Everywhere I turn, I hear their voices simultaneously. "She left you just like I told you she would. Now you're alone—just as you should have been all along."

"Drew, where are you? Help me! Please!" The pained breath she takes as the last word leaves her mouth has panic rushing through me quicker than I can open my mouth. I look around anxiously but can't see either of them. I try to take a stroke forward, but some unseen force is holding me back.

"Ani, where are you? I'm here! I can't find you!" I yell until my voice is hoarse and broken.

"Drew, you have to help me! He—he's going to—" I realize what happened the moment a violent, agonizing pain erupts in my chest, abruptly cutting off her words. I hear a guttural, bone-chilling scream but can't find the source. As it gets louder, drowning out all sound until I can't hear anything else, I realize it's me.

I feel a warm hand on my arm and hear a ghostly voice, but I don't see anyone when I look around. "Drew? It's just a nightmare, honey. Wake up. You're safe."

And then, just as I wake up, I hear another voice, this one crystal-clear beside me. "It's not real, Drew. Ani loves you more than life itself. She would never leave you. You'll never be alone." I sat up quickly, turning my head so fast I felt dizzy, but no one was there.

Faye's voice lingered as I blinked to clear my blurry vision. A sob bubbled up inside me, but I swallowed hard to push it down. I realized how crowded our bedroom was when my vision finally cleared. Our whole family was there—even Uncle Kai and little Elle. The latter was nestled in her father's arms, wearing the same weary expression as her parents.

I coughed and cleared my throat before speaking. "What's going on?" Anxiety made my breath hitch in my chest as I spotted Ani beside me in bed. I realized that someone—either Mom or Dad—must have carried me into the bedroom after I'd collapsed. Waverly met my eyes from where she floated beside the bed, concern in her gaze as she worriedly scanned my face.

The sudden appearance of our family—not to mention Ani being awake—didn't bode well, especially when I took a closer look at her, noting the pallor in her expression. Her face was gray, and her eyes were glazed as she looked at me.

After a heartbeat, her color returned, and the glazed look vanished so quickly I thought I'd imagined it. Nevertheless, she gave me a strained smile before she spoke. "Nothing. We were just waiting for you to wake up so we could run Queen Irvetta's burial plan by you."

Ani glanced at Mom, who nodded and picked up where Ani had left off. "David and I were thinking that we could set up a grave directly behind the palace—far enough away to be partially secluded but close enough for anyone to pay their respects. We could put water lilies on the grave instead of in front.

"What do you think about this for the inscription? Irvetta Kindall Faridah, loving wife, daughter, queen, and friend. A light in the darkness and a soul whose life was taken from these waters too soon. May she feel no pain as she rests for eternity."

A surge of emotion coalesced into a ball in my throat, making speech impossible, so I nodded instead. Dad cleared his throat and spoke in a strained voice. "I'll see if Marlin is feeling up to dinner this evening, and then we can run the plan by him."

I nodded again and turned my gaze toward Ani. "How are you feeling?" I asked her. I lifted a hand and placed it on her forehead, relieved to find it slightly cooler than the last time I'd felt it. Dad squeezed my shoulder and kissed Ani's head before leaving.

With my help, Ani shifted to a sitting position, the movement leaving her winded. After she'd caught her breath, she smiled at me again, this one effortless. "Better. But I'm more worried about you. You kept murmuring my name in your sleep, but you didn't wake up."

Aunt Nerissa moved closer to Mom, her face lined with concern as she looked at me. Mom wrapped an arm around Aunt Nerissa, swallowing hard. "I kept hearing Ross's and your voices simultaneously—Ross's taunting and yours pleading. You begged me to help you, but I couldn't find you. I tried to swim towards your voice, but some unseen force held me back.

"I yelled until my voice was hoarse and broken; you kept begging me to help you until he—" My voice broke as I heaved a ragged breath. A surge of emotion blocked further words from coming out as I rubbed my chest, still feeling the phantom violent, unbearable pain from the nightmare.

