Of Poseidon 02: Of Triton

Royals.”
    Galen can’t think of anything else he would add to Grom’s argument. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have been as eloquent; he was about to call the entire thing off and send them back to where they came from. Which is why it is a very good thing that Grom is king instead of Galen.
    More scattered whispers echo off the walls and the bamboo flooring. Galen wonders that they get anything accomplished at all, if they handle all affairs with such disorganization. After a while, Tandel calls for silence and stands. “If it pleases the Royals, the council would like to convene outside in private. These are not small requests we are taking into consideration, and they are more than we had anticipated.”
    Grom nods. “Of course. But keep in mind that while you deliberate, humans have two of our kind. That is not a small thing, either.”
    When the Archives file out of the room, Galen turns to Emma. She’s ready for him. She holds up her shushing finger. “Don’t even,” she says. “I was going to tell you, but I just didn’t have a chance.”
    “Tell me now,” he says. “Since it seems I’m the last to know.” He isn’t the last to know, of course. But he’d really hoped she would come to him with it. Before now. Before it became an issue for other people.
    She raises a hesitant brow.
    “ Please, ” he grates out.
    She sighs in a gust. “I still don’t think it’s important at the moment, but when Rayna took off for the Arena, I hopped on one of the jet skis and tried to follow. But,” she amends, “I did not intend to get in the water. I swear I didn’t. It’s just that Goliath wanted to play, and he tipped over the”—she must sense all his patience oozing out—“anyway, so I come across this Syrena, Jasa, and she’s been caught in a net and two men are pulling her aboard. So me and Goliath helped her.”
    “Where are the fishermen now?”
    “Um. Unless Rachel did something drastic, they’re probably at home telling their kids crazy stories about mermaids.”
    Galen feels a sense of control slipping, but of what he’s not sure. For centuries, the Syrena have remained unnoticed by humans. Now within the span of a week, they’ve allowed themselves to be captured twice. He hopes this does not become a pattern.
    Toraf must have mistaken his long pause for brooding. “Don’t be too hard on her, Galen,” he says. “I told you, Emma helped her and then went straight home.”
    “Stay out of this,” Galen says pleasantly.
    “I knew you told him.” Emma crosses her arms at Toraf. “You really are a snitch.”
    “You had enough to worry about. And so did I.” Toraf shrugs, unperturbed. “It’s over now.”
    Nalia pinches the bridge of her nose. “This is where I ground you for life,” she tells Emma. “All three hundred years of it.”
    It looks like Emma might be about to correct her mother, to tell her what Dr. Milligan told them about the reduced life span of a Half-Breed. Galen shakes his head at her amid the sick feeling he always gets when he remembers he will outlive her. There’s no reason to bring this up now. There will be plenty of time to sort out all the details of the past few months soon enough.
    Which is what Emma is trying to tell me about helping Jasa . “Fine,” Galen says. “It’s fine. You did what you had to do.”
    The rest of their wait is spent in silence. Galen tries to read his brother’s expression, but as usual, Grom has his emotions hidden away under the layers of nonchalance. Toraf and Rayna seem to be playing some sort of game with each other under the table and Antonis appears utterly bored. Emma stares thoughtfully at the wall behind her mother, at the painting of a lighthouse on a windy day. Galen wonders what she’s thinking. But since this could be the calm before the tempest, depending on what the Archives decide, he lets her daydream and have her peace.
    “Excuse me, Highness,” Tandel calls from the doorway. “But we have come to a conclusion.”
    Galen notices that the other Archives did not rejoin their speaker, which means they’re all in agreement about their decision. They did not debate very long at all. Which could be good or bad.
    “So that we are of the same mind, King Grom, I would like to take the time to restate the terms of your return to power, and your assistance in helping us retrieve our lost.”
    “Please do.”
    Tandel bows. “Thank you, Majesty. Now, it is our understanding that his Majesty Grom