I open my mouth to shout, rallying my strength and inhaling to voice the words that will hopefully save Ani from her seemingly inevitable fate: a merman floating yards away, hidden behind a rock, crossbow trained on her unprotected back. She's swimming toward me, a broad grin on her face, blissfully unaware of the death that's moments away from claiming her.

When the assailant makes eye contact with me, the smirk on his face knocks the water from my lungs and makes my heart stutter. Ross. A sudden rush of adrenaline gives me the breath I need to shout. "ANI! WATCH—" A scream cuts off my words, guttural and savage.

It happens in a single heartbeat, yet in my mind, it seems to stretch on forever. Ani suddenly falters, slamming face-first into the silt. The bolt lands right between her shoulder blades, the tip missing her spine by a scale's breadth. I'm rushing towards her, but I already know what's happening.

She'll be trying to flip onto her back, choking on silt, wondering why her arms aren't working. As soon as I reach her, I help her onto her back. "Ani? Ani, can you hear me?" Even to my own ears, my voice is muffled as if I'm speaking from far away.

She opens her mouth to speak, but blood comes out instead of words. She coughs, wincing as more blood dribbles from her mouth. With a horrifying jolt, I realize this is a nightmare—identical to what happened to Faye, save for one detail: the identity of the assailant.

Which means that I can wake myself up. I can wake myself up and see Ani breathing steadily as she sleeps peacefully beside me.

Wake up, I scream desperately at myself. As if in answer, my collarbone erupts in pain, as if someone split it down the middle. I woke up from the nightmare in a panic, the overwhelming agony blinding me for a moment. I rubbed a shaking hand down my face, trying and failing to take a deep breath. It felt like someone had dropped an anchor on my chest.

When I looked over at Ani—her breathing indeed steady as she slept deeply beside me—the sight was enough to take the edge off my panic but not enough to make it disappear entirely. My heart beat frantically against my chest like it was trying to escape. Unable to help myself, I placed a featherlight hand on her chest, waiting to feel the steady heartbeat under my palm.

Tears filled my eyes and spilled down my cheeks when I did. My chest hitched with a sob, the sound causing Ani to stir. She opened her eyes, blinking as she sat up. When she saw my pale, tear-stained face, her eyes filled with concern. "Drew? What's wrong?"

I couldn't speak as I gazed at her, terrified she would vanish if I looked away or moved my hand. Her hand brushed my cheek when I didn't answer, and I shuddered under her touch. "He—you—" My voice broke as emotion choked me.

I realized I was shaking when she reached up and took my hand. Ani knew who I was talking about without me saying a name. She looked deep into my eyes, her voice calm when she spoke. "He didn't. I'm right here. Breathe."

I tried; I really did. But the invisible anchor on my chest would not disappear. After a few minutes, the pressure decreased enough for me to breathe deeply, albeit shakily. Slowly, I felt my breathing return to normal, followed immediately by a rush of exhaustion. I glanced outside to the night-dark waters, feeling guilty for waking her. "Sorry if I woke you."

As the words left my mouth, I knew she wasn't even thinking about that. She shook her head, eyes never leaving mine. "Don't apologize. You've gone through a lot in the past few weeks, and understandably, it would be affecting you. Do you feel up to telling me what happened?"

Her tone was gentle, and I knew if I said no, she would respect my wishes and not press me. But at the same time, I knew I couldn't move past the fear until I spoke about it—even if the mere thought of it had me on the verge of a panic attack.

I took a deep, steadying breath and blew it out before opening my mouth. "A merman was floating yards away, hidden behind a rock, crossbow trained on your unprotected back. You were swimming toward me, a broad grin on your face, blissfully unaware of the..." I trailed off, swallowing hard as a shiver of fear rippled down my spine.

Ani squeezed my hand, not saying a word. When I spoke again, my voice was rough. "The death moments away from claiming you. When the assailant made eye contact with me, the smirk on his face knocked the water from my lungs and made my heart stutter. A sudden rush of adrenaline gave me the breath I needed to shout. I called your name and was in the process of warning you when a scream cut off my words, guttural and savage.

