Page 43 of Midnightsong
“What? Wait, did you–” He looked down and shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Did I what?” Angie leaned in.
“It’s nothing,” Leo said quickly.
She sat back in her hard, uncomfortable chair. “So, uh, I was thinking. I befriended some of the mer when they attacked. They’re not animals and they’re sohuman. They have their own societies, hierarchies, language, personalities.” Angie thought of Kaden, Serapha and Aqilus, Cassia and Varin, and Adrielle and Cyrus, but she wasn’t ready to tell them she was in love with a Mer-Prince. Not yet.
“Woah.” Leo held his hands up. “Youknowthe mer? Like, talked to them and everything?”
“Some of them can speak human languages,” Angie replied. Her friends were still gaping at her, and she continued, forcing the next words out before she could change her mind again. “I think we should try to spread awareness of safe interactions with mer. They’re being taken for study, and they’re being treated like other animals are sometimes treated in labs.” She shuddered. “It’s not right.”
Angie searched Reesa and Leo’s faces, tensing for their reaction that she knew mer and didn’t tell them and she wanted to help them when they were mounting a defensive response.
Leo’s expression was neutral, unreadable, but Reesa lit up. “That’s a great idea!” she said. “I think Williams would be totally on board with this. Maybe he can help us get on the news and we can get him the exposure he wants as a celebrated marine biologist. Win-win for everyone.”
Angie nodded along enthusiastically with Reesa. “That’s what I was thinking too.”
“Count me in. And in the meantime, you’ll tell us everything you know about the mer, right?” Reesa wagged a finger at her; her lips parted in an excited grin.
“Of course!” Angie glanced at her other friend, who had remained mum. “Leo? You in?”
“Oh. Yeah, sure, I’ll help,” he said, still staring at his phone.
“Should we go talk to Williams? After we’re done for the day?” Angie asked.
“Can’t. My family is in town just for today, and if I don’t spend time with them, they’ll lay the guilt trip on me and never let me forget it. But if you want to, just tell me what he says. I’ll join you next time.” Reesa took another bite of her sandwich. “I’m all in, promise. I need to get through this one day with them.”
“Yeah, you go ahead,” Leo echoed. “Just let me know what you need from me, okay?”
Angie sighed with satisfaction that at least Reesa was on board, placing her hand over her heart. She had to do this as a preventive measure. What happened in Creston couldn’t happen again, and people needed to be properly educated on them.
She could no longer sit back and watch people, including Dr. Williams, treat mer like a subspecies.
Dr. Williams’ office was locked when Angie knocked, and when she peeked under the door, nothing but darkness peered back at her.
Dr. Farley, Angie’s Evolutionary Biology professor whose office was next to Dr. Williams, stepped out, adjusting the neat bun at the back of her head. Angie called her name.
“Hi, Angie, what can I do for you?”
“Do you know where Dr. Williams is?” She gestured to the closed door.
“He’s in his lab. Been there for a couple hours,” her professor replied. “Just keep going down the hall, last door on your left.”
“After waving goodbye, Angie followed Dr. Farley’s instructions and knocked on the unmarked door.
“Yes?” Dr. Williams’ deep voice sounded as if he were on the other side of the room.
“It’s Angie, do you have a minute?”
“Sure.” The clip-clop of his dress shoes approached and the door swung open.
Angie stepped in.
“How’s it going?” He strode back to the center of the lab where the dead merman from class lied sprawled on a worktable, his copper tail illuminated under the yellow lights. Dr. Williams tapped his chin while staring into the merman’s chest cavity.
Angie’s stomach pitched at the sight of the merman, but she forced herself to take another step forward. “This won’t take long. I wanted to ask you something.”
His head snapped up, and pushing his glasses farther onto his nose, his dark brown eyes bored into hers. “What can I do for you?”
