“Some have some powers, others have other powers,” Jorie shared, which also didn’t answer my question.

“And what powers allow you to know so much that is happening on land?” I demanded to know and felt Aramus, who I could sense was keen to be away, settle in at my side, for the now, keener to know this.

“There are many of us who have exceptional hearing,” Jorie explained.

“Ah,” I murmured.

“And there are others of us, a smaller number, and all of them of noble blood, who can cloak ourselves,” he went on.

Aramus grew very still.

I stared at my brethren, saying through stiff lips, “Cloak yourselves?”

“Disappear. Become shadows. With only those who have let us into their hearts, those who we are connected to as mates, this coupling smiled upon by the gods, able to see us.”

“In other words eavesdrop,” I snapped.

“Spy,” he returned.

“You’ve been spying on my queen and I?” Aramus clipped.

“We spy everywhere,” Jorie stated unconcernedly.

“You say this as if this is not a detrimental matter in diplomatic relations,” Aramus returned.

“And how is this?” Jorie replied confusingly, taking up his trident and walking our way. He passed us, murmuring, “If you would, follow me.”

We followed him out of the consular chamber to the open area of the island in the grotto.

There were Mer floating in the water. Some lazing with fins flapping in the water on smaller islands set around.

All attention came to us when we emerged.

“Stand back, please,” Jorie instructed.

Aramus stood back.

As for me, I stood behind Aramus who stepped in front of me.

Jorie watched him do this, and he did not attempt to hide his approval of this maneuver.

Then he turned, lifting his trident at the side over his head, and he ran across the sand.

But as he would throw it, he executed a graceful leap into the air and twisted his body around…

I gasped as he disappeared in a swirl of shimmer that eddied around the trident staff as it soared through the air.

The three points imbedded in an unoccupied, small island some thirty feet away, the shimmer burst the moment it struck land, and Jorie reformed.

“Well, I’ll be sirens-damned,” Aramus muttered.

I fought applauding, but I could not stop clenching my hands to my chest in delight, at the same time wondering, if I had a trident, if I could learn to do that.

“In this cavern,” Jorie called from across the water, “I cannot show you the full power of the trident. However, rest assured, not only if you’re touching the holder of a trident will you travel with him, it can traverse far. Not from Mar-el to Airen. But, say, for instance, over a mountain range.” He was silent a beat before he asked, “Now, how is that for diplomatic relations?”

Neither my husband nor I moved.

Then Aramus did.

To speak.