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“My uncle.”
“What happened?” I ask.
“I’m sure my mother will tell you…” she says, clearly hesitant to recount the story.
I glance around and realize that everyone else has left us alone in the living room.
“Since you asked, my father, two uncles, and three of my cousins went out for a swim one night about six months ago. There were ships out on the water—this was before the sea decided to spit everyone back onto shore—so they thoughtnothing of it. One of my cousins, Sky, was caught in a fisherman’s net while it was being reeled in. The others did everything they could to get him out before he broke the surface…”
She wipes a stray tear that trails down her cheek.
“They didn’t get to him in time,” I supply. I know just as well as any other sea nymph that untangling yourself from those nets can be impossible.
She shakes her head sullenly.
“My dad was able to convince the others to come back here and plan a rescue while his brother, my uncle, followed the ship. Later that night, we headed to the warehouse where they were holding Sky.” Kristle shakes her head, lost in the memory. “They had him submerged in a tank and were taking all kinds of samples from him. They took so many scales off his tail that the water was red with his blood. His tail, which was normally a beautiful sky blue, was white and pink.”
I suck in a breath at her description of the torture of one of my kind. Even having a single scale ripped off is excruciating. I cannot imagine having hundreds pulled away in such a short time.
“The warehouse was filled with people wearing white coats and surrounded by others carrying guns. There was little hope of us getting him out that night.” She sniffs and wipes another tear from her eye. “We left. We promised to go back for him, but we didn’t get the chance.”
“The next day,” Narissa picks up where Kristle left off, “men with guns surrounded our home.” I glance behind her, expecting to see the rest of Kristle’s family, but find no one.
“If they came the next day, how are you all still here?” I ask, feeling suspicious for the first time since arriving.
Narissa sighs, gesturing to the couch where the three of us take a seat.
“We quickly learned that they only believe men have the gene. We’re still not sure why they think that, but they were not interested in us at all.”
“The men, though…” Kristle says.
“Yes, they tried rounding up the men. We were able to make a diversion long enough to let all but Ash get away. They tested Ash by spraying him with water first.” I can’t hold in the laugh that escapes me. If a sea nymph shifted, every time they were sprayed with water, showers would be impossible, the rain would be problematic, and humidity may even be an issue. “Our reactions exactly. In hindsight, we should have kept our chuckles to ourselves. Next, they submerged him completely. First in fresh water and then in the sea. It was only his complete control over his shift that saved him.”
“You mean he didn’t shift?” I watch them shake their heads. “At all?”
“It was something we thought was impossible. Perhaps the goddess took pity on him, but he was able to hold off his shift. Once they had nearly drowned him, they left us.“
“And Sky?”
“By the time we returned to the warehouse, everyone was gone. Those demons and their equipment, and Sky too,” Kristle answers.
“Where are the men now?”
“Out searching for Sky,” Narissa says.
“And help,” Kristle adds.
I shake my head.
“I don’t understand…Why are those humans out there, then?”
The two share a look, and I know I’m not going to like their answer.
“They are hunting for us?—”
“Parts of us,” Kristle interrupts.
“They believe that our tails specifically have intense healing properties,” Narissa finishes with a grimace.