"It happened in a single heartbeat, yet in my mind, it seemed to stretch on forever. You suddenly faltered, slamming face-first into the silt. The bolt landed right between your shoulder blades, the tip missing your spine by a scale's breadth. I rushed towards you, but I already knew what was happening. You were trying to flip onto your back, choking on silt, wondering why your arms weren't working." My voice broke on the last word, and I squeezed my eyes shut as tears slipped down my cheeks.

For two years, I'd been trying to avoid thinking about Faye and the details surrounding her death, terrified that if I did, I would drown in shame and regret. But with the nightmare came a rude awakening: I would never be able to not think about it, no matter how much I tried to avoid it.

I would never be able to avoid the grief, regret, and shame that hit me like a rogue wave at random intervals. I would never be able to avoid the anger that rushed through me whenever I thought about Wyatt and the cruelty and malice he'd had in his heart. But perhaps worst of all, I would never be able to avoid the longing that pierced my heart whenever I thought of Faye.

"I miss her so much," I whispered brokenly, my voice catching. My temples began to throb with the beginnings of a headache, and I groaned softly.

Ani noticed, her face softening with concern. "When was the last time you ate something?" When I didn't answer, she squeezed my hand. "I'll go get us something to eat. I'll be back." She kissed my cheek and swam to the door, disappearing into the sitting room. A few seconds later, I heard the door to the suite open and close.

Even thinking about Wyatt's death didn't give me the closure I'd expected. Because whenever I thought about it, I thought about Sara and how something had broken inside of her when she'd killed him. None of us had heard from her in the two years since his death, and I hadn't tried to reach out to her, fearing she wouldn't respond if I tried.

Even two years later, her words occasionally floated through my head, agonizingly soft. "'This is for Faye. This is for Drew and his family. And this is for me.'"

I shook my head to clear it. I vaguely remembered her offhandedly mentioning how she and Wyatt had grown up in Aquireth, but I had no way of knowing if she still lived there. When Ani's soft voice reached me through the walls of our suite, it immediately put me on edge. There was a hint of unease in her tone, which was unusual for her. "Drew? We have a visitor."

I pulled on a clean shirt, took a breath, and exhaled deeply before opening the bedroom door. I knew who it was without her even saying a name. Sara was here. Relief quickly replaced the worry I'd felt seconds ago. When I glimpsed a flash of a soft grin, I felt a smile spread across my face. Ani precariously balanced a tray of food in one hand while holding the door open with the other.

The latter's face was pale, and I could all but feel the waves of fear coming off her. "Hello, Drew." Sara's voice was soft, tentative. She smiled at Ani as she swam inside. As my eyes scanned Sara's body, every sense in my own went on high alert.

Multiple long, jagged scratches marred her arms, the worst of them causing me to suck in a breath so hard I coughed. As I met Ani's gaze, the reason for her unease became clear. Fear gripped my heart with icy claws as I tried to figure out what might have happened.

When Sara followed my gaze, she quickly pulled her sleeves down to conceal the scratches. A flicker of fear crossed her face; it was gone faster than I could blink. Had someone hurt her? The thought simultaneously enraged and terrified me.

The tension was palpable in the water; we were unsure how to break it. "Hello, Sara. What are you doing here?" The confusion in my voice was evident.

Sara took a deep breath, frowning when she glimpsed Ani with the tray of food. "Are you okay?" I knew her concern was genuine, and while I appreciated it, I had no intention of telling her about Ross and the pendants' reappearance. It wasn't her business; frankly, the less who knew about it, the better.

"I'm fine," I cut in before Ani could answer. When the latter leveled a disapproving glance at me, I kept my eyes on Sara.

"I just came by to see how you were doing. I haven't heard from you since..." When Sara trailed off, a weighted silence fell.

I spoke before the memories could overwhelm me. "We're doing well, thank you. What about you? How are you doing?"

