Luce blanked. She could feel her throat tighten up. No, she knew exactly why they are staying there. And it was horrible. The worst thing she could have possibly done. She was almost, dare she even think about it, embarrassed about the whole deal. Embarrassed might be the wrong term, since if she ever showed her face again around those orcas she would face a death sentence. And that was only vaguely terrifying to her, since she has faced terror in the face multiple times. But this was different. In this case, she managed to actually scratch one of them. And scars, no matter what kind of mermaid you are, mean a whole lot.

Not that Malachi knows that. Which was good. Because if she knew, then she would definitely try to kill her as well. Luce was surrounded by death on all sides and it completely and utterly sucked.

“No, I don’t really want to check,” Ozzy finally pulled her hands away from Ava’s new braid, “-we voted on that for a reason. And you haven’t lied to us so far.”

She could hear it in her voice. The distrust. The indication that the ball was in Luce’s court and that she had to make her case known. Her face only got redder and redder. She shouldn’t have to prove herself! These were all thinly veiled insults towards her! If they had a problem with her then they should say so!