“Then you will remain here, in Order’s headquarters, until you can show your scales again without causing a riot.”
The Knight-Commander’s harsh, forceful notes brooked no argument. Though his blood seethed at being separated from Neridia, John’s honor prevented him from arguing further. He forced himself to bow his head respectfully.
The Knight-Commander’s melody smoothed a little at the show of deference. “I sympathize with your impatience, Knight-Poet. But this is for the best. Your mate must stay in the air-locked parts of the city, and your own wounds will heal faster in salt water. Stay, rest, and you will be ready to resume your duties as her bodyguard all the sooner.”
“May I ask who will guard the Empress-in-Waiting in my absence, sir?”
“You need not fear.” The Knight-Commander flowed up toward the door. “I shall deal with her personally.”
Chapter 25
Where’s John?
Neridia leaned out the tower window, feeling rather like Rapunzel. She couldn’t guess which of the distant, gleaming buildings far below currently housed her mate. There was no-one to ask, either. The two silent, towering knights who’d escorted them to the opulent tower top room had remained outside the door. When Neridia had tried the handle, she’d discovered that it was locked.
Still, if she couldn’t get out, at least no one would be able to get in. Although the tower windows were glassless, the sheer golden walls would be impossible for even a ninja to climb.
No one could swim in, either. An enormous air bubble covered the building, from base to pointed spire. John’s sister had told Neridia that this wing of the palace was used to house high-ranking whale and seal shifters who couldn’t spend all their time underwater like the dragons and sharks could.
She was safe in Atlantis at last. But she didn’t feel safe.
She hadn’t forgotten the Master Shark’s warning about an unknown, powerful enemy lurking in Atlantis. Although after the shark lord’s attack on John, she was no longer quite so sure that he’d been telling the truth. If he really was on her side, surely he wouldn’t have tried to kill her mate. Maybe the Master Shark had been behind the attacks on both her and her father after all.
But he’d sounded so sincere when he’d spoken of his oath-brother…
Neridia didn’t know what to think. The only thing that she knew for certain was that she needed John at her side. He was the only person in Atlantis she could trust completely.
Well, nearly the only person.
“Look at this inlay!” John’s sister ran an admiring hand over a intricate end table carved from coral and set with precious gems. “See how the slices of opal catch the light. And these mosaics! Have you ever seen such pearls?”
In human form, John’s sister stood only a few inches shorter than Neridia herself. She wore the briefest of bikini tops and a short, green-and-blue patterned sarong, exposing the lush curves of her body without a hint of self-consciousness. Her long, braided hair was exactly the same deep indigo hue as her brother’s.
Even though her coloring and features echoed John’s, she couldn’t have been more different from her sibling. Instead of John’s solemn reserve, his sister bubbled over with enthusiasm and energy. She was in constant movement, practically dancing around the room as she tried to see everything at once.
“Oh, the palace is more splendid than I could have ever imagined.” John’s sister spun on the spot, arms opening as if she wanted to embrace the entire building. “I could spend all day just in this one room.”
“Just as well,” Neridia muttered. “Since it’s looking like we’re going to. We must have been here for hours.”
Where’s John? What’s taking him so long?
Part of her wanted to reach for him down the mate bond…but she didn’t dare. Not after what had happened last time.
He parted the whole sea.
The vast rush of energy between them had been as terrifying as a tsunami. Neridia was scared that if it happened again, she’d be swept away entirely.
She could still feel him somewhat, at the back of her mind. She knew that he wanted to come to her, but was prevented from doing so. Whatever the reason, he wasn’t worried or angry about it. Still, his frustration and impatience vibrated down the mate bond, setting her own teeth on edge.
Neridia sighed, turning away from the window. “I wish John would get back. I don’t see why he couldn’t have reported to the Knight-Commander here.”
“From what I’ve heard, the Knight-Commander hates wearing human form,” John’s sister replied absently, busy admiring the intricate mosaics covering the walls. “He only shifts for two reasons: duels, and talking to non-dragons. If he could, he’d probably spend all his time in the sea.”
Neridia leaned back against the windowsill, though she really wanted to be pacing around the room. Seeking to distract herself from her irrational nerves, she asked, “Is that why you all speak English so well? You learn it in order to communicate with other types of shifter?”
John’s sister nodded. “We cannot speak each other’s languages in our true forms. A shark cannot sing like a whale, nor a dragon bark like a seal. And most shifters can only communicate telepathically with those of the same type. If we wish to speak to each other, we must do so in a human tongue.”
“So do you have a human nickname, like John does?“ Neridia asked hopefully. “He said I wouldn’t be able to pronounce your real one, but it seems rude to keep thinking of you just as ‘John’s sister.’”