A bolt of pain shot through my shoulder as I regained consciousness, eliciting an uncontrollable cry from me. I jerked upright with a start, then faltered as my head spun. I felt a warm hand rest on the small of my back and another slip into my own as my eyes flew open. For a fleeting, terrifying moment, I couldn't remember where I was or what had happened. Uncle Kai's voice, warm and reassuring, filled my ears a heartbeat later.

"Faye? It's okay, honey. You're safe now." He squeezed my hand, brushing sweaty hair off my forehead. His eyes met mine, filled with worry and fear that made my breath catch. In that split second, I remembered everything.

The panic gradually receded from my body, replaced by electric shocks that shot up my left arm whenever I moved my forearm or shoulder. "I—I saw him," I stammered, my thoughts tripping over one another as I struggled to think through the blinding pain that sliced through my head.

Uncle Kai frowned, confusion filling his eyes. "Who? Mom said you were alone when she found you." He inhaled like he would say something else, but a gentle knock on the suite door drew his attention away. When he turned his head, I used the distraction to sit up straighter. Or try to.

With my left arm being out of commission, my remaining arm struggled to compensate. I bit back a cry as I shoved upright, squeezing my eyes shut as the room spun. I heard the door open and low voices speaking, but I couldn't make out the words. I collapsed back against the pillows, breathing through clenched teeth. Queen Katrina's voice filled my ears, soft and motherly.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake. We've all been worried sick about you. I sent a message to your parents, and they said that they'd be here as soon as they could. Kai reached out to Drew and Jonah and got the same response." When she mentioned Jonah, I sank deeper into the pillows.

For the first time in many years, I was trembling at the thought of facing him. I knew he wasn't angry at me, yet that didn't stop the shiver that slipped down my spine. The knot of guilt and shame in my stomach grew as I understood the reason for his anger. I had left a note, but I'd wager that he hadn't read it. I inhaled to speak but froze as I heard low voices outside the room, getting closer with every breath.

"Kai? Katrina? Is Faye okay?" "Faye, are you in there?" When I heard sobbing, my heart broke clean down the middle. Queen Katrina swam to the door and opened it, revealing several pale, worried faces.

Drew swam in first, confusion and worry etched on his face. Mom and Dad were next, the former's face pale and tear-stained. The latter's eyes were wide as he met Kai's gaze, then Queen Katrina's, before finally looking at me. When Jonah swam in last, the confusion, anger, shame, and fear on his face had me rising from the bed before my brain registered the movement.

I was trembling and sweating, but nothing short of unconsciousness would stop me from explaining to Jonah what had happened. Every stroke seemed to take an eternity—especially since I was only using one arm—so when I finally reached him, I was swaying. He reached out a hand to steady me, his grip warm and reassuring despite the conflicting emotions on his face.

Neither of us spoke for several minutes, and when Jonah finally did, his voice was deadly soft. "Do you know how I felt when I woke up and you weren't there?" He rubbed his free hand over his face, and in that movement, I noticed he was trembling.

Not with shame, I realized with a rush of guilt. But fear. I kept my mouth shut while waiting for him to continue, figuring now wasn't the best time to mention the note. When he finally got his emotions under control, he met my gaze, the look in his eyes breaking my heart in half. "When I realized your parents and Drew didn't know where you were either, my heart dropped. I immediately contacted Nerissa, Izzy, and Irvetta, but none of them had seen you. Drew finally suggested Queen Katrina, and we all rushed over."

The look on his face had my mouth opening before I had even figured out what I was going to say. But before I could utter a word, low voices spoke up from outside, urgent and worried. "Faye?" "Your parents said you were here. Are you okay?"

Tears filled my eyes, but I hastily wiped them away. Jonah didn't say anything; he stared at me while waiting to see what I would do. Without a word, he let go of my arm, the loss of his steady grip causing me to sway. Taking several deep breaths to steady myself, I didn't look back at Jonah as I swam to the door. When I opened the door, I had to brace a hand on the doorframe to stay upright.

Concerned gazes met mine, the worry on their faces hitting me like a punch in the gut. Aunt Izzy, Aunt Nerissa, and Uncle Jay were all staring at me, confusion and fear in their eyes. When Aunt Izzy spoke, her voice was trembling. "W-when Kai reached out and t-told us what had happened, we rushed over. Sweetie, what happened?"

