"Funny joke," he said, not willing to accept this insane information as reality. Fenia didn't strike him as a prankster but what she was saying was too absurd to be possible.
He sat down next to the grinning wolf.
"The primordials are all dead," he argued, recalling the dusty history books from the library of Revera City.
And to think, this goofy girl, who got excited about guppies, was the heir to that legacy.
Fenia's tail stopped swaying. She was thinking about what choice would amuse her more.
"You're right. I'm just messing with you. Her grandmother is just an old hag from the Melusine family. Now are you going to see her or not?"
A warmth sensation filled Ryker as he finally figured out how to treat Fenia. He quickly searched his bag, pulling out his tablet. Tapping on the app 'Merflix', he put on a k-drama called 'My Cat Vampire Husband is actually a dog'.
The audio was being played from the speakers, he set the volume to high.
"What's this sorcery?" Fenia had turned away from him, her wolf ears focusing completely on the sound.
"10 seasons of drama perfect for you," Ryker said, already at the door and he didn't even turn to check if Fenia was shadowing him.
The plane's corridor was carpeted in a deep crimson and the lighting was low, a warm, gentle glow that made Ryker's eyelids feel heavy. The only other person he saw was an elf crew member polishing a railing. She gave him a polite nod.
When he reached Alya's room, there were two women with arms crossed, blocking the door. Liv and Anna.
"What are you doing here?" Anna asked, her blue eyes were laser-focused on him.
Liv didn't even ask, she just grabbed him by the collar and sniffed him. Fenia's scent lingered on him.
"That wench," Liv's grip tightened, a low growl building in her throat.
"First a mermaid, now a dog? Really Ryker?" Anna put her hands on her hips. She was doing her best not to raise her voice. But Ryker saw the betrayal in her eyes.
"Alya's just a friend and Fenia is well... Fenia."
Liv finally let him go, she straightened his collar, her movements slow and deliberate. Her expression was a mixture of possessiveness and deep, aching worry.
"We can all take a swim together? I'm sure she wouldn't mind sharing," Ryker tried to appease the two.
The door to the room slid open and a head of sapphire hair poked out.
"The second and third wife can join. The more the merrier!"
Ryker cringed. This wasn't going to be relaxing.
They entered the room. The pool wasn't olympic sized, but it was far from cramped.
"Where's your bathing suit Ryker?" Alya asked as she splashed in the water with guppies.
He noticed Liv's and Anna's attire. They came prepared with a simple black swimsuit and green bikini respectively.
"I forgot. I was dealing with a... dog problem," he explained.
"Not a problem," Alya said, an idea popping in her head.
Grabbing a medium sized guppy, she presented it to him like a sandwich, opening it's mouth.
"You can use this."
Everyone in the room stared at the mermaid, their brains failing to process the casual absurdity of the suggestion.
Gently pushing the fish away, "No thank you. I'll just go in with my underwear."
Alya's pouted, sad that he refused her gift.
"It's even waterproof," she whispered.
Peeling off his shirt, he then unbuttoned his jeans.
All three ladies were staring at his muscles and faint six-pack. Their bodies grew hot and heavy.
Liv had already memorized this sight. Anna, however, was seeing it for the second time, her gaze hungry.
The mermaid had a starstruck look, her usual bubbly eloquence replaced by a stunned, breathy silence.
Slipping into the warm water, a sigh of relaxation escaped without struggle as he leaned against the smooth tile of the pool, closing his eyes. All the tension was melting away.
Alya didn't hesitate, gliding over with an effortless grace that made her seem more sea creature than person, she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Aren't you forgetting about us?" Liv's irrated tone cut through the relaxing mood.
With his eyes still closed, he stretched out his other arm. Liv, wearing a determined expression, swam over and took it.
Anna didn't wait for an invitation. She sat on his lap, water splashing over the sides. Her green braids tickled his chest.
The comfortable relaxation felt a bit more claustrophobic. And heavier.
"So..." he began, not sure what else to say, "Alya when did you decide to go to Meridian?" he tried to be casual.
"When I found out you were going."
Anna's lips tightened. Liv let out an irritated huff.
The mermaid, however, was beaming, her face so close her wet eyelashes tickled his shoulder.
"It was destiny. Mernet told me about you. Your profile appeared right after I prayed to the sea gods for a mate with dark hair."
His mind blanked. Alya being clingy and obsessive was one thing, but claiming divine intervention was a new level.
"How did you manage to get a spot anyway?" Anna asked, her voice sharp. She knew how difficult admission was. Even her own acceptance was because of a Dracula. The thought that Alya was more influential than her stung.
"It was simple. They said they were full. So I told them my baba was Lorelei Kraken," she explained, popping a guppy bubble between her fingers.
Hearing her answer, the only thought that came into his mind was that of the laughing wolf. The punchline hit him like a physical blow to the gut, knocking the air from his lungs.
"So you're Alya Kraken?" Liv's jaw clenched, the water around her beginning to chill, a shimmer of ice forming on the surface before she reined it in.
"The one and only," she beamed, her tail giving a happy little swish in the water.
Color had drained from Anna's face. Her ears were drooping. Her competition was an extremely obsessive, ditzy, heir to one of the primordial families that held the ocean's balance and an extremely obsessive cousin with anxiety issues.
She was just a dryad from a small town, her mother owned a small convenience store.
Sensing the thoughts in her head, Ryker rested his chin on her shoulder. The scent of crushed leaves and damp earth, a smell he found deeply comforting, filled his senses.
A knot formed in his stomach. He could use Alya's name to get ahead at the Meridian. He could probably get her to text her grandma about the Alucard's and it would bring forth information in minutes.
The power that girl held was immense, and she had handed it to him, wrapped in a ridiculously cheerful and obsessively romantic bow. But the most selfish desire he had at this moment wasn't for information, or for an easier path at the academy. It was magic.
Alya was drawing circles on his shoulder, her neck exposed, a juicy invitation for water magic. Or even whatever magic a kraken descendant had.
His fangs protruded as he imagined the taste of her blood.