Kadir needed more time.

“Take that fulcrum,” he ordered his warriors, lining up along the thick bar. The collapsed wall barred his entry into his last hope to enter the old Life Tree sanctuary of ancient Atlantis. “Heave.”

They pushed, their human feet digging into the muck coating the derelict ruin. Even Soren’s bulging muscles strained and shook. The bar moved a hands’ width. The collapsed wall shifted…and settled deeper into the structure.

Curse it. “Release!”

They eased off with disgruntled moans, rubbing their legs and arms. Pelan stretched backward. His black-and-red vertebrae popped.

Everything ached and Kadir’s head pounded with exhaustion. But he did not rest with the other warriors. Kadir scraped at the seam between broken walls. It had sealed even tighter. He forced the wedge free and searched for a new location to push it in.

Soren growled at him. “Rest.”

“I will rest after we have found Sea Opals.”

Soren’s growl deepened. “Do not destroy yourself honoring an agreement forced by enemies with no honor.”

“They are not enemies yet.”

And even if they were, he did not like being delinquent. At the time he had agreed, it had been necessary to secure Elyssa, and they had had a month to search the ruin. Balim thought this central tower, jutting like a broken tooth above the rest of the ruined city, was the best location for a treasury.

Now Lotar was bringing Elyssa here to begin their first journey to the surface. Kadir’s time was down to the last hour.

He forced the wedge against the seam. His hand slipped. The wedge fell. His wrist banged the rough wall and cracked painfully.

Soren growled and scooped up the wedge. “Do not injure yourself. You have a long journey. Rest now.”

Another king might bristle at being addressed so forcefully by his first lieutenant, but Kadir knew Soren’s orders came from a place of worry and kindness. He obeyed.

Anyway, Soren was right. Kadir did need his strength.

Soren called the others up and pushed the fulcrum at its new location. The wall didn’t budge.

Kadir had to face the strong likelihood that in a short time, he would confront Aya with the news that they did not have the rest of the Sea Opals. And she would have to accept. Not steal Elyssa away from him.

He rose with a growl, the new thought energizing him.

No one would steal Elyssa away from him. Not away from his Life Tree or Atlantis. No one.

In the distance, a group approached. His warriors released the fulcrum with a puff of dust and watched beside him. Lotar, Iyen, Tial, and Gailen encircled Elyssa.

She kicked steadily on long, pink fins. A beautiful color, like the rest of her, they fluttered delicately in the water, glowing lightly as though sprinkled with the same energy as her golden chest. She was tired from this short swim but saw him and lit up. It eased his chest and his tiredness, as every time. He pushed off, his own silver-streaked fins unfurling, and opened his arms.

She tumbled into them with a laugh. He caught her and they wheeled over. “I didn’t stop. Sorry! I need more practice changing direction.”

He tightened his grip. “Do not apologize.”

“Oh, I know.” Her heart pattered with excitement. The warriors ranged around her.

“You brought Gailen,” he noted.

“He’s my guard now.”

The mer straightened. Those at the ruin craned to see what had touched Elyssa so especially about this young, enthusiastic, orange-tattooed warrior.

Kadir regarded Gailen over Elyssa’s shoulder. “Guard her with your life.”

He puffed his chest. “My king. Yes.”

The others shifted uncertainly. A handful felt uncomfortable with assigning warriors the additional role of special guard to the queen. It had not been done since ancient times, of course. But many had looked as though they felt the longing in their chests when Elyssa had declared Tial her guard and not an exile. It was the ultimate act of mercy. Kindness and validation wrapped in an all new honor. Given time, even those who felt uncomfortable with it would change.

She pushed free. “Look, I can make my fins on command now.”

Her human feet wiggled. She frowned and squeezed her eyes shut, her hands in tight little fists. Nothing happened. She abruptly opened her eyes. A wave of discouragement was followed immediately with realization. “Oh! Sorry. I’m doing it wrong.”

He needed to convince her not to use that word.

She closed her eyes again more calmly. A moment later, her chest began to glow. She paddled her human feet…and they unfurled. She opened her eyes and smiled lazily. “There. I can do it.”

“Good.”

Instead of looking happy, she grew concerned and stroked his cheek. “You look tired.”

He had no time for tiredness. “I am capable of the journey.”

“That’s not what…well, I mean, good.” Her lips folded. His assurance did not comfort her. “Are we going to the surface now?”

Dishonoring the agreement irked him. He released her. “We will make one more attempt to open this room. Lotar, Iyen.” He gestured for them to join him. Tial and Gailen floated forward.

“Can I help?” she asked, paddling after him.

“Remain here. The ruin is dangerous.”

