Page 43 of Taken By the Crab King of Atlantis

“What is it?” I turn to look. “Nobody can see us from this floor, can they?”

“No,” he says, smile wide. “But look.” He lifts me from the desk and walks me to the window. “See the buildings on the edge of town?”

“The bad area?”

“Not so bad anymore.”

“What do you mean?” I squint into the distance, looking at the buildings, and gasp. The buildings are knitting back together before my eyes. “What’s happening?”

“Our bond,” he says. “It fuels the city.”

“It what?!” I ask. “You mean, what we just did in here caused that?”

“Our bond is magic, my love,” he says, and my heart flips as he turns and kisses my neck as I look out the window. “Our love can build worlds.”

His cocks are still out, and they stir against me as he palms one of my breasts, while his other hand travels lower, as if he hasn’t just dropped a bombshell about our magical connection. But I find myself quickly too distracted to mind.

16

ONE YEAR LATER

YEN

“Are you sure he doesn’t have an eligible brother?” Aya whispers. We walk the crowded streets of Atlantis a few paces behind Karkinos, who has Marina up on his shoulders.

We have to stay close to avoid the jostling from punters, but I doubt they can hear us over the noise of the crowd. The city is in full celebration mode, and the surrounding streets are lined with stalls selling delicious-smelling food and random tourist junk. Aya already has a bag full of things to bring home.

Ahead of us, Karkinos is wearing a black t-shirt that stretches deliciously across his back and shows off the tattoos on his arms, and I can’t blame my sister for asking. I’m finding it hard to look away.

“I already told you, he has four brothers, and they’re taken.”

“Why does Sofie get two?” she whines as we stop at a food stall and Karkinos buys Marina an ice cream shaped like a lion’s head.

“You’ll have to take that one up with Sofie,” I say with a laugh. “I’m happy with one.”

Karkinos has more brothers, but at the moment there are only four on this plane of existence, and unless the rules change dramatically, Aya isn’t eligible to be a sacrifice.

“You’re sure you can’t share?”

I swat her with the back of my hand as hard as I can.

“Ow, careful with that thing, it’s probably classified as a deadly weapon in some countries.”

I had forgotten I was wearing the engagement ring Karkinos gave me last month, the one that prompted the formal meet and greet with my family after enjoying him to myself for almost a year.

My parents were happy for me once they got over the initial shock that I was putting my studies on hold to get married and honeymoon.

It helped that Karkinos is obviously rich, which we’ve explained as old money. It's basically the truth, with a few things left out. It probably helped that Karkinos shamelessly flattered my mother, causing her to blush in a way I prefer not to think about.

Aya was a different story. I haven’t told her everything yet, but she does know about the existence of Atlantis, and after I bought her an apartment, she has some idea of how rich we are. After six months of pestering, we finally agreed to let her visit the underwater city where we live.

She was on the first submarine of tourists from the surface, thanks to Kilandra’s new laws. Karkinos has stepped back into a diplomatic role, and lets Kilandra take most of the day-to-day affairs. The city has been thriving under the new leadership. They deal with security concerns the way countries do — with strictly monitored access and trade deals. My sister will go back home with a stamp on her new passport.

“Maybe I’ll just take one of those,” Aya says, eyeing one of the broad-shouldered security guards stalking a few steps before Karkinos.

I say nothing, but silently approve. Aya could do worse than one of the royal guards.

We haven’t had an incident since the city flooded but we never go anywhere without security now. Corvin was caught and tried in Oceania, but after a few months in prison he went missing. He said he was funded by a shadowy group on the surface, but refused to give details. Karkinos still has investigators looking for more information.