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  “Worse, you bastard!”

  “Wait a minute!” Elanna cut in, her eyes turning a furious brown as she glared at the red-headed woman.

  “No, Elanna.” Storm interrupted, patting her arm with a tender hand. “I would hear what the human has to say.”

  Elanna had her own words about saving the lives of the people on the failing platform, but she too wanted to know what the woman, Crystal, had to say.

  Crystal glanced from Storm’s impassive face to Elanna’s peeved one, and sighed.

  “Look,” she began, “I know we are not perfect. We make mistakes. We are only human. But what you are doing is wrong. The one responsible for this is dead. What more do you want?”

  “Revenge,” Storm stated quietly. “I assume you all have voices, arms, legs, hands? So why didn’t you stop him? Even two is greater than the one. So your words mean nothing to me.”

  “Okay!” Crystal screamed. “We were curious! I…I was curious! I have never seen one of your kind before! I never even got the chance to see Elanna! John had her trapped and on the platform before we knew what was happening! But yes, I pulled you back onto the platform. I was curious, damn you! I wanted to see what you were! To study you! To learn about your kind! But I never advocated murder, and I definitely would not have hurt Elanna Richfield, if I knew she was onboard.”

  “But because I am unknown to you, I am not worthy of respect?” Storm asked, raising that eyebrow again.

  “No.”

  “But you just said that you would have treated Elanna differently if you knew who she was. What about me? Or what if a curious child surfaced near you? Would you have someone so defenseless and helpless at your mercy? Would you treat her with respect? Or would you strap her to a metal rock?” He thumped the table he was sitting on. “Strap her down so that she couldn’t move.” He pulled at one of the leather straps on the table. “And would you subject her to murderous conditions?” He pointed to the lights as they flickered and died.

  There was a deep inhalation from all in the room, except Storm and Elanna, whose eyes could easily see in the dark as they were created or had evolved for viewing things deep in the sea where no sunlight could reach.

  An alarm sounded and within seconds, pale red emergency lights blinked on.

  “Would you?” Storm asked in a silence that was so complete it seemed to be a tangible thing.

  “I don’t know!” Crystal answered at last. “I have never been in that position.”

  “And I have never been strapped to a table and roasted beneath a bright lantern while my mate cries out in agony.”

  Silence, yet again.

  “Forget it,” James cut in. “Just kill us and be done with it. You never had any intention of saving us, you monster. Crystal is right. You are just as bad as John, but John would have granted us a quick death.”

  “There you go again, comparing me to that human,” Storm sighed as he shook his head. “See you any weapons? Do I have plans to cut you up and exhibit your body to my people? I never asked to be brought here, and now, because you have brought me here under such…accommodating circumstances, you have to deal with the aftereffects.”

  “Storm,” Elanna said quietly. “Let them go.”

  “You would free these humans?” he asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

  “I would.”

  “After what they have done to you?”

  “I would.”

  “Why?”

  “Because,” she said. “It shows humanity.”

  “Humanity?” Storm asked, turning to face the humans again.

  “Humanity, Storm. What they did was wrong, and they are not begging for forgiveness. But they did what they did out of curiosity. They are human, Storm. They can’t communicate by thought, or listen to the language of the creatures around them, or are governed by traditional law like your people. Humans muddle along, trying to learn all they can with their methods. And they don’t know that their methods hurt most of the time, until it is too late.”

  “Human, Storm.” Shelby broke his silence. “Some of us are good and some of us are bad. But most of us try to do what is right. That’s why I helped Elanna. Because it wasn’t right what John was doing.”

  “So one of you possess this so-called humanity,” Storm stated, as if the small cross-section he faced was being judged for all of humankind. “What about the rest?”

  “That is unfair!” Crystal yelled back. “We made a mistake, but we didn’t know—would have never condoned murder. If we understood…”

  “But you never tried to understand!” Storm cut her off. “And now you want me to understand what you are feeling? How does it feel, human, to be helpless? How does it feel to know that your death is inevitable, to want nothing more than to go free? And to know you will never get what you wish?”

  “It feels… Damn it! I want to live!” Crystal screamed, breaking down into sobs. “I want to live! I don’t want to die. Is that what you want? You want to see me on the floor begging?”

  She dropped to her knees, even though James tried to pull her up.

  “I am begging! I am pleading with you, damn it! I want to live! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to…die!”

  Her passionate outburst over, she hung her head and began to sob, not caring who watched, not caring about pride. Fear had taken over and she wanted it to stop.

  “Are you satisfied?” James snarled as he knelt beside Crystal, taking her in his arms, trying to comfort her through his own fear and anger. “You have made us all victims! Is that enough for you?”

  “Victims?” Storm asked, looking at the three, Shelby included. “You all feel like victims?”

  “What the hell do you think?” Crystal screamed, stopping her forward lunge only because James held her back.

  “Hmm.” Storm mused out loud. “Interesting.”

  He closed his eyes and lay back on the table, mentally calling out.

  * * * * *

  Sting raised his arms, preparing for a final volley. After this strike, he would send in his warriors, and the humans would regret ever laying a finger on his people.

