I floated in a sea of nothingness for what felt like an eternity. My head felt foggy, and my limbs were leaden. The fog barely allowed the voices to reach me; I could catch snippets of conversations but couldn't focus enough to follow them.

"What if they're all in comas? What if one of them has a brain bleed?"

"We can't think like that. Dr. Murphy told us that she and the other doctors would do everything they could to help them. Don't worry. Carla, David, Drew, and Bella are strong. They'll make it through this."

"Jonah said there's been no sign of Naia or Brandon since the attack. He thinks they're lying in wait, preparing to strike again. We can't allow ourselves to be caught off guard again. We have to be vigilant."

The mention of Naia and Brandon jolted me upright, and my eyes were wide and fearful as I scanned my surroundings. The sudden movement tugged at my stitched shoulder, causing my head to throb and spin simultaneously, and I cried out as I leaned back against the pillows. I heard several gasps and moaned in relief when I felt an ice-cold hand touch my forehead. 

"Drew? It's Uncle Jay. Can you hear me?" Fear and worry coated the latter's voice, and I clamped down hard to stifle the sob that rose in my throat. Opening my eyes proved to be a mistake; the light shot a bolt of pain through my head. I immediately shut them, taking several deep breaths.

"Take it slow, Drew. You've been out for a long time." Weary concern filled Uncle Jay's voice.

Slowly, I cracked one eye open, biting my tongue to stifle the cry that rose in my throat. As the pain subsided, I allowed myself to open both eyes, taking another deep breath.

Four pairs of eyes stared at me, and worry and concern etched deep lines on each face. Aunt Izzy, Uncle Jay, Uncle Kai, and Aunt Nerissa floated by the bed, their faces pale and drawn. The latter gently took my hand, the tears in her eyes spilling down her cheeks. "Drew," she breathed, her voice breaking.

When a hand slid into mine, I flinched. Ani's face appeared above mine, tear-stained, pale, and eyes wide. "We talked to Dr. Murphy. Your mom and dad both suffered minor concussions, so she wants to keep all of you here for a few days for observation. Jonah said he'd stay here if any of us wanted to go back and rest." As the words left her mouth, her hand tightened on mine.

I swallowed hard, attempting to force my brain to function enough to speak. Another bolt of pain shot through my head, and I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood. Panting through clenched teeth, I forced each word out: "Carla... Where... Where... Is... She?"

It felt as if a dozen jellyfish had stung my brain. Words were almost impossible to form, never mind complete or coherent sentences. Ani took a shaky breath, exhaling deeply before responding. "Carla's fine. Dr. Murphy was concerned about a possible concussion, but as far as I know, she seems to be recovering well."

She swiped at her eyes, but tears formed anyway. "You don't understand, Drew. When Jonah told me what happened..." Her breath hitched as she shook her head.

Aunt Nerissa sniffled, and when I looked at her, alarm shot through me at the tears sliding down her cheeks. Her hands trembled as she signed. This is all my fault. I'm so, so sorry. Uncle Jay pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

White-hot rage flowed through me at the sight of her tears. I hated that Aunt Nerissa blamed herself for something she had no part in. I hated that our family suffered because of one mermaid's jealousy and greed. But most of all, I hated Naia—for the destruction and pain she'd caused with no regard for civilian safety.

Ani suddenly flinched, her eyes widening as she whirled around. A heartbeat later, the faint voices reached my ears, filled with worry and fear. "Ani! Are you okay?" "Is Drew okay? What happened?"

Dathan and Della appeared in the doorway, their eyes wide with concern. The former swam in first, eyes sweeping over each of us before settling on me. "What happened? We heard there was an attack, but no one would tell us anything else."

Despite myself, I tensed as I sat up straighter. I couldn't help but glance out the nearest window and ensure Naia and Brandon weren't waiting to ambush us again. Although I knew that neither Della nor Dathan was involved in the attack, it had nonetheless wholly shattered my sense of safety.

I found myself constantly on high alert now. I'd had to fight off panic attacks before whenever Ani and I were apart—how much worse would it be now? What possible mental, emotional, and psychological effects would we be suffering from for the rest of our lives as a result of this attack? Would I ever regain the sense of peace and safety I'd once had, even in my own home?

I gripped Ani's hand tightly, afraid to take my eyes off her for even a moment lest she vanish. My throat felt like I'd swallowed rocks, and the pain in my head was blinding now, but I pushed through. I motioned to Aunt Nerissa and the notepad she always carried. She handed it over without hesitation.

Despite the exhaustion still coursing through me, my hands flew across the page as I wrote. Naia and Brandon attacked the palace a few days ago. I wasn't sure how long I'd slept, but the sun was higher in the sky than before.

I closed my eyes, and the memory of the burning pain shot through me as I felt my head slamming against the wall. Something bright crashed into a nearby window, sending burning shards everywhere. Unfortunately, I was closest to the window, which meant most of the shards hit me. The impact of the glass shattering threw me backward into a wall. My head hit the stone with a loud crack, and I saw stars as I slumped to the ground.

