Page 25 of Beneath the Surface

Kannon blinked at Nisha. “I-ah… yeah, okay. Um, you’re part fish. So no, I wasn’t expecting you to speak in perfectly clear English like that. WhateverwasI thinking?”

A strangled cough came from behind Kannon, and he swung around to face the other merman who was helping Brooke and Brett to the shore. Nisha also looked at his friend. Marcus had the same long blue hair and pointed ears as himself, but his eyes were a pale, pale blue. He had a scar that ran through his right eyebrow.

“Yes, I can speak also. I know my ABCs and 123s, and—”

“Marcus, behave,” Nisha warned.

Kannon swung back toward him.

“Just pointing out I can speak. Oh. Forgot to mention I know my colors too.” Marcus flashed a toothy grin.

Kannon jerked his head back toward the other merman. “Um...”

Nisha rolled his eyes.

“And there goes the eye roll,” Brooke added.

Nisha huffed. “Both of you just stop. Marcus, Kannon’s freaked out enough without you acting stranger than normal. Don’t scare him.”

“A little late for that,” Kannon muttered then glanced at Brett. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Got some gnarly blisters, but basically, yeah,” Brett affirmed.

“Good. Good, I’m really glad to hear that. Seeing you stuck down there like that scared me silly. I was worried you might drown.” Kannon eyed Brett’s neck. “Guess I shouldn’t have been, though. Cool breathing apparatus you got there. Care to explain the new look?”

“Well… dammit,” Brett huffed. “You weren’t supposed to find out this way, but it’s too late to worry about that now.”

“I’ll say,” Kannon retorted.

“Brooke and I mated about a year ago. It’s a long story, and I really don’t want to go into it here, in the middle of the ocean—”

“Just so you know, I’m not exactly having a blast out here either.”

“—I can breathe underwater now thanks to being Brooke’s mate.”

“I see,” Kannon said. “Well no, actually I don’t, but that’s a discussion for later. So you knew she was a mermaid?”

“Yes,” Brett said. “Actually I found out not long after we met.”

“Uh-huh. Did you know Nisha was a merman too?”

“Yes, yes I did,” Brett plunged ahead. “But—”

“Did you know he was the one who attacked me fifteen years ago?” Kannon demanded.

Brett looked at Nisha then Kannon. “Well—”

“Now wait a minute.” Nisha shot a quick look at Kannon. “I wouldn’t exactly call what I did—”

“Attack?” Stunned, Marcus glanced at Nisha. “You attacked—”

“—I do now, but I didn’t then,” Brett hastened to add. “Brooke told me when she revealed she was a mermaid.”

“I see.” Kannon launched himself across the water at Brett. “You son of a bitch! You knew,you knew, and you never told me? After all these years?”

There was a mad scramble as Kannon tackled Brett.

“Icouldn’ttell you,” Brett yelled as Kannon grabbed him by the shoulders. Both of them went under the waves. Brooke screeched, Marcus laughed, and Nisha swore loudly as all of them dove down and tried to separate Kannon and Brett.

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