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 Oh for the love of Zeus this is insane, she snapped and stalked away. She came to
a stop just short of the dock and turned to look at him. He hadn t moved an inch.  For the
love of Zeus.
 You should be careful; he has a habit of showing up when his name is taken in
vain. He laughed softly when her gaze jerked around the small expanse of beach.  Deep
down, Madeline, where it matters you know I speak the truth.
 The sea is my home, she repeated.
 Yes.
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The Fathoms Below / Sons of Zeus
 Is it your home as well? she asked softly.
 I took it for my home when I married you.
 What are you, Bastiaan? she asked, desperate.
 I am the reigning Triton of Atlantis, a son of Zeus and you dear one are my wife.
You are popular among my kind and yours. Most call you the Mermaid Queen.
 The Mermaid Queen. She swallowed visibly and looked out toward the ocean.
 The dolphin?
 His name is Nanatu. He s been with you since he was an infant. When you
disappeared I thought he would starve because he grieved so.
 He s how you found me.
 Yes.
 I m a freaking mermaid? Madeline demanded and then turned her back on him.
 How come I don t grow a tail when I shower? Trust me if I d had such a thing develop I
would have noticed.
He laughed softly at her tone and walked slowly to the dock.  The change into your
sea shape is not one that can happen without your willing it to. Your species would have
never survived without the ability to fully conceal yourself when on land.
 I m afraid of the water. If I were some kind of a mermaid that would be rather
impossible.
 It s certainly rare, but then we don t know what happened to you to create that fear.
Merfolk have a unique relationship with the oceans of this world. Your connection and
need for it is both physical and emotional. Isn t there some part of you that aches for the
sea s embrace?
She nodded absently, and then sighed.  Merfolk. That encompasses more than just
mermaids and merman right?
 Yes, of course, there are a variety of shapeshifters among your people. Some shift
completely into different sorts of animals depending on their mood. Though it is far less
common now that the earth has become so modern and so treacherous. We ve lost nearly
sixty of our people to the humans over the last ten years.
 You must see how crazy this all sounds.
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Deanna Lee
 Anymore crazy than an insanely beautiful woman washing ashore naked, but for
several hundred thousand dollars in jewelry with no memory of who she is?
She paused and then pursed her lips.  That did raise a few eyebrows.
He crossed his arms over his chest.  And the men that came forward claiming to
know you?
 There were enough. She walked onto the dock and didn t look back when he
followed.  Especially when it was discovered that I washed ashore with just the jewelry.
Most assumed I must be some wealth heiress.
 But no family ever came forward.
 No. She shook her head.  None. She sat down on the dock and pulled her legs to
her chest as he joined her.  This is too much to take in all at once.
 If I had a choice I would have done it differently. There isn t a lot of time left,
Bastiaan murmured and then focused on the sea in front of him.
 Why? She turned to him with a frown.
 If you do not reconnect with the sea you ll be land bound until you die.
Madeline swallowed hard.  And how long is that?
 There are Merfolk who are more than a thousand years old. However, we are
unsure what living on land will eventually do to you. He took off his shoes and rolled up
his jeans as he settled more comfortably on the dock. Dangling his feet in the water, he
smiled when Nanatu appeared.  Nanatu is just one example of the life you have at Atlantis.
If you become land bound, he won t visit you anymore the grief would be too much for
him.
Madeline stroked the dolphin s head gently and bit down on her lip.  I wouldn t
want him to hurt for me.
 He s hurt for you everyday since you since you disappeared. We both have.
Losing you was like having one of my limbs severed. Bastiaan reached out and brushed
gentle fingers through her hair.  Put your feet in the water.
She frowned and looked down at her bare feet. She hated wearing shoes, and wore
them only when she had no choice. Carefully, Madeline released her legs and lowered
them down until her toes brushed on the water s surface. Pleasure at the brief contact
surged up through her toes and over her thighs in one breathless second.  Oh.
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The Fathoms Below / Sons of Zeus
 Among the Merfolk they say that the sea is the first lover of every mermaid, he
said and then laughed softly when she took another deep breath.
She looked at him startled by his amusement.  Really?
 Yes, really. I wasn t exaggerating when I said that your connection to the sea was
both emotional and physical. He nodded when she carefully lowered her legs further and
let the sea take her feet completely. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]