I realized I'd been awake for hours when I saw the first rays of sun staining the seafloor. I had dozed off but was now wide awake, fighting off the fear that was close to consuming me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Waverly's bloodied and bruised body as she fell into my arms. The rest of our family was in chairs around me in the waiting room, dozing. I rubbed a shaking hand down my face, not even flinching at the dried blood covering it.

When I felt a hand on my arm, I turned and met Ani's gaze. She put a finger to her lips and inclined her head. I nodded. We could go around a corner to talk without disturbing anyone. From how her hand tightened on mine as we swam, I knew she'd had as much trouble sleeping as I had.

"Did you get any sleep?" Ani whispered when we were alone. Her eyes were tired, and I glimpsed dark circles under her eyelids. I knew my face mirrored hers.

I shrugged. "You?" I wasn't surprised when she shook her head. She didn't know Waverly as well as we did, but we'd both seen her fall through our doorway, bloodied and bruised. Having not heard from Laguna or Waverly in months, I couldn't imagine what could have happened.

I rubbed a hand down my face, taking a ragged breath. Ani suddenly gripped my arm. Her voice was hushed as she breathed my name. "Drew."

I followed her gaze, choking on my breath as I saw Dr. Murphy in the distance. As she got closer, the exhaustion and sorrow lining her body became apparent. "Is Waverly okay?" The words were out before I could even take a breath. Ani gripped my hand, our ragged breathing the only sound as we waited for Dr. Murphy's response.

"She's not paralyzed." The water left my lungs in a rush as I faltered. Ani grabbed me, but I could tell she was just as unsteady. A small mercy. But something else had happened. In Dr. Murphy's posture, I could see how she appeared as if a single word could make her collapse.

"We lost her at least twice but managed to bring her back both times. The way the bolt landed shattered her lumbar vertebrae, severing the nerves connected to her back and spine. It took some time, but we managed to reconnect those nerves. She has a lengthy road of recovery ahead of her, but she's going to be okay. If you hadn't brought her in when you did..." Dr. Murphy shook her head, immediately dismissing the thought. "Well, we'd be having a very different conversation.

"Along with some back pain, she may have lingering stamina issues. Those may never entirely disappear, but they shouldn't affect her daily life much. Waverly's in recovery now. She'll most likely be in pain when she wakes up, so we gave her something, but you're welcome to come in and sit with her until then. But one at a time. We don't want to overwhelm her more than we already have." As her words left her lips, she released a heavy sigh, running her hands over her face in exhaustion.

I saw her hands tremble, knowing how much this weighed on her. The extent and severity of Waverly's injuries and the outcome were almost identical to what had happened to Faye. Only this time, Waverly had survived. "Thank you," I whispered, my voice hoarse. I couldn't stop the tears that flowed down my cheeks as I turned to Ani. Dr. Murphy squeezed my shoulder and gave Ani a kind smile before she swam away.

I wrapped my arm around Ani as we swam back into the waiting room. Everyone was awake now, and Dad rose when he saw us. "Any news?" My heart broke at the exhaustion, fear, and worry etched on his face.

Ani squeezed my hand as I swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. "She's not paralyzed." I felt more than saw the tension go out of everyone's bodies at my words. "They..." The fear was like a vise, squeezing my lungs until I couldn't breathe.

"They lost Waverly at least twice but brought her back both times. The way the bolt landed shattered her lumbar vertebrae, severing the nerves connected to her back and spine. It took some time, but they managed to reconnect those nerves. She has a lengthy road of recovery ahead of her, but she's going to be okay. Along with some back pain, she may have lingering stamina issues. Both may never entirely disappear, but neither should affect her daily life too much. She's in recovery now."

I let out a tense breath. Exhaustion weighed down every bone in my body, and all I wanted to do was go back to our suite and block out the world. But we had to be here for Waverly. "She'll most likely be in pain when she wakes up, but they gave her something. Dr. Murphy said we're welcome to come in and sit with her until then, but only one at a time. She doesn't want to overwhelm Waverly more than they already have."

