Page 18 of Taken By the Crab King of Atlantis

Nerissa greets me again.

“Are you ready, ma’am?” she asks. I look around the room. My phone doesn’t work in Atlantis and I have no keys, so there’s nothing to take with me.

I follow her to a lift, and we descend several floors to ground.

“Where are we going for dinner?” I ask.

“Oh, it’s the best restaurant in the city. Of course everyone will be there, including all the dignitaries attending for the ball. They want a chance to meet you.”

“Oh.” My butterflies in my stomach turn into bees. I’m not sure where the line is between a dinner date and a formal affair tonight. I’m not sure where I want it to be.

“Are you alright?” She asks as we hit the ground floor and the elevator doors open.

I give her a tight smile and a nod, straightening my spine and following her out of a near-empty lobby and into a waiting vehicle.

It’s like a car, with a clear dome atop instead of a roof. The upholstery is dark red, and in the first of two seats in the back is the older woman with blue hair I saw in Karkinos’ office earlier.

The blue-haired woman is not comforting, although her expression is neutral. Despite this, seeing her calms my stomach. Her disapproval is the sobering reminder I need that I’m here for a job.

The way Karkinos affects me is a secondary concern, and not something I’ll have to think about tonight.

I get inside the car and give the blue-haired woman a tight smile, turning to thank Nerissa before the car starts.

“I don’t think we met properly. I’m Kilandra, Karkinos’ advisor,” the blue-haired woman says.

“Yen.”

She smiles and nods as the car takes off. It’s surprisingly silent. “Is this electric?” I ask.

“Atlantis was forced to develop electric vehicles earlier than the surface, on account of our unique atmosphere. This land was full of excitement and innovation when it was first born.”

She leans forward to the driver. “Take School Road, and cut around."

We lapse into silence, and for the first time, I get a proper look at the city. If I ignore the dome above, it could be any urban city. Cleaner, quieter, and with what looks like dry coral instead of the occasional tree, but full of bustling pedestrians wearing neat, if old-fashioned, business attire.

But I’ve only seen this area of the city. The high-rise buildings and clean streets soon give way to disrepair, with the streets on either side of us lined with crumbling buildings and cracked sidewalks. “This is closer to the edge of the dome,” Kilandra says. “Without trade with the surface, the city struggles to repair things when they break. The streets require a lot of maintenance.”

“I see,” I say politely. I can tell she means to say more, but she stays quiet as the buildings get more decrepit. There are few pedestrians, but the ones I see are as young and beautiful as the stewardesses. There are also lots of parks, and playgrounds. Although the buildings are old, nothing is obviously vandalised or broken.

It reminds me I know very little about Karkinos or this city. We turn another corner, and gradually the area improves.

“Karkinos is a good leader,” she says, breaking the silence that has become tense. “But unless we trade with the surface, we can’t repair what’s broken.”

“Why doesn’t the city trade?” I ask, genuinely curious.

“That is something to ask the Zodiac God." She smiles at me tightly, with sharply glittering eyes. “But I understand you will have other important questions to ask tonight. I was told you have chosen Sofie Andrews as your mentor.”

Sofie. Relief floods my system. I had forgotten I would get to speak to my friend while I’m here. Atlantis is so much more than I was expecting.

“We have organized an online meeting with her in a restricted access room at the restaurant,” Kilandra says. “She will answer any of your remaining questions about the sacrifice itself.”

“That’s wonderful, but I thought Atlantis has no reception,” I say with a frown.

“Your reception is restricted for the duration of your stay. But we do have some connection with the surface.”

I can’t complain about the dollar figure attached to my bargain, but I’m not happy to know that I could have the option to message my sister.

The car pulls to a stop outside a building with a red carpet rolled out, with velvet ropes on either side. A crowd is gathered. Some of them have cameras, and bright flashes are already going off.