"Awake now?"
The same voice—smooth, pleasant, yet with that unsettling undertone—echoed through the water, pulling Kaya fully into consciousness. Her eyes snapped upward.
There he was.
That golden-haired mermaid—or whatever the hell he was—lounging like royalty on what looked like a massive oyster throne, way too extravagant for someone who just knocked her out cold. The pearlescent shell shimmered behind him, casting soft hues across his perfectly carved features.
And surrounding him? Mermaids. A whole lineup. But unlike him, these ones weren't pretending to be anything human. Their lower halves were all fish—long, gleaming tails in shades of deep blue, emerald green, and gold. No legs. Just fins. Real, proper sea-dwelling, tail-swishing merfolk.
Kaya stared, blinking once.
Okay. That's... a lot of tail.
But after a second, she inhaled deeply and gave herself a silent pep talk.
