Of Poseidon

does this. “Let me see that cute little face of yours, minnow. Yep, just like I thought. Your eyes are turning blue. How much time have you been spending on land? Please tell me you’re not head over fin for a human!” Then he laughs and releases him just as suddenly.
    Galen stares at him. “What do you mean?”
    “I was just teasing, minnow. Giving you a hard time.”
    “I know but … why did you say my eyes are turning blue? What does that have to do with the humans?”
    Grom waves a dismissive hand at him. “Forget it. I think you might be more uptight than me right now. I said I was just kidding.”
    “Grom, if it’s something about the humans, I need to know. I’m ambassador. You’re keeping me from doing my job.” Galen’s voice is more calm than he feels. He remembers the painting on the wall in Tartessos. The Syrena whose eyes looked blue instead of violet.
    “Triton’s trident, Galen. It’s got nothing to do with your responsibility as ambassador. It’s just a rumor. In fact, I’m surprised you haven’t heard of it before.”
    Galen crosses his arms. “Well, I haven’t.”
    Grom rolls his eyes. “You’re right. You’re not very good at this sort of thing. The legend is that sometimes when Syrena spend a lot of time on land, their eyes fade to blue. It’s just a myth, minnow. Calm down. Your eyes aren’t turning blue.”
    Maybe I do spend too much time on land. I know more about human history than Syrena history.
    “What are you two up to?” a feminine voice calls from behind them. They turn to see Paca.
    Galen cringes on the inside. Paca shouldn’t be here. She might be Grom’s mate in a few hours, but this place is sacred. He sees his brother stiffen by his side. Then he feels Rayna’s pulse approaching. Jagen’s pulse is close behind her. Something feels off.
    “Hello, Paca,” Galen says politely. “We were just about to come see you, weren’t we, Grom?” Paca is not ugly, but she’s not pretty either. Plain would be a good word to describe her. But not just plain. There’s something about the look in her eyes that makes her less innocent, less deserving than plain. Plain could be pitied. But Paca doesn’t incite pity from Galen.
    “I hope you were going to come pry your sister off my back,” Paca clips as Rayna swims up. “She’s quite rude.”
    Galen throws Rayna a look, to which she lifts her chin. “Paca and her pudgy father over there are full of whale dung,” Rayna informs her brothers.
    “Rayna,” Grom barks. “Mind your manners.”
    Rayna lifts her chin even higher. Here we go. “Paca is a fraud, Grom,” she says. “You can’t mate with her. Sorry to ruin your ceremony. Let’s go, Galen.”
    Paca gasps as Jagen swims up to the party, almost stuttering in his fury. “You little … little stonefish! How dare you insult my daughter?”
    Galen grabs Rayna’s arm. “What did you do?” he hisses.
    She jerks her arm away and gives him a superior look. “If Paca has the Gift of Poseidon, I have the Gift of Triton. Don’t ask me what it is though, because I don’t have a clue.”
    “Rayna, enough!” Grom says, grabbing her other arm. “Apologize. Right now.”
    “Apologize for what? Telling the truth? Sorry, not feeling it.” She shrugs, but doesn’t struggle to free herself from Grom’s grasp.
    “How can you say she’s a fraud? She just showed you her Gift!” Jagen says, slicing a hand through the water in frustration.
    Rayna snorts. “She didn’t show Galen the Gift. Galen, have you seen her demonstrate the Gift? Let her show you the Gift.” She turns to Paca. “Did you hear what I said, Princess Cheater-Cheater-Whale-Dung-Eater? Show my brother your pathetic Gift.”
    Paca’s eyes are full of murder. She looks at Grom. “ Do something about your sister. You’re going to let her insult me right in front of you? Is this how I can expect to be treated when I’m mated to you?”
    Rayna laughs. “You bet your sweet—”
    “Rayna!” Galen says. “Enough!”
    She rolls her eyes but doesn’t say anything else. Galen turns to Paca. Trying to sound apologetic, he says, “Please excuse my sister’s lack of…”
    “Sanity?” Paca offers icily.
    Galen smiles. Sort of. “Paca, of course, I would love to see you demonstrate the Gift of Poseidon. Would you be so kind as to show me? We’ve heard such amazing things about it already from Toraf.”
    This seems to placate Paca and Jagen. A little. Grom even loosens his grip on