The Kraken King and the Crumbling Walls — Meljean Brook

Reunited, Ariq and Zenobia must journey over the red wall and make a desperate appeal to the one woman with enough power to halt the marauders' plans -- the Empress of Nippon.

But even the Kraken King cannot demand the attentions of an empress. Masked and quarantined, Ariq and Zenobia are forced to bide their time. Despite the fact that they are as physically close as two people can be, Zenobia is trying to keep the man she can't help but love at a distance, terrified she'll be hurt again. And all the while, the mysteries of the Living City grow around them…