Ani reached for my hand, worry etched on her features. I took several uneven breaths, trying to banish the cursed voices from my mind. Looking at her, I hesitated, even though the words were waiting on my tongue. "Would you be okay staying with Waverly while Dad and I go to dinner with King Marlin tonight? It's your call, of course, but I just thought after what happened..." I trailed off, but my unspoken words were clear.

Her eyes softened with love and appreciation as she looked at me. "I will stay behind but thank you for the offer.

"I can't thank you and your parents enough for looking out and caring for me. What happened traumatized me, but I've moved on from letting past events define me. I am in no way wholly healed—emotionally or physically—but hiding in our suite lets Ross know that he succeeded in breaking me."

Ani looked down, and I saw a tremor go through her hands before she clutched them tightly in her lap. "He didn't. You were the rock I clung to in the raging sea, the guiding light that brought me home. I have never felt safer than I do in your arms, and I know I never will. You and your family have given me a sense of safety and love that I never had growing up."

After that, she fell silent for a few heartbeats, and I knew she was recalling her childhood with Della and their parents. We hadn't heard from Della or their mother in months, but I'd be foolish to think they'd forgotten about her. I pulled her close and kissed her head. "I will protect you with my life. We all will."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than we all heard an ear-piercing scream followed by a slapping sound and a muffled yell. We all froze, a whimper escaping Ani's lips as a voice tinged with malice and hatred floated up to us. "You thought you'd gotten rid of me, didn't you? Don't think I forgot about you, Adriana. Come down alone, or they won't get to see you."

Ani's eyes locked on mine as the words finished echoing, the fear in them potent. The anxiety radiating from her revealed the hidden wound that hadn't healed, surrounding a heart shattered by betrayal and hurt. We all knew who he was talking about without him even saying their names. He'd managed to locate Della and Thalassa; why they were with him was a mystery.

I saw her brows bunch in pain as she struggled to get out of bed. She swayed slightly before putting a hand on the bed to steady herself. We all rose to stop her, but she shook her head after catching her breath. "I have to do this. Alone," she added, seeing my mouth open as I prepared to protest.

Waverly shook her head and swam beside her. "I'll go down with you but stay out of sight. That way, you still honor his terms, but I'm close by if something goes wrong." The look in her eyes stated she wouldn't take no for an answer.

Ani looked at me, but I shook my head. When it came to her safety, it was a situation in which I firmly refused to compromise—even after I had declared not to force her to stay put. "Waverly's right. He's tried to kill you once; he nearly succeeded. I'm not giving him another chance." My voice was tense as I looked at her.

After glancing between Waverly and me, Ani finally nodded. With a deep breath, she swam to the door, looking back at us before slipping out of the room. Waverly followed a heartbeat later, and Mom, Dad, and I swam to the open window and gazed outside. I couldn't shake the feeling that I should have gone with her despite being able to see and hear everything.

We could see Thalassa, Della, and Ross floating directly across from the window. The former's face was tight with worry, the latter's smug with anticipation. I exhaled when I finally saw Ani's head appear below the window, relaxing marginally when I remembered that Waverly was hiding out of sight.

"Ani." Della's voice was barely more than a whisper as she breathed my wife's name. Even from a distance, I could see the longing in her gaze as she stared at her sister, coupled with concern as she glimpsed the cuts from the shards of glass on her arms and face. "What happened? Is Drew okay?"

I didn't know what it was—the tone of Della's voice, her words, or the emotions of the past few days—but I sensed Ani's fury a heartbeat before it erupted. "Ross tried to kill me and Drew. A few days ago, he broke into the palace and attacked us." The words were blunt and harsh, but as I recalled his hands around my throat, I had to force myself not to shudder. Thalassa and Della wore mirrored expressions of shock and concern as they stared at Ani.

Ross wore his trademark smirk as he stared at Ani. Only he, Ani, and I knew the real reason for the attack. One way or another, what he'd implied in the note would come to pass. Ani would die in front of me while I watched, helpless to save her. When Ross spoke, we could all hear the cruelty in his voice. "I told Elle you wouldn't save her in time. Looks like I was right."

