I slept for two days straight. When the sun rose on the third day, I saw Ani sitting beside me in bed, running her fingers through my hair. As she looked down at me, I saw the lingering effects of fatigue still etched on her face. The dark circles under her eyes had turned into purple smudges, her cheeks had hollowed out, and her genuine smile was weak.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up. How are you feeling?" Though weariness still lingered in her voice, it had gotten somewhat stronger with sleep. Her eyes held a haunted look that I knew would never completely disappear.

The same expression was likely present in my own eyes. "Tired. But better. Have you heard anything from my parents?" The last thing I remembered was Ani clutching my hand after Dad had delivered the grave news.

She shook her head. "No. Last I heard, your mom was going to speak to Waverly and Laguna about remaining in the palace for the time being." She took a shaky breath and, as she did, placed a hand over my heart. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, her body shuddering with the force of her sobs.

I knew the reason for her tears, and I hated myself for it. She'd been beating herself up about being unable to protect me from Naia, even though she'd been making sure Elle was okay. Wordlessly, I put a hand over her heart, ensuring she could feel my love for her.

"You can't keep beating yourself up about something you had no control over. It's pointless. Naia had probably been waiting for an opportunity to attack—there was no way we could have seen it coming. The important thing is that we're all okay. We're all still here."

I winced as the words left my mouth, dagger-sharp pangs of guilt striking my heart. Not all of us. I swallowed hard, my hands curling into fists. "I was thinking of going to visit Elle after breakfast." I knew Aunt Izzy and Uncle Kai had all but moved into the infirmary, but seeing her face would make us both feel better.

"Do you want to come? I know she'd love to see you." I kept my tone light, ensuring she knew this was a request, not a command. Given recent events, I wouldn't blame her if she stayed behind. My heart clenched as I saw a flash of fear cross her face.

She had just opened her mouth to respond when a timid knock sounded on our suite door. We held utterly still, not moving until a deep voice floated through the closed door. "Adriana? I need to talk to you." Dathