I was up early the following day, barely sleeping the previous night. Nightmares had made the precious hours of sleep I managed to get fitful and interrupted—identical to the scenario Ani had experienced in one of her own months ago. I called her name until my voice gave out and searched until the moon rose over the water.

Even when my body had cried out for rest, and my lungs had begged for water, I had scoured every inch of the realms. When I'd found Ani having that nightmare, I had felt an unbearable pain in my chest, but fear had amplified it in this particular nightmare—what had felt like my heart had been torn clean in half was now like half of my heart was missing.

Even awake, my heart raced in my chest as panic seized me. A gentle knock sounded on the door, and I scrubbed a hand over my face, clearing my throat before opening my mouth. "Come in."

A heartbeat later, the door opened as Dad stuck his head in, his eyes shining with relief. "Guess what? Dr. Murphy said that you can—" When he glimpsed my face, he abruptly stopped talking. Concern replaced the relief in his eyes as he swam inside and shut the door behind him.

I saw the words in his eyes before he even opened his mouth. I knew I couldn't bear to dredge up the feelings that the nightmare had evoked, so I spoke before he could. "Have you seen Ani?" Whether he noticed the lingering panic in my eyes or saw my white-knuckled grip on the blankets, he didn't let on.

He blinked before answering. "Yeah. She's outside with Bella." It was only then that he saw the panic in my eyes. "I'll go get her."

Even though I knew it had been a nightmare, even though I knew that Ani was okay, I wouldn't be able to relax until I saw her with my own eyes. My body was tense; I gritted my teeth so hard that the cords in my neck stood out. I couldn't suppress the panic and fear choking me.

After Faye had passed, I realized that I had been feeling alone and cut off from others in the months following her death. Ani had been my anchor in a sea of grief. Whether she realized it or not, she'd become why I got out of bed in the mornings. And now, after spending more and more time with her, I realized that I was falling for her. I'd been lost and adrift in the months following Faye's death; Ani had become the anchor that saved me.

When the door opened again, I snapped my head up, meeting Ani's concerned gaze. Her eyes scanned mine, traveling down my body and back to my face. "Drew? What's—"

I didn't give her a chance to finish. Ignoring the tremors that shuddered through my body, I got out of bed and rushed towards her. She met me in the middle, eyes widening as I threw my arms around her. "Are you okay?" She asked. I didn't answer; I clung to her, terrified that if I let go, she'd disappear.

I let out a tense breath, finally allowing the tension to drain from my body. Ani was the first to pull back, gripping my hands as she scanned my face again. When I finally responded, my voice was rough and halting. "You—I couldn't find you."

Recognition flashed across her face at the exact moment her eyes softened. "I'm okay. I'm right here. You didn't lose me." Word-for-word what I'd said to her only yesterday.

Gently, she put a hand on my back as she guided me back to the bed. I hadn't realized I was trembling until Ani had gripped my hands. She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "I was talking to your parents, and they said you can go home today. Dr. Murphy made them promise to get in touch with her if this happens again or if the wound gets worse in the future."

Before the words had even left her mouth, the door opened again as Mom and Dad swam inside. I noticed the matching smiles on their faces first, and I shook my head, confused. "What's going on?" Ani had an identical expression as she wordlessly squeezed my hand.

Mom looked at Ani, genuine warmth in her eyes as she spoke. "Ani, you've stayed by Drew's side practically since the two of you met. I've seen the love you two share, and despite everything you've both been through, neither of you has let go of it." As the last words left her mouth, Mom gave me a knowing look, and I realized that they must have somehow learned about Ani's past with Jacob and her aunt. As Mom's words registered, a shiver went through Ani at the exact moment I heard her breath hitch.

"David and I have been talking, and if you're okay with it, we would love for you to come live at the palace with us. After Faye died..." Mom trailed off as her bottom lip began to quiver.

Dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close as he swallowed hard and picked up where Mom had trailed off. "It was hard to remember to do things like get up in the morning and eat. Sometimes, I even wished that I had died with her." A tear slid down his cheek as he squeezed his eyes shut. "But the day Drew came home after he met you, Ani, I realized I hadn't seen that light in his eyes since before Faye's death.

"The more we have gotten to know you, the more we want to get up in the morning again instead of just wanting to stay in bed and never come out. You've healed us as a family, and for that, I can never thank you enough. The decision is yours, but if you decline, you'll always have a room in the palace." Dad's voice broke on the last word as the tears he'd been trying to hold back slipped down his cheeks in rivulets.

