The tears rushed down my cheeks like a waterfall, blurring my vision and making my chest hitch. Every time I thought they were ceasing, a fresh wave would crash over me. I'd suppressed my emotions ever since we'd run into Faye and Drew, refusing to let the grief, anger, and sadness escape. But the second I felt Queen Katrina's arms come around me, her grip so much like my own when I had hugged Mom, I broke down.

One image played in my head over and over: the terrifying expression on Dad's face as he explained what had happened, the anger and hatred in his eyes. I started to hiccup, my tears finally slowing. When my breathing finally steadied, I pulled away, looking into concerned eyes. "I heard what happened. I'm so sorry. How are you doing?" Her voice was soft, worried.

I swiped at my eyes, furious at myself for letting my walls down so easily. I hadn't realized how long I'd held all those emotions back. Kai's hand slipped into mine, the gentle squeeze giving me the courage I needed to speak. "I don't know." My voice was hollow, emotionless. The sadness had been replaced by a feeling of shock, like a rogue wave hitting me head-on.

She took my other hand, leading me into their sitting room. "Can I get you anything?" Her voice had never lost its softness—if anything, it had only increased.

After a few deep, controlled breaths, I finally met her gaze. "No. There's actually something we wanted to talk to you about."

Much like they had when I'd told Mom and Dad about Nadia, the words poured out of me. Kai added his own thoughts every so often, his hand never leaving mine. I felt drained after I finished speaking, like I could sleep for decades and it still wouldn't be enough.

"The gates of Beltmare will be open to any and all who may come seeking shelter. You have my word, Isadora. We will do whatever we can."

The grateful smile had already started to form on my lips, but before I could so much as lift my eyes to hers, I inhaled sharply. A vibrating pain began in between my temples, insistent and sharp.

"Izzy? Are you okay?" Was Kai still beside me? It sounded like he was all the way across the room.

My eyes clenched shut, teeth gritted against the pain. It was like a million tiny hammers were pounding on the entrance to my mind. I wanted to cry out, but I couldn't find my voice. In my mind's eye, however, I saw a blurry face. The more I blinked, the clearer it got.

Brown eyes filled with tears; red-gold hair floating near her shoulders; a smile as familiar to me as my own. Aunt Meri? "H... how are you here right now?" I whispered, voice hushed with awe.

She swam up to me, cupping my chin in her hand. "I'm not. I'm in your mind. But I had to see you, if only to give you a message. You're never alone, Izzy. You are not worthless. You are not weak. You are not pathetic. You're strong and brave, just like your parents. You just have to believe in yourself. I love you so much, sweet girl."

When she placed a featherlight kiss on my forehead, I had to choke back a sob. I had so much I wanted to say, but I couldn't make words come. As if sensing my hesitation, she nodded. "I know everything, Isadora. Don't give up. You can beat Naia and the others."

The headache disappeared as quickly as it had come, leaving a lingering sense of exhaustion. I opened my mouth (to say what, I didn't know) but I never got the chance. The words fell away as translucent figures appeared in the corners of my eyes, faces filled with urgency.

When one of them spoke, I was taken aback. It was both young and old, crazy and sane. "You can't give up, Isadora. Show Nepptheas how real royalty fights. You're not alone."

In those words was a hidden message, one I had to work hard to understand. Once I figured it out, though, determination surged through me. All this time, I had convinced myself that the ghosts were just manifestations of my depression and anxiety. Figments of my imagination, unable to do anything but distract and haunt me.

But what if they were more than that? What if, over time, as I learned to control how and when they appeared, they could become my allies? You're not alone.

I opened my eyes (though I had no recollection of closing them) to blurry faces swimming in my vision. Kai gripped my hand, face pale and eyes wide with fear as he looked at me. "Are you okay?"

Breathing heavily, I nodded. "We have to get to Aegrem. We have to help them." I was rambling, but I couldn't think straight.

He scanned my face, no doubt reading the thoughts flashing in my eyes. "I'm with you."

In the blink of an eye, I was moving, speeding down hallways and through rooms like there was a shark on my tail. The only reason I knew Kai was still beside me was the hand gripping mine.

I'd been in the middle of battle before (we both had) but nothing, no battle or skirmish, could have prepared either of us for what greeted us as we swam into the open water. Guards in the colors of every kingdom battled, some with swords, some with brute strength.

Purple-and-grey. Black-and-red. Green-and-blue. Gold-and-crimson. A heartbeat later, they disappeared, gone as quickly as they'd come. Kai suddenly spun me around to face him, his expression mirroring my own. "Be careful, Isadora. I love you so much." He took my face in his hands, just as he'd done so long ago when we'd been in a similar situation, and kissed me.

It was slow and sweet and I didn't want it to end. For a few heartbeats, it felt like we were the only ones in the water. "Go. Save our kingdoms."

A brief smile broke out across his face at the use of our, but he quickly sobered and swam away. My daggers were in my hands before I'd even registered the movement. I spun around into the fray, barely managing to avoid an enemy dagger slicing through the water inches above my face.

My arms shook with the impact as I deflected, slicing into a vulnerable stretch of skin in the soldier's armor, right beside his armpit. He recoiled, wincing in pain. With a last vengeful glance at me, he retreated deeper into the sea of soldiers until I couldn't see him anymore.

