AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His brows drew together as he contemplated my words for a few seconds, before he gently pushed me forward again, until we entered the tower through an arched doorway.
Myles came to a halt in front of a smaller set of doors that retracted at our approach and led me inside a round, also glass enshrouded smallish area. It was big enough for the two of us, but that was about it.
The doors closed and our descend began, dropping my heart into my stomach.
"What?" I grabbed on to Myles's arm and stared at the changing scenery across from the entrance. Elevator, my mind supplied, even though I had never been in one. Deeper and deeper the elevator took us down, fish rushed by and far in the distance I made out a large dark shadow, most likely belonging to a giant mantador. And still we were descending.
My eyes latched on to a panel filled with numbers and red glowing figures counting down, negative fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, twenty. Thirty, thirty five, finally we stopped on the fortieth floor at the bottom of Oceanus.
The doors hissed open and I followed Myles numbly out into a large area, filled with Leandars walking this way and that, chatting animatedly with one another or sirens.
I noticed there were no humans here and received curious glances, but most just bowed to Myles as he led me through another one of the glass like tunnels. We were about midway through, when I stopped dead in my tracks to stare openmouthed.
A myriad of glass tunnels connected the towers, giving out so much light, that one would have thought we were anywhere but at the bottom of the ocean.
In between the ground was filled with life. Fish of all colors swam about, some of which I had never seen before. Corals grew in abundance, and seaweed danced in rhythm with an invisible current.
Many of the tunnels led toward dome shaped, glass buildings in a variety of sizes. All of them camouflaged with the same milky white color I had observed above, making it impossible to see inside.
"You like it?" Myles asked, sidling up next to me.
"It's stunning," I exclaimed, watching a siren swim to one of the domelike houses and enter through what I had originally thought to be a chimney, until I realized how useless a chimney was at the bottom of sea. They were entrances for the sirens.
"We're almost there."
"There?" I asked, wondering if he had some underwater prison for me in mind. Because even if I managed to escape through one of the chimneys, I would drown long before I even made it halfway up to the surface.
"My undersea quarters. I thought you might enjoy these better." He winked making me wonder if he read my thoughts about an underwater prison.
"I'll be staying with you?" I checked.
"I would much rather keep a personal eye on you, but if that isn't proper enough for you, I can arrange to have you send to the royal dungeons." He winked again, but his expression stayed emotionless, leaving me without a guess if he was serious or not.
I decided not to chance it and muttered, "As long as you don't expect me to sleep in the same bed with you.""Now you wound me," he complained, placing his hand on his heart, "I thought my charms had already—"
"Charms?" I interrupted him with a snide little laugh, "what charms?"
"Alright," he had the grace to look sheepish. "I concur. I might not have given you the proper attention yet."
"Consider myself warned," I shot back.
I looked as if he was about to reply, but then only shook his head and continued to lead me through a maze of tubes.
The last connected us to the largest dome I had seen so far. The entrance doors were flanked by four guards, who bowed their heads deeply at our arrival and opened the doors for us.
The first room we entered was a large living room, with many seating arrangements strewn about, that would allow several groups to sit comfortably.
Here, my earlier question was answered, the inside of the dome was transparent when looking out, giving me a view of all the glass tubes, towers and more domes on one side, while the other was free of anything, but underwater scenery. At least as far as the light reached, further out the ocean's darkness took gradually over, shrouding everything that lay beyond in blackness.
"You are free to move about the dome as you wish, but I must insist you take a guard with you at any times you wish to leave the dome." Myles informed me.
I wasn't about to thank him for this. I appreciated it, but his words only reminded me that I was his prisoner—hostage.
"Where am I going to sleep?" I asked instead, readying myself for a fight because I would not share a chamber with him.
"Right this way," he bowed slightly, moving his arm out and allowing me to walk ahead of him toward a door that he opened for me.
"I trust I can lock them at night?" I turned to look at his face.
