Read Fire (The Mermaid Legacy - Book 2) for Free Online Page B

Merrick’s name.
    “I am pleased that you came though.” Neith rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he circled me. “It has saved me having to assign valuable resources to ensure your capture. You see I know how ridiculously weak you are on your own …” He snickered, swirling around me, his eyes scudding over my body as he did so.
    “On your own you have no hope of rescuing the Oceanids and no hope of convincing the humans to protect the ocean, after all why would they protect something if it is of no gain to them? You hope to convince them that by reducing fishing and stopping pollution they will save something beautiful, but you do not see that they do not care about beauty if it doesn’t profit them financially” He shook his head in pity.
    “You are so young, so naïve, you haven’t suffered enough at their hands to realise that they will never change. I on the other hand…no…we.” He swept his hand over the mass of Oceanids as they watched the exchange. “We have suffered.
    “I can see that you think I am forcing these Oceanids to be part of my army, but you are wrong, every one of them has lost a great deal to human greed. Loved ones, beloved homes, and many, many grow weaker every day. They are not here because I have forced them to come, they have each chosen to fight for their right to life…in their own way they have each chosen me, for I am the leader of the fight for life.”
    As I listened to him speak I watched the Oceanids behind him, their faces peering around each other as they stood in unnatural lines. Many responded with nods of firm agreement to what he was saying, but there were some whose eyes were dull, their faces strained as they refused to look at me. It was these Oceanids that gave me hope, because it was obvious that not all of them were in agreement with Neith. What I couldn’t quite work out though was why they stayed. If they were so unhappy to be part of Neith’s plan, surely they could find a way to escape?
    “You really can’t be blamed for your naïvety,” Neith continued. “You were raised as a human and lied to for so long about our existence, I was surprised you were able to access your talents so quickly. Honestly, when you first came to the cave I was among the first to express my doubt about you to Talita…not that my opinion of you has changed very much mind.” He tsk’d, his expression mocking. “Your father had similar idealistic and noble goals for the Oceanids, Alexandra, but like him before you your plan will fail
if
you try to attempt it on your own…but with me…” He paused, swimming in front of me and placing both hands on my shoulders, his eyes alight. “Together we could do what is necessary to save the Oceanids and convince humanity once and for all to leave the ocean alone.”
    “You don’t want to save the Oceanids, you want to rule them,” I hissed at him
    The amicable expression in his eyes immediately cooled into glittering ambition, before he flicked away from me, indicating the Miengu should pull me up to where he floated above the ranks of Oceanids.
    “Alexandra, you see me as a monster, this much is clear, but you need to understand that I am no more a monster than the humans, whose blood runs through your veins.”
    He seemed to be waiting for me to reply, but I had nothing to say.
    “Do you see these Oceanids?” He waited until I nodded. “Their ancestors ruled earth, Alexandra. We always have been the stronger species and in our greatest day we chose the sea because it was the more beautiful of the two environments, the more bountiful.”
    He paused, gazing at the Oceanids below him.
    “These Oceanids have all but forgotten their heritage, and they’ve been waiting for the fortieth generation Gurrer to come along and rescue them from obscurity, not realising that the same blood that ran through our ancestors’ veins, the same genes that enabled us to do amazing and wonderful things, still is within us. The legend…your