The Mermaids Madness

beginning to feel a little distracted herself. The water tasted different here. Both sour and sweet, the faint tang made her mouth water and her heart beat faster. She found herself exquisitely aware of the waves caressing her bare skin.
    Snow shivered. “Have any of you ever wondered how a merman and a mermaid—”
    “No,” snapped Talia.
    “But don’t you want to know where the mermen keep their—”
    “Snow, please.” Danielle raised a hand to stop her.
    The taste of the water took Danielle back to those first nights with Armand. The feel of his hands exploring her body, the way her skin had tingled and tightened at his touch.
    “It wouldn’t have to take long.” Snow swam up behind Talia. “Don’t be such a prude. We could—”
    Talia put both hands on Snow’s head and dunked her beneath the water. Snow popped up a moment later, sputtering and wiping her face.
    “I’m going to find Lirea,” Talia said. “If you’d rather mount a merman than save Queen Bea’s life, don’t let me stop you.”
    Snow shook her head. “I was joking, Talia. What’s the matter with you?”
    “With me?” Talia shouted. “You’re the one who’s been acting like this is some sort of holiday. Giggling over your new magic, staying up all night with your mermaid friend, and now you want to run off to have a quick romp with a merman?”
    “You know, I wondered why you only brought knives along this time,” Snow said. “Usually you carry a lot more weapons. That was before I figured out you’ve got one of your fighting sticks wedged up your ass.”
    Danielle swam between them. She had seen Snow and Talia argue before, but not like this. “This isn’t helping.”
    Talia turned away. “It’s making me feel better.”
    “The water carries Lirea’s scent, remember?” Danielle said. “The closer we get to the shore, the more we’ll be . . .”
    “Aroused?” Snow asked. “You know, if we could bottle this stuff, we could make a fortune.”
    Talia shook her head. “And you think something’s wrong with me ?”
    Danielle took another gulp of air. “Keep your heads above water. Breathing air seems to dilute the effect.”
    Danielle swam past them both. The air helped, but she could still smell Lirea’s scent. If the water was affecting the others the way it was her, this was going to get a lot worse before they reached Lirea.
    She braced herself as she swam toward the shore. She wasn’t sure what exactly to expect. An orgy of merfolk thrashing about in the water, or something more . . . human ?
    She gasped the first time one of the undine passed beneath her. This was an older merman, his matted hair streaming over his back like seaweed. He glanced up, frowned, and rose to the surface.
    “Who are you?”
    Snow’s choker pulsed with blue light. The suspicion faded from his face. Smiling, Snow said, “Could you please tell Lirea we’ve come to join her tribe?”
    He swam uncomfortably close, until his green tail fin brushed theirs. “Welcome. You’re wise to join us while you still can.”
    Danielle glanced at Snow, wondering what that meant. Snow gave a tiny shrug.
    “Lirea lives apart from the tribe for her own protection,” the merman continued. “I will bring you to Nilliar, the queen’s spearbearer. She can—”
    Snow frowned. “I’d really like to meet Lirea.”
    “Even if Lirea were willing to see newcomers, I’m afraid that would be impossible. Her home is inaccessible to undine.” He took Snow’s hand and pulled her close. “There’s no hurry, if you and your friends would prefer—”
    “No,” said Talia.
    Danielle winced, but the merman didn’t take offense.
    “Does Lirea really mean to war against the humans? In our tribe, humans and undine were allies.”
    The merman paused. “Which tribe would that be?”
    “Does it matter?” Snow asked. Her voice was playful, but a pulse of light from her choker hinted at the magic she was using to manipulate the merman.
    “The Ilowkira were friends with the humans,” he admitted. “But Lirea means to restore the undine to our former glory. To unite us all and give us back our rightful place as rulers of the sea. Those who refuse will face her wrath, human and undine alike.” His eyes practically shone. Had he been human, Danielle would have thought he was in love with his queen. How much of that was due to the strange taste Lirea fed into the water?
    “And the gold?” Danielle pressed. “What are we going to do with human