She immediately regretted her unwise show of defiance. She couldn’t help shrinking back as the towering sea dragon turned on his heel, his armored body dwarfing hers.
“We are going to find out for once and for all whether you are truly a sea dragon.” His powerful shoulders shifted a little, the pearl pommels of the swords strapped across his back glinting in the light. “Or would you prefer for me to simply assume that you are not?”
Neridia gulped, wishing with all her heart that John was by her side. “How—how are you planning to find out if I can shift?”
His foot tapped on the mosaic floor. “If you stop wasting time asking pointless questions, you’ll find out.”
Every instinct screamed at Neridia to turn back, to run and find her mate…but even if she knew where he was, she’d be caught before she went two steps. The Knight-Commander was fully capable of flinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and she had a nasty suspicion that he wouldn’t think twice about doing so if she didn’t obey him.
The Master Shark’s cold grey eyes and warning words rose from her memory. You must not go to Atlantis, he’d said. A powerful enemy awaits you there.
Neridia stared up at the diamond-covered, dragon-faced helmet sneering down at her, and wondered if she was face to face with her true enemy at last.
John, John, where are you?
“Your mate is recovering from his wounds,” the Knight-Commander said, as if he’d read her mind. “He was gravely injured, in your defense. If you want him to recover, you must not disturb his healing trance.”
When she still hesitated, the Knight-Commander heaved an irritated sigh. “You don’t need to look at me like that, human. I am not going to eat you. I give you my word, all I am trying to do is discover whether you are capable of claiming your birthright. There is one final test that will settle the matter for once and for all.”
The Knight-Commander might be rude, but he was still a knight, sworn to the same vows as John. From what she knew of sea dragon honor, Neridia couldn’t believe that any knight would tell a flat-out lie.
It can’t be him. He didn’t want me to come to Atlantis at all, until John forced his hand. And anyway, it wouldn’t make sense. He can’t have been responsible for my father’s assassination. He would hardly have sent John up onto land to search for the missing Emperor if he knew that he was already dead.
Neridia squared her shoulders, squashing down her instinctive fear of the intimidating warrior. “Okay then. If this will determine whether I can shift…I’ll come.”
“I did not require your agreement, or your permission.” The Knight-Commander turned away again. “Keep up. And stop broadcasting that irritating whimper. You will disturb your mate.”
Guiltily, Neridia withdrew from the mate bond. The Knight-Commander was right. If John thought she was in trouble, he’d race to her side even if he had to do so on four broken legs. She couldn’t let him sense her irrational bad feeling.
The Knight-Commander led her deeper into the palace complex, the corridors becoming ever grander. They were still in air rather than underwater, but the architecture had definitely been designed with dragons in mind. Even John could have walked down the grand, arched passageways without having to dip his horned head.
Yet despite the ornate stonework and lavish mosaics, there was a sense of mustiness in the air. There was no dust, but Neridia had a feeling that this part of the palace hadn’t been used for many years. Maybe even decades.
Maybe not since my father left the sea…
A huge, closed door blocked the way ahead. It was formed from carved planks of coral—Neridia hadn’t seen a single thing made from wood in the entire city so far—inset with gold in curling, abstract wave patterns. A single massive pearl the size of Neridia’s head shone from the exact center.
“The first test.” The Knight-Commander gestured at the door, light glittering from his diamond-encrusted gauntlets. “Only those of royal blood can open the way.”
There was no sign of a lock or keyhole. Tentatively, Neridia put her hand flat against the carved coral surface, pushing. She might as well have tried to open solid stone.
She glanced at the Knight-Commander, but the visor of his dragon-faced helmet just stared back at her impassively. It was clear he wasn’t going to give her any hints.
This
is the Pearl Door, her inner voice whispered. And we are the Pearl Empress.
Neridia looked up at the huge pearl inset into the door. She stretched up on her toes, straining her arm as far as she could. Even with her height, she could only just reach it.
The moment her fingertips brushed the smooth surface, the pearl lit up with a soft, silvery glow. Neridia nearly fell flat on her face as the door swung inward under her hand, dividing in half. Without a sound, it opened.
Behind her, the Knight-Commander said something…but Neridia wasn’t listening. All of her attention was fixed on the Pearl Throne.
There was no mistaking it. Though the audience chamber was vast enough to hold a hundred dragons, the Throne still dominated the room. It stood eight feet above the floor, on a plinth formed from seven concentric circles that echoed the seven tiers of Atlantis itself. The edges of the circles were etched with images of the city. The lowest three tiers were carved from coral; the next three were gleaming silver; and the top dais, supporting the Throne itself, was pure gold.
And the Throne, oh, the Throne…
The Pearl Throne rose from the dais like a cresting wave. It was unmistakably designed for a shifter. A human could sit in the heart of the wave, shadowed by the great curving canopy, or a dragon could curl around the flowing form, resting its head and forefeet on the top. In either form, whoever sat on that throne would command utter respect.