My sleep was anything but undisturbed that night. I kept seeing Aunt Izzy's anguished face as she glimpsed her daughter; I kept hearing her guttural scream as she lunged for Elle. "'What is wrong with you?! She's just a child!'"

After I was awoken for the umpteenth time by Aunt Izzy's cries, I quietly got out of bed and swam into the bathing room. Closing the door behind me, I braced my hands on the sink and stared into the mirror. The merman staring back at me was a stranger.

The light Dad mentioned seeing in my eyes when I first met Ani was nowhere to be found. The joy that had been on my face when Carla had come back was gone. Looking in the mirror now, I saw the unhinged merman who had lunged at Naia, intending to slap the smug grin off her face. I saw the merman from two years ago who had screamed at Ani and swum away like a coward.

But worst of all, I saw the merman who had been ready to give up in the aftermath of Faye's death. Grief had blinded the merman to the point where he didn't see any point in living. If I was honest with myself, traces of that merman remained in me.

When I heard Ani's sleepy voice, my heart lurched. "Drew? What's wrong?" I rubbed a shaking hand down my face, exhaling a ragged breath. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to calm down. I didn't want her to see me like this. Every deep breath I took reminded me that I was breathing, but Faye wasn't.

Every time I looked in the mirror, I was reminded of the lifelessness in Faye's expression when I saw her for the last time. My chest tightened to the point of pain as I choked on a sob. Ani's soft, warm hands landed on my shoulders and wrapped around my chest.

The feel of her hands on mine—so similar to Faye's the last time I had held her—made me crumple. Ani's grip on my chest was the only thing keeping me upright. "I've got you, my love," she murmured, her voice low and soothing. I turned and collapsed against her, allowing all the anguish, grief, shame, and regret that had festered over the past few weeks to be released.

When the tears finally subsided, leaving me hollow and aching, I lifted my head and met Ani's gaze. "I-I'm sorry," I choked out. Last night's emotions hadn't yet left me, and I simultaneously wanted to punch something and collapse into a heap of grief and shame. I hated that I'd woken her up.

Ani shook her head, her eyes never leaving mine. "Don't apologize. Last night was tough for all of us, and no one expects you to get over it quickly. What do you want to do?" Her voice was calm and steady, a direct contrast to my own.

Despite the exhaustion tugging at me, I knew I couldn't go back to sleep. Not yet. When I looked at Ani again, I knew where to go.

Wordlessly, I got dressed quickly, Ani following suit. I opened and closed the suite door soundlessly; the only sound in the otherwise silent hallway was my trembling breaths. Ani's hand found mine, and she squeezed gently. Once we reached the open water, I shot off like a torpedo. Despite the water rushing past my face, I knew Ani was still beside me.

I had too many emotions inside me. Anger wrestled with grief; despair tussled with shame; agony punched bitterness. A single tear dripped down my cheek when we finally stopped before a faded grave. I knew I would never forget the inscription, no matter how many years passed. 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 miss you so much, Faye," I whispered, my voice hardly louder than my breath. "I wish you were here. So much has happened; it's not right that you're not here with us." Emotion clogged my throat, making any further speech impossible.

When I heard a stifled sob behind me, I whirled around, my heart pounding in my chest. Our entire family floated in front of me, all wearing somber expressions. Even Della, Dathan, and Thalassa were present, clustered off to the side as they regarded us with pity.

The latter took a breath before speaking, her voice soft. "We have no right to be here, but we just wanted to express our condolences. Ani has told us some of what happened to Faye, but we're ready to hear the whole story. If you're willing to share it, of course."

Mom swam toward me and pulled me into a hug. I felt her grief as keenly as if it were my own. Life was precious, as the past few days' events had shown me. "I haven't spoken aloud about it in years, but I think it's time I started."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe through the agony that crushed my chest. "Faye died four years ago. An insane and jealous merman killed her—murdered her with a crossbow bolt to the back. It grazed her spine before the tip lodged itself a scale's breadth from her heart. We found out later the tip had punctured her spine. The doctors did everything they could, but... It was too late.

"If Ani is okay with it, I would love to get to know you better. Our first meeting was rocky, but I'd like to put that behind us and start fresh." I was surprised to find my words were genuine.

Maybe it was the lingering emotion from yesterday; perhaps it was some small, cracked part of my heart finally beginning to heal. Thalassa nodded, her eyes shining with tears as she slowly swam toward Ani. Her eyes scanned her daughter's face, silently asking for permission.

Ani hesitated, then cautiously pulled her mother into a hug. The sobs that tore from Thalassa were so similar to those of Aunt Nerissa that I found my chest tightening. Della swam toward me, nerves written on her face. "We heard about what happened with your aunt and King Marlin. If there's anything we can do to help, please don't hesitate to let us know."

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you. We will. For now, we're still... processing. Hopefully, Naia's sentencing will allow our lives to slowly return to normal." I honestly didn't think anyone believed that any more than I did, but understanding shined in Della's eyes when I met her gaze.

When I heard the small voice from behind me, I didn't flinch. "Drew?" Carla floated inches from us, her teary eyes wide as she took in the scene before her. Confusion filled her eyes as they passed over Della, Thalassa, and Dathan's gazes, but she didn't waver.

It was only when I'd swum toward her and taken her hand that I realized she was trembling. Her face was pale, her breathing was rapid and uneven, and her chest was heaving. "Are you okay? What happened?" My voice dropped to a whisper when I spoke, my eyes flicking down her body, checking for signs of injury.

"When I woke up and couldn't find you..." She trailed off, a sob shuddering through her. Realization washed over me a heartbeat later as her words slowly registered. She'd dreamt of Faye's death—exactly how I'd described it to her. I could see in her eyes that she feared waking from the nightmare meant everything that had happened in the past thirty-six hours was all just a dream.

I put my hand on her cheek, and she closed her eyes as she leaned into my touch. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." I looked up at the surface, exhaustion coursing through me as I saw the sun's rays just barely staining the water. Dawn was fast approaching, and none of us would be able to function in the morning if we didn't all get some sleep soon.

I caught Mom's eye, motioning to the palace. She nodded. "Why don't we all get some sleep and reconvene in the morning? Izzy, Kai, Nerissa, and Jay can take our bedroom; Della, Thalassa, and Dathan can take Drew and Ani's. The rest of us can sleep in our respective sitting rooms."

Weary nods followed Mom's words. From the way Carla clutched my hand as we swam, I knew she wouldn't want to be separated from me. Everyone needed time and space to process what had happened; I only hoped we would be able to find our new normal before it was too late.

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