  But just as his arm was about to drop, he felt the mental call.

  Enjoying yourself? Storm said, a chuckle in his mind’s voice.

  Have you secured the return of your female? he sent back, motioning for the tiring young warrior to halt. Have you secured your freedom?

  Come over here, Storm ordered. I have some humans you should see. One is very emotional and would like to examine us for…knowledge.

  I am a Child of Triton! Sting mentally replied, indignation showing in every line of his body. No one examines me as if I were the garbage of a bottom dweller!

  This one is nothing like Amadala or Elanna, Storm continued. This female seems articulate and almost makes sense. Like my Elanna. But…different.

  Different? There was curiosity in his voice.

  Different.

  Still filled with anger but intrigued nevertheless, Sting motioned for his people to stand down.

  “What is it?” Amadala asked, her eyes curious as that strange feeling began to overtake her once more. “What has happened?”

  “He wants us to cease. He wants me to go over to the metal island. Do you sense a trap?”

  “No,” Amadala whispered after a moment. “I sense no subterfuge in Storm and I feel nothing from him or Elanna. Yet I feel….”

  “I am going,” Sting told her as he began to swim towards the island, easily traversing the choppy waters to where a door was slowly opening.

  “Wait!” Amadala called out as she hurried after him. “I am going with you!”

  On the defensive, Sting raised one hand to his eye patch, his scowl fierce as the opening of the door grew wider and he drew nearer.

  Amadala swam behind, her hand on his shoulder, her eyes growing wide as that strange feeling deepened until it almost consumed her.

  Then as the door swung open, a tall, dark-haired human peered out before stepping
fully into the sun.

  “I expected the sun to be hidden in clouds,” he said, as if speaking to himself, looking around at the waves that only moments ago were tearing the platform apart.

  “Where are they, human?” Sting snarled and Shelby jumped as if struck.

  “My God,” he breathed as he took in the dark-haired Merman, the pink one with the immense boobs just behind him, and the army of rainbow-hued heads treading in the not-so-far distance.

  “Storm? Elanna?” Sting demanded again, his hand beginning to raise the eye patch as he glared at the human.

  “Here!” Elanna called out as she rushed through the door, and without any hint of fear or hesitation, dove into the water, sinking out of sight before surfacing with a laugh.

  “Storm?”

  “From the bottom!” Elanna laughed as she swam to her friends, pulling Sting’s arm away from his patch. “He is coming out through a lower trapdoor. We are safe!”

  Her labcoat floated around her, looking like a limp white life preserver, but she ignored that as she threw her arms around Sting.

  “Amadala!” she then giggled, even happy to see the surly Merwoman.

  “My God! There are thousands of them!” Crystal breathed in awe as she followed Shelby out of the platform, her eyes straining to see the people in the distance.

  “You were right,” James said, his own eyes wide as he stared out at the army of Merpeople, all prepared for war. “They could have killed us all.”

  “And still may,” Storm snorted, popping up behind Elanna, still glaring at the humans.

  “Forgive them, Storm,” Elanna whispered in his ear. “Forgive and forget.”

  “I may forgive,” he replied as he turned to stare at each human for a second, as if etching their faces in his brain for all eternity. “But I shall never forget.”

  “Neither,” Crystal surprised him by calling out, “will I.”

  “Examine that one,” Storm called out to Sting as he wrapped his arms around Elanna and began to sink underwater. “She reminds me of someone I know.”

  Without a sound, Storm disappeared beneath the sea that spawned him.

  Elanna paused, looked back over at the humans and smiled.

  “Elanna Richfield is dead,” she called out. “You will never hear from her again.”

  “And her secrets?” James yelled back. “And the knowledge she was going to give to humanity?”

  Elanna paused for a second, then tossed James a wide grin. “Read my notes, James Manda. If you have any questions, and if you happen to be in the neighborhood…”

  “I’ll call on a doctor I know!” he replied with a grin.

  “Wait!” Crystal called out. “What about all of this? What about these people? What can they teach us?”

  “So now you are asking?” Storm sighed as he popped back up, his eyes glaring at the pushy human.

  “I need to know!” Her eyes shot daggers at Storm.

  “Me, too!” Shelby added. “My people have believed in you for centuries. But to find out it wasn’t myth or legend… It can’t end like this!”

  “The platform is still there,” Elanna reminded her, with a smile. Crystal was beginning to grow on her. The woman had courage in spades.

  “But John…?”

  “John Woods died of electrocution,” James cut her off. “Playing with his dolphin box outside in a storm. You can stay here if you want, Crystal,” he added. “But I’ve had enough of water. I’m going back to dry land.”

  “And these people?” she asked.

  James looked around at the warriors, the calm Storm, and the dark-haired Merman who carried about him an air of danger.

  “Who would believe me?” he sighed. “Who would I tell anyway? I’m done. I’m going home.”

  “But I can’t stay here alone!” Crystal said, turning to face James.

  “I’m sorry, Crystal. I never wanted to sacrifice my life to science, and it’s too dangerous here for me.”

  “I’ll stay,” Shelby said suddenly, his eyes on Amadala as she let out a gasp and sank lower in the water, hiding behind Sting.