I could all but sense the exhaustion radiating from Ani and knew she was fading. She opened her mouth again to respond, but we all froze—me included—as the sound of fins beating the water grew louder. Remembering Aunt Izzy's frantic appearance only days ago, I tensed.

Ani let out a cry and was off like a shot. I was moving before the sound had even finished echoing. I reached the open water seconds after Mom and Dad, their faces mirroring my own. "What's going on?" Dad asked, his voice calm.

Uncle Kai came to a sudden halt before us, red-faced and breathing raggedly. That wasn't what made my heart stop dead in my chest, however—it was the blood and silt covering his face, hands, and neck. His glazed eyes swept over each of us, but he didn't say a word.

Cuts and bruises also marred his face and neck, the worst of them causing me to suck in a breath. Mom and Dad glanced at each other in alarm before Dad spoke again. "Kai? What's wrong?"

I'd never seen him like this. He was deathly pale and visibly shaking—so much so that I couldn't fathom how he could have made the swim from Pelathas here on his own. He took a stroke forward and faltered. Dad lunged to catch him, grunting softly at his weight. Mom rushed to support them, and we slowly came into the entryway.

Only when Uncle Kai had caught his breath did he try to speak, his voice halting and broken. "I-Izzy and Elle, they're still trapped... I managed to get free, but we don't know how many survived... We have to help them, David. Please, y-you have to help them."

Confusion replaced the worry on my face—last I knew, Aunt Izzy was sleeping in our suite. But when I turned around, I glimpsed Mom swimming away, her face pale and mouth agape. Dad's eyes widened; a heartbeat later, he was swimming frantically to Beltmare. When Mom reappeared seconds later, eyes wide with terror, I knew what had happened. "I'll go." The words were already out before I fully realized the implications of them.

Ani was already on her way. I'd have to push myself to get there before nightfall, but I didn't care how long it took. "I'll be back. I'll find them, I promise."

With Ani, Dad, and me searching, I knew we'd find Aunt Izzy and Elle. It was the only outcome I'd accept. As adrenaline coursed through my body, the swim to Beltmare felt shorter than it was. Or maybe it was the panic and fear I barely kept at bay.

It wasn't until I heard screaming, shouting, and crying that the destruction looming in front of me finally registered. The explosion had blown out every front window, scattering glass across the seafloor in front of the palace; the force had caused a large chunk of the front wall to collapse, partially exposing the cluttered entryway.

The cries of the injured bounced off the rubble, coming back to me in heartbreaking bursts. "Has anyone seen my wife? She's tall and slim with red hair and green eyes; her name is..." "Does anyone have eyes on the princess and the queen?"

I was moving before the words had even finished echoing. My lungs were working overtime, and every inch of my body trembled. "Aunt Izzy? Elle? Can you hear me?" I screamed their names until my voice gave out.

As I was beginning to give up hope, I heard a faint, barely audible reply. "D-Drew? Is... Is that you?"

My heart slammed to a halt in my chest as I choked on my breath. I sped toward the sound, an audible cry breaking from my chest as I spotted Aunt Izzy half-hidden in the corner of the hallway leading to their suite. Elle was clutched tightly to her mother's chest, blood and silt marring her otherwise beautiful features. The princess's eyes were closed, but I could barely detect her chest's rise and fall. Ani, I mouthed, terror washing over me like a tidal wave.

I spun around in a circle, scanning the devastation around me, but I didn't see her. I turned back around in time to see Aunt Izzy blink hard, grunting softly as she tried to rise. The movement elicited a sharp cry, and as she clutched her left arm to her chest, I realized what had happened.

A mostly broken piece of concrete had dislodged and fallen on her arm in her desperate attempt to protect Elle. I shook my head, putting a hand on her arm to discourage her from moving. I have to find Ani. I mouthed the words, but I knew she understood them.

I saw her blink again (the movement painfully slow) and nod. When Elle began to cry, I couldn't stop the sob that broke from my throat. I swam through the broken hallways and rooms, checking for any sign of life. It wasn't until my chest began to heave that I realized I was flagging. I pushed through the fatigue threatening to overwhelm me, not stopping until I finally saw the tip of a grey tail sticking out from behind a pillar.

