around us has dim lighting, so my date can appreciate the views above.

The wait while she speaks to other sacrifices is interminable. I don’t know what they will tell her about my brothers. I should have reached out to them before now, to have met their sacrifices, to understand if they’ve been kind to them, and to know if their behavior will put me in a good light.

At least Leo is not yet awake this cycle. Any review of him would surely be bad.

Regardless, I am waiting like an idiot, unsure what Yen will know about me, unsure what she will believe.

Red wine comes, and I take too large a sip, ignoring the whispers of the room that haven’t stopped since I arrived. I’m wearing a plain white dress shirt and a black jacket. This afternoon, I wanted to feel her desire. Now I want to put her at ease.

The jasmine scent of her comes to mind, and my cocks stir in my fish-leather pants. I clench my fists and put the wine down so I won’t snap the stem of the glass. I slow my breathing and remember why I’m here. The shirt isn’t only to put Yen at ease. It also adds a barrier between us, and reminds me I have a duty to this city, and to my granddaughter.