Ani let out a shocked gasp, a hand rising to cover her mouth as fresh tears slipped down her cheeks. Faster than I could blink, she had let go of my hand and was rushing towards Mom to throw her arms around her. Loud, heartbreaking sobs cleaved through the silence that had fallen in the wake of Dad's words. Mom wordlessly held her, stroking her hair as her eyes met mine over Ani's shoulder. I put a hand over my heart, blinking against the burning in my eyes.

Thank you, I mouthed. Dad took Mom's free hand, his eyes shining with unshed tears. I could feel the grief radiating from both of them, but I knew they were happy tears. Ani's unspoken answer was clear as I looked into her red-rimmed eyes. After I got dressed, the four of us left the hospital and headed back to the palace. I was still weak, but I could swim, albeit shakily, with my arm around Ani's shoulder.

When we reached the entrance, I felt more than saw the shock that went through each of us (Ani included) at the sight of Aunt Izzy and Uncle Jay floating in front of the palace. Confusion surfaced in Ani's eyes as she looked from me to the mermaid and merman before us.

"Jay, Isadora," Dad said, finally breaking the tense silence that had fallen over the water. "What's going on? Where are Rissa and Kai?"

It was only then that I noticed the tears glistening in Aunt Izzy's eyes and the exhaustion reflected in Uncle Jay's expression. My heart dropped as I lurched forward. The former cleared her throat before speaking. "It's Waverly."

It was as if her words were a bomb. Mom, Dad, and I collectively sucked in a breath, but no amount of breathing could soften the blow. I could feel the confusion radiating off Ani, but she remained silent and steady at my side as she slipped her hand into mine. The news had rattled Uncle Jay, but he didn't show it as he squeezed Aunt Izzy's hand. Before he could open his mouth, Dad spoke, his voice strained. "Where is she?"

I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach when Uncle Jay responded. "The hospital. Moments after you left, Dr. Murphy told us she had been admitted. Laguna got in touch with us, but she was hysterical. I finally convinced her to go and wait at the hospital while I told you the news. It's..." he trailed off, swallowing hard, his throat bobbing with the movement. "It's not good."

Mom glanced at Ani and me and then faltered. She took a breath to compose herself, but her voice broke as she spoke. "Ani, take Drew to the palace so he can rest. The last thing we need right now is to create more stress for Waverly and Laguna. David and I will head back to the hospital. We'll keep in touch." Her eyes gleamed with tears, but she didn't let them fall. She swam to me and kissed me on the forehead, lingering for a few seconds before she pulled away.

They hadn't mentioned a name, but I already knew the perpetrator. I let out a shuddering breath as Dad locked eyes with me. A wordless conversation passed between us, and I could tell he'd arrived at the same conclusion I had. Somehow, Wyatt had learned about Faye's death and was now hunting Waverly. As the only Siren left in existence (that we knew of) and being Kailani's half-sister, she'd become leverage for Wyatt.

Ani nodded, but her eyes still held confusion and worry when she looked at me. As much as I wanted to be there for Laguna and Waverly, I was already flagging. I needed more (hopefully uninterrupted) rest to heal properly. We swam inside in silence, the shock hanging over us like a blanket.

Whatever joy we'd both felt at Mom and Dad's announcement had since been replaced by fear. Only when I'd gotten back into bed did Ani speak, her voice barely audible. "Who's Wyatt?"

I could feel the fear coating her words and tone; that only terrified me more, but I wordlessly shook my head as she swam into bed beside me. I wrapped my arms around her and pressed a kiss to her head, letting out a shuddering breath.

After Faye's death, we hadn't heard a whisper of Wyatt—I wasn't even sure if he'd heard the news. I was foolish to have hoped it would stay that way. When the realization hit me, my jaw tightened, my whole body tensing as white-hot fury flowed through me. Despite our best efforts, none of us had been able to identify Faye's killer. Even months later, with no new evidence or clues, we tried our best to adjust to our new way of life.

But now that I thought about it, there was one merman none of us had even considered—as far as we'd been concerned, he'd fallen off the grid.

I wasn't surprised to find myself trembling with rage as I imagined the sick and twisted grin on Wyatt's face as he'd aimed that crossbow at Faye. There was no doubt in my mind that he'd gone insane—probably long before he'd killed Faye. The only question was, would I be able to control myself if and when we came face-to-face again? Or would I give myself over to my baser instincts, proving (despite being adopted by the Solomons) that I was still Jacob Mercer's biological son?

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