I didn't leave the palace the following day. Or the next. I barely got out of bed; I hardly ate or drank. My depression had merged with my grief, sucking me into an abyss from which there was no escape. Whenever I finally managed to sleep, back-to-back nightmares of Faye's death tormented me.

All I could hear were my last words to my sister—all I could see was her agonized face. "'Please, Faye. I can't lose you.'"

I had just woken from one such nightmare—soaked in sweat and gasping for water—to night-dark waters outside our open windows. I rubbed a hand down my face, exhaling slowly and trying to calm my racing heart. Ani took a deep breath before she spoke, her voice soft in the darkness. "You had the dream again?"

Emotion tightened my throat, making speech impossible, so I merely nodded. Tears welled in my eyes, but I hurriedly swiped them away. When Ani spoke again, I could hear the strain in her voice. "I heard you and your dad talking yesterday—and you're right."

I sat up at her words, my eyes wide. I'd had no idea she'd been listening—that she had heard the truths we'd revealed. The words were coming out before I'd even processed them. "I—I'm sorry—"

Ani shook her head. "Don't be. You and your parents have suffered unimaginable tragedy, and that type of pain never entirely disappears. I will never completely understand what you are going through, but I'm here for you. Even though I have a strained relationship with my parents and sister, they're still here. That's why I will get up early tomorrow and start searching again.

"You're right: we may never understand what you are going through, but we'll help however we can. You don't have to go through this alone, my love." Though her voice stayed steady, I glimpsed tears in her eyes when I looked up at her.

Even though Zander was dead—even though I had avenged Faye's death—the grief would never truly leave me, nor would the soul-crushing emptiness that threatened to consume me whenever I thought about her. Weak sunlight shone into the water, pale yellow mingling with the blue. Sunrise.

I knew almost no one else would be awake, but I couldn't stomach sitting with my thoughts any longer. I knew where to go, even though I wasn't sure I was ready to face the coming emotions. Before I could talk myself out of it, I rose from the bed and swam to our closet, hurriedly getting dressed.

"What are you doing?" I could hear Ani's muffled voice from the bedroom. As I finished getting dressed, I focused on breathing, not the images threatening to consume me.

I could torture myself every day with the countless what-ifs—What if I had reacted faster? What if I had heard the crossbow and gotten her out of the way sooner? What if I had taken the hit for her?—and it still wouldn't bring her back. I knew why I'd been having the nightmares, why her last words had been haunting me for days.

Today was the anniversary of her death. I think my body had realized it before my mind had. I took a deep breath as I looked at her, exhaling slowly before responding. "Today is the anniversary of Faye's death." Even saying the words made my chest tighten to the point of pain.

Ani's eyes widened as she swam to me, wrapping her arms around me. I didn't blink at the hollowness of my voice when I spoke. "I was going to visit her grave this morning before breakfast. W—"

I didn't get the chance to finish. Ani was nodding furiously, blinking back tears as she kissed me. "Of course. I'll be by your side the whole time. Should we ask your parents and Jonah if they would like to join us?"

As the words left her mouth, I mentally berated myself for not thinking of it sooner. They missed Faye as much as I did, and I knew they would love to have the chance to honor her memory. I nodded. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea."

Ani squeezed my hand as we left the suite. I pushed the grief, agony, and pain into the very back of my heart where it couldn't touch me, keeping any trace of it off my face as we swam to Mom and Dad's suite and knocked.

When I glanced out the nearest window, the light barely touched the water, indicating dawn was approaching. I heard sniffling and low voices murmuring behind the door before it opened. Mom floated in the doorway, her tear-stained face pale.

Before she could open her mouth, I was already reaching for her, swallowing my own sob. There were no words to convey the soul-deep pain we were all feeling. Neither of us let go for several minutes. When I finally pulled away, she sniffled again, touching my cheek. "Are you ready?" Her voice was a broken rasp—as if she had cried herself to sleep the night before.

I looked over at Ani, who squeezed my hand. Dad had a soft grip on Mom's hand, but the same grief and agony that was present in all our gazes shone in his eyes. That was answer enough.