Mom let out a ragged sob, collapsing in Dad's arms. Uncle Jay lunged for Laguna, catching her just before she would have hit the seafloor. Her sobs were those of a heartbroken mother, and it broke my heart watching her break down. Aunt Izzy swam to me and wrapped her arms around me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aunt Nerissa do the same to Ani.

After everything we'd been through in the past month—Della, Caspian, and now Waverly—the good news felt like a light in a sea of dark. The light dimmed as quickly as it had appeared when thoughts of Ross resurfaced in my head, bringing a fresh wave of fear and dread.

I nearly choked as an appalling realization slammed into me with the force of a dozen anchors. We hadn't heard from Ross in months because he'd been busy orchestrating the attack on Waverly. He'd been waiting for the perfect time to strike—when no one was around.

I must have been quiet for too long because when Aunt Izzy spoke, her voice shook. "Drew?" Everyone else looked up, alarmed at the sound of her voice. Ani swam to me and placed a hand on my arm.

"What's wrong?" I could only stare at her, shaking my head. I could see it all crystal-clear in my head: the day before and the moments leading up to and following the attack. He'd planned it down to the minute, making sure Waverly was alone and vulnerable before making his move. That's why we hadn't seen anyone besides Waverly when we'd opened the suite door. "Drew, talk to me. You're scaring me."

The fear in Ani's voice made me open my mouth, the words pouring out almost faster than I could form them. "R-Ross," I stammered, trying to breathe through the fear and dread seconds away from overwhelming me. "He attacked Waverly."

Laguna let out a shrill scream that ended in a choked sob. Aunt Nerissa tightened her grip on me a heartbeat before I went limp in her arms. Dad was already moving, swimming backward as he spoke. "Go to Waverly," he said, locking eyes with me. "I'll get Dr. Murphy and tell her to lock down the hospital. One of us stays with Waverly at all times."

I could tell he was trying to be brave, but I heard the fear in his voice nonetheless. I took a steadying breath before nodding. I reached Waverly's room in seconds, opening the door and slipping inside. No sooner had I closed the door than her eyes opened, blinking several times before finally focusing on me. "Drew? What's going—"

Shaking my head, I put a finger to my lips as I swam toward her. She struggled to push herself into a sitting position, her arms shaking wildly. I was at her side in a heartbeat, fluffing the pillows behind her as she sank back against them. When I heard his voice, muffled through the closed door, every one of my senses was alert. I tensed, my hand going to the dagger at my side.

"Drew, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Either you willingly give up Waverly, or I come and take her by force. Given the precarious state of her injuries and the fact that your whole family is here, it would be much easier if you went with the first option. I'd hate to have to finish the job right in front of you—especially since you already have so much blood on your hands."

I clenched my hands into fists, my body going taut at Ross's words. Especially since you already have so much blood on your hands. I could all but see the smug smirk on his face as he spoke those words—he'd known exactly what buttons he'd be pushing. I dared to steal a glance at Waverly. When I did, fear wrapped around my heart like a painful vise, squeezing with a relentless grip. Her face was white as a sand dollar, her eyes round as the full moon.

Taking a steadying breath, I slowly blew it out before turning back to Waverly. When I met her eyes, I was surprised to find my heart racing. "Do you trust me?" I asked softly, my voice barely a whisper. My plan—reckless as it was—wouldn't work unless Waverly went along with it.

Without missing a beat, she nodded. She knew I would do anything to keep her safe despite the fear coursing through her. While I appreciated her trust in me, I worried it was misplaced. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if she got hurt again because of me. I took a breath and exhaled slowly before raising my voice. "Okay, Ross. We're coming out."