Ani. A hoarse and broken sob ripped through me as I dropped to the ground and gently shook her shoulder. Her chest was rising and falling, but it took me a moment to wake her. I took a deep breath, exhaling on another sob as she cracked open her eyes. Blood and silt covered her face and hair, the former running down her face from a wound on her temple. "D-Drew?" Her voice was a broken rasp.

Not wasting another minute, I gently wrapped her arm around my shoulder and swam back to Aunt Izzy and Elle. The former had managed to get off the ground and was leaning against a broken pillar, the dazed look in her eyes not receding as quickly as I'd hoped. Hearing a loud crack above me, I pushed the three mermaids aside just as the pillar crashed down beside us.

Unfortunately, I was not fast enough to stop the pillar from pinning my tail to the ground. My head smacked against the ground, and I saw stars behind my eyes. I landed awkwardly on my shoulder, and I heard a crack before I even registered the pain.

The scream that tore from my throat was animalistic. Pain surged through me like a shark on a scent, but the fatigue was slowly overtaking me until I could hardly stay awake. I opened my eyes only when I heard distant shouts, despite having no recollection of closing them.

"Drew!" "Ani, can you hear me?" "Keep looking. We'll find them, David. I know we will."

The familiar voices were like a warm cloak wrapping around me, bringing with them safety and relief. Mom. Dad. Uncle Jay. I wanted to let them know we were here, but I could barely summon the energy to blink, never mind open my mouth. The pain was all-encompassing, blocking out everything else. When I felt a hand grip mine, squeezing gently, I clung to it like a lifeline in a stormy sea.

Blinking hard, I managed to open my eyes and keep them open for several seconds, enough to see Mom and Dad swim in front of us. Distorted voices echoed in and out of my ears as if coming from another room. "Oh, gods, Drew..." "Isadora? Is Elle..." "Ani? Can you hear..."

I heard Uncle Jay suck in a breath before speaking, the words pouring out almost faster than he could form them. "Okay. David, on three, I want you to lift your end of the pillar slowly and carefully. Ready? One... Two... Three."

The pain short-circuited my brain. Lights flashed behind my eyes as I screamed, the sound guttural and panic-stricken. Forget jellyfish stings and dagger wounds; this was like taking a chunk of my skin and ripping it out. I felt hands restrain me as I instinctively bucked, trying to alleviate the agony.

The last thing I remembered before the darkness overtook me was the sun shining on the surface above me. Regaining consciousness felt like emerging into the light after months in a dark cave. I cracked my eyes open, winced at the light, and immediately closed them again. Muffled voices swam in and out of my ears as I struggled to remember what had happened.

"Dr. Murphy said she couldn't find anything wrong, but what if..." "I know it's hard, Bella, but we just have to wait. She said that it may take a while for him to wake up. He'll be okay."

I struggled to find the energy to open my mouth, never mind keep my eyes open. A bolt of pain shot through my head, and I couldn't silence the cry of pain that slipped from my lips.

Ani. I heard gasps around me, and then I felt a warm hand grip mine, squeezing gently. "Drew? Honey, it's Mom. Can you hear me?"

I took a deep breath, immediately regretting it when my ribs protested. Mom and Dad stared at me, but Mom's expression terrified me. Her face was ashen, and her eyes were blank with terror and shock. Dad just stared blankly at me, the emptiness in his gaze frightening me. Mom opened her mouth and pressed her lips together when they quivered.

I blinked harder, struggling to focus. "A-Ani?" Her name was a broken rasp, my voice sounding warped and muffled. I put a hand to my aching temple, blinking.

Mom let out a sob, and I went limp at the sound. A sickening, world-shattering revelation dawned on me then, without either having to say a single word. I felt it in my soul—a cleaving so profound I knew it would take nothing short of a miracle to repair it.

As I looked into Mom's eyes—as she mouthed the words she couldn't bear to say aloud—I made a vow to myself that I would find Ross, however long it took, and make him pay for what he had done to my wife. To our family. Ani is dead. And when I finally found him, he would see why I was no longer ashamed to be the son of a murderer.

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