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I ignored the way my warrior heart pounded a little harder and disentangled myself from his embrace as gracefully as I could, needing to put space between us. Bion chuckled, dropping his arms to his sides.
I turned to the humans. “Yes, I believe you have all misunderstood why I asked for this meeting. I was not asking permission for Atlantis to be viewed as her own city. I was informing the world that Atlantis exists, and if we are all to get along going forward, then the mers deserve the same rights as the other people of Earth.”
I strolled toward the wall of clear windows that looked out over the city and pressed my hand against the glass. Within seconds Sheba appeared, her massive body blocking out what little light made its way down this deep onto the ocean floor.
I hid my grin at the startled gasps from behind me. Sheba opened her jaws wide, adding to my delight and further traumatizing my guests before slowly moving out of sight.
Zeno, bring the mers.
The mer people slowly appeared in front of the viewing window, eager to see their first humans. Mers with tails in every shade of blue moved into view of the large windows. Gorgeous women with long flowing hair billowing around them and mermen with bulging muscles pressed against the glass. Young mers peaked from behind their parents to smile and wave at the strangers.
I turned back toward the leaders, who remained frozen in their chairs.
“Incredible!” remarked an older gentleman who’d been fairly quiet.
Several people murmured their agreement.
I dared hope for just a minute that they understood the basic human decency we were owed. And then my hopes were dashed to shreds like a ship tossed against a rocky shoreline during a storm as their thoughts filled my mind.
I need to get my scientists down here to study these creatures. There are millions to be made from researching them.
Is that real jewelry that they are wearing? It must be worth a fortune! If my country can get the rights to Atlantis, we can have them work for us to mine the seafloor.
Crowds would pay thousands to visit mermaids in aquariums, not to mention how much could be made by renting out the palace for celebrity events and overnight trips. This is a literal gold mine.
Instead of seeing us people, they were viewing us as creatures that could be put to work for their own greed. I was done.
“We don’t need your permission to live or to thrive in the oceans. This meeting was nothing more than a courtesy to the humans on land.” I worked hard to keep my words level and calm, a perfect imitation of my mother’s voice.
Baldy laughed. “I think you are overestimating your power, young lady. We are doing you the favor by allowing you to bring your petition to us. We all took time out of our busy schedules to make this happen, so you would do well to remember that.”
I bristled at the condescension in his tone, and I felt my tattoos begin to glow.
“Who do you think you are to appear out of nowhere and start making demands?” a sour-faced woman in a stiff business suit asked, her lips curling into a cruel smile.
Apparently, the others at the table hadn’t noticed my growing anger, because they joined in with their own chuckles and laughter.
Laughter which came to a screeching halt as the lights around the room began to flicker ominously. Even with my back turned to the glass wall, I knew Sheba had reappeared, her large form casting the room into shadow.
Light emanated from my tattoos, and my eyes glowed brighter. Righteous anger over their disrespect clogged my throat, and I struggled to swallow it so I could speak.
“What isthat?” the woman exclaimed with her eyes on me.
A deep chuckle came from the corner of the room, and Bion stepped from the shadows.
“Who is she? She’s the mother-fricking Queen of Atlantis.” Bion sauntered toward the table, not caring in the least that every single person in the room was eyeing him with suspicion… especially me. Pressing his palms flat on the end of the table, he leaned forward as though letting them in on a secret.
“Do you remember all those amusing stories about Greek gods you learned as a kid?” One brow raised, Bion waited for an answer. It took a moment, but most of the table slowly nodded.
“She’s the daughter of one of those gods. You think it is a cute trick she can shift from a siren to a human girl with two legs? If you only knew what else she could do, every single person at this table would be shaking in their shoes.” Bion’s eyes sparkled with delight, and I got the distinct impression he wished I would terrorize the people in the room just a bit.
Unfortunately for him, he was the most likely person to feel my wrath as soon as we were alone.
He glanced back at me and winked. “I look forward to it.”
“I have no more time to waste, so here is my final offer,” I said to the humans. “The area I outlined in the documents will be recognized as Atlantis. No drilling, mining, or treasure hunting will happen in that area. The area will be marked and will be off limits to leisure vessels unless they are experiencing an emergency and need assistance.
“Government ships will be allowed only if Atlantis has given approval. It is vital that the area around Atlantis remain calm to ensure the wildlife is undisturbed. I will not allow my people to starve simply because humans are too curious or selfish to leave the ocean above it alone.” I paused, and when no one spoke, I continued.
