Chapter One

Jax

So that’s how I ended up riding on a hippocampus.

Wait. Let’s back up for a second. I’m sure that doesn’t make any sense to you.

The truth is, I passed out at work on my twenty-first birthday and woke up in the emergency room. Still a little bitter about that. My boss, Margie, was just doing what she thought she had to, but now I’ll have a giant medical bill I can’t afford. I only work part-time at a tiny, cheap diner, and I keep waiting for Margie to fire me, but for some reason, she hasn’t. It’s not like she needs the help; the place is dead half the time. That’s how I went from almost full-time to barely scraping by, but at least it’s a job.

I don’t know why I passed out. That’s never happened before. I keep telling the nurse I feel fine, but I’ve been waiting to see the doctor for over three hours now, bored out of my mind. How many times can someone play a candy-crushing game before losing it? I’m honestly surprised my old phone can still run it. I haven’t had the money to upgrade, but a phone isn’t exactly a priority, not when rent, food, and electricity come first.

Did I mention this birthday blows? It’s not just that I had to work or that nobody was there to celebrate with me. Now I’m stuck in the ER. Happy birthday to me.

It’s been another twenty minutes, and I’m ready to leave. I don’t need to be here. I’m fine.

I pop off the bed, grab my bag, and peek into the hallway. No one’s paying attention. I creep out, but just three steps away, two huge men block my path. They look like linebackers, both in navy uniforms with a trident patch on the arm. No weapons that I can see, but with bodies like that, who needs them?

I close my eyes, try to calm myself, and lick my bottom lip without thinking. I know these guys are here for me. I don’t know how, but I just know.

I have seconds to decide. I turn and start walking faster. Someone yells, “Miss, stop!” but I don’t. I’m not far from the exit. I shove open the door and sprint down the stairs, shaky but determined. I don’t have time to dwell on why I passed out. I just have to get away.

On the main floor, I burst through another set of doors into a crowded lobby. I weave through people until I reach the far side. Maybe I’ve bought myself some time. I slow a bit and snag a baseball cap from some guy’s pocket, tucking my hair up underneath. One last glance back, and I see the two men searching for me way in the back. Time to disappear.

Outside, it’s colder than I expected. I wrap my coat tighter and skirt the edge of the hospital. I spot two more men in the same uniforms across the street. I keep my eyes forward, slip around the corner, and hurry down the block. I cut through a gap in a fence by an empty lot, my knee screaming as I land on the other side. In this city, you run or you get trampled. Ever since the ’24 quake and the new government took over, a $2,500-a-month room in a dump like this is the best I can do. I’m not losing it to some guy in a navy uniform.

I’m almost home.

At my apartment building, I shoulder the door open and climb to the third floor. I share the place with four others, but we’re not friends. We’re just people splitting rent. One of my roommates works nights, and I work days. We barely speak. Then there are the other two, and they’re both guys, but that’s about all I can tell you about them.

No one’s home. I set my stuff down and grab the baseball bat I keep under my bed. I make sure the door’s locked, though I know it wouldn’t take much to break in. This place is a dump, but it’s mine.

I sit on the couch with the bat, trying to calm my nerves. I can’t figure out why they’re after me, but I know enough to trust my gut.

The next few days pass in silence. I hide out, clutching the bat, waiting for those men to find me. My roommates don’t ask questions. Maybe that’s a blessing.

I finally go back to work. At the end of my shift, I grab the food the cook saved for me and head home. The streets are quiet. I cut through an alley, marveling at how old, run-down buildings sit next to shiny new skyscrapers.

A quarter mile from the shortcut fence, I hear footsteps behind me. My heart pounds. I turn, and there’s a guy in dark jeans and a jacket with a patch on his shoulder. I get that sinking feeling again.

“Excuse me, miss,” he says. “I seem to have gotten turned around. Could you help me?”

I lie without hesitation. “Sorry, I don’t really know my way around here.”

He steps closer. I take a step back. He keeps smiling, but it’s not reassuring. I edge farther from him, judging my chances of reaching the fence. He moves closer still. “Really, sir, I only know the shortcut for work. Other than that, I get lost every time I’m in town. Maybe try the main street?”

He smiles again. For a second, I almost relax, but then he lunges at me. I drop my dinner and bolt for the fence. I don’t have time to find the old opening, so I just leap, grabbing the chain link and scrambling up. He grabs my leg, trying to pull me down, but I kick him hard. He loses his grip, and I haul myself over, landing hard on my knee. No time to worry about the pain. I run all the way home.

I’m panicked. Do they know where I live? Why are they after me? I don’t even know who my father is, and my mom disappeared when I was seventeen. Why would anyone care about me?

I know I have to leave. It might not be permanent, but I can’t risk staying. I grab a bag and hide near the alley, checking for anyone watching. There’s one guy next to my building, eating an apple, but he doesn’t look suspicious.

I walk past him, tense. He smiles. “Hello.”

He’s new to the neighborhood, dirty blond hair, emerald green eyes, blue jeans, tight T-shirt. He peels his apple with a pocketknife. He’s captivating. But I don’t have time for this. “Hi,” I mutter, trying to move on.

“Just getting home from work?” he asks, taking a bite of the apple.

I shake my head to clear it. “Sorry, I have someplace to be.”

He nods. “Sure, sorry. Just wanted to meet the neighbors, if you’re a neighbor.”

I really shouldn’t be standing here, but something about him keeps me rooted. “Yeah, I live in that building, but I have to go. Maybe we’ll bump into each other sometime.”

He pushes off the wall and steps closer. “Sure. Another time. Nice meeting you…” He holds out his hand.

I hesitate, then step closer and shake it. “Jax.”

He grabs my hand and pulls me against him, his arm locking around my waist. “Well, Jax, nice to meet you. I’m sorry it couldn’t have been under different circumstances. But I really need you to come with me.”

I try to break free, but he’s solid muscle. I want to scream at myself for falling for it. I should have run.

Footsteps pound the sidewalk. The guy from the alley catches up, out of breath. “Freaking hell, Eaden. Next time, you can do all the running.” He bends over, sucking in air.

I twist, trying to elbow Eaden, but he barely grunts. He tightens his grip. It’s not rough, just immovable. “Easy, Jax,” he says softly. “Don’t make a scene. I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” I snap. “You want my wallet? My phone? Good luck, it’s ancient, and I have about twenty bucks to my name.”

“Malik, there’s no one around. Open the portal. We need to move now.”

Before I can even process what’s happening, a rough canvas bag is yanked over my head, plunging me into darkness. I’m marched forward in a straight line, heart hammering. A sudden gust of icy air slaps against my skin, the cold seeping through the fabric. Then, just as suddenly, the tension around me disappears. Someone yanks the bag off my head, and I blink against the harsh light.

My ridiculously attractive kidnapper stands in front of me, grinning like he’s just won the lottery. Behind him, through a massive pane of glass, an impossible creature swims by—something like a horse, but with a finned tail and scales that shimmer like mother-of-pearl. A hippocampus.

I barely register it before instinct takes over. I lash out, my foot connecting squarely with his most vulnerable spot. He doubles over, groaning, and drops to his knees. Maybe I can’t fight fair, but I sure as hell can fight dirty.

He coughs, trying to catch his breath, then manages a strained smirk. “Welcome to Atlantis.”