Snippet #1473772

Despite the fact that Adam had devoted practically his entire life to marine conservation—including the issue of overfishing that the mermaid was talking about—he didn’t correct her insistence that he spent his days joyfully feasting on sea-creatures with an utter lack of regard for their diminishing numbers… or even mention it. He was never the self-righteous kind. The curve in his lips faded but didn’t leave even as his brows wriggled in slight puzzlement.

Humans are demons.

“That’s a bit of a generalisation…” he said weakly as she moved dizzyingly close to him in what most would interpret as an openly threatening way. Adam wasn’t the kind for confrontation in the least, and it showed. He was guessing now—probably quite rightly—that human activity had impacted negatively on the lives of the merfolk and though he had always worked to reverse the damage mankind had caused, he felt regret for it. He couldn’t help but wonder how it had affected the mermaid he was practically nose-to-nose with.

His gaze dropped slightly to one side and he leaned away a little, hands loose around the topmost rungs of the ladder. He cleared his throat before speaking again.

“I don’t lie, and I don’t have any inclination to eat you. I promise.” His smile hesitantly strengthened as he looked back to her. “Speaking of food, what is it you two eat, and would you like me to see if I can find some?”

Well, that conversation certainly took a turn for the banal, but he would have hated for them to be hungry. His gaze flicked to the mermish boy who was being protectively shielded by the one he was speaking to. He was disheartened but refused to be put off by the rocky beginning—and refused to be made defensive or angry by her less-than-pleasant introduction. Disarming beam not budging, he waited for a response, if there was one.