We'd just turned away from their suite when another voice, hoarse with grief, came from behind me. "Drew?" My heart stumbled as I turned and met Jonah's red-rimmed eyes. Wordlessly, Mom swam to him and gently took his hand. He gave her a watery smile in return.

Linked by grief, the five of us left the palace, not stopping until we came upon three graves. Side by side, the writing on each was illegible, the stones warped by time and the elements. Nevertheless, the inscription on each grave had permanently etched itself on my heart.

Here lies Carla Sydney Mercer, a light in the darkness and a soul whose life was taken from these waters too soon. May she feel no pain as her soul rests for eternity.

Here lies Ella Grace Mercer, a light in the darkness and a soul whose life was taken from these waters too soon. May she feel no pain as her soul rests for eternity.

Here lies Faye Elizabeth Mercer, a light in the darkness and a soul whose life was taken from these waters too soon. May she feel no pain as her soul rests for eternity.

I couldn't contain the sob that slipped from my lips as my eyes passed over the third and final grave. Soft sniffles from behind me had my heart clenching painfully. Taking a steadying breath, I let go of Ani's hand and swam to each grave, placing a hand on the stone and closing my eyes. After swimming back to Ani and feeling her warm embrace, I finally released the pain and grief I had held onto for so long.

Loud, painful sobs wracked my body as images of Carla, Ella, and Faye flashed through my mind at a dizzying pace. "I'm so sorry, Drew." Ani's soft voice filled my ears, and I managed to find the strength to look up at her, the grief in her eyes as tangible as my own. She may not have known them, but she knew how close I had been to each mermaid.

When another voice spoke up from behind us, clogged with tears, it was Mom's turn to let out a sob. "David?" I didn't need to look to know Uncle Jay and Aunt Nerissa had swum up to us. The former had spoken, his voice hoarse.

I pulled away from Ani long enough to swim to Aunt Nerissa and wrap her in a hug. The instant my arms came around her, she crumpled. Loud, heartbreaking sobs wracked her body, the sound cracking something inside me. When I heard Mom's choked, painful cries, it only made me sob harder.

I looked toward Faye's grave only once, enough to see Jonah frozen before it—hand on the stone, eyes closed, silent sobs wracking his body. None of us moved, giving Jonah the time he needed to grieve.

Only when Mom suddenly sucked in a breath, her hand finding mine, did I pull away from Aunt Nerissa. "Drew," the former breathed, a sob following the word.

My heart stumbled as I followed her gaze, a sharp gasp ripping from my throat as I beheld the bruised and battered mermaid in the distance. Ani let out a harsh cry as she bolted toward her mother. I was on her tail, my heart thundering in my chest now.

If this was a trick or a trap that Naia had organized... We could take no chances. Thalassa let out a moan as she fell into Ani's arms. The muffled cry that followed had me glancing around warily. "Come on," I said, my words low and rushed. "We shouldn't be out in the open. Ani and I will take Thalassa back to the palace."

No one argued. However, I saw more than one mouth fall open. I wrapped Thalassa's arm around my shoulder, biting back my wince as the former let out a low, pained moan. Ani's quiet sniffles mingled with those of Mom and Aunt Nerissa.

It was a miracle my heart could still beat. After everything I'd been through—and everyone I'd lost—I'd come so close to breaking. I swam back to the palace in a daze, barely able to breathe past the agony and grief crushing my chest.

"We'll bring her to our suite, and then I'll get breakfast." I compromised because I knew Ani wouldn't want to leave her—even just to go to the dining room. After everything, we needed food.

Ani nodded but didn't speak. She spoke only when we'd returned to our suite and shut the door behind us. "What do you think happened?"

I looked over at Thalassa, who had collapsed on the couch in our sitting room, staring at nothing. When she began to shiver, Ani and I lent her our cloaks.

"I don't know," I responded softly. "But whatever it was, Naia did it to send us a message. Queen Irvetta was only the beginning. Now Thalassa... How many more innocents will suffer before she finally gets what she wants?"

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