I motioned for Waverly to follow me. A grimace twisted her face as she struggled to get out of the bed. She made no sound, and a flicker of motion out of the corner of my eye made me lunge to catch her. I could feel her body trembling against mine; her quick, panting breaths were the only indication of how strenuous that had been for her. We slowly approached the door, and I could barely hear Waverly let out a pained gasp, the only indication that she was still behind me.

Ross appeared before us with his trademark smirk as he met Waverly's and my gaze. "Well, at least we know you can follow orders."

When I heard the alarm, followed by shouts outside the room, I tensed but didn't move. I prayed that Mom, Dad, and Laguna were safe. "You'll have to kill me to get to Waverly." My voice stayed calm, but the hand that held the dagger trembled slightly.

I wasn't afraid of death; if anything, it meant seeing Faye, Carla, and Ella again. But picturing the anguish Mom, Dad, and Ani would feel—to say nothing of the rest of our family—made me falter. If my death meant that Waverly would live, it was a price I was willing to pay.

I heard Waverly scream but didn't flinch. It took everything I had to keep my eyes on Ross. Dad's voice—brittle and desperate—came from outside, and I swore I felt a piece of my heart break off and shatter. "Drew! Son, please!" Thumps sounded against the door, and I knew Dad was trying to break it down.

Ross inclined his head toward the sound. "They already lost one child. Imagine what it would do to them if you died."

More voices joined Dad's, and I couldn't help but flinch. "Ross, let him go! Please!" "DREW!"

One minute, he was in front of me, staring at me with a menacing expression. Then, faster than I could blink, he was behind me. But instead of grabbing Waverly and swimming away, he revealed a hidden dagger. My face became a blank mask as I forced my breathing to steady.

Everything—the fear, anxiety, worry, and even my family's frantic shouting—faded away as I plunged deep inside myself. Somewhere I hadn't let myself go since Faye's death. I knew what was coming, and I wasn't afraid. Not if it meant Waverly and my family would live.

Everything happened at once. The door burst open, and Dad swam in, followed almost immediately by Mom. A blur of dirty blonde hair flashed in my vision, followed by a crushing weight, squeezing the water out of my lungs. I didn't realize I was falling until I hit the ground, and a muffled grunt escaped me. Stars exploded behind my eyes as my head slammed into the ground.

Voices swarmed around me, loud and yet muffled. "Drew? Son, can you hear me?" "Oh, gods, David. Is she breathing?"

And screaming. A loud, panic-stricken scream that seemed to go on forever. I let out a choked gasp as the weight suddenly disappeared off my chest. Spots swam before my eyes as I forced them open, breathing through the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm me.

It was only then that I noticed the blood covering my torso and chest. Mom's face appeared blurry as I struggled to focus, her features swimming above me as I tried to concentrate. I felt her hand on my head and leaned into her touch. "M-Mom." My voice was a dry croak.

She let out a sob at the sound. "Oh, Drew. It's going to be okay. You didn't get hit." I heard the relief in her voice, but I also sensed another emotion buried underneath it: fear.

I blinked harder, trying to focus on her face. Her eyes were wide as she looked down at me, her face deathly pale. Tears dripped down her cheeks, even more welling in her eyes. I glanced over at Dad, but he was just as pale. I caught a flash of dirty blonde hair out of the corner of my eye, and my heart lurched before slamming to a stop. "No. NO NO NO NO!" The last word was a loud, desperate cry.

A mermaid was lying motionless on the ground beside me. I glimpsed her face before someone picked her up and carried her away. I also saw the dagger's hilt sticking out of her blood-soaked chest, inches from her heart. That same chest no longer rose and fell in time with my breathing. The eyes that had looked at me with such love and compassion were unseeing now, frozen open as they stared blankly up at the ceiling.

Mom's comment in the moments after my head slammed into the ground suddenly clicked into place. "'Is she breathing?'"

I'd know that face even if I was blind and deaf. It was the face of the mermaid who loved me more than anything and whom I loved more than life itself. It was Ani.

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