What I can only describe as a glowing portal appears before us. It’s at least four meters in diameter and shimmers like the surface of water despite being under water. Koi swims forward, but when I think she’s going to collide with it, she’s pulled in and disappears. Beta motions for us to follow, but I hang back.
It’s a soldier’s dilemma—enter first to clear the space or go last to make sure no one is left behind. I’m putting my trust in Beta because he’s given me no reason to doubt him or his family so far. I just hope that’s not a miscalculation. I motion for Leef to go in with Talie, and he nods back before they’re both sucked through the portal.
Beta hangs back, so I approach the strange entry. My lungs burn from lack of oxygen. I don’t know what to expect, but when I touch the sparkling surface, I’m pulled in. It feels like I’m being sucked through a wall of Gelhan jelly.
The memory of special occasions comes back to me. I’m a young boy sitting at the table and poking the green jelly with my finger. Mother gives me the look, but when she turns her back, I poke it again. The jelly is hard to make, taking hours at the stove and then two days to set, but on Drawx, it’s the nicest delicacy we could afford—which wasn’t saying much.
I never understand why Mother would serve it, but she said that her mother and her mother’s mother had always put out Gelhan jelly for their guests to start the meal, and our holidays wouldn’t be the same without it.
I’m greeted by cool air, free of the thick Meloran humidity, as I step onto the duraplast floor. When I look down, my onesuit and cloak are dry. I reach up and feel that my hair is dry as well.
“What just happened?” I ask.
Koi laughs as she fluffs her dark, short-cropped hair. “It’s the N’Hala Seal, or N-Hal as we call it. It takes the moisture from you as you pass through the barrier and keeps the water out.”
“Fascinating.” I look over to see Leef centimeters from the surface of the N-Hal examining it. “Could I take a small sample?”
“I’m afraid we don’t have time for that.” Beta steps gracefully from the portal. “Come.”
I meet Talie’s gaze, and she nods to assure me she’s all right. Inner strength pulls her shoulders back, and I catch a glimpse of the lingering royal persona she put on in front of Monarch LeGran.
Beta leads us down a narrow corridor, and I sense the ship’s subtle movement. We take several turns, Koi and Sal breaking off in different directions. Then a door slides open to reveal the helm of the ship.
“Stars,” I say at the same time Leef says, “What in the black?”
“Welcome to the Fin,” Beta says. “This is Captain Mar.”
There’s a man sitting in the captain’s chair, but my gaze is arrested by the view in front of me. Four massive viewports make up the front of the ship like the bulbous orbs of a deep-sea creature. It offers a view of the most incredible underwater city I’ve ever seen.
What look like homes line the sides of the underwater road we’re zipping across, appearing out of the shadowy water like reflections from above.
“Welcome aboard. I’m sorry for the ride we’re going to have.” Captain Mar faces forward, hands on the controls.
“What does that mean?”
The ship takes a sharp right, and we topple into one another.
I reach out and catch Talie, pulling her to my side, and Leef steadies himself against a bulkhead, gripping a thin ledge while he holds the bundle in his other arm. I haven’t had the chance to ask, but I assume it’s parts of Dot.
“Please, sit.” Beta pushes a button, and four chairs fold down from the walls.
We strap in, and I should be asking what the plan is, but I’m glued to the main viewports. “What is all of this?”
“It is the underwater part—or water city, as we call it—of Murel. These are homes.” Beta points to each side of the narrow underwater road. “Most are attached to aboveground structures. Some live below and have a business above; some are apartments, like that one.” He points, and we all look.
I can see it now. There are windows in a regular formation creating small rectangles of space—apartments—for the occupants. Some are illuminated, glowing through the water, while others remain dark.
“Those are very expensive and are only for the Tolnco or Melorite. But a lucky Shiorite or even Platino might find space in the in-between.”
“What is that?” Talie asks.
“When the tide is up, you are under the water. When it is down, you aren’t,” Beta says.
She nods, and we make another sharp turn.
“What’s the plan?” I force my gaze away from the incredible underwater city.
“We take you to the Hub.” Beta turns sea green eyes to me. “You escape.”
“I’m a soldier. I’m going to need more than that. What’s the Hub?”
He barks a quick but resonant laugh. “It’s the underwater extension of the skyport. We have arranged a ship that will shuttle you back to the spaceport and his ship.” Beta points to Leef.
I like the way he lays it all out, but there’s one flaw in his plan. This was to be the end of our bargained-for passage with Leef. I look over at him, but his gaze is fixed to the front of the ship. Right now is not the time to haggle over passage. Especially with the way Captain Mar is piloting this ship. We’re careening around corners like we’re evading someone. Are we?
“Are we being followed?” I ask.
The captain expels a breath. “Only by the whole of Monarch LeGran’s fleet.”
My pulse spikes, and I reach for my restraints out of instinct, but Talie rests a hand on my arm. Her look is the reality check I need. What do I think I’ll do by standing up? Fall and make a fool of myself?
Instead, I ask, “What kind of shields do you have? How many hits can they withstand? Are we close to this Hub?”
“Peace, Master Car-Tai. All will be well.”
My knee jerks up and down, an extension for the energy I need to expel. It’s a bad habit I’ve had since I was a boy, but I feel the need to do something. Anything.
