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He guides me through the building to a Veiled City valet. There’s a canal system running down the side of the building with different-sized and -shaped floating vehicles.
“Mr. Drakos,” a male says, his voice deep but his eyes on me. Or rather, on my cleavage. “Yoursolois up front. You should be able to get out, no problem.”
“Traffic—it’s not just for humans.” Castor holds my hand while I get into the gold, mini-submarine-shaped vehicle. The doors slide open and the roof slides back. I’m hoping it’s just paint, because a golden submarine sounds too much like a sinking ship. The yards of fabric puff up around my waist as I sit. The door clicks into place and the roof moves above us, closing us in with a hiss.
“I don’t think Keppler Bannard designed this dress for sitting.”
Castor glances at me. “I’d tell you to take it off, but I think there might be people watching.”
“Ha, ha,” I say, trying not to let him know how much heat is pooling between my legs. The male is drop dead gorgeous. The things he did to me on the Centauri . . . Thinking of them has me squirming in my seat.
He pulls the seatbelt across my shoulder and clicks it into place, just like in a car. Because that’s what this feels like right now. A convertible boat.
“Other than the sub, I’ve only been on one boat.”
“And what was that boat?”
My stomach hardens. I’ve been trying to not mention my college friends. Friends who turned out to be mermen and enemies of the Dorian. “Freshman year. I’d been drinking the day before, and I was hungover. It doesn’t take me much to get drunk. And I tend to sleep the next day. But my friends took me out and gave me some hair of the dog. Which they all laughed about. I know now that one of them is a wolf shifter and what hair of the dog means. We went out on the Boston duck boats. They’re amphibious tour buses. And when we hit the Charles River, my stomach didn’t like it. Although the rest of my group got to see dolphins following us. Which isn’t normal for the Charles.”
“Well, you didn’t miss much.”
“You don’t like dolphins?”
“No, they are horrible creatures.”
“Dolphins? I’ve always thought they were cute.”
“Cute? Try too inquisitive. They’re always getting in the way. I spend a lot of time traveling between here and my human office, and they’re always coming over to me. It’s annoying.” Castor’s face screws up. “Hit that button right there.”
The dashboard of thesolois more like an airplane control panel. I hover my finger over the black button, then turn to confirm with Castor it’s the right one. He nods, and when I push it, a hard shell slides up from the back, covering us.
Castor pulls back on the steering wheel, and we zip into an airlock.
My heart trills as the water in the chamber rises. I remind myself I’m not going to drown, even if the roof caves in or the window bursts. There is air in thesolo. I can breathe, I remind myself again.
Castor concentrates as the gates open, and we float out into the city.
“Whoa.” I lean forward. “It’s amazing.” My skin tingles. The city goes on for a long way in a multitude of glass domes, and hard-shell ones too. All different sizes. Some rocket to the surface. “How have humans not—”
“We have an advanced shielding technique that makes them believe this area of the ocean is shallow.”
I nod. Because the scientist in me wants to know how that works. But that’s not what this is about. Then I realize... “If it keeps humans out, does it keep things in too?” I twist the ends of my braid, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
“Yes, no Dorian can leave without having the codes to the shield.”
“Do you leave?” I smile at him, all the while taking in the city as we whip past the wild architecture. Things aren’t only about function here. Every building is a masterpiece.
“Yes, Annabelle. I leave the city all the time, if that’s what you’re asking? Planning on going somewhere?”
I turn in my seat fast enough for my knee to swivel and hit him. “No. Of course not.”
“You’re a horrible liar, Annabelle.”
I face forward, missing the warmth of his skin already. My chest heaves.
“I hope you don’t go anywhere, Annabelle. I’ve grown awfully attached to you in the short time I’ve known you.”
“Nico is adamant that we can’t mate. That it will ruin your chances of becoming king.”
