Aella awoke to male voices coming from the deck. “She’ll tell you everything you need to know.”
Lying in the soft, king-sized bed, she stretched her limbs and sat up. She got up and stepped over the blanket lying on the hardwood floor—the human soldier’s temporary bed.
A loud crash was followed by angry words. “If I don’t get some real answers, I swear I’ll separate your head from your body and feed them both to the sharks.”
Aella stepped out on the deck to see a monster of a man holding Robert by the throat, his feet dangling a foot above the floor. “Ooo, sounds like a tasty option—for the sharks. Personally, I prefer seafood.” She used just the right amount of lyrical voice to capture the stranger’s full attention.
He dropped Robert and staggered around to face her. She sauntered up to the big man and smiled seductively. Danger radiated from him like heat radiated from fire. Closing her eyes, she dragged his scent through her nostrils. Recognition hit her immediately. She opened her eyes, and her smile widened. “I know what you are, Dagonian.”
His eyes widened. “What is your name?”
“My name is Aella.”
His eyes widened. He tensed, ready to attack, but her voice caused him to pause.
“What is yours?” She amplified the tenor of her voice to increase her control—careful not to overdo it. She needed him able to answer a few questions. He still knew who and what she was. And from his reaction, he’d also heard of her. Her spirits lightened knowing her reputation was still intact, even after two thousand years of hiding.
“My name is Drakōn.”
“Drakōn, I have a question. Why would a Dagonian guard a mermaid?”
“We either guard the mermaid, or we return to prison.”
“And who would send you back to prison if you didn’t do this?”
“Xanthus Dimitriou.”
“Who is Xanthus?”
“He is the mermaid’s husband.”
“A merman?” She could hear the surprise in her voice.
“No, a Dagonian.”
Her laughter pealed, causing him to jump. “That is surprising. But it makes things easier for me.”
She circled him, tracing her fingers over his impressive muscles. “So who is the girl in the wheelchair?”
He looked confused. “The mermaid, of course.”
Aella was caught off guard for a moment. They hadn’t been talking about the same girl. “And who is the other girl. The one the mermaid was with.”
“She is the mermaid’s human friend.”
“A human friend, huh?” This situation was better than she’d thought. “Does this human know her friend is a mermaid?”
“Of course not.”
“I’m assuming all the men surrounding the mermaid are Dagonians. Am I right?”
“Yes.”
“And who is this human to each of you? Do you know her well?”
“She’s nothing to me.”
“What about the others…?”
“The others feel the same, except…”
“Except who?”
“I’m not sure, but Kyros seems to be taking an interest in the human. He’s extremely protective of her.”
She smiled. A plan began forming in her head. She could rectify this situation easily and teach the mermaid a lesson. Aella unleashed the full power of her voice to give her next instructions. “When you leave me, you’ll remember nothing of me, this conversation, or the directions I give you. Regardless of that, you will follow my instructions exactly. I want you to return to your Dagonian friends. You will bring Kyros to me. Make sure no one else accompanies you. Make sure no one else follows. Kyros and the others must suspect nothing. Once you bring Kyros to me, I may let you follow through on your threat to separate Robert’s head from his body and feed him to the sharks.” She smiled and smirked at the human who stood, swaying on his feet. Drool dripped from the side of his mouth—disgusting.
She turned back to the Dagonian. “I’ll be waiting here for you to return. If for any reason, you cannot complete this mission, you will kill the mermaid and her human friend immediately, and then kill yourself. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any questions for me?”
“No.”
“Well then, you are free to leave,” she said in a normal voice.
He stood for a moment, in a daze. Then he shook himself. “What in Hades am I doing here?”
“You were just leaving,” she said, surprised at how quickly he returned to himself.
“I came here for answers.” He stepped toward her and stared her down.
Aella narrowed her eyes. “No.” She unleashed her voice, long and shrill. “You are leaving.”
He stiffened—immediately overcome, and proceeded to leave without another word.
As he got into his skiff and headed back to shore, Aella wondered if her plan could yet have a flaw. Drakōn was a little too hard to control. She hoped the one called Kyros would give her no trouble.
