by M. E. Rhines
A handsome face wore a smug, condescending expression. I ran my eyes along his features. Hair resembling the color of red algae muted with blond undertones, strong, square shoulders, and a sculpted midsection. My stare froze just below his torso.
No tail swished behind him. Instead, two legs were planted firmly on the seafloor. My hand flew to cover the shriek that left my mouth. “You’re a human,” I marveled. “But how… Did you somehow escape the queen after she changed you?”
His face twisted as he flattened his palm against his bare chest, doubling over as if I had thrown a spear into his heart. “What did I do to deserve such an insult?”
I blinked at him, my gaze wandering down to the shark-skin pants he’d fashioned with expert care. He must’ve been down here a long time to master such a skill. A belt made from a thick, foreign material fastened around his waist, and a sheath hung from it, dangling over his hip.
“It’s all right. My aunt can help send you home. I’ll take you to her just as soon as I free my friend here.”
The man smirked at me, his juniper eyes bright with amusement. He ran a knuckle over the thin layer of red whiskers on his chin. How had he kept it so trimmed?
“You make friends with sea turtles often, do you?”
Heat clung to my cheeks at his mockery. Refusing to give him the pleasure of seeing it, I turned my back and began working the knots out of the net that still held the graceful giant. “I make it a point to take care of the sea’s creatures, if that’s what you mean. It’s my duty to do so.”
“He’s the one who got stuck. Why is it your responsibility to free him?”
“Because I’m capable.” I grunted as I fumbled with the stubborn twine.
“I see. You’re one of those save-the-ocean types.”
“Pardon me?”
“Let me guess. You probably swim around breaking open crab traps, too?”
“If I come across one, certainly.”
He snorted, then shook his head, as if I was the most ridiculous mermaid in the entire ocean. “I’m sure you have no qualms about eating them yourself.”
“The ocean gifts its belongings to its inhabitants.” My fingers curled around a piece of rope, and I squeezed out my frustration. “We require the flesh of other creatures to survive, yes, but it never goes to waste and it certainly isn’t without thanks. Humans take what is ours without permission and in quantities far beyond what they need to sustain themselves.”
“How do you know how much humans eat?”
“Look, I wouldn’t expect you to understand where I’m coming from,” I spoke through gritted teeth. “After all, you’re a—”
“Lennox.”
“A Lennox,” I repeated, avoiding looking at him even as he moved closer. “I’ve never heard of a Lennox before.”
A breath hitched in his throat. He held back a laugh and explained, “Lennox is my name.”
“Oh.” I cleared the humiliation out of my chest, hoping my face wasn’t as red as it was hot. “Good to meet you, Lennox. If you’ll be patient and allow me to finish my duty, I’ll have you home before long.”
“You’d send me away already? But I’ve only just arrived.”
“I’m sure you’ll feel much more comfortable with your own people.”
From the corner of my eye, the shadow of his shoulders shrugged. “The only thing I miss is the colder waters. It’s much too warm in this part of the ocean for my liking. Why don’t you use your knife? You’ll make quicker work of freeing him.”
“I don’t have a knife or I’d have used it by now,” I snapped. Something about this human grated on my nerves. Just as he was convinced he knew about me straight away, I could tell his type, too. Evasive and antagonistic.
From his sheath, he revealed a glistening, golden blade. Ornate gems decorated its handle, the jewels sparkling even in the darkness around us.
I held out an expectant hand and said, “That’s quite a fancy knife. You must’ve come across a pirate ship in your travels.”
“It was a gift, actually.”
“Ah… From a mermaid? The one who lured you to the depths, no doubt.”
“From my king. A reward for my heroism.”
“I didn’t realize your people still had kings, at least on the lands around here. The States gave up the monarchy ages ago, I was told.”
“You shouldn’t believe everything you’re told.” He winked and dangled the dagger in front of me, snatching it back when I went to reach for it.
