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Nemo smiled as if amused by the thought of little men attacking him.
Snow’s eyebrows rose. “This isn’t the collector’s work.” She turned to address the dwarves. “Lower your weapons. They’re merfolk, they won’t harm you. Nyssa is princess of Tritonia, and my friend.”
Slowly and reluctantly the dwarves lowered their blades.
“I’ve never met a princess,” the one with orange vest said, stepping forward, staring at what I assumed was the scales on my temples.
Humoring him, I thought of Faraall, feeling the anger pulse through my scales. The dwarf gasped and stepped backward, probably as my scales changed color, bumping into one of his friends.
“Did you see that?” he said, nudging his friend again.
Fin, Nemo and I exchanged a smile.
“Quit it.” His friend in the red vest jabbed him back.
Orange vest rubbed his stomach. “No need to poke me so hard.”
“You hit me!” red vest cried.
“Guys,” said Snow, dragging them apart. “How about you help the rescued and I’ll join you in a bit?”
The dwarves mumbled as they dawdled into the crowd.
Curiosity ate at me. I wanted to know what was going on here. Why were all these people assembled here? Why did they all appear hungry, weary, and thirsty? More than anything I wanted to know what had happened to my friend.
“What’s happened here?” I asked, watching Gill bend down beside a brunette mermaid and lifted her chin. The mermaid shook her head. I couldn’t hear what they said to each other. But she pointed to another mermaid seated at the end of the group.
Snow returned her sword to her scabbard. “The pirates were hired by my stepmother to kidnap shifters and spread word that it’s the collector’s fault. She’s amassing an army. Why, I have no idea.”
An army? What was wrong with Haven? Farrall was trying to seize control of the merrealm. Snow’s evil stepmother of Tritonia. Urgency pumped through me to save my father. He had to know what was going on. A revolt was coming, and he had to stop it.
“Kaya,” Gill cried, embracing one of the merfolk at the end of the group.
My heart swelled. He’d found her! I couldn’t wait to meet her. Would she be like him? But first I had to get to the bottom of the issue with Snow’s stepmother.
“Is the collector working for your stepmother?” I asked.
“My stepmother’s got some beef with the collector.” The way Snow said it, almost snarling, told me there was bad blood between her and her stepmother.
I didn’t get any further answers because Gill interrupted again.
“Nyssa,” said Gill, his arm curled around his sister’s back, as they both approached me. “I’d like you to meet my sister, Kaya.”
Kaya looked a lot like Gill. Tanned, dark features and hair. Her golden brown eyes flickered to me and then the ground.
“Your highness,” she squeaked.
Nerves got the better of a lot of the merfolk around me. But I wasn’t anything special. I was just like everyone else. To show her I took her in my arms and held her. She was stiff as if she were scared to touch me.
“Call me, Nyssa,” I said, squeezing her tighter, hoping my friendliness broke the ice and showed her my approachability.
“Yes, your…” said Kaya. “I mean Nyssa.”
I laughed and pulled away, not wanting her to feel awkward if I lingered to long in our embrace.
Kaya gave me a nervous smile.
I glanced to my right, finding Snow gone. She’d snuck away and was tending to one of the shifters, offering a girl a goblet of water.
