Meriel's eyes widened, but before she could say a word, her mother was in front of her and pushing her back into her Grandparents, who pushed her back into her brother and her uncles, who closed in and surrounded her. Henry moved next to Emma and Regina stepped forward, flanking Emma on the other side.
All of this took less than a second, as Hook shifted and put himself directly between Triton and his family.
"You have no claim on my daughter. And I have no quarrel with you." His voice was quiet, but the warning in Hook's eyes was plain and clear.
Triton flipped his trident over, setting the points down on the dock and leaning on it in a careless manner. His hair was pure white and his eyes a crystalline blue-green as the depths of the sea. If it weren't for the coldness in his eyes, he'd be handsome by anyone's standards. He gave Hook an appraising look.
"It's her twenty-first birthday. Did you think I'd forget? I've waited generations for this, and you finally came through." He shifted his gaze to Meriel, just visible between the heads of everyone surrounding her. "And I appreciate your efforts."
"I never," Hook's voice bit out, "Promised you my daughter. Ever."
"You didn't have to," Blue said, floating in from the crowd. She stared at Triton with unconcealed loathing. "I had hoped you'd forgotten."
"Oh, I had," He assured her, waving his hand carelessly. "That is, until our Captain here weaseled out of the curse of the mermaids courtesy of True Love's kiss. I was more than a little put out by that until I remembered that I only had to wait, and I'd have my revenge."
"Forgotten?" Emma said, her face showing her anger and confusion. "Forgotten what?"
Blue's eyes slid from Triton, then over to Hook.
"Seven generations ago," She explained. "One of your ancestors was lost at sea. She was on a merchant voyage normally taken by her husband, but he'd been feeling ill, so he stayed behind with their young sons while she completed the trip."
Hook shrugged. "It's an old family story. They found her ship adrift sometime later, and her body was on board but badly decomposed. They never did find out what killed her."
Blue tilted her head at Triton. "Her cause of death stands before you."
Triton looked perturbed. "Now that's not entirely true," He defended, picking up his trident and slinging it over his shoulder. "She and I could have parted on good terms, if she'd just been a little more grateful."
"Grateful for what?" Emma asked, raising a brow.
"His attentions," Blue said pointedly. "He'd found her attractive and he came aboard. She refused him, and even injured him when she fought him."
"Again," Triton said almost reasonably, "If she'd just been cooperative, she'd have gone her merry way. I wasn't going to stay long."
"So you killed her," Hook said, stonily.
"I took her heart and crushed it," Triton said carelessly. "And since she'd managed to gouge a rather large hole under my ribs with her dagger, I cursed her entire line for good measure."
Regina muttered a word that was far from ladylike.
"What's going on?" Emma whispered to her.
"A generational curse." Regina looked at her soberly. "And from someone as powerful as Triton, that carries serious weight."
"That's right," Triton said brightly, clearly overhearing. "A generational curse, and until now, Hook, you and your ancestors have had the last laugh. My curse demanded that I claim every female of your line on her twenty-first birthday, in perpetuity, for the rest of time. But the Jones line has been prolifically male - until now." He inclined his head toward Meriel. "And a lovely specimen, she is. I'm going to enjoy her."
Hook took a threatening step forward, his hand closing into a fist. "You're not taking her anywhere."
Triton pulled his trident off his shoulder. "I'm getting tired of all this." He spun the trident in his arms, aiming it at Hook when a fireball exploded at his feet. He stared down at the singed dock, then up at Regina.
"Is that the best you can do, Regina?" He made a tsk-tsk sound. "Even you can't counter a generational curse. You know that."
Regina stepped forward, starting to raise her hand, when Emma stepped up next to her and grabbed it.
"We're stronger together." The two of them put their remaining hands up, and the air in front of them began to shimmer as the protection spell started to form.
Triton's eyes narrowed. "Enough!" He spun the trident again, flinging it out toward the sea and then back to the crowd, sending a giant wave cascading and splitting down the middle, shoving them all to either side, and knocking Emma and Regina off their feet. Meriel was left standing in the middle, dry and untouched. The crowd on both sides could be seen fighting the water, but were unable to push through it.
"You might as well come along, my dear," He said to Meriel in an oily voice. "Unless you want me to sweep them all out into the middle of the sea."
Meriel's jaw trembled, but she didn't hesitate. She stepped forward.
And she ran into Kai, who had just stepped through the cascading wall of water, and directly in front of her.
"Stop."
Triton lowered his trident, and the water splashed down onto the dock. Bodies fell all around on either side as everyone scrambled to their feet, coughing.
"What are you doing here?" He thundered. "You are interfering. You have no business with these land-dwellers."
"But I do." Kai said, raising his chin. "And she's not a land dweller. Meriel was born on the water. Anyone here can verify that."
"It's true," Emma coughed. "Meriel was born aboard ship. On the water."
"Don't do this," Triton warned Kai. "You won't like the consequences."
"To hell with the consequences, and to hell with you," Kai replied, clearly not afraid. "She wears a blood talisman, and by the ancient laws, she is protected. You cannot touch her."
Kai reached back, pulling Meriel forward, clasping her hand in his. Her talisman pendant glowed like a beacon in the night.
Triton let out a sound of rage that echoed across the water for miles. The trident spun in his hand again and he threw it, full-force at Hook, who didn't have time to dodge it. It hit him directly in his chest, then bounced off harmlessly to the dock at his feet.
"What - ?" Triton stared at Hook in disbelief.
"You can't harm him, either," Kai continued. "He wears the talisman as well."
Hook held up his hand, showing his wedding band. Triton extended his hand and a wave pulled his trident back to him. His eyes moved to Emma, and she held her ring up as well, with a smug look that infuriated him further.
Kai took Meriel's hand, and placed it in her father's. Then he stepped forward until he was right in front of Triton.
"You said you'd forgotten her." Kai said, straightening his shoulders. "She's of no import to you. Leave them be, and seek your diversions elsewhere."
Triton eyes were furious and behind him, the sea began to roil and toss.
"You've overstepped yourself, Kai." He said darkly. "And you can't protect her anymore." A wave crested over the dock, swirling around Triton and pulling him back toward the sea. He lowered his trident, and his legs morphed back into a tail.
"I will protect her for as long as she lives," Kai said threateningly, his hands balling into fists.
Triton gave him a cold, calculated smile. "Not if she never lived at all." He brought the trident down, diving into the sea. There came an enormous clap of thunder that shook the dock and Meriel felt herself being pulled into Kai's arms as the wind gusted and howled around them with hurricane force.
"Meriel!" He shouted. "Use your magic! Cover yourself! A protection spell!"
"I - I can't!" She shrieked. "I've never-"
"Just do it! Think it! Now!"
She instinctively grabbed her talisman, and a bright blue light shot out of it, radiating up and out like a dome, covering her and Kai. She reached out for her father's hand to pull him in.
And his hand disintegrated in her touch as the world swirled around her and everything disappeared into nothingness.