  “Shelby…” James began, his tone brooding.

  “It’s okay, Dr. Manda. I want to learn.”

  He managed to tear his eyes away from Amadala long enough to grin at James.

  “Besides, the sea never scared me. Nothing in it would harm me.”

  “Keep thinking that, human,” Sting snorted, staring at the collection of humans in confusion.

  “So now we don’t kill them and attack the big island called Hawaii?”

  All parties gasped at his words, James taking a step back as he realized what they had almost unknowingly set loose.

  Storm shrugged as he took Elanna in his arms.

  “Do what you will, because you will anyway, but just not for our benefit. They understand what it means…to be trapped.”

  His words sent a shiver of fear down the humans’ backs as his eyes once again searched their faces.

  Silence met his announcement, and Storm took this time to dive below the water, dragging Elanna with him.

  The humans stared at the remaining Merpeople, and the Merpeople stared back.

  “Just what are we supposed to do now?” Sting all but growled, as he waved a hand and dismissed his people.

  Silently, they disappeared into the now calm water, not a ripple left behind to show their passing.

  “Um, introduce ourselves,” Shelby decided, a smile pulling at his lips and he swept his damp hair back with a smile. “I’m Shelby. It’s going to be fun getting to know you.”

  “Bah!” Sting growled as he cast one last glance at the humans who would be staying in these waters, then disappeared in a flash, leaving Amadala behind.

  She stared up at Shelby and her heart began to pound. But she was a queen! And queens didn’t give their time to humans.

  “Bah!” she echoed Sting, before she too sank out of sight.

  “This is going to be a beautiful friendship,” Shelby sighed as the last of her pink hair sank out of sight.

  “This is going to be a nightmare,” Crystal added, but she stared in contemplation at the blue water. “And very interesting.”

  Sting, she thought she heard him called. “The Merman, Sting,” she breathed softly as she turned and made her way back into the battered platform. Sting.

  Chapter Thirty-five

  Elanna swam through the water, a sense of freedom filling her with new purpose as the labcoat floated, forgotten, through the water.

  The water had never felt so warm, the caress of it flowing over her skin, exciting her body, making her throw her arms out in a rush of pleasure.

  She tossed her head back, her laughter filling the waters as she relished her life, and the man who made her feel so alive.

  “Elanna.”

  Storm’s voice made her turn, and the sight of him made her breath catch.

  His body undulated through the waters, his long hair flowing behind him in the gentle currents as they swam.

  His eyes glittered, his scales sparkled with the fractured sunlight, his powerful mother-of-pearl fin propelling him to her.

  She paused, again overcome with the memories of loss, of the fear that gripped her when she saw him lying helpless on the deck.

  Her heart seemed to skip a beat and pain filled her chest.

  “Elanna?”

  Then he reached out to her, his hands caressing her face, his eyes searching hers.

  “I could have gotten you killed, them killed, started a war!”

  “No,” Storm sighed. “You did what you had to do. And I love you even more for it. You followed your heart.”

  “And my heart almost led me to disaster.”

  “Your heart gave them what they were looking for, Elanna. And you still plan on teaching them.”

  “I, ah…” A blush spread across her cheeks as she remembered the implied promises she had made.

  “I understand. And I will help.”

  �
��You?” Elanna gasped, the shock of his words enough to jolt her out of her misery. “But you hate humans!”

  “No, I don’t,” he replied as he leaned in close and ran his cheek along side hers, caressing her gently with his smooth skin. “I don’t trust them, but I don’t hate them. After all, they gave me you.”

  While she basked in the tenderness of his words, Storm pulled back, grasped her hand, and began pulling her through the waters.

  “Where…?”

  “Shh!”

  All thoughts of the encounter, as she would refer to it, were pushed to the back of her mind as he propelled her through the currents at lightning speed.

  Elanna let her body relax and go limp, as she gave in to her mate’s demands. Silently, he pulled her along the waterways at hyper speed, past the pod of three, past the caverns of their underwater home, past the returning armies of Merfolk in their rainbow colors and their excited chatter.

  He tugged her along until they reached warm, familiar waters.

  As they exploded from the enveloping embrace of the sea, Storm flung his hair back wildly, slinging the water from his body as he jerked his mate up to his side.

  Elanna emerged from the water with a laugh on her lips, her eyes instantly adjusting to the waning sunlight that bathed the waters in crystalline colors of blues and pinks.

  She felt her mate’s arms wrap around her, pulling her tight against him as small waves broke against their bodies.

  She sighed as she felt his warm fin tickle her feet as he kept them both afloat.

  “It began here,” he whispered, leaning close and lapping the water from her face. “I found you here.”

  Turning around, Elanna stifled a laugh as she saw her island nearby and the scorched sand where she had made her fire pit.

  Before she finished picking out landmarks, Storm propelled her closer and closer to the sandy beach, until she felt the rough sand against her bottom.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he eased her back onto shore and loomed over her, half of their bodies submerged in the water, the rest reclining on the sand, which still held the days’ heat.

  “What I should have done when first we met,” he whispered as he lowered his face for a gentle kiss.