“You’re not going to allow me to free him?” I protested.
“It’s dangerous to just swim around, defenseless and without a weapon. And using your song, no less.”
I glared at him and warned, “Do not be deceived, Lennox. The queen ruled these waters for centuries with nothing more than a magical trident in her hand. The true dangers here can’t be touched by a dagger.”
“Protected by sorcery, are you? Well then, cast a spell to free him.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, watching me with a patronizing grin.
My jaw dropped. His nonchalant response to my threat struck my pride with a devastating blow. For my entire life, the mermaids of the ocean had quaked at my approach. Now, out of nowhere, this human spoke to me as if I were nothing more than a barnacle—unthreatening and insignificant.
“Who do you think you’re speaking to?” I demanded, pointing at the empty spot on the top of my head that usually held my tiara. It was only when he lifted a brow with a smirk that I remembered Fawna had taken it from me.
He coughed into his fist, shaking his head. “Right, then. Those bubbles you’re pointing at are lovely and all. Your gills produced some fine art. But I had better get going.” Lennox reached across me, swiping the rope with his sharp blade until the turtle tumbled free.
“Wait,” I insisted with a gasp. Leaning in, I got a closer look at his neck. “Where are your gills?”
“What? Oh, they’re there. Just a little smaller than most. Look closer.”
My fingers traced the side of his neck. To my surprise, he stilled at my touch instead of pulling away. “There’s nothing there.”
His pulse surged under my fingertips as he leaned in, just a breath away from my face. “That’s because I’m not a human, mermaid.”
I yanked my hand back, as if his skin burned my fingers. He made no move toward me when I backed away from him, holding my hand against my chest like it was injured. It had touched some unknown creature. Now that I studied him, I could see the subtle differences.
There was an understated point to the tips of his ears, and his lips were faintly blue. Missing either feature could be forgiven, considering the darkness of the water around us. Even the keen sight of a mermaid wasn’t limitless. His hair should’ve tipped me off from the start, though.
Human hair tended to have natural tones, such as blond, brown, or black. Something earthy and of the land. I once met a man with red hair, much like Lennox’s, but still very different. This… thing in front of me, his hair was bright. Flaming almost, as though it was made to stand out in the ocean’s blue.
When a tiny trickle of sunlight fought its way down to us, acting as an enlightening streak of clarity, his skin shimmered. His body glowed white when the ray hit him, a fluorescent light radiating from his veins, illuminating the entire area around us. He inched closer, and I noticed a distinct warmth emanating from his being.
He missed the cold, I remembered. Somehow, his body heated itself from the inside, keeping him warm enough to withstand the cold from his natural climate. In these tropical waters, his internal thermostat must’ve been borderline unbearable.
“What are you?” I asked with a shaking voice.
“Never seen a Finfolk, huh? I’m not surprised. Most of the more sheltered clans have never even heard of us. Especially this far south.”
I rolled my fin, closing the gap between us. This stranger was exotic and unknown. As much as I hated to admit it, I was fascinated with him. “Where is your
home?”
“Far, far north. My kingdom is called Finfolkaheem, just off the Orkney Islands. Rich with wealth and splendor. Truly an underwater paradise.”
“You have no gills,” I pointed out again. “How could you live under the sea without a means to breathe?”
“I swim to the surface and take a gulp when I need air. My chest can house a day’s worth, two if I really stretch it.”
“That’s so dangerous. A human could spot you.”
“Happens all the time.” He sputtered, his lips twisting. “I don’t have a tail, remember? As far as they’re concerned, I’m just another human taking a swim.”
Recalling his earlier deceit, I pointed an accusing finger at him. “You let me think you were a human.”
“I never admitted to it. That was your assumption.”
“But you could’ve corrected it!”
“And miss seeing this face? That would take all the fun out of it.”
