Is this what Grandfather Siren meant by “with great privilege comes great responsibility”? Was it up to her to save the vampire squid? They were part of her kingdom, after all. Shelly nodded. She had to do something, but when she looked up, she realized she was too late. Rocky and his merbuddies were gone!

Mollusk Mucus

HURRY!” ECHO SCREAMED to Shelly. “We have to save them.”

“I thought you didn’t like vampire squid,” Shelly said.

Echo shrugged. “I don’t, but it’s not right to hurt living creatures just because they are different. And maybe Rocky really did make up the bloodsucking thing.”

“Let’s go!” Kiki said. The three mergirls swam their fastest. They caught up with Rocky’s group on the other side of Whale Mountain, a big underwater hill shaped just like a whale’s back. A cluster of the strange vampire squid spread out in front of them. Their puffy bodies were different shades of red, blue, and gray.

“Look how ugly they are,” Pearl squealed. Rocky picked up a rock from the ocean floor and got ready to throw it.

Shelly put the tiara back on her head. “Stop!” she said, zooming between Rocky and the squid. “I COMMAND you to stop!”

Rocky was so shocked, he lowered his arm. Shelly peeked at the squid and saw that they were flashing the lights on the tips of their arms. She knew from her mollusk research what would come next if she didn’t stop Rocky—they would all be squirted with glowing snot!

Shelly quickly thought of her grandfather’s language lesson and tried speaking to the vampire squid in mollusk: “Please forgive us for coming into your home. We will leave in peace.”

Shelly was relieved when she received an answer. “All is well. We want no trouble.”

“Thank you,” she replied. “I am Princess Shelly of the Western Oceans.”

“Your name will be remembered. You are always welcome here.” Thankfully, the squid stopped flashing their lights and no one got squirted with squid snot.

Shelly smiled. Maybe she had made friends with the vampire squid. She turned to Rocky and the merkids with him. “You!” she said, pointing her finger at Rocky. Her heart pounded in her chest as she continued. “Your father is the mayor—what would he think? You almost caused a feud between merpeople and mollusks. Do you know how many mollusks there are?”

Rocky didn’t answer. Shelly didn’t know the exact number, but she knew there were a lot in the ocean. “The mollusks would win! And who knows what would become of Trident City! Now, I want you all to go home and never bother these peaceful vampire squid again. That is an order from Princess Shelly of the Western Oceans!”

None of the other merkids moved, but Rocky dropped the rock he’d been holding. “We were just kidding around,” he said. “You don’t have to get so huffy!”