I think Thalian enjoyed helping me into my dress a little too much. He pulled the lace tighter one last time before tying the corset strings into a bow. I couldn't breathe and I had a feeling moving would also be a problem. "There, now you look like a proper lady."

Staring at myself in the mirror, I slowly shook my head before glancing away. The dress was gorgeous and two years ago I would have been thrilled to be in it. The strapless silk royal purple a-line dress clung to every curve and had my bust pushed up so high it could be used as a shelf. I had matching gloves which practically went to my shoulders and my hair was tied back from my face, but the curls still fell naturally down my back. "I am a trophy," I finally whispered as I took a step away.

"And any man would be lucky to have you," Thalian agreed, not realizing I meant that in a negative way. "Once you put on your shoes, you will be perfect."

Shaking my head, I waved him off, "Even if I could bend over to put them on, I am not." I said firmly as I glanced at him. "No one will see my feet anyway and those shoes look excruciating." Seems like when humans arrived, they brought the fashion of high heels with them.

Thalian frowned, "But everyone wears them?"

"Not anymore," I sighed before completely turning away from the mirror. "Is Kane ready?"

Walking to the door, Thalian nodded as he opened it. "For a while now. He is already with the Duke, both who are waiting on you in the lower level of the 5-Tower."

Kane's world had changed me more than I expected. As we walked down the hallway, I couldn't help but avoid the eye contact of people who crossed my path. I felt a different person in the dress, and that wasn't a feeling I enjoyed. I relaxed a bit seeing Kane until I saw his how his eyes scanned me slowly. My gaze was once again on the floor as I walked to his side, "You look wonderful," he whispered in my ear as he wrapped an arm around me.

"You do too," I mumbled back, and it was true he did. He was wearing a three-piece black suit with gold embroidery on it. It seemed to be from the Duke's personal collection because he was almost the same thing, but entirely in white. "Duke Michael Jenkins, I presume?" I asked as I bowed my head.

He was an ordinary looking late-twenty-something man. He had auburn styled hair and a well-maintained beard. His eyes were dark and unwelcoming, but he forced a smile as he reached for my hand and brought it to his thin lips. "Lady Leena, I have heard so much about you. Thank you for agreeing to help me this early, but I am afraid it simply could not wait."

Bowing my head again, I pulled my hand from him and placed it behind my back. I didn't want this vile man touching me. "I heard one of your hirelings found a mermaid?"

He beamed with pride and I clenched my hand into a fist. "Yes, Count Adrian Moore found it just this morning. It was swimming rather close to shore, looking for something. Before it is to be put to death this afternoon, I would be interested in knowing what it wanted." I swallowed a lump in my throat, "It has not spoken a word of English, but I have heard amazing tails about your language skills. Fate has been kind to us."

The Duke laughed at his own joke and I could barely muster a smile, so Kane did for me. "That is has been. It seems like destiny has brought us together to serve a greater purpose." I barely recognized Kane with how much bullshit he was spewing to the Duke right now, but it seemed to be exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I am lucky my men found you," he agreed before motioning us to follow him. "Now, I do apologize for this appalling beast that you are to see and I do promise a large reward for your assistance."

I didn't want a reward. I wanted to bash the Duke's head into the landing wall before ripping off this dress and running back to the sea. Of course, I used restraint and instead said, "None of that is necessary." I wouldn't touch his blood money anyway.

"Please be careful of your step once we enter," The Duke started to say as we paused at a locked wooden door. "And if there is any need you wish to leave, all you have to do is ask," he said directly to me.

The door opened and I blinked as I was met by blinding sunlight. The stone jail looked like any other dungeon, with one major missing feature, an exterior wall. There was a straight plunge for where the wall should be which lead straight to the ocean, not that any would survive the fall. This cell was made for mermaids, the lack of the fourth wall meant there was almost always a constant stream of sunlight, causing a mermaid chained up to dry out even faster.

Kane held me back before I could run to the peeling male body. His breathing was weak and all human features were deteriorating, but without water, his scales were not forming. "Careful," Kane mumbled in my ear before letting me go.

Death would come shortly if I didn't intervene, and I wouldn't let another one of my brothers die in vain. I hesitantly walked closure to the creature who hissed at me with sharpened teeth as I did, but was unable to strike out in his state. I fell to my knees just beside him and made sure no one should see as I allowed my eyes to change into slits, similar to the ones which stared back at me. It opened its mouth, and I shook my head as I shifted my eyes back to match those of humans.

It seemed to understand and said nothing, "What do you want to know?" I asked as I glanced back to the Duke.

"Why it was so close to shore."

I nodded and looked back at the creature. When we weren't using sonic cries as communication, we also had a nonverbal form of communication. It was a signed language that varied depending on what ocean we were from. Play along. I signed to the creature who nodded. I didn't know what I was planning yet, but I needed a stay of execution somehow so I could save him.