Page 35 of Taken By the Crab King of Atlantis

I swallow hard when my attacker puts me down.

“You don’t have to do this,” I say.

No response.

I try again. “Why do you want Karkinos to die so badly?”

The bag is pulled from my head roughly, and I take grateful breaths of air. Corvin holds Marina by the shoulder, and my gratitude is cut short.

We’re standing next to the wall of the glass dome that covers Atlantis, in one of the docking bays I came through when I arrived. Very little stands between me and the ocean beyond. Corvin takes Marina and walks back through the door to the larger dome, rolling the steel wheel on the door to seal me in.

Behind him the streets are empty and lined with crumbled buildings. We’re at the very edge of the city.

“You’re in a docking bay, which is also part of the flood control for the city. A series of bombs is going to go off soon. The city will flood, activating the chambers. The water flows in there with you. Eventually it will drain out to the ocean, but not fast enough for you to take a breath.”

“Why?” I ask desperately. "Why do you hate Karkinos so much?"

He shrugs. “Nothing personal. I just want my money. And you’re the ticket to killing him, now he’s marked you properly. If you die, he dies. And if he saves you, he’ll destroy the flood system.” He points to the ground near the large dome, and for the first time I see clear pipes connecting the docking bay to another one on either side. “They’re all connected. His precious city will be destroyed.” He smiles and I slam my hand against the glass dome, furious at him for manipulating Karkinos into claiming me at the ball.

“Grandpa will come for us,” Marina shouts.

“It doesn’t matter if he does. You’re staying in here. And Yen is out there. Your gills aren’t developed for water at this level of pressure. If the city floods, you die. If Karkinos activates the flood system, she dies. He'll have to choose.”

He binds Marina’s hands with cable ties as I watch, and attaches her to a nearby light post. Then he forces his hand on her shoulder, making her sit down. He binds her feet and knees together, then attaches the ties of both together so she can’t get up. My heart breaks as I watch her struggle.

Distant booms sound. The glass around me shakes.

“That’s my cue,” Corvin says, and jogs away.

“I hope you drown!” I yell ineffectually after him. Fear squeezes my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I haven't thought much about my own death before now. But I don't want to go like this. And Marina has barely had a chance to live.

She screams, gaze fixed on the distance. A wave of frothing water gushes towards us, lapping at the second stories of the buildings it passes.

That’s all the warning we get before it’s upon us.

“Marina!” I scream, as the wave hits. The water comes over her head, smashing past her and slamming against the side of the dome. She’s completely underwater. The flood chamber around me shudders again, and starts filling with water. I step back, but the water rises fast. I scour the edges of the bubble, finding where the water is coming in, but there’s no stopping it. The overflow system is designed this way.

Outside, the top of Marina’s head becomes visible, then her forehead. Her mouth breaks above the water, gasping, and I sag in relief, even while the water laps around my knees.

“Yen!” she screams.

“It’s okay,” I say. But it’s not. The water flowing into my dome is keeping Marina from drowning, but soon I'll be the one underwater. And when I look up, the next wave is already coming.

“Yen!” Marina screams again. The fear in her voice is wrenching. But there’s nothing I can do, as the water heads towards her violently.

The wave washes over her, and I watch for it to recede again, focused on Marina even as the water rises to my chest.

When the top of her head clears, I sigh in relief. The water is up to my neck now, and I lift my chin to breathe. If I panic, I'll die faster, and Marina will watch me drown. I force myself to stay calm, clenching my fists with the effort.

I tip my head back and stand on my tiptoes, forgetting all the words to any prayer I've ever known.

I get one last breath before the water rises over my head.

Under the water, I look for Marina. She’s still alive.

I close my eyes, ready for the end. I’ve heard it’s peaceful.