“Docking in three…” Glyn said, “two… one.”
Alex had forgotten the Flip’s earlier instruction to prepare, but she needn’t have worried, since docking merely involved the Airlock flying into the mouth of a smaller sphere just off to the side of the central dome, lowering until it rested on the transparent base. Alex barely jolted as they came to a stop, her attention focused on Glyn as she ran her webbed fingers along the floor of their transport again. The Flip’s actions prompted the open mouth of the sphere to become sealed as if by an invisible shield, making it just as whole as all the others they had passed during their journey. A final swipe of Glyn’s fingers had the trapped water draining away until, within a matter of seconds, the space surrounding them was filled with nothing but air.
Apparently satisfied that they would be able to breathe outside the safety of their Airlock vessel, Glyn deactivated the barrier around their transport. It disappeared instantly, with the outer sphere now their only protection from the weight of the ocean.
“At the risk of repeating myself…” Jordan said, his eyes full of wonder. “Cool!”
“If you’ll please follow me, Ambassador Blake,” Glyn said shyly, “I’ll deliver you and your fellow representatives to the Clan.”
Blake trailed behind Glyn as she led the way through one of the interconnecting tunnels leading towards the central dome, with Alex and her friends following closely at their heels.
“Back where I’m from,” Alex whispered to D.C. at her side, “they have these aquarium parks where you can walk through glass tunnels in manmade underwater environments and watch the sea life swim all around your heads.” She paused to watch a school of strange, glowing fish flit past the transparent barrier. “Those aquariums have nothing on this.”
D.C. appeared to be so amazed that she wasn’t able to utter a response.
Once they reached the central dome, Glyn led them past structures that could easily have been plucked straight from the legend of Mount Olympus itself and relocated deep under the ocean. The architecture was undisturbed by time or decay, with white marble decorated by gold laurel wreaths and vines painted in whirls and spirals overhead and underfoot.
Their Flip escort only brought them to a stop when they reached a massive tower-like pillar streaming right up to the top of the dome, and it was there that she asked them all to step inside a circle marked out on the marble floor.
As soon as they were all in place, a mini dome appeared around them and lifted them off the ground, like a spherical glass elevator.
Higher and higher they moved up the pillar, with D.C. giving a faint groan and even Bear murmuring his concerns about how safe their bubble-like elevator was.
Repressing a smile at their distress, Alex locked eyes with Blake and saw that he wasn’t trying to hide his humour, but rather grinning wickedly. He sent her a sly wink, knowing she was just as amused.
When they reached the top, Alex was transfixed by the sight of the city stretched out at their feet. Nialas appeared all the more incredible from the bird’s-eye view their position at its centre afforded. She only tore her eyes away when Glyn cleared her throat, gesturing for them to follow her into a glass-walled, circular room that spanned the very top of the tower.
In the centre of the room sat four Flips, two male, two female, behind a marble bench, all of whom were staring unblinkingly at Alex and her friends.
Feeling like she’d entered an underwater courtroom, Alex looked to Blake for guidance, but her focus moved to Glyn when she left them to take the only remaining seat behind the bench.
The five Flips all looked at each other and began to make humming noises in the back of their throats. Alex realised they were communicating, but her inner translator wasn’t interpreting the hums, which meant Xiraxus had never learned their language. Not surprising, since they lived underwater and he in the clouds. But that left Alex feeling fidgety as she waited, thankful when the hums stopped and the Flips faced forward again.
“We offer greetings to you and your fellow representatives, Ambassador Blake,” said the male with yellow tribal markings seated in the centre of the five.
Looking at him more closely, Alex realised that she knew him. He’d come to the academy last year and spoken to her Species Distinction class.
“Tork?” she said, remembering his name and unable to contain her surprise enough to wonder if there was some kind of etiquette she should be following.
The Flip—Tork—looked at her with bright, thoughtful eyes. “You are a student at Akarnae.” His gaze swept over D.C., Jordan and Bear. “You all are.”
Shocked that he remembered them, Alex only nodded.
“What, may I ask, are you doing here?”
It was exactly the opener Alex needed, but now that she was before them, she didn’t know where to start.
She turned helpless eyes to Blake and he, fortunately, took the lead.
“Honourable members of the Clan,” he said, “I would like to introduce you to my companions: Alexandra Jennings, Jordan Sparker, Barnold Ronnigan and Del—uh, Deluh Coselle.”
Blake’s near slip with D.C.’s name would have been entertaining if it hadn’t been so potentially catastrophic. With their visit risking political complications, the last thing Alex needed was for the Flips to know the human princess was one of their number.
“Warm greetings to you, representatives,” the other male said with a polite dip of his head, his blue tribal markings complementing his luminescent green skin. “I am Neiko, and these are my fellow Clan leaders, Ayva and Eefi,”—he motioned to the two unknown females, one who had pink markings and the other purple—“and of course, you already know Tork and Glyn.”
Alex bowed her head in turn with each consecutive introduction, wondering at the end why Glyn—a leader of her people—had been sent to collect them in person. But perhaps that was the way of the Flips; she didn’t want to risk asking and appearing more na?ve than she already was.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with us on such short notice,” Alex said, stepping forward. She was grateful that there were no other chairs in the room since she was already looking up at them, seated as they were behind the tall, judicial bench. It would have been even more intimidating had she been asked to sit.
“Vee ver led to believe zer vas an urgent matter zhat needed our attenzion,” Ayva said, her words heavily accented. “But you are no more zhan younglings. Students, still, if vhat I ’ear is correct.”
“I assure you, what I have to say is urgent, and it does need your attention,” Alex said, her tone careful but also firm. “My age shouldn’t factor into my credibility as a witness.”
“And yet, you come in ’ere already mizleading uz to believe you are reprezentatives of your people,” Ayva said, “vhen you are nozhing but children to zhem.”