“Good Poseidon, you are infuriating,” I grumbled, turning back to the turtle in search of a distraction. Noticing the animal was gone, a flood of relief swelled my chest. Reluctance held my tongue for a moment before I finally said, “Thank you for freeing him.”
He waved me off. “It’s fine. Just keep it between us, would you? I wouldn’t want word to get out that I helped some turtle. I’m known as a warrior, not an activist.”
“Who would I tell? No one around here even knows you exist.”
“Sure they do. Those who matter, anyway.”
“I’m not sure I know who you mean.”
“The royals, of course. Mermaids who hold important titles are aware of who I am. But then, the likes of you wouldn’t know any of them intimately.”
I bit my bottom lip, suppressing a smile. Without my crown, this imbecile had no idea who he was insulting. He would soon find out. “The likes of me…” I echoed. “Of course.”
“No offense meant.”
“None taken. Tell me, Lennox. What are you doing so far south?”
He squared his shoulders and lifted his arrogant chin. “I’ve been called to council. By Queen Myrtle herself, in fact. Along with the former queen’s descendants, though why they have not been suffocated for crimes against the ocean is anyone’s guess.”
“You would punish the princesses for their mother’s wrongdoings?” My posture matched his in challenge.
“Undoubtedly. They should’ve done away with the entire bloodline, if you ask me.”
“I’m not sure anyone did ask you.”
“Come on now.” He patted my shoulder, pursing his lips as I dodged his touch. “I understand you lived under that dreadful Calypso’s reign and still hold a lingering loyalty to them. You can’t help it. It’s admirable, even. But the only way to move forward is to swim ahead, not tread in place. The best thing for your kingdom would be a fresh start, wouldn’t you agree?”
It took all my strength, but I managed to keep my composure and maintain a stone face. He’d played his game earlier; now it was my turn. “You may be on to something. If you’re looking for Atargatis, I’m headed that way. Care to join me?”
“This is Atargatis?” Displeasure placed a grimace on Lennox’s face as he set his sights on the humble castle.
Where once was an extravagant, towering centerpiece in the center of our city now stood a small, two-level structure erected out of nothing more than half-dead coral. Mother’s destructive force brought down the entire original dwelling. Even the throne room had to be rebuilt. The prison was the only room left standing. The very prison that now held her captive.
The irony was not lost to her.
Though far less pleasing to the eye, I preferred this version. It was built from hard work and team effort. Every mermaid in our community had a hand in it. No ghost of past evil lingered inside these walls. No dark magic seeped from the cracks to poison the entire city.
“We’re still rebuilding,” I explained.
“It looks like a human bomb exploded, and you pieced it back together with shrapnel.”
“Close. The revolution caused great devastation. At least the rest of the city was spared. The demolition stayed contained within the castle walls.”
He spun around, observing the square and the caves surrounding the city that served as homes for our people. “Mermaids live in grottos?”
“What else would they live in?”
“You’ve never seen another city, have you?”
I sheepishly shook my head. “I’ve left the kingdom, but never strayed so far as to find another.”
“Then you have no idea how primitive this looks.”
Shock caused my eyes to widen. I ran my gaze along the length of him—from the disgusting, human-like deformities he called feet to the top of his ridiculous hair. “The nerve you have, to come here and insult my home.”
“I don’t insult without purpose.”
“Then what is yours?”
“You can’t see the danger in living so far behind the times?”
“We’re perfectly safe here.”
“You think so.”
“Might I remind you that, until recently, we never even knew other societies existed. There has never been anyone so bold as to challenge or attack us. We can’t be as helpless as you believe or we would’ve fallen under another ruler ages ago.”
Lennox snaked a hand around my torso, pulling my body against his. His warmth crashed into my skin, sinking in, and I hated myself for not being repulsed by it. This creature had a vile tongue and a loud mouth. Everything about him irritated me to the core. Yet, when he pressed his lips against my ear, his hot breath drifting down the side of my neck, my stomach clenched. I begged my heart to stop racing before he felt it in my pulse.
