Aunt Nerissa lunged for me as I began to falter. The adrenaline that had allowed me to get out of bed and make that pitiful shot faded as quickly as it had come. Grief replaced the rage that had flowed through me like lava. I should have been yelling and screaming at Naia; I should have been beating her within an inch of her life.

Looking at her, I didn't see the confident mermaid who floated before me; I saw the vulnerable and insecure one beneath her fierce exterior. I saw the mermaid who was so jealous of her sister's life that she would resort to something drastic—like murder—just to feel powerful. To try to gain that sense of control she'd never felt.

I opened my mouth, but someone beat me to it. Carla, panting heavily, had somehow wriggled out of Brandon's grip and was now floating beside me. Dad swam toward her but stopped when she sharply shook her head.

"You're right about one thing," Carla rasped, her voice hoarse and worn as if she'd been screaming or crying. "I did everything I could to provide for Drew and Faye, even at the cost of my well-being—because I knew that no matter what I did, I would never be able to create a stable and secure home life for them. And I couldn't bear the thought of my children going through that."

Her chest hitched as tears filled her eyes, but she didn't sob. She stared Naia down as she continued, her eyes bright despite the tears gleaming. "I think about Jacob every single day and wonder what he would say if he were here. I know he died so my children could live, and I will be forever grateful to him for that. Do I miss him, Ella, and Faye? Of course. I think about them every day.

"Despite my struggles, I never turned to violence or cruelty to cope with my grief, as I promised myself to give my children a better life than I had growing up. Do I wish I had revealed myself after Ella's death so I could have been a part of their lives? Yes. I live with that regret every day.

"But Isabella and David took them in and gave them a stable, happy childhood—something that, despite my best efforts, I could never give them. From what I've heard about yours, you had all that and more. It's a shame you turned out the way you did."

Carla's head was high, her back straight, as her words lingered in the water. Naia's face had lost all color, and her eyes were wide and shamed. She looked at every face before coming back to Carla.

I flinched as I felt a hand touch my arm. A voice spoke near my ear, low and smooth. "Come on, son." Though Dad's voice contained none of the rage, anger, and grief swirling around inside me, one look at his face revealed the emotions present in his eyes. Slowly—painfully—we made our way, stroke by stroke, back to the bed.

None of us expected Aunt Nerissa to speak, her voice heavy with grief and shame. Not for herself, but for the mermaid floating in front of Carla—whom she'd never again call sister.

"You think Meri would be proud of who you've become? What you've done? Carla was right; despite our stable childhood, I feel shame when I see you and the mermaid you've become. Learning about Queen Irvetta's death was gut-wrenching. Realizing that someone I knew could be capable of such violence with absolutely no sense of morality or remorse was like someone had ripped my heart to shreds.

"Faye and Drew were children when their sister's murder took place—at the hands of Jay's brother, no less. But unlike you, Noah realized the consequence of his mistake and eventually admitted it. You don't deserve to live after what you did."

Aunt Nerissa's throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "Instead of killing you, however, I think that leaving you to live with the immorality of what you did is punishment enough. When you look in the mirror, I hope you see the mermaid who slaughtered an innocent mermaid and left a merman without his wife and a realm without their queen. I certainly don't see you as anything but a murderer."

Naia lurched backward as if someone had shoved her. We all flinched as the faint voice sounded from outside the room. "Bella! David? Is Drew okay?"

No one spoke. Everyone was silent as King Marlin appeared in the doorway. When he saw Naia, the worry on his face vanished, replaced by a cold aloofness.

Naia's voice was hoarse when she finally responded. "At least we finally have something in common now, right, Rissa? Or don't you count all those mermaids and mermen you buried for Tiger Shark as murder victims? Tell me, does it get easier living with the guilt and shame? Or does it eat away at you, hollowing you out until a shell is all that's left?"

It was Aunt Nerissa's turn to stagger backward. Her face was pale as death, her eyes impossibly wide. Naia had reopened a wound that had taken decades to heal.

And from the injured look on Aunt Nerissa's face, Naia had known precisely what buttons she was pushing. What wound she had reopened. King Marlin's face was blank as he swam inside, not giving any of us a second glance as he focused on Naia. A hospital room was undoubtedly an unorthodox place for sentencing, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Naia Demetra Munroe," he began, his voice reverberating throughout the room. "You are being charged with first-degree murder, intent to murder, and kidnapping." Based on the latter charge, he obviously remembered her failed attempt years ago.

"Do you have any last words before I decide your fate?" I didn't know much about King Marlin's reign, but based on the blandness of his delivery, I would guess he had recited similar verdicts countless times over the years.

Naia's eyes swept over the room, landing on each of us before finally returning to King Marlin's cold gaze. A wicked glint shone in them as she opened her mouth. My heart stopped dead as a wave of icy dread washed over me. "As smart as you are, Drew, I'm surprised you couldn't figure out my plan before it was too late."

Her words were as cold as King Marlin's gaze. Shocked and horrified cries filled the room as a merman swam in. Initially, my mind struggled to comprehend the scene unfolding before me. Slowly, in bits and pieces, clarity hit me with the force of a slap.

