Bodies surrounded me as I swam through a familiar clearing. Everywhere I looked, I saw gray faces still etched in pain and terror. I flinched as a hand suddenly tugged on mine. A young, brown-eyed mermaid looked up at me, a smile on her face. The smile quickly turned into a scream as she gripped it, my free one coming to rest on my throat, the dark blue pendant hanging there. It glinted at me, as if daring me to unleash it.

I stared at the pendant as if I'd never seen it before, having no recollection of donning it. Her brown eyes were wide and fearful as she looked at me, her pale skin becoming bone-white as I felt the life drain from her body. A shudder ran down my spine as I released her hand and watched her lifeless body sink to the ground. I blinked, and the scene changed, my surroundings becoming a blur around me.

When I opened my eyes again—not that I had any recollection of closing them—I was back in Nepptheas, my eyes wide with shock as I stared down at a body—the body. It was a mermaid around Naia's age, her blonde hair limp around her shoulders. Her blue-grey eyes stared blankly up at the surface. I started to check if she was breathing, then froze as a brown-haired blur zoomed away.

Before I could try to make sense of what just happened, another merman was tapping me on the shoulder, grey eyes wide as he stared at me. My breath caught in my throat as my surroundings blurred again, my eyes fluttering then closing. I jolted awake, my breathing coming fast—too fast. Blurry faces were in front of me, clearing occasionally to reveal grey and dark green eyes, respectively, staring at me.

David placed a gentle hand on my back while Jay took my own, gently rubbing his thumb over it. I could do nothing but stare at David, struggling to control my breathing. What happened? His hands were steady as he signed.

My heart was pounding almost uncontrollably as I lifted shaking hands in front of me, my signing unwieldy and messy. I remember. Who killed that mermaid when we first met. I looked at David as I signed the last few words.

Who? David's eyes were wide as they stared into my own—darkening as he, too, recalled that day. The day that changed everything.

I was near the Whispering Reef surrounded by bodies. Mermaids and mermen alike, grey faces frozen in pain and terror. A hand suddenly tugged on mine and I looked down to see a familiar brown-haired mermaid looking up at me, a smile on her face. My eyes were filled with anguish as I looked at David, dreading the words that were coming next.

It was Ella. I gripped her hand, my free one coming to rest on a dark-blue pendant around my neck—even though I had no recollection of putting it on. Her brown eyes were wide and fearful as she stared at me. They quickly faded as I watched and felt the life drain from her body. My hands shook as I signed, the enormity of what I'd done hitting me like a brick wall.

I'd barely blinked before the scene changed. I opened my eyes—again having no recollection of closing them—and was back in Nepptheas. My eyes were wide with shock as I stared down at a familiar body. The mermaid was around Naia's age, her blonde hair limp on her shoulders. Her blue-grey eyes stared blankly up at the surface. I bent down to check if she was breathing, then froze as a brown-haired blur suddenly zoomed away.

I was shaking now, as if revisiting the memory had had a physical effect on me. I'd always wondered who that merman was, but now I know. My eyes were filled with fear as I looked at Jay, my heart hurting for him, for the truth I was about to unearth. It was Noah.

He shook his head, mouth opening and closing as his eyes remained fixed on mine. How is that possible? You and I didn't even know each other then. His unspoken words floated between us. I hadn't spoken to Noah in years.

I shrugged, suddenly needing to move. All the fear, exhaustion, and confusion had fused together to create uncontrollable energy. It flowed through every muscle in my body, leaving heat in its wake. I rose, grabbed my jacket, and shrugged it on. Jay swam to me, taking both my hands in his. Where are you going? Indeed, that was worry in his eyes—for me, in case I ran into Noah.

I wasn't in control of my body as I looked at him and shook my head. This was just too much. I have to go. It was all I could manage.

My hands shook when I reached for the doorknob. Before I could so much as open it, however, someone else had opened it and swum inside. In the span of a few heartbeats, both David and Jay had their daggers out, the latter pushing me behind him. Red hair flashed in my vision, accompanied by dark-blue eyes. That wasn't what stole the water from my lungs.

It was the merman beside her, his green eyes alight with malice and smugness. He smirked at me, then Jay, his eyes lingering on Jay's before turning back to me.

"What are you doing here, Noah?" Jay's eyes were cold, as was his voice, I imagined.

Noah gestured to the mermaid beside him. Alyssa found me a few weeks ago and gave me a great idea. From the look in his eyes, I could tell that whatever he was about to say would not bode well for us.

He gestured to Alyssa, a smile on his face. In exchange for six weeks of your choosing, you will permanently move to Rosewood Manor and help Alyssa clean up her... messes.

My spine locked up as he finished signing, my heart thundering. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I locked eyes with Jay, begging him to find me a way out of this. The thought of being locked in that house again... I couldn't bear it.

I barely noticed David swim to my side and slip an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. Tremors wracked my body as that familiar sense of hopelessness seized me. The ghosts hadn't been a problem since I'd been home, but I had no doubt they would reappear as soon as I arrived at Rosewood.

I swallowed hard as I glanced sidelong at Jay. His expression was defeated when he met my stare, his green eyes—the eyes that shone with love whenever we looked at each other, that brightened with laughter whenever David and Bella were around—blank, filled with a sort of hopelessness I hadn't seen since the last time we'd been in this situation.

David met my gaze, his expression reluctant. He knew as well as Jay how much I hated being in that place. I straightened, focusing on Noah. What do I get out of this?

He grinned, as if the thought had already occurred to him. I won't lay a hand on your friends. Drew and Faye Mercer. Those are their names, right? So young and vulnerable. It would be a shame if something were to happen to them. Especially so soon after losing their mother and sister.

I couldn't breathe as I stared at him, his expression smug as he finished signing. How he knew about them, I had no idea. I would do whatever he asked if it meant he would spare them. That hopelessness crawled up my spine, taking root in my chest. My head throbbed with the beginnings of a headache as I again locked eyes with him. And sealed my doom as I nodded.

He grinned, meeting each of our stares before gesturing to Alyssa as they swam outside. I'll see you soon.

I collapsed on the floor, my entire body trembling with restrained sobs. Jay and David were in front of me a heartbeat later, lifting my body off the ground and embracing me.

Jay wordlessly took my hand after we broke apart, leading me to our bedroom. Exhaustion slammed into me before I'd even reached the bed, my eyes closing. I had a vague sense of Jay tucking me into bed, then darkness swallowed me up.

Read and review!