“Until recently, you were protected by a queen with a murderous reputation,” he whispered. “A great white guarded your gates, keeping the predators away. Now that she is gone, who will protect the minnows left behind?”
My breath caught in my throat. “Are you… are you threatening us?”
“I don’t make the threats. It isn’t my place. But when I report your weakness to my king, I cannot guarantee his next order will be a friendly one.”
His gaze locked onto mine, a regrettable lust for blood easily read in his face. This Fin-man would kill for his king; it was what he was bred for. However, something told me he wouldn’t enjoy it.
The flit of another mermaid’s tail stole my attention. I looked up to find the world around us had stopped to watch our quarrel. There was no telling what type of compromising thoughts passed through their minds at the sight of us.
Now exposed fully to the light, his entire body shimmered. There was no mistaking him for human, even with his two legs. And he held their princess in an embrace that could easily be mistaken for affection. I brought my hands between us and tried to push away, but he held tighter.
His attention shifted nervously between the gawkers and me. “Why are they staring?” he demanded.
Because a strange creature is holding the heir in his arms.
“They’ve never seen a Fin-man before, either.” I wiggled free, then searched the audience for a friendly face. One that wouldn’t address me with formality and give my title away. My masquerade had just transformed from a friendly game of trickery to a desperate attempt at self-preservation.
Lennox’s loyalty to his king could be taken as admirable if it were not for current circumstances. His suggestion of us being easy prey was clear and immoveable, and he couldn’t be trusted. Revealing myself to him would be like presenting my own head on a silver platter to offer as his next trophy.
A green tail pushed forward; it was a familiar Atlantian. Dalton approached, his hand hovering over his own dagger. My chest swelled with relief, and I blew out a rough patch of bubbles from my gills.
One of the very few merfolk I could call friend, Dalton had given me the benefit of the doubt from day one. It seemed he’d also grown close enough to me to read my troubled expr
ession without mistake.
“Angelique, is everything all right?”
Lennox puffed out his chest before looping his fingers around my forearm in an exaggerated show of possessiveness that flared my nostrils. “Move along, merman. All is well.”
“It doesn’t seem to be. Judging by my friend’s face, I might think you’re harassing her.”
“This is none of your concern. Your friend and I were having an intimate moment, couldn’t you tell?” He waggled his eyebrows, and my muscles flooded with humiliation until I went limp in his arms.
“Do all the mermaids you seduce wear that same look when you’re through?” Dalton asked with a chuckle. “Like they’re going to blow chunks of half-digested shrimp all over your face?”
Lennox’s jaw flexed at the condescending jeers the affront elicited from those around us. “Is she yours?”
“She belongs to Atargatis. Every one of us will protect her at all costs.”
“That’s a no. In other words, she’s available for the claiming.”
“How dare you?” I shouted, shoving away from Lennox with all my strength. There was nothing timid and frail about me, a lesson this creature would soon find out. I reeled backward, brushing away the tangled mess of curls surrounding my face. “Who in Poseidon’s great ocean do you think you are?”
He feigned a look of innocence that was not becoming in the slightest. “Well, I believe I’m an honored guest of the queen. Although I must say I’ve not been treated like one at all.”
Stinging words collided with my teeth. For the love of the sea, I wanted to banish him forever. Every cell in my body screamed at me to throw him and his human likeness out of my kingdom. But as it stood, I held no such authority. I would, however, take extraordinary pride in watching my aunt send him away.
I pointed my chin at him and said, “Let’s fix that then, shall we? Dalton, would you be so kind as to escort our esteemed guest to our most extravagant accommodations? I’ll inform Queen Myrtle he has arrived and awaits her audience.”
“Are you kidding?” Dalton objected. “You’re letting this walrus stay?”
“Mind your tongue, Dalton. The queen has requested audience with this… Fin-man, and our shared opinion of him is of no consequence.”