She linked her fingers with worry. Her guards closed around her.

Soren grimaced as Kadir organized the already tired warriors to push with the two rested ones. His grimace told Kadir he thought tiring his warriors was a bad way to start an already untimely surface journey.

He ignored it. “Ready? Push!”

They all strained together. The wall shifted. Dust puffed. Not quite enough. They released and rested. He would give this one more attempt before giving up for now.

Elyssa floated at a safe distance with her guards. Gailen pointed out the distant boundaries of the ancient ruin. Tial watched for danger.

“It’s like a huge square,” she murmured. “Like a whole city block. A Vegas strip size.”

“The disagreeable noise is the cave guardian that lives below the tower,” Gailen said. “He is sleeping.”

She made an excited noise and her light glowed. “Sleeping? Aw. I’ve always wanted to see one.”

“This one should not be disturbed. It is bad-tempered and frightening, like Soren.”

Soren’s gaze flicked to Kadir. Kadir suppressed his smile. In another city, casual comments like Gailen’s would result in a terrible punishment—just like Soren’s frequent outbursts and refusal to respect rank. Gailen’s home city of Aiycaya had not punished its free-speaking citizens harshly — until they tried to leave.

In Atlantis, the bad-tempered and frightening first lieutenant would only give Gailen some hard tasks to increase his respect.

Kadir nodded for his warriors to take the fulcrum one last time. They rose and did so. He tensed for the final push.

“What’s that?” Elyssa asked.

Her tone gave Kadir pause. He followed her gaze.

“It is your house guardian,” Tial said quietly.

Gailen squinted. “Odd. The house guardian should not be so far from the castle.”

“She followed us.” Elyssa swam out to meet the small octopus. Her guards followed closely. “When I was a kid, my second step-dad had a Jack Russell Terrier that followed him everywhere. We had to leash Benji to the yard.”

The house guardian yap-yap-yapped as she swam head-first to Elyssa.

At the base of the tower, the loud cave guardian squeal abruptly changed to a lower, more menacing pitch. A giant shadow rose.

Kadir’s gut clenched.

Soren swore. The warriors dropped the fulcrum and scattered.

Elyssa studied the giant cave guardian rising from below.

Tial and Gailen urged her to the ruin. Tial called. “On your guard!”

“Take shelter,” Gailen cried.

She raised her hands, stopping them. “Just a sec.”

No! She had no idea what she was disturbing.

“Elyssa!” Kadir grabbed his trident from the wreckage and flew toward her.

Between them, the cave guardian’s huge form cut her off from Kadir’s vision and he continued to rise, tentacles flowing out like a wall. His body was old and scarred. His huge plus-shaped eyes focused on her. His tentacles curled.

Kadir swooped over top and dropped to her side.

“Hi,” she said, placing one hand on Kadir’s shoulder to keep him from dragging her to safety. “This is awesome.”

His chest jumped. It was awesome in the wrong way. Like a sonic wave moving ahead of a tsunami.

He curled his hand into a fist. If he dragged her away now, the movements could aggravate the cave guardian to deadly rage. His warriors weren’t armed or prepared to take on a mammoth of this size.

His anger sought Tial and Gailen. How dare they allow her to endanger herself?

Both waited where she had ordered them to remain. Exposed. Taut. Ready to do anything to rescue her.

Obeying her orders.

The giant cave guardian stared at her and she stared right back. Fearless. Her chest glowed like the sun and the cave guardian, who was usually violently bad-tempered, hesitated.

“He’s kind of majestic,” she whispered to Kadir. “Like a Clydesdale.”

One wrecking-ball sized tentacle reached out. Cautious, curious. It stopped in front of her and waited.

Behind them, the house guardian’s yap grew louder and angrier.

The mammoth turned a threatening green.

Kadir gripped her arm and kicked, pulling her back slowly.

The cave guardian growled.

“Okay. Everybody chill. Kadir, it’s fine. Benji, here.” Elyssa turned to the rapidly approaching little house guardian and opened her arms. “I’ve got you.”

The house guardian swerved past Elyssa and flew at the huge octopus.

“Wait! No!”

The mammoth shrieked and withdrew his large tentacle. The house guardian did her duty to distract the mammoth. Benji followed the giant tentacle, yap-yap-yapping. The huge tentacle swiped and connected with the house guardian. She flew, turned, and flew at the mammoth again.

The mammoth puffed darkly.

Elyssa kicked forward, breaking out of Kadir’s grasp, and swam directly into the arms of the monster. “Wait!”

“Elyssa, come!” Kadir raised his trident to attack.

The giant cave guardian unfurled its tentacles in a deadly rage.

“Stop!” she shrieked. “All of you. Stop!”

