try and control me.
Surprise. It totally worked.
For a moment, as I floated outside the rift that had swallowed my wife and proven too small for my bulk, I contemplated flipping into my man shape and seeing where it led. But I didn’t know how long the passageway was, and I couldn’t do a half shift that only kept the lungs.
Pity. That would have been useful.
The thought of her being in someone’s clutches, maybe afraid, or abused… It was a wonder I didn’t smash my way through the rock that currently provided a base for the fragile mechanism that controlled Atlantis. I could bring the island down and keep it down if I so chose.
As a kraken with no actual bone mass, I could squeeze into the hole.
But then I might accidentally hurt Sasha.
The thought kept me from slamming against the frustrating rocky wall. I drifted away from the crevice that my body couldn’t fit through. Away from the temptation. I needed to find another way in.
Propelling myself to the surface, I floated a bit while trying to think. How could I rescue Sasha?
I spent the night studying the island. Security was tight, from harpoons dotting the seawall surrounding it, to tiny holes in the stone wall big enough to fire arrows or spears. Then there were the jagged rocks at the base. Easy to get impaled on those.
I wouldn’t be able to storm it, which meant I had to be clever.
It also involved more patience than I thought I possessed. The waiting…the waiting killed me. It took forever before the Sushi Lover got close enough for me to catch a ride. I needed to prepare before we docked in Atlantis.
Switching shapes, I strode to my room. This early in the morning, the ship was not too busy as people weren’t awake yet. I managed a shower and a change of clothing. What I didn’t get a chance to do was talk to my uncle.
There was no answer when I knocked, nor did I see him amongst those milling, waiting for permission to go explore. I left the ship along with the other passengers, oohing and aahing to blend in, impressed despite myself. Hearing stories of Atlantis didn’t do justice to the beauty of the city. Everything sparkled, the cleanliness astonishing. Even more impressive was the fact that everything had been built with recycled materials pulled from the sea.
I’d had a conversation with an old lobster while waiting for the cruise ship. Apparently, Atlanteans could use anything they found: loose coral, sand, old crustacean shells, seaweed. Human pollution also played its part, from plastic to gas and even the oil that sometimes slicked an area.
The artisans took it as a challenge to manipulate garbage items into things of beauty. It resulted in a city of minarets, and filigree decorations where old pop cans became a centerpiece embedded in the very structure of the city itself. Cobblestones made of crushed seashells provided clear paths everywhere. Shops abounded, lining the main avenue, and while other guests ran to check out the wares, I headed higher, climbing the many steps, making my way to the very top where the palace sat.
Atlantis, for all its modern capabilities and magic, had a ruler whose word was law. A king I’d have to negotiate with because who else had the power to send Atlantean guard’s after my bride?
What a piss-poor way of catching my attention. He should have tried just offering me a position in the city. If it weren’t for the contract I’d already signed with Lucifer, I might have said yes.
As I headed deeper into the city, I could have sworn I caught a flash up ahead of a familiar shape.
Uncle Shax? It seemed despite not spending the night in his bed, he’d gotten an early start. Probably still trying to help me. I wish he’d stayed on board the ship. I didn’t want him to see when the curse took me.
Time was ticking. I could almost hear Lucifer chuckling as he counted down the seconds remaining. Faster. I had to move faster.
The many stairs in the place had me grumbling, but I took them two at a time, feeling the sun moving past dawn and chasing the chilly shadows from the streets.
Great day for a swim. Said so smugly by my beast.
Not yet. Not until I’d rescued Sasha. Once I’d assured myself of her safety, then I’d let fate take me. I refused to cry and blubber at the end.
I entered an affluent section