I heard the sound of a young mermaid's ragged breathing. If I'd been looking at Brandon, I would have glimpsed the soul-shredding agony on his face as he gripped Elle's sleeve. If I'd been thinking clearly, I would have realized what was happening. Brandon was just as shocked as we were; he had no idea Naia had been planning this. I felt the water leave my body in a rush as I faltered.

Killing Irvetta hadn't been her end game. No, it was a decoy for her to concoct her real strategy—taking away what her sister loved more than life itself. Elle was sobbing piteously, her face red and blotchy with tears.

If I looked hard enough, I could just barely make out the edges of a bruise near her hairline. When she glimpsed Aunt Izzy, the cry that escaped her lips was agonizing. "Mom! I'm sorry! S-she knocked me out before I could get to you!

Aunt Izzy let out a guttural scream as she lunged for her daughter. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! SHE'S JUST A CHILD!" Animalistic rage blazed in her eyes as she glared at her aunt; she looked seconds away from launching herself at Naia.

Aunt Nerissa looked seconds away from tackling her sister. I think she would have if it hadn't been for Uncle Jay's white-knuckled grip on her hand. Her face was deathly pale, her eyes wide and glistening with tears.

Taking a deep, trembling breath, she let it out slowly before whispering in her husband's ear. Her words were too soft for us to understand, but judging by the shock on Uncle Jay's face, I knew what she was telling him.

The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion. I saw Dad lunge for Elle, his face pale and drawn; I heard Mom's cry as she reached for Aunt Nerissa. But what I knew I'd remember for the rest of my life—what I knew no one had seen coming—was Brandon shoving Elle into Dad's arms a heartbeat before he grabbed Naia. I didn't see what Brandon did, but when I looked at her again, she was unconscious in his arms.

Elle buried her face into Dad's chest, mumbling incoherent things through her tears. He held her tightly, afraid to loosen his grip lest she vanish. "I've got you, honey," he murmured, looking worriedly at Brandon and Naia.

Stone-faced and calm, Brandon handed an unconscious Naia over to King Marlin. "I can't apologize enough for the suffering and agony Naia caused for so many. I sincerely apologize for not recognizing her plan sooner. I will forever blame myself for not recognizing the signs."

King Marlin inclined his head to Brandon in response. "It takes a brave merman to apologize for his wife's mistakes—particularly when the situation was as dire as Naia's." When he looked around, every face wore a look of confusion, except for Aunt Nerissa. She was nodding gravely, blinking past the tears that formed in her eyes.

Uncle Jay looked at his wife, confusion filling his voice. "Rissa? What's going on?"

Everyone's attention shifted to Aunt Nerissa. She cleared her throat several times before she spoke, her voice hoarse. "Naia has Borderline Personality Disorder. She started showing symptoms right after..."

As Aunt Nerissa trailed off, a weighted silence descended. Judging from the sympathy I saw in almost every face when I looked around, everyone knew what she was referring to. When she lost her hearing.

"At first, we thought she'd blamed herself for not being able to help prevent me losing my hearing. And then, as we got older, it got worse. Naia became jealous, possessive, and greedy, craving the fulfillment and contentment that Meri and I had. We had a reason to get up in the morning: Meri's sign language classes and my job at The Ocean Café. Naia hid her jealousy and greed when we were younger, stuffing it deep where it couldn't touch her."

"But it all came to a head when I became queen. Naia finally snapped; I had taken the one thing she'd wanted the most. At that point, part of me had already known for a while that the sister I'd loved during our childhood was gone. But after she almost killed all of you..." She trailed off again, her eyes seeking Mom, Dad, Ani, and me. Making sure we all saw the apology shining in them.

Mom sniffled, her eyes teary as she swam toward Aunt Nerissa. "You are my oldest friend, and nothing you could say or do will change that. I'm sorry you've lived with that secret shame all these years. I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell us."

Aunt Nerissa let out a sob as she fell into Mom's arms. King Marlin cleared his throat, his eyes remorseful as he sought out Mom and Aunt Nerissa. "Does anyone have anything to say before she starts her sentence?"

Dad, Uncle Jay, Uncle Kai, Aunt Izzy, Ani, and I instinctively swam toward Mom and Aunt Nerissa, supporting our family in one of our most challenging and awful moments. Aunt Nerissa sniffled, shuddering before speaking, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I hope you find some way to forgive yourself, Naia, because I cannot."

King Marlin held Aunt Nerissa's gaze for a long moment as if recognizing the weight pressing down on her. "Then it is done. I hereby sentence Naia Demetra Monroe to life in prison for the crimes of first-degree murder, regicide, intent to kidnap, and kidnapping." The words echoed in the water as if daring anyone to object. But no one did.

Naia was unmoving in King Marlin's grip. Without another word, he calmly left the room, the door reverberating shut behind him. It was only when the eight of us remained that Aunt Nerissa faltered, crying out with an agony I felt deep in my soul.

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