Theo

"I don't know why I had to come up here instead of you coming down." Her voice floated out as she stood on the bow of the boat.

"She's naked!" The words came out of his mouth before his brain stopped him as he turned towards her.

"Of course I am?" Her face twisted with irritation as she questioned, "why wouldn't I be?

"Oh, I...I..." His words were at a loss as he kept his eyes shifted to the sky.

"Cora," Selene interrupted, "it's customary for them to wear clothes."

"It's customary for me to eat them." Her lip snarled at his perceived disrespect, her voice sharp. "Why won't he look me in the eye?"

"They are easily shocked and flustered by a lack of clothes." Selene chuckled a little at his ingrained embarrassment. "Funny little things, aren't they?"

She rolled her eyes as she twirled her finger. A light covering now over her body. "Cry babies, more like it. Why am I here?"

"Your niece is getting married and this is her fiancé."

"Her fiancé?" She circled him, an underlying danger in her movements hung in the air before her eyes connected to his, "and where is my niece?"

She recognized the flash of murderous intent in his eyes and felt the suppressed rage radiate from his unchanged demeanor before he answered her.

"She was hurt and is still recovering." His tone was a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Hurt?" Her eyes shot to her sister, "How?"

"She will be fine," Selene assured, "her fiancé is taking care of it."

Her eyes shifted back to him, studying him momentarily, "I have no doubt." Her voice lightened as she continued, "so, when is this blessed event taking place?"

"New moon of Scorpio."

"I'll be there." She turned and dove into the water. When her head appeared above water, her clothes were gone and her legs a tail. "See you then."

"You're a mermaid?" He moved to the edge of the boat in bewilderment, "I didn't know mermaids existed."

"We don't."

His eyes shifted behind her as he saw a fin begin to rise from the water.

"Shark!" He warned as he reached his hand out, ready to pull her to safety.

"Theo." She corrected as the shark nuzzled up under her arm.

"Theo?" His fear was replaced with confusion.

"My pup." She laughed as she softly petted the top of the shark's head. "What did you think was going to happen?"

"I don't know," he began to relax as he explained, "where I'm from sharks attack people."

"Sharks..." her mouth fell aghast as she processed his words, "sharks attack people?" Her eyes narrowed as her tone simmered with anger. "Tell me, when was the last time a shark went onto land and attacked you, or anyone for that matter? Does it happen often?"

"Well, no..." he began before she continued.

"You're, what? Just walking around your home and then bam! Shark attack! Really?" She challenged.

"No." He responded.

"Do you imagine that they have markets where you are sold as food? Or hold competitions to see who can get the biggest one of you?"

"No."

"Sharks kill around ten people a year, people who are not on their land by the way, but in the shark's water. While people kill around one hundred million sharks a year, all of them in the shark's water, none of them on your land."

She continued. "Everyday people leave the safety of their home for the sole purpose of murdering sharks - for pay, for food, for sport - in their own homes and you have the audacity to say that sharks attack people? Absurd!"

"You are right." He conceded. "Sharks are hunted and we are not. We are not the ones who should be afraid."

"I'm glad you understand." Her tone softened as she nuzzled into Theo. "There is no danger here."

"At least not from Theo anyhow," Selene quipped. "You, my dear sister, are a completely different story."