A light flashed next to her ear. The Life Tree flower flew from her hair and floated in front of her. It strobed the ocean.

The flash of light hit him like a physical smack in the center of his chest. Kadir pulled up short. Benji also quieted.

The giant cave guardian reached out a tentacle and touched the flower. It was like a glowing plankton on the tip of the tentacle. The glow faded. The flower returned to a dead, dull white.

She recaptured it, held it in her palms for a moment, and stuck the now glowing, clearly alive blossom once more behind her ear.

Elyssa had brought it back to life once more without even seeming to realize it.

The giant cave guardian kept reaching. His tentacle curled around the small of her back. He drew her forward.

Kadir’s gut clenched again. He fought the instinctual panic. She had true power. The cave guardian recognized it. And Kadir would not begin a fight while she was wrapped in gigantic tentacles.

Soren would. He growled and led the other mer forward in attack.

Kadir barked in warning. “Hold!”

“Seriously, wait,” Elyssa pleaded.

The warriors obeyed.

The cave guardian studied her with his big, plus-sign-shaped black eyes. Small suckers suctioned her skin gently. He turned her and looked at the flower in her hair.

“Hello,” Elyssa said softly.

Benji yapped.

A minor tentacle thumped Benji.

The small orange octopus ducked under Elyssa’s hair and yapped loudly, undeterred. The mammoth gargled. A tentacle thrashed. It missed the small house guardian and hit the wreckage.

The wreckage shuddered and pieces crumbled off.

The warriors jumped. Soren raised his trident in warning to resume the attack.

Kadir lifted his palm. It was too late to intervene. He had to trust in his queen. His warriors once more stopped.

The mammoth hit another chunk of wreckage. More pieces broke off.

The warriors tightened on their tridents.

“Please stop that,” she told the mammoth. “We’re trying to get the Sea Opals out safely.”

The giant curled his tentacles around themselves.

“If you open that room, we’ll take what we find inside and go away for awhile.”

Abruptly, the giant cave guardian released her. He floated back. His song rose to calmer scratches.

Now. Kadir surged beneath the raging tentacles, grabbed her in his arms, and flew her to safety. Tial and Gailen flew around him. They reached Soren’s warriors in defensive battle formation, tridents out.

Kadir held her tight. His arms were shaking. “Never again.”

She looked dazed. Her cheeks were red and her eyes glowed. “Huh?”

“Never.” One hand still clenched his wicked silver trident. The other hand slid around the back of her neck and hauled her mouth to his. “Mine.”

Their lips meshed. She opened her lips. He thoroughly possessed her. His tongue stroked hers. Heat pulsed in his cock. Their heartbeats synced, hers speeding up as his slowed down, to meet in a steady, unstoppable rhythm.

His kiss branded her.

She welcomed it.

He lifted his mouth. Her chest glowed with his possession. He lowered his arm to her waist and held her tight.

While they focused on each other, the giant cave guardian floated past them. His tentacle curled around the lever. He smashed like a giant fist into the ruin.

The walls collapsed inward with a terrifying groan. Mer, fish, guardians scattered. Dust poofed and debris swirled in a blinding cloud.

Kadir’s throat closed. His guard formed a defensive perimeter around them.

The giant cave guardian suspended in front of them as though he was waiting for something.

“What do you want?” Kadir demanded.

“Oh. I think I know. He wants to be thanked. Um, thank you,” she told the giant guardian. “That was very helpful.”

He shimmered a satisfied red color and ebbed away.

She truly did have the power of communication.

The dust settled. They all crept close to the dark hole. Even the cave guardian peered in.

Kadir kept Elyssa close by him. He would not release her from his arms a second time. Never again.

“Did we find treasure?” she asked hopefully.

Soren and Lotar were closest. They squinted. Shadows moved inside, and sudden awareness changed their expressions to horror. They shoved away. Out and down.

“Needlefish!” Soren shouted.

Kadir’s heart kicked in his chest.

Hundreds of long, skinny fish with serrated beaks erupted from the hole.

Elyssa frowned and held out her hands in a warding gesture. She closed her eyes.

What was she doing? Kadir slammed into her. Tial and Gailen hit a moment later. She jostled and her eyes opened. “Wait. I’m trying to summon—”

Knives stabbed Kadir’s body with piercing agony. He roared. Beside him, Tial and Gailen both jerked with impacts.

The needlefish dispersed. The giant guardian followed and scooped handfuls of the escaping fish into its beak.

Pain lanced his shoulders, back, and torso. Kadir checked her. “Are you injured?”

Elyssa looked troubled. “No, I’m fine.”

“Good.” Agony closed him in its fist. He collapsed.