The buyer's eyes raked over River’s body with scrutiny. He took his sweet time, looking at River in an unhurried manner. I ground my teeth. I hated having to sit here and watch this happen without being able to do anything about it.
The room was tense and silent. Nobody seemed to breathe as everyone hung on Mr. Z's next word. From his expression alone, I couldn't tell what he was thinking. Did he like what he saw? Did he dislike it? The poachers exchanged a subtle glance, apparently wondering the same thing I was, albeit for different reasons.
River continued to glare at Mr. Z without speaking. He must've realized the situation was too dangerous for him to talk back the way he did with the poachers earlier. Mr. Z was an unknown. But if he was the type of man who would offer to buy a person in a cage, then it was obvious he was a terrible person. It wasn't worth the risk to be catty right now.
Mr. Z's narrowed eyes lingered on River’s lower half. As much as it irritated me to watch a strange man ogle my fated mate, I realized with a start why he was doing so. I sucked in a sharp breath when it dawned on me. Mr. Z was here to buy a mermaid, not a human.
"You lied to me," Mr. Z said in a cold, flat tone.
The poachers were instantly on edge.
"What you mean? No we didn't," one said.
"This is not a mermaid."
Despite the situation, I felt a flicker of satisfaction watching the poachers’ faces blanch.
"Yes, it is," the more aggressive poacher snapped. "Do you think I went and locked up some person? When I caught this thing, it had a tail and fins and everything." He gestured aggressively at River. "This thing it's doing now with the legs, it's all an illusion."
Mr. Z didn't look convinced. He sneered down at River. "Then where is its tail now?"
River caught my gaze. I saw the gears turning in his mind, and I suspected we had the same idea at the same time. He didn't need to be snarky, but if he spoke up now, it might help prove that he was a human and therefore of no consequence to Mr. Z.
River pushed his shoulders back and said, "I am a human. These guys kidnapped me!"
While Mr. Z didn't exactly look horrified at the notion, he was clearly disappointed that he had wasted his time. He dismissed River and turned around to face the poachers.
"I am a very busy man, you know," he said. "I don't appreciate having my time wasted like this."
"But we didn't—"
"And just to warn you, my sway in the industry is not insignificant. Others will know that you're running a scam operation. Good luck finding another buyer."
One of the poachers’ jaws dropped. This wasn't the way he'd planned for this to go.
But the other one wasn't giving up so easily. He forced himself to calm down and approached Mr. Z sympathetically. "Sir, I assure you, this isn't a scam. Haven't you heard myths about mermaids using their magic to trick men? That's exactly what's happening right now. Those legs, they're not real. It's just what the mermaid wants us to think."
Frustration leaked out of River’s voice as he muttered, "Again,nota mermaid."
Mr. Z crossed his arms. "If I was a better man, I might report you to the police."
I rolled my eyes. At least he was aware he was a horrible person.
"I suggest you put that back where you found it," Mr. Z added, pointing at River. "And don't try to fool me ever again."
With his business concluded, Mr. Z left the room, ignoring the poachers’ cries as they rushed after him and tried to explain themselves. I couldn't help but exhale a massive sigh of relief as all the humans left the room. The purchase fell through. River was safe—for now.
"Are you okay?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah, I'm fine," River said with a sigh. "That was scary, but not as bad as I was expecting."
But even though the buyer left empty-handed, I still had a bad feeling stewing in my chest.
We both paused as we heard the poachers pleading with Mr. Z outside in increasingly desperate voices. Then came the smooth purr of a boat engine—Mr. Z's boat, if I had to guess—which soon disappeared. A moment later the poachers began screaming at each other.
River glanced down at his legs. "I guess these are good for something after all."
I smiled. "Yeah. Good job with the quick thinking."
