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When I couldn’t think of any more possibilities, I asked, “Of what?”
“The great goddess selects a few panthers from every generation,” he explained, “and grants them some of her powers. Heightened strength, speed and agility, faster healing abilities beyond what a normal panther possesses. The power to walk unseen under the moon and sun.”
The last part made sense, considering panthers’ stealth was well-known. They were feared by many animals for their ability to sneak up on them undetected. The dragons considered them mortal enemies.
“I wish I had a magical ability,” I said, snatching a leaf and tearing it up. “That I weren’t a boring mortal.”
Poseidon had blessed His merfolk with the ability to command water. Dragons directed the different elements, depending on which they had an affinity for. Fae and witches controlled magic. Dwarves could mine the Fae dust without its power destroying them. All the shifters healed faster than normal humans. I was just a plain-old human.
“Maybe you do, and you just haven’t discovered it yet,” Phantom offered.
His enthusiasm and optimism creating a spark in my chest at all the possibilities.
***
All of thefreed shifters crowded around, some sitting on logs, others leaning against trees, some standing and jittery. Phantom, the dwarves, and I tended to them, collecting water in mugs from buckets and distributing this and small portions of food to everyone. Healers treated the injured, wrapping bandages around their wounds and administering herbs where needed.
All the handling of me—the grateful clasps of my hands, the inescapable hugs, the children latching on to me—was all testing my limits. Caught in a difficult spot, I shrank away from each gaze, but they didn’t seem to understand. It took all my concentration to focus on their needs and not mine.
Luckily, a distraction arrived in the form of a man riding a horse. He and his steed burst into the clearing. Upon closer inspection, I realized this was no ordinary man. Glinting scales along his forehead, the triton tattoo on his arm, and the triton he carried revealed his identify as that of a mersoldier and a distinctly nice-looking mersoldier at that. He had long blond hair that fell past his ears, a developing beard, eyes as blue as crystal waters, and a body like the sea god’s.
Tension enveloped the group at the stranger’s sudden arrival out of nowhere.
Not for me. A sigh of relief escaped me. King Neptune knew of our misfortunes and had sent soldiers to aid us.
Grimm hobbled over to the soldier. “Hello there, friend. What brings you here?” I presumed this was the leader’s way of discerning if the soldier was friend or foe. These days, I guessed one couldn’t be too careful.
“Mersoldier,” one of the formerly captive mermaids gushed, launching to her feet and hurrying over to the merman.
“Pirates?” the mersoldier asked Grimm.
The dwarf nodded.
“Wait here.” No sooner had the mersoldier arrived than he spun his horse around and cantered off.
Where was he going? Was he a scout sent to check out the path ahead? To whom did he return?
“I don’t like this,” Hunter mumbled, collecting his weapon.
“Neither do I,” Axe said, turning to gaze at the mermaids.
My stomach knotted at the thought. Would someone betray their kind to pirates? Suspicion and mistrust reared up inside me.
“Gather up the shifters, and let’s move,” Grimm ordered.
The dwarves started waving at the shifters to get up.
“Why are we leaving?” I asked.
Moments later, three more horses arrived, each carrying a mersoldier, one of which was a woman.
My mind went wild with fear, and I pulled out my dagger in preparation.
“Kaya,” the tall, dark, handsome mersoldier shouted. “Kaya!”
“Stay where you are, pirate,” I shouted, jabbing at him, not thinking clearly with the fog clouding me.
“Pirate?” he said, smirking at me.