Looking at the concerned and worried faces staring back at me, I wanted to explain what had happened more than anything. But before I could even open my mouth, electric shocks shot up my left arm. The sudden pain caused me to cry out. Without even realizing it, I used my left arm to steady myself when I opened the door. I faltered, my breaths pained and hard. I heard low voices speaking in hurried tones but couldn't make out the words.

When a low, soft voice spoke close to my ear, I didn't even have the energy to flinch. "Lean on me. I've got you, Faye." Black spots swam in my vision, but I didn't respond. Slowly, Drew and I swam back to the bed.

I didn't say anything as I got back in bed and tried to catch my breath. When I finally spoke, my voice was breathy. "The last thing I wanted to do was to make you all worry. I thought I could leave the palace undetected and swim to Beltmare under cover of darkness. I had to warn Uncle Kai and Aunt Izzy.

"It wasn't until I'd left the palace far behind that I felt a prickling between my shoulder blades like someone had been watching me. When I didn't see anyone, I shook off my paranoia and kept swimming. But a few minutes later, I felt it again."

I had to pause to catch my breath. My heart was thundering in my chest, loud enough that I was surprised no one else heard it. "I had no weapons, but I grabbed the next best thing—a medium-sized rock—and clutched it in my free hand. I'd almost dismissed my paranoia as lack of sleep when I heard the sound of a crossbow cocking. It was faint but unmistakable.

"I froze in place, barely breathing as I'd braced myself for the whistling sound of the bolt, the tearing pain." I closed my eyes, a shudder making its way down my spine as I recalled the moment it had grazed me. "It grazed my left deltoid, tearing the skin and leaving a line of fire in its wake. I lost my grip on my bag and the rock as I slammed into the ground. Whipping my head around, I'd hoped to catch the attacker's face but only saw a fleeting glimpse of dirty blond hair."

I didn't speak for a few moments after that, my heart racing enough that I had to stop and catch my breath. I looked around at my family, watching them put the pieces together. Almost simultaneously, shock flashed across each face, almost too quickly to catch.

Before they could speak, I rushed on, hoping they wouldn't notice my hands trembling. "I'd known that staying out in the open would have only invited more chances for him to shoot me again, so I'd gritted my teeth as I slowly rose and pressed a hand to the wound."

I swallowed hard before continuing. "The first thing I'd had to do was stop the bleeding. I knew that if I did that, I hopefully could have made it to Beltmare before it worsened. After making a makeshift tourniquet, I glanced at the surface, gauging the sun's position. I still had time, but I'd been operating on adrenaline and pain, and it had seemed like the latter was going to win. By some miracle, I made it to Beltmare's entrance before I collapsed. That's when Queen Katrina found me."

Silence settled over the water in the wake of my words. Tension vibrated between Jonah and me, so much so that the others filed out of the suite without a word. Jonah was the first to speak, his voice forcefully calm. "Why didn't you tell anyone where you were going?"

To everyone else, it seemed like a fair question. But to me—who'd learned enough about Jonah over the years to recognize his speech patterns and body language—the question oozed suspicion, anger, and confusion.

His body was tense, every muscle taut. I could tell it was taking all he had to keep his voice calm. I met his gaze unflinchingly, taking steady breaths to push back the tears threatening to spill down my cheeks. "Because I knew you wouldn't want me to go. I knew you would want me to stay here, where I'd be safe. I knew you would insist on joining me, but I had to get away from here—away from the feelings and memories that ambushed me without warning."

As hard as I tried to steady it, my voice broke. "Other than Drew, I have no biological family left. Our mother and sister died because of a vengeful merman's quest for revenge; our father sacrificed himself because he thought his life was worth less than ours. Whenever I manage to fall asleep, I keep getting bombarded by memories of Zander or Jacob or hearing Waverly's voice as she lashes out at me."

I took a breath before continuing, but a bolt of pain—far more intense than any I'd felt earlier—sliced down my shoulder, managing to slice every nerve and tendon without leaving any visible marks. An ear-piercing scream broke from my lips as my eyes rolled back in my head. The last thing I was aware of was tasting blood in my mouth before I lost my grip on consciousness.

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