Unsurprisingly, I dreamt again of the confrontation between Wyatt and Waverly. Their conversation floated through my head unbidden a second time, but something was different. Whether it was because of exhaustion or merely strength of will, I managed to hold on long enough to catch the end of the exchange.

Wyatt's voice was as cold as it was in real life, his words bitter and harsh. "You have the perfect opportunity to strike now while she's injured and discouraged. Don't tell me you're letting something as silly as friendship get in the way of revenge?"

It took every inch of my self-control to remain still when Waverly spoke. Her voice was calm and restrained, with no hint of any emotion. "You don't understand. My father was a sadist and a murderer. I may not have understood it then, but I do now. Faye has already paid for what she did. Please. If you want to kill Sirens, then kill me. But, please, leave Faye alone."

This time, I was pulled back into consciousness by a warm voice filled with worry and concern. "Faye? Sweetie, can you hear me?"

Exhaustion weighed down every inch of my body, but I cracked open my eyes. For a heartbeat, as foolish as it sounded, I worried that Wyatt had somehow come back. But as my vision cleared, I recognized Aunt Izzy's pale, drawn face. Her eyes filled with tears that quickly spilled down her cheeks as she put a hand over her mouth. Despite my aching body, I threw my arms around my aunt, gripping her tightly as the sound of our mingled sobs filled the water.

When we finally pulled apart, she held up a finger as she rose and swam to the door. I tensed as I heard a muffled conversation, then relaxed as she swam back in, followed by Mom, Dad... and Laguna. The latter's face was as pale and drawn as my aunt's, if not more so. I saw the tear streaks on her cheeks, but as I looked into her eyes, I knew they were happy. Relieved.

Mom put a steadying arm around Laguna, then looked at me. I was wary, but happiness filled her eyes. What had happened since I'd passed out? Had Wyatt been found?

Was Waverly awake? The unspoken question must have shown on my face because Mom let out a quiet laugh as she nodded, sniffling. "She's awake, sweetie. The doctors pulled her out of the coma earlier this morning. If there are no additional issues, she will be released tomorrow."

As her words slowly sunk in, tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. Joy shot through me, an unusual emotion compared to what I'd experienced over the last month. When I met Laguna's gaze, I had hardly opened my mouth before she spoke. "She's been asking for you. If you're up to it, I know she'd love to see you."

Jonah squeezed my hand as I glanced at him. As always, it was my choice. I took a breath before nodding.

A small, wary part of me warned against it as visions of her and Wyatt's conversation returned to me. "'You have the perfect opportunity to strike now while she's injured and discouraged. Don't tell me you're letting something as silly as friendship get in the way of revenge?'" I shuddered, tensing as his words echoed in my head.

"Faye?" Mom's voice startled me as I realized I hadn't moved from the bed. I was frozen. Jonah gently took my hands, his beautiful eyes searching my face. He didn't say anything, but I could tell by how his hands tightened on mine that he was hesitant to let me go.

Even though I hadn't shared the specifics of the dream with him (or anyone), he'd deduced from my body language that there was something I wasn't saying. Exhaustion snuck back up on me, and I knew it wasn't just due to my still-recovering body. The thought of confronting Waverly terrified me. I knew she would never blame me for what happened, but how would she react after I asked her about her conversation with Wyatt?

"I'm okay." My voice was small as I rose from the bed, Jonah's hand gripping mine. It wasn't until we'd left my room and reached Waverly's that he reluctantly let go.

"I'll be right outside if you need me." When he kissed me, I found myself unwilling to pull away. Judging from Jonah's posture, he wasn't ready either. I took another deep breath and let it out slowly before turning away and opening the door.

My face was blank as I swam inside, closing the door behind me. When I glimpsed Waverly for the first time since the accident—her wan skin, dull eyes, and weary expression—I nearly cracked. Her eyes widened as they focused on me. "F-Faye?" Her voice was hoarse and tight.

Miraculously, I managed to maintain the blank façade as I swam towards her. I paused beside the bed, inches separating us, trying to figure out what to say. I finally decided just to be direct. "How long have you and Wyatt been working together?"

All the color drained from her face as she opened and closed her mouth several times. The look on her face made it clear that she had been taken aback. She slowly shook her head as she opened her mouth again, eyes searching my face. "Faye, please." Her eyes and voice were pleading, but my expression never wavered.

"Just tell me this." A weary sigh slipped from my lips, the only visible sign of the fatigue plaguing me. "Did you ever truly consider working with him, given his past..." I trailed off, searching for the most subdued word I could think of. "Indiscretion?" Even as the word left my mouth, I already knew her answer. 

"Or did he lure you in like he tried to do to me?" Despite my best attempts to steady it, my voice broke. Tears filled her eyes as the words hung in the water.

She swallowed hard, swiping at her eyes. "Faye, please. It..." It was her turn to trail off as she gathered her courage to say her next words. "It wasn't like that."

My control snapped upon hearing those words. "It wasn't like that? Then, please, Waverly. Tell me 'what it was like.'" I crossed my arms as I floated perfectly still before her bed. I watched various emotions flash across her face: fear, shame, regret, sadness.

"It was true. Wyatt had initially approached me after the attack to get me to work with him, luring me in with the promise of getting revenge on you. He made many promises, but getting justice for my father took precedence. He all but told me to disown you, asking how I could be friends with someone who'd committed such a heinous act. I begged him not to hurt you, telling him that you hadn't done anything wrong.

"But he wouldn't listen. When he told me about his plan to attack the palace, I knew I had no choice but to agree. If I didn't, I knew he would target my mom next. I swear, Faye, I haven't spoken to him since. You and I had just repaired our friendship. The last thing I wanted was to mess it up again." Her words and facial expression were genuine, but I didn't let my guard down.

Anger rolled through me like a wave as I struggled to contain my emotions. "You said your father was a sadist and a murderer. Wyatt is exactly like him. How could you stomach working with him knowing that?" That was what puzzled me the most.

Waverly swallowed hard, eyes wide. "I wasn't thinking about that. All I could think about was how you'd lost both your parents in such gruesome ways and the mark it had left on you. If the opportunity to avenge your mother and sister had presented itself, would you not have taken it?" Her eyes shuttered as the words left her mouth.

She knew her words were harsh but didn't regret them. I took a steadying breath, closing my eyes before exhaling deeply and opening them again. My words were just as sharp, if not more so. "Not if it meant I would be going against everything I knew and believed in. And especially not if it meant betraying those closest to me. If you were my friend, you would have done the same."

With those vicious parting words, I turned away and swam out of the room, ignoring Waverly calling after me. The minute the door closed behind me, I broke down. Gut-wrenching sobs tore through my chest as I faltered. Jonah effortlessly pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly.

I didn't have words for the heartbreak I was feeling. After everything—our years of friendship, our fight, and subsequent make-up—I had genuinely believed that I could trust Waverly wholeheartedly. Turns out, I'd been wrong. And I knew that even eternity would never be able to undo what had been said or done.

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