I didn't realize the significance of the weapon then, but I do now. It was a lava torch. Not surprisingly, I got blank looks at my declaration. King Marlin was getting ready to distribute them to the surrounding realms when Ani and I visited him a few months ago. Naia and Brandon must have infiltrated Nepptheas' palace and stolen some. Mom and Dad were lying against the wall across from me, both unnervingly still. Carla had braced a hand against the wall, panting hard as she tried to rise.

I swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. The impact had thrown Jonah down the hall. When he sat up, rubbing his head, I exhaled in relief. I convinced Carla to check on and stay with Mom and Dad while I made sure Jonah was okay. He told me to take Mom, Dad, and Carla to the infirmary while he found Ani. By that time, Mom and Dad had both regained consciousness.

My vision swam, blurring and then clearing. The swim to the infirmary simultaneously seemed to last an eternity and a heartbeat. When the entrance loomed ahead of us, I breathed a sigh of relief that bordered on a sob. My voice was barely a whisper as I tried to speak. I had no idea how my voice was audible to anyone inside, but by some miracle, Dr. Murphy was just inside the front doors. By that point, the pain had increased until it felt like some lava from the torch had found its way onto my shoulder.

I let out a ragged breath. I couldn't speak, so I merely shot Dr. Murphy a pleading glance. Even though I trusted her with my life, the last thing I wanted was for her to get caught up in this. My eyes kept closing, but I heard Dr. Murphy gasp, and suddenly, her voice was very close. I cracked my eyes open as she told me to stay awake. Another doctor swam up and slung Dad's arm around his shoulder, leading him deeper into the infirmary.

I had everyone's attention now. When I heard Ani's voice, I struggled against the urge to rush over and wrap her in my arms. Jonah told me he'd keep an eye out in case Naia or Brandon decided to show up uninvited, but I saw him falter as the last word left his mouth. Ani swam towards me, her teary eyes full of worry and fear. Her hand found mine, and she squeezed hard. By that point, my head was spinning again, and I was teetering on the edge of consciousness. That's the last thing I remember before waking up a few minutes ago.

I flinched as Uncle Jay swore, his voice low and vicious. "This has gone too far. She attacked the palace and nearly killed our family. We can't allow her and Brandon's reign of terror to continue. We should go to Nepptheas, get more lava torches, and take her on ourselves."

Aunt Nerissa gasped, the sound sharp and full of fear. Shaking her head vigorously, she swam over to her husband, her gaze pleading as she signed. No. Jay, you can't. The situation has escalated far beyond the murder of Queen Irvetta. Naia is unstable, and we can't risk angering her more. The attack on the palace was a warning: test her, and she'll do worse than murder.

None of us thought to keep an eye on the door because we were so focused on digesting what I had revealed. That meant none of us were paying attention when a mermaid casually swam inside, a knowing smirk on her face. When the hair on the back of my neck stood up again, just as it had in the moments right before the attack, I didn't hesitate.

My dagger spun free of my hand a heartbeat later, slicing through the water precisely and accurately. Despite not having glimpsed my target, I couldn't help the glimmer of dark satisfaction seeing it carve a slice across Naia's cheek. She slapped a hand over the wound, but the smug grin didn't falter. "I suppose I should say I'm not surprised. Drew Mercer, the great protector. But what good are you when you couldn't protect the person who mattered most?"

Bitterness and venom dripped from her words as they hit their target. I knew what she was doing—trying to bait me into unleashing my dark side. The side we'd all seen after Faye died. She knew that I hadn't been able to save Faye; she also knew that I'd struggled with self-loathing in the days, weeks, and months following the attack.

I winced as a sharp slap echoed from the hallway. A whimper followed as the door swung open, revealing Brandon clutching a disheveled and unsteady Carla. The latter was wincing at the bright light streaming through the windows, panting heavily as she tried to get her bearings. As her eyes landed on me, she let out a piercing sob.

"Your mother did everything she could to provide for you and your sister—even give you up so you could have a better life," Naia continued, her voice never losing that smug tone. "And what did you and Faye do in return? You went to the first ones who could offer you comfort and safety, something you often lacked. You couldn't save your sisters; you couldn't save your father. I wonder what he would say if—"

The roar that erupted from me was animalistic. I could have sworn all the sea creatures held their breath in the wake of it. I'd never heard such a feral and raw sound. Red tinged the edges of my vision; pure, unbridled rage flowed through me like lava.

My hands instinctively curled into fists as I got out of bed, taking a stroke forward—and then another, intending to slap that smug grin off Naia's face. Dad swam towards me, looking for all the world like he would try to stop me. Whatever he saw on my face had him quickly backing down.

But as I slowly approached Naia, the rage dissipated as if it never existed. I opened my mouth, preparing to yell and scream at her, but a sob cracked from my lips instead, the sound harsh and ragged.

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