Abyssal Zone — Nadia Scrieva

Aazuria Vellamo has returned to the undersea kingdom of Adlivun only to find that the place she called home for over five hundred years has changed drastically. Once the beloved rightful queen, she is now an outcast hiding among the commoners. She observes the political situation from a distance, trying to maneuver her daughter into the safest place possible-- but Aazuria quickly discovers that no part of the expanding nation is safe any longer. Mingling with the lower class workers who have been forced to labor on building a transpacific bridge across the Bering Strait, Aazuria watches her people suffer disgrace and abuse at the hands of their American overseers. Before she realizes it, she finds herself mixed up in riots and rebellions. Aazuria goes about in disguise to learn more, and discovers that in Adlivun's desperate underbelly a religious cult has formed, led by Mother Melusina. Her own dear friend, General Visola Ramaris, has been training a small group of elite warriors in her own private army, which is all that remains of Adlivun's fine military. Visola's husband, Vachlan Suchos, learns that he has missed important information coded in the words which he only considered an emotional farewell from his dying daughter. This intelligence will inevitably lead to the awakening of the vicious man's inner beast, and inspire his lust for war. But with Adlivun completely reliant on protection from the United States-- is it a good idea to burn bridges?