Sara had sacrificed herself for someone she cared about, and she’d nearly lost her life doing it. The thought made Kyros’s head hurt. He padded down the hallway, through the darkness. The entire house slept. Well, except for Drakōn. Who knows where his investigation would take him? But Kyros knew his friend wouldn’t rest until he found the person responsible.
Stepping into the library, he switched on the light and sat down at the desk. He pulled the ancient book out of the drawer he’d placed it in.
He flipped open the pages, reading the headings. He paused when he came to “The Mer: Myths and Fallacies.” Maybe he could find some answers there.
“Myth #1: The song of the Mer proceeds death.
“The Truth: While this is often true, death is not necessarily imminent. The song of the Mer is used to control its victims. Oft times the hearer is not killed immediately. If motives of Mer are benign, the song may be used merely to entertain. The Mer may influence the hearer to perform various acts, depending on his or her whims. If the motives are more sinister, the Mer may convince the hearer to drown or kill themselves in various ways. Some Mer have been known to create elaborate plots to kill and/or injure others (see the story of Aella).
“Myth #2: The Mer are born of the sea.
“The Truth: While the Mer are descended from Triton and thusly sea creatures, they are almost always also descended from humans. At birth, Triton would erase the memories of the humans, and take the babe to live with him in his kingdom. Other descendants of Mer may come from unions between Triton’s offspring and other creatures, including humans. This has been known to lead to unwanted births. Humans giving birth to children born from these unions were quick to kill them—driven by superstition. The Mer were often as eager to rid themselves of any baby born too human—ones born with legs or without gills.”
Kyros skimmed over a few pages until he came to the subject he’d been searching for.
“Myth #7: The Mer are not capable of compassion.
“The Truth: This is perhaps one of the greatest fallacies among Dagonians. The Mer are just as capable of showing empathy and kindness as any Dagonian. But, because of the power they wield when they are cruel or vicious, they can wreak much more damage than other creatures, including a Dagonian. Thus, the cruel acts of the Mer overshadow any kind acts they may perform.”
Kyros frowned. Was he wrong? Was his thinking based on ignorant stereotypes?
Perhaps.
He continued to read on for a couple of hours before his back protested. The hours of reading were mind changing and enlightening, but his body wasn’t adapting to the toll gravity took on it. Standing, he stretched. He could use a good swim before he returned to bed.
He strolled into the pool room and stripped. Diving into the salty water never felt better. It slicked over his body like a lover’s caress. He braced himself for the pain of the transformation from human to Dagonian. He growled as his skin tore open, his muscles morphing and tying his legs together, forming his fin. It always hurt like Hades, but it was worth it. When the pain subsided, he began his swim. He circled around, his powerful tail driving him forward. He swam as fast as he could in such a tight space. Diving down and skirting the bottom of the deep end. He swam back up, leaping out of the water, only to dive back down into the surface.
When he had swam enough to satisfy himself, he slowed his pace and circled leisurely. At last he surfaced, finding himself face to face with Gretchen. She raised an eyebrow. “Out for a late-night dip?”
Kyros plastered his tail against the side of the pool. Had she seen it? He searched her face for surprise or shock. She looked tired, her eyes shadowed. Her brown eyes stood out, dark against her pale face. But she seemed composed.
