Crystal Doors #2: Ocean Realm (No. 2) by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta Page B

the merlon city, Orpheon swam like an eel. With his shape-shifting powers, he had transformed his hands into wide webbed scoops like a merlon’s, and his body moved with rubbery undulations as he twirled through the water.
    Sharif could tell by Tiaret’s body language that she very much wanted to fight and make a good accounting of herself, but he didn’t see that they had any chance of escaping. Neither he nor his friends could ever outswim the sharks or merlons. If they could, it would have meant leaving Gwen and Vic behind. On the other hand, if even one of them managed to get away, they could warn the Elantyans of the situation, and the sages could figure out a way to rescue them.
    And, Sharif told himself, one of us escaping is better than none of us escaping. But no opportunity presented itself.
    “Where are we going?” Lyssandra asked after the sharks had borne them beyond view of the ethereal undersea city.
    Orpheon’s eyes were dark and hungry. “We can always use new workers at Lavaja Canyon.” His laughter made a bubbling sound beneath the water. “It will be marvelous even for the merlon slaves to watch you do all the work. I wonder how long you pampered children will last.”
    Tiaret did not rise to the bait. “Time will tell.”
    Orpheon turned his evil smile toward Sharif. “The thing I most look forward to is breaking this spoiled prince. He needs to learn that his social position is an illusion. We will teach him that lesson in a way he will never forget.”
    Sharif decided that it would be unworthy of him to answer. Instead, he took comfort from Piri’s presence in the mesh pouch around his neck.
    Their merlon escorts led them swiftly through warm currents and down a slope, skimming not far above the ocean floor. Ahead, a hot, shimmering light rose from the seabed, as if the sandy floor were on fire. Orpheon extended a webbed hand. “Even from this distance, you can see the power boiling out of Lavaja Canyon. The power of the magic there can easily bring about the end of Elantya, if it is channeled properly.” The fanatical merlon guards seemed very pleased at the prospect.
    Lyssandra looked deeply troubled. “This is not natural — a wound in the world. I dreamed about this. The waves of energy make me feel sick inside, as if something is wrong with the magic.”
    Sharif noticed the strange sensation, too. The water felt tainted somehow from the volatilized crystal.
    Orpheon smiled. “Yes, a fascinating effect, isn’t it?”
    Soon they came close enough to see down to the yawning fissures in the canyon floor. Jagged fractures in the crust reminded Sharif of a hatching egg. Bubbling silvery orange magma oozed along the cracks. The landscape seemed to be in flux, with splits zigzagging and opening up, while others sealed back together again.
    The water had grown extremely warm and tingly, as if it were effervescent. Amazement replaced Lyssandra’s anxiety. “Is that lavaja, from fire aja crystals?”
    The furious glow bronzed the traitor’s face. “Compared to this, fire aja is a mere spark beside a bonfire. Lavaja bubbles up like the blood of the world itself. The heat, the incandescence, and the magic come from the spirit of fire. We have tapped into a substance more pure and powerful than anything an Elantyan sage has ever dared use. This raw essence of power will help us defeat your weak island.”
    As Sharif’s eyes adjusted to the bright glare, he saw many plain-looking merlons, definitely members of a lower class, probably slaves. Some of them rode giant sea turtles whose bodies were protected by leathery armor, their reptilian heads covered with horned plates. Metal blinders shielded the turtles’ eyes while the merlon slaves prodded them with sharp goads, making the lumbering creatures plod closer to the edge where lavaja bubbled up. Like pets on leashes, other slaves were tethered by thin cords of woven doolya to boulders embedded in the mud.
    Wrestling with long poles, the