I spun around in a slow circle, looking for more enemy soldiers, but didn't see anything. After checking around me once more, I allowed myself a minute to catch my breath. The battle had only just started, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Panting heavily, I just floated in place. All around me, I could hear the shouts and screams of soldiers, the enemy's and our own.

I knew what I had to do, but dreaded it nonetheless. I knew it would come across as cowardly, but I saw no other way of informing them of the plan. "Retreat!" I yelled, so loud my throat ached when the word left my mouth.

I didn't wait to see if anyone heard me. I just turned and swam away, heading for an unoccupied cluster of rocks. When I turned back around, I was pleasantly surprised to see all of my soldiers behind me, faces grim and clothes filthy. In my brief scan, I didn't see any injuries, but there was no time to worry about it now. "What do you want us to do, Princess?" One of the soldiers asked.

"What I'm about to ask of you is incredibly risky and extremely dangerous. But, it's also our only hope of winning this war. Are you with me?" My voice was strong, despite the wave of emotion surging through me.

Every head nodded, eyes fixed on me. "I need all of you to get captured by Nepptheas' army." Multiple faces glanced at one another, a mixture of fear and confusion in their eyes. "Let me explain. A few months ago, my husband and I made a breakthrough in our research about the Lost Soul Pendant. As many of you may or may not know, my grandfather was the infamous Tiger Shark."

The confusion turned to shock, the fear melting into rage. Clearly, most of them had heard of him. And by the looks of things, had lost one or more family members by his hand. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "He was power-hungry, doing whatever it took to get as much power as possible. But, eventually, he slipped up. And was killed by my mother, the queen. In all his own research, there's one thing he never discovered, one crucial piece of information."

I had everyone's attention now. My hands shook at my sides, but I quickly squeezed them into fists. "There's a way to block the affects of the Lost Soul Pendant. We think, that by using all of your mental energy to build a wall inside your mind, you could make it impenetrable."

"Naia only wants one thing: power. She's determined to get it by whatever means necessary. She won't hesitate to manipulate someone should she deem it necessary. As I said at the beginning, I know this is incredibly risky and dangerous, but it's our only chance."

A merman swam in front of me, swiftly bowing. When he met my gaze, his eyes were full of determination. "I'm with you, Princess." Everyone else quickly echoed the sentiment, until cries of agreement were bouncing off the rocks around us.

One by one, I saw the expressions of a dozen battle-ready soldiers go blank, their eyes glaze over. As if they each had a copy of the Lost Soul Pendant around their necks. A heartbeat later, I wanted to call it off, stop this foolish plan before valuable lives were lost.

"Well, well, well," a smug voice said from behind me. I spun around, breathing heavily. Aunt Naia gave slow, measured claps as she swam towards me. "I have to give you credit. I never thought you'd actually come up with a viable plan to stop me. But too late, Isadora."

Before I had a chance to even open my mouth, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a dark-blue pendant on a chain. I took a stroke backwards, fear written on my face. "Do you really think I'm that stupid?" Her tone was mocking now, the portrayal of a jealous, bitter queen.

"No. You're not stupid. You're jealous." The word burst from my mouth, hitting its mark with the precision of a bulls-eye.

Her stoic mask cracked just a bit when the words left my mouth. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous of you?" The words never lost their iciness, but I indeed saw jealousy flash across her face.

I'd hit a sore spot, then. "No. Not of me. Of Mom. Dad. You always resented Mom for getting the perfect ending—a merman that truly loved her for who she was, and a kingdom whose people accepted her for who she was. That's what you wanted, right?" My voice was edged with bitterness, my eyes flashing with anger, but I felt no remorse whatsoever.

Her eyes were cold as she stared at me. "You're right, Isadora. I was jealous. I did resent her. But it doesn't matter now." A cruel smile stretched across her face, eyebrows raised as if daring me to contradict her.

"What do you mean?" My voice was steady, though my insides were a trembling mess.

"My plan is already in motion." Her voice was filled with glee as she spoke.

I wanted to know more, but before I could so much as open my mouth, a merman came to a stop in front of us. My heart lurched, then stopped dead in my chest as I glimpsed the merman's face, the lifelessness in his eyes. "Dad?" I whispered, tears filling my eyes.

"First the school and now..." he trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose and hastily swiping at his eyes. I didn't understand.

"What happened, Dad?" I asked, my voice barely audible.

When he turned to face me, I felt the entire world come crashing down around me. I knew whatever he was going to say would change the course of this war. Maybe our lives.

"It's your aunt and uncle," he said, clenching his hands into fists. "They've disappeared."

I spun around to face Naia, eyes blazing with anger. "Was this your plan all along? To continue tearing our family apart? You won't succeed. We will stop you."

She gave me a pouting grin. "Oh, Isadora. I'll enjoy watching you try."

The second she left the clearing, I took a deep breath and screamed. Released all the pain, anger, fear, and anxiety that had been building up inside me. I turned to Dad, eyes blank. "What are we going to do?"

He didn't answer for a long time. When he finally met my gaze, the answer was clear: We don't stop until your aunt and uncle are back home, safe and sound, where they belong.

I stared out at the current, heart clenching with anger and sadness. We would find Aunt Bella and Uncle David if it was the last thing we did. The only question was, would there be anything left to save when we found them?

Final chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed and favorited!