“Central, this is Fin-Alpha. We are three minutes out. Requesting interference.” Captain Mar’s voice snaps with command, no hint of worry. It should make me feel more at ease, but I don’t. I’m weaponless, and we’re underwater with a fleet chasing us. I don’t like our odds.
“Copy, Fin-Alpha. We’re sending the rayfins out.”
“What’s that?” Talie asks.
“You’ll see.” Beta’s expression is reserved.
All attention shifts to the viewports. The underwater homes have thinned. They’re spaced farther and farther apart until there’s a definite end to civilization. The last buildings fall away, and the underwater road seems to disappear. Open water stretches before us. Everywhere is dark aqua.
Above, sunlight filters down through the first several meters of water over us, but we’re deep. Deeper than I’m comfortable with if we happen to be blown to bits. I tamp down my unease. Stars, I don’t like this.
The ship takes a violent turn to the left and dives as a loud thundering comes from behind us. I catch sight of the streaking white tail of something rocketing past.
“What was that?” I demand.
“Missile.” Captain Mar’s tone is matter of fact.
His array must tell him of incoming projectiles, and if the last few minutes are any indication, he’s a good pilot—underwater or not.
“Central. Fin here. We’ve got three on our tail. Where are those rayfins?”
“Blue here, Fin. We’re a league out. Hold steady.”
Mar mutters something as he dips and dives the ship again, another bubbling white trail narrowly zipping past.
Then, as if rising out of the depths of the ocean itself, three long shapes come into view. They are still too far away to make out details in the darkness of the deep, but I hope they’re the rayfins and not more hostiles.
“I see you,” Mar says.
“Copy Fin. This is Red. Tell Beta hello for me.” The woman’s voice on the other end of the channel is rich and warm, and she speaks with obvious affection.
“He’s listening,” Mar says with a chuckle as he jerks us to the right.
“My wife, Suni.” Beta’s voice is thick with admiration. “She’s the best rayfin pilot we have.”
I watch as the rayfins come closer. They are long, metallic underwater ships. They curve and twist, darting so fast through the water, it’s hard to track which is which.
“Taking the left flank,” one reports.
“I’m diving,” another says.
“I’ll stay with the Fin,” Suni says.
I can easily recognize her voice, and I catch Beta’s look of pride before my gaze returns to the front viewports. It’s hard to tell where we’re going as we zig and zag, but after a few minutes, a bank of lights appears on the port side. The chatter from the rayfins fades into the background at the sight of the massive underwater structure.
“That’s the Hub?” Talie asks.
“Yes. We’ll dock in one of the unassigned slots so as to give you enough time to reach the sky transport. Master Renner.” Beta hands me a thin patch made of a pearlescent material and an earpiece that looks like a small whelk shell. “Put in the earpiece, and place the patch against the inside of your right wrist. This will guide you through the terminal. Do what it says.”
“What is it?”
“We call it a Shell. Go on.” He nods toward the patch and shell.
I don’t trust tech I know nothing about, but Beta has done nothing but help. “Okay.”
As soon as I put the earpiece in and attach the patch to my wrist, I feel a tingling sensation snake up my arm. When I remove my fingers, it looks like the patch has been absorbed into my skin. I can only see a thin outline where it rests and immediately try to remove it with a fingernail. No luck.
“Tap it twice to remove.” Beta says.
I do, and the patch releases. I place it against my wrist again, and it disappears. I’m about to ask what to do next, but Captain Mar cuts me off.
“Murk.”
“What is it?” The first hint of worry edges into Beta’s deep voice.
“Blue was hit.”
Beta bites back the question he wants to ask.
“Suni here.” Her voice is calm, but there’s an edge to it. “You need to increase speed. They’re closing the distance. No more weaving. Just get there, Mar.”
“Affirmative,” he grinds out.
I’ve been in enough battle simulations to know that she’s going to put herself between us and whatever is attacking from behind.
“She’ll be fine.” Mar flicks a look at Beta.
“I’ll be fine,” Suni agrees.
Mar curses. “Sorry. Thought I muted her.”
Her full laugh floats over the comms. “Don’t worry, Beta, my love. I’ll be home for dinner.”
The line goes silent, and a bevy of white streaks through the water.
“I’m sorry,” Talie says to Beta, with tears in her eyes. “I’m sorry we’ve brought this to your family.”
“Peace, Lady Talie. My wife and I know the risks of our choices. We teach our children that, no matter what, you must choose the hard path, not the easy one when it comes to doing the right thing. It is honorable. Suni is an excellent pilot, and if anyone can protect us and make it out alive, it’s her.”
My throat tightens. If it were Talie, what would I do? It’s a ridiculous thought. She’s made it clear we can’t be together, but I still wonder. Is doing the right thing more important than keeping the ones you care for safe?
“Everybody, hold on.” Mar’s shout draws me from my thoughts. “It’s going to be a rough landing.”
I reach over and take Talie’s hand, only thinking to make a connection with her, as the open mouth of an underwater dock comes into view. It’s sealed with a durasteel iris.
“That going to open, mate?” Leef leans back in his seat, fingers digging into the arm rests.
“Have faith,” Beta says.
But as we draw near, I’m not sure faith is enough. It’s more like we need a death wish.