Page 38 of Magic Potions and the Merman's Lure

Actually, even Ro has a substantial appetite I’ve noticed. I just never gave much thought to it. I wonder if Aquanas metabolize everything quicker. That may be important to know for my potion. I make a mental note of this as I pop the salmon into my mouth and promptly startle when Ro casually flicks a prawn onto my plate. I stare at it in surprise for a full minute before my gaze slowly shifts to him. I raise my eyebrows in inquiry, but he merely nods to the food as he proceeds to consume another from his plate. Gryn’s gaze shifts between us with interest and I wonder if I am missing some sort of vague social cues that Ro left out among our discussions. Not that I blame him since I know that we can’t possibly cover everything under the sun within our limited time, but the way he is watching me is as if he expects me to know what he means by his odd food sharing.

I spear it with my fork and peer at it. Is he feeding me like he would a juvenile under his care? Human lifespans are very short compared to other species and I know among his species my age would be still considered juvenile for an Aquana. I briefly study Gryn over my fork and notice no sign of prawns on his plate. In fact, other than telling the male he could have anything he liked, Ro hasn’t paid any real significant amount of attention to the male’s feeding. Therefore, it can’t be feeding behavior toward caring for a juvenile.

Rather than puzzle over it, I decide to leave the matter for now and direct a smile at Gryn. “How are you enjoying the food? This is one of our more popular seafood restaurants.” The most expensive too but I refrain from pointing that out.

The male responds with a shy smile and nods. “It is very good. I have never eaten fish hot before. It is a new experience.”

“It is very pleasing,” Ro agrees. “The mushy crunchy way of cooking it in a yellow liquid is quite foul, but this is flavorful and has a good texture.”

I press my lips together, holding back a chuckle at his description of beer-battered fish that happens to be much-loved in many local establishments around town.

“It may just be an acquired taste among humans here.” Although my observation offers little to the conversation both males appear to thoughtfully weigh it for a moment before nodding in agreement.

“At least you are not so very fond of it,” Ro murmurs with an obvious air of appreciation.

“And if it were?” I challenge.

He shrugs, unconcerned. “If I cannot tempt you with something better, I will simply try to ignore your obvious lack of taste.”

I burst out laughing. “So magnanimous,” I tease. “As it happens, I don’t require company when I eat—and I don’t necessarily recall inviting you.”

Gryn glances over at Ro and laughs quietly under his breath.

Ro smiles sweetly and flicks another prawn onto my plate. “I would not dream of abandoning you to eat alone again. Not when you have made it clear that you enjoy my company. I would be a foolish and inconsiderate male to ignore that.” He nods toward the prawn on my fork. “Now eat.”

I roll my eyes at his pushy behavior and take a bite of the seasoned prawn. It bites back exactly as it should and I close my eyes with pleasure. So good.

“After we eat, I will take you to get settled in a room,” Ro addresses Gryn, his gaze lifting briefly to the male. “You are free to do as you like but come find me if you need me, especially if you run into any kind of trouble. Just remember that you need to get back to the water by sundown.”

Gryn’s eyes shoot up with worry. “Where will you be?”

That look of complete vulnerability tugs at my heart. Poor kid. He probably thinks he is going to be abandoned again and has an understandable case of separation anxiety going on.

“I don’t know about Ro, but I plan on returning to my apartment. I do have some research to catch up on if I ever want to get on top on brewing another potion to replace the supplement that everyone has been taking.”

“Supplement?” Gryn repeats slowly.

“It is taken to help aquatic bound species spend longer periods out of the water,” I explain.

His eyes suddenly light up with understanding and he pulls a small, pungent pouch from the bag looped around his chest. “I have this. Is this what you mean?”

I blink at it in surprise, but Ro’s reaction is so quick that I almost don’t catch it. Recoiling back from the pouch, his hand lashes out, slapping it from the younger male’s hands, his fins rising aggressively. His shrill hiss, while not loud, is still clearly audible even for me. My fork clatters to my plate as I stare at him in surprise. Outside of the occasion when he was caught in the rain and left completely vulnerable, I’ve never seen him react so strongly before.

I glance over at Gryn at the sound of his chair hitting the floor and note that the younger male has not only abruptly stood in his haste to draw back from Ro’s display but is now watching him anxiously with wide eyes. I shoot a frown at Ro. I get it. We’ve only just realized that the supplement is capable of doing significant damage to their species, but it is not like it can jump up and bite them. At least Ro realizes that he overreacted. The muscle in his cheek ticks but his expression gradually mellows into his customary neutral expression as he steadily regards him and points to powder spilled on the table from the fallen pouch.

“Where did you get this?”

Gryn anxiously glances down at the powder. “I found it,” he replies. “A small group were speaking of it as they were walking past to join the humans. They appeared to be very interested in having some fun and this powder allowed them to have the fun without having to return to the water. It sounded too strange, so I did not believe them but someone among them accidentally dropped it onto the dock as they walked by. I did not want the supplement, but the pouch was shiny and pretty, so I reached up when no one was looking and took it.”

Guilt briefly registers on Ro’s face as he looks away, throat working as he swallows. Without hesitation, he immediately shifts some of his food to Gryn’s plate. “You are not to blame. Sit and eat.”

I wouldn’t have thought it would be that easy to dissipate the tension that rose between the males, but to my surprise, Gryn’s entire body relaxes as he studies the food. He almost appears cheerful, in fact, as he bends down to pick his chair up from the floor.

Weird.

He even proceeds to ignore the powder and pouch as if taking it for granted that the older Aquana was in the right, rendering everything else inconsequential. I take a slow bite of my food as I watch the interaction. Both males enthusiastically resume eating as if the matter is settled between them, leaving me to study them curiously and wonder at their natural and simplistic hierarchy. Gryn even glances up from to time to time in Ro’s direction as if seeking direction and reassurance simultaneously. Even though the male appears to a young adult in human terms, there is something almost childlike in his demeanor—like a kid modeling the behavior of a parent. Should they have that relationship so quickly? Unless juvenile Aquana imprint on adults of their pod, and on others if orphaned. I would ask but it seems a bit rude with Gryn sitting right there across the table from me.

Giving both males a long look, I lean over and pluck the pouch from the table. Using a butter knife, I scrape the powder from the table back inside and close it tightly. I am not entirely certain how much information I can get from the powder, but it doesn’t hurt to have it. Withdrawing back to my own seat, I drop the pouch into my purse and give Gryn a reassuring smile when he glances up at me in surprise.

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