Free Hell's Kitty (Welcome To Hell) by Eve Langlais

of blatant treachery. I thought we had an understanding. What happened to the truce?”
    “Truce?”
    Molpe explained it to Felipe. “Sirens and mermaids need males, preferably human ones, to procreate. There was a time when we used to fight over them and, in the process, wasted a lot of potential seamen.”
    A snicker escape d Raidne. “And semen.”
    “Anyhow, we came to an agreement. A boundary of sorts. Ships that sailed into or wrecked in a certain area were ours to keep, those outside of it, theirs. And it’s been that way for centuries,” Molpe said, and then in a more ominous undertone, “Until now.”
    “I still can’t believe they dared send their mutant progeny to attack.”
    Felipe held up a hand. “Progeny? Hold on a second. I thought you said mermaids had only girls.”
    “If they mate with humans. But sometimes the mermaids outnumber the males, and needs must be met. In their fish form, there are other ways of getting pregnant. The results of that are the Undines. Male warriors. Drones in a sense really with no true sense of self. Born and bred purely for protection of the schools.”
    “And now being used to break the peace ,” Raidne added.
    “This means war!” Thelxiope declared.
    “Oh take a pill. We aren’t going to war with the mermaids, but they will have to answer for their attack.”
    “ Could it be Jenny’s mother trying to take her back?” Felipe asked.
    The sirens exchanged looks , and Jenny frowned. “Doubtful,” was Raidne’s careful reply.
    “Why doubtful? She dumped me here. Maybe she changed her mind.” Which still didn’t make sense. While Jenny had never seen mermaids in these waters, it didn’t mean her mother couldn’t have swam to the shores and called for her or given her conch a call.
    “Well…” Molpe stretched the word.
    “Oh just tell her. It’s about time she knew,” Teles said.
    “Are you sure?” Raidne asked.
    “Sure of what?” Peering at their faces, Jenny could admit complete confusion.
    “Oh for Neptune’s sake. Just spit it out. It wasn’t your mother that dumped you here,” Thelxiope barked.
    “I don’t understand.”
    “Your mother doesn’t know where you are.”
    “You mean she didn’t abandon me?” Jenny’s heart stuttered.
    “You’d better tell her all of it,” Molpe muttered, “before she finds out.”
    A heavy sigh left Teles. “Don’t freak out, but you were left here, without your mother’s knowledge , to save your life. It seems your mother plotted to kill you. Someone who didn’t approve of her plan found out and rescued you and brought you to our shores knowing we’d take you in and protect you.”
    Jenny blinked. Long. Slow. Trying to digest it, but stumbling mentally. “She wanted me dead?”
    “Very. She had an accident all planned out so the other mermaids wouldn’t find out. But one of the sea creatures she tried to drag into her plan tattled on her, and before she could implement her dastardly scenario, you were rescued.”
    “And you’ve known all this time.”
    It didn’t take the four sets of eyes refusing to meet hers to get an answer.
    “But why did she want me dead?”
    “Why doesn’t matter. What does matter is the fact we love you, as you are, and have always thought of you as a daughter, so who cares what one warped mermaid thinks?”
    But Jenny did care , even if she shouldn’t. My own mother hated me enough to want me dead. No wonder her aunts kept the truth from her. Felipe’s arms tightened around her and whispered, “Listen to your aunts. And remember what I said. You are special.”
    So special her mother couldn’t wait to try to kill her again once she found her. “You think she’s the one behind the attack, don’t you? Is she also the one keeping me prisoner on this island? Has she made a deal with the Styx monsters to keep me prisoner?”
    Four sets of eyes found much of interest in the ceiling of the room.
    “What? You’re also responsible for that?”
    “We did it