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--It’s temporary--
In other words, he wasn’t, but he would handle it
In Pande doith Sorceri kids, and he’d confidently said, "We can handle it"
We
She and Thronos did ell together
Gods, she did not need to conclude that the Vrekener would be a good father Her biological clock cried, The best None better!
Suddenly Lanthe heard gears whirring, cogs clicking, as if a gate was opening They entered a warears whirred once more Behind them, a seal closed with a hiss The scent of brine pervaded everything
Off went the blindfolds Thronos swung his head around to face her, as if he’d been hungry for a single look
--I’riaze froendary lair of Nereus
This hall had been carved fro coral-pink and blue striations A sheen of water poured down all the walls, but it seen
The area was lit withsconces--basically raised glass bohere lu reflections abounded, as they did underwater,the walls seem to sway
"Forward," the leader co behind thee sections of the stone floor would shift and retract, revealing the sea The construction of this place was spectacular
Mirrors abounded Shadows and light danced for doeways
This totally looked like the lair of a capricious deity notorious for his gaet Nereus to let theroup eventually entered what allery of sorts There were enorht line a museum wall
When Lanthe passed the first, her eyes ide Ships were piled up, as if in a junkyard She turned to Thronos --Are you seeing this?--
--It od’s honet --We’re in an abyss; everything sinks to this level--
At the next , she squinted out into the dark, seeing gems the size of footballs scattered all over the sand Schools of ree, but instead of legs, the mermaids sported fishtails, the mermen collections of tentacles
The nextrevealed a sub on its hull, and what looked like part of an aircraft carrier This was too wild!
For all the suffering Lanthe had borne just to reach Sargasoe, she was excited to behold such an exotic place But as in store? Nïx’s prediction echoed in her mind: In one realm, hurt In one realm, leave In one realm, cleave In one realm, shine
So was Lanthe supposed to cleave here? She bit her lip, glancing at Thronos Cleave was a ith several s, one of which was to separate
She’d already sensed a portal What if Nereus offered two different rides: one to the Skye and one to Rothkalina?
Was she ready to part fro and denials earlier, the thought made her chest ache If only a relationship between them didn’t pose so many insurmountable odds
When they passed ato see her reflection Yet suddenly all the injuries over her body beganThe restraints around her wrists disappeared, and she felt as fresh as if she’d recently bathed With a gasp, she peered down at herself
She noore a black leather skirt, old and silver strands--with denser weaves of auntlets covered her hands and forearms, and she detected a mask over her face
Sorceri formal dress! Her hands flew to her necklace Still there!
She whirled around to theher eyes Her hair had been twined around a substantial gold headpiece, ild braids frarown out, left to curl down her back
She feltto enjoy Sargasoe’s amenities! She turned to Thronos, and her lips parted
The Vrekener wasdrop-dead gorgeous
His recent injuries had disappeared, and he was dressed in new clothes Leather breeches and boots A wide leather belt to highlight his narrow hips
A crisp, white lawn shirtstems as if tailored Which she supposed it had been, by a divine hand
She was entranced by her tall, built, devilish, demon lover Or would-be lover He had the physical attributes to attract any female--but Lanthe also admired how he stood so proud and stalwart, ready to do battle once ed; they continued to overcoht; maybe they were the Vrekener/Sorceri couple who could beat those odds
"Is this real?" he asked, gazing back at their guards "Between the loops and Feveris, I’ics like these, Thronos not so much "I think it is"
"Follow the sounds to the feast," the Stheno leader said, using her trident to point down the corridor "Do not entertain ideas of escape For your kind, there is only one way out of Sargasoe"
When the cadre turned to slither away, a thought occurred to Lanthe "Wait! Where are my clothes fro has been received," the leader said, her head snakes wavering "It’s the reason you live yet"
"Oh" And then Lanthe and Thronos were alone "Hope Nïx didn’t need that back"
When he canted his head at her, Lanthe realized he hadn’t seen her looking this put-together in forever "Sooo, what do you think?"
"Your gar It won’t bother you to attend a feast half-naked?"
Before Melanthe could answer, a covey of scantily clad sea nyan to rise up from one of the floor cutouts Nereids The fe but short sea-foaed from the water and flipped her hair back, she seemed to move in breathless slo-asoe either by another power--or by his own agoraphobia His loneliness had driven him to create a new species of nymph to serve as his concubines and servants
The fes with ad flirtatiously behind their hands Lanthe supposed he could be the first s that they’d ever seen Not many sky-born Loreans would journey to the bottom of the ocean