A shadow crossed her face, gone in a blink. When the smile appeared, it was thin and forced. "I'm doing great. I just started a job at The Ocean Café in Nepptheas." Though I could sense genuine pride in her voice when she spoke, the expression on her face was closed off. I knew that expression all too well; it was one of many in my arsenal that I'd used after Faye's death.

"That's great." And I meant it. Despite everything that had happened two years ago, I still cared about her. "Let's move into the sitting room so we're not just floating around talking." As the words left my mouth, I swam towards Ani and took the tray from her hands. My mouth all but watered at the scent of the bubble tea, shrimp, and lobster.

A silent conversation passed between us when we locked eyes. Ani knew I was hiding the truth from Sara; she just didn't know why. And if I had my way, she wouldn't know. No one could.

On top of everything else weighing me down lately, the memory of Wyatt's death had permanently inserted itself into my head. It haunted my sleeping and waking thoughts. Even though I knew Sara didn't (and would never) hold me responsible or blame me for it in any way, I did. We swam into the sitting room, Ani bringing up the rear.

I set the tray on the table before me, picked up a piece of shrimp, and toyed with it for a few seconds before popping it into my mouth. Sara's voice startled me from my thoughts. "I'm living with a friend in Aegrem. After what happened..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked down at the ground.

She took a few moments before she could speak again. "I couldn't stay in Aquireth. There were too many memories in that house—good and bad." She didn't elaborate, but she didn't need to. I nodded.

"If there's anything we can do, please don't hesitate to let us know." Sincerity coated Ani's voice, but I could sense confusion in her words. She didn't know what was happening, and neither did I.

A soft smile crossed Sara's face as she looked at Ani. "Thanks. I will." The smile quickly faded, however, when she looked away.

My hand trembled as I lifted the bubble tea to my lips and took a sip. I wanted to ask Sara what had happened to her, but I knew she wouldn't say in front of Ani. It would be hard enough for her to tell me. I could tell by the slight hitch in her breath every time her eyes followed mine to her arms.

I needed to find out what was happening, but I would never pressure Ani or purposefully exclude her from anything. As soon as I figured out what was going on, she'd be the first one I'd tell. When I looked at her, my eyes pleading with hers, she nodded as she squeezed my hand. No sooner had the door to the sitting room finished closing than Sara spoke, her voice rough.

"Every time I close my eyes, I see Wyatt's smug, malicious grin. And the worst part is, I don't even feel relief for ridding all the realms of a merman like him. I don't feel anything. It's like I have this gaping hole inside me." And I knew she didn't mean where her love for Wyatt had been.

"I still hear his voice. I heard what he said to you, you know." The words were barely more than a whisper, but I heard them. My heart stopped dead in my chest, and I choked.

"'You can't kill me. Your morality won't let you—even if it's to avenge Faye. Because you know Ani will leave you if you do.'" Even two years later, the words still floated through my head, clear as day. I closed my eyes, shuddering.

"Sometimes, the guilt and shame are so bad I can't get out of bed. None of you will ever blame me for what happened, but I blame myself." She took a shuddering breath and looked down. Her eyes glistened with tears as she gazed back at me and, pulling up her sleeves again, extended her arms. My breath caught as I looked at the scratches—long, deliberate lines across once-smooth, previously unmarred skin.

"Why?" It was the only thing I could think of to say. My head was spinning with the bomb Sara had just dropped.

Her breath hitched. "It's the only way I can cope. I killed my brother, Drew." I found myself reaching for her as her voice broke and she crumpled. I caught her a heartbeat before she would have hit the ground.

A great sob escaped her as she covered her face with trembling hands. I held her tightly, fighting back tears of my own.

Hours later, Sara had long since gone back to Aegrem. Ani and I'd had a quiet dinner and were now getting ready for bed. It wasn't until Ani spoke, her voice soft, that I realized I was trembling. "Does your silence have anything to do with your conversation with Sara this afternoon?"

I let out a shuddering breath, clenching my eyes shut as a tear slid down my cheek. "Sara's struggling with the aftermath of killing Wyatt. And I don't know how to help her." I had to find a way before it was too late. The only question was, would I be able to break through the wall she'd built around herself to uncover the entire truth?

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