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You’re not keen on sharing, are you?I thought, hoping he was reading my thoughts.
In response, he rolled his eyes. “Which we would, of course, never allow to happen. They will stay safe and dry inside the portion of the palace I have sealed with glass and made safe for humans. It’s like a reverse fish tank!” He was far too pleased with himself. I, on the other hand, felt queasy, his words sending a wave of unease through me. I’d been in tight places before and had never been bothered, but I was feeling claustrophobic.
“I have an idea!” Before we could push for more information about his plan, he rubbed his hands together gleefully. With a sharp pop, the floor disappeared, and we fell through space. That’s what it felt like, anyway.
We materialized, staggering to the walls for support or dropping to our knees. It was an efficient way to travel, but not pleasant. When the room stopped spinning, I took in my surroundings.
“This is the throne room of Atlantis!” Fynn shouted, staring at the massive, solid gold throne.
“What was your first clue, idiot?” Kye deadpanned, eyebrow raised.
He had a point; it was obvious exactly what this room was. We were in a hallway that ran alongside the main area of the throne room.
Lokene had separated us from the main area with a thick piece of his special glass so that we remained dry even while the great room in front of us was submerged.
It was like being at an aquarium and looking into one of the massive floor-to-ceiling tanks. If those tanks were around seven stories high, covered in sparkling jewels, and the pillars were gold-plated.
I would have expected time to have eroded and crumbled much of the beauty of the room and for the sea life to have claimed it and taken over. Instead, the room was immaculately clean.
Vibrant corals in artistic arrangements decorated the walls and vases, taking over the place with exotic flower bouquets. Rather than glossy palm leaves, giant sea fans waved in the gentle current. Gold covered nearly every surface, glinting in the soothing light that bathed the room.
I tried to find the source of the lights and wondered if it was another of Lokene’s inventions. Before I could locate the source, Zosime’s voice startled me from my dreamlike state.
“Why is there a man on the throne? My throne?” Her voice was low and vibrated with intensity.
My eyes snapped to what I had previously missed. Sitting on the towering gold throne was a merman. His long dark hair billowed around him, carried by the water. His eyes were blue and not a natural blue. Oh no. These were a hue I had seen before. They were the color of Orpati, a bright electric blue that was almost more shocking than the fact I was looking at a merman.
His tail was long, far longer than Zosi’s had been. I would have guessed him to be around twelve feet long from the top of his head to the tapered tips of his massive fluke. His eyes locked on Zosime, widening for a moment before hardening. To my surprise, she bared her teeth and snarled.
“It’s showtime!” Lokene shouted, sounding suspiciously delighted.
With a snap of his fingers, Zosime vanished. She reappeared a heartbeat later—on the opposite side of the glass.
“Zosime!” Everyone, except for the idiot that had likely just doomed her to a watery grave, screamed out her name. Rushing forward, we banged on the glass, knowing our efforts were futile but unable to stop ourselves.
Zosi clawed at her throat, her pale skin turning red. Had she been human, the pressure at this depth would have killed her instantly. She may be part Ancient and part earth magik, but she was struggling.
“Do something! Surely you aren’t this crazy! You said she was your mate, too!” I lunged, preparing to throttle the insane man. Instead, I slammed against an invisible wall. I’d watched enough science fiction to recognize it as a force field. My fear stole all rational thought, and I slammed my body into the unseen barrier over and over.
Zosime had moved until she floated in front of Lokene on the opposite side of the glass. She was no longer ripping at her throat, and the panic had faded to resignation. Her lips moved, forming the word ‘help.’ It was her last plea.
Lokene smiled broadly, and, with a ridiculous flourish, he blew her a kiss.
I wanted to kill him. With a roar, I slammed against the shield, keeping him away from me. Logically, I knew he was an Ancient, and I didn’t stand a chance, but I didn’t care. Zosime was dying, and I would go out attempting to get justice for her. My brothers must have felt the same because they joined me, all of us rushing at the barrier.
“Oh! There we go! That’s my girl!” Lokene puffed out his chest, proud as a peacock.
I turned to look.
“She’s changing,” Eason whispered in awe.
He was right. Blue energy spun around her body, shredding the robe she had worn this morning. The pale skin of her legs shifted into the charcoal color of her long, elegant tail. Webbing appeared between her fingers, and her ornate breastplate rippled across her chest.
I looked up into her face, taking in the way her hair danced playfully around the pale oval of her face. My breath stopped as I caught sight of her eyes. She had zeroed in on Lokene.
I laughed. “She’s beyond livid.” Bending, I clutched at my stomach as my anxiety turned to joy.
Lokene turned, an irritated look on his face.
