“I liked them.”
“Oh, that was obvious,” a twinkle glowed in the depths of his coal black eyes and she discovered that she enjoyed star dusted black over rolling amber any day. Coming around the table, he latched onto her elbow and she trembled, confused that she liked it so much. That she’d even missed it. “In fact, I think they’re both well on their way to being in love with you all over again.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You’re just jealous I got to sit next to such a hot piece of tail.” Chuckling at her own stupid joke, she didn’t hear anyone else in the room with them until a loud voice cleared.
Startled, she twirled and then clasped onto her breast. The mermaid in front of them was staring at her so intensely it made her want to run. Her skin tingled at the glowing red gaze, and yes…literally red eyes bright as liquid magma, roamed up then down her body. A wild mane of hair trailed like flame down her pale ivory back. Ropes of red seed pearls draped the body from fin to neck. Her tail was a burnished orange with flecks of gold. She looked like fire.
“Is it true?” she asked with a voice that shivered both deep and dulcet. “Are you she?”
Trisha sighed, opening her mouth to beg this woman to please stop. She was sick to death of explaining it over and over. But before she had a chance to say anything, Hook curled his hand tighter around her arm and stepped in front of her, as if shielding her from the woman’s view.
“Maiven.” He inclined his head. His whiskey smooth voice made Trisha’s heart beat just a tiny bit faster. “Talia’s soul is within, but this is not Talia. This is Trishelle Page of the Earthly realm.”
She really wasn’t sure why he’d done that. At least, not until Maiven began to tear up.
“My granddaughter’s soul truly beats inside the body of this one?”
Trisha sucked in a sharp breath. The woman didn’t look older than her, suddenly more interested, she studied her features. Her skin was as smooth and pale as the finest marble, her lips were full, her cheeks round. She was as pretty as all the rest and now that she was really looking, she could see the resemblance with the woman to the picture Hook had shown her on the ship.
He nodded. “But you should know, the soul is much diminished. I find nothing of Talia within.”
Why did he sound so sad about that? It shouldn’t bother her. It didn’t actually. It completely and totally didn’t. Because she was Trisha, not Talia. Not this perfect mermaid that everyone still seemed to have a hard on for. She liked who she was, liked that she was from earth, that she was human, she liked everything about herself and didn’t give two craps that they didn’t.
She frowned, feeling grumpy all of a sudden.
Maiven hissed, snapping at Hook, her teeth looking much sharper than Sirenade’s had been. Hers were fine tipped, and as lethal looking as any blade. “It’s all your fault. Beguiling her, tempting her to leave her realm. Her people. That is not the way of our world, we do not leave, you come to us. But you…you refused, and so she followed you. I’ll never forgive you, Hook, never.”
His jaw clenched and a compulsion to soothe him beat through Trisha’s heart, tingled through the tips of her fingers.
“I know,” was all he said.
Swiping the tears from her eyes, Maiven turned. “Follow me.”
Before she could decide whether to soothe him or not, the moment passed. Hook walked on without her. Forcing her to keep up or get left behind.
After a minute of intense and very uneasy silence, Trisha finally cleared her throat. “She really hates you, you scurvy pirate.” She poked him in the ribs, trying to lighten the mood. Wanting to groan, because she knew what she’d said was the wrong thing the second his eyes flashed.
“I appreciate the effort, Trishelle, but in this I will not laugh. Maiven is correct, I did Talia wrong.” Snapping his jaw closed, he refused to look at or even talk to her again after that.
Feeling like an ass, she followed, dragging her feet along and wishing a hole would just open up and swallow her now. She’d never been good at these sorts of things, trying to cheer someone up. She always said or did something stupid, which was why she barely had any friends. Not real, true blue friends anyway. Betty was the only one who ever really seemed to understand her snark actually came from an honest place.
Trisha really hoped the garden was worth it, because she was pretty much ready to head back to the ship and go to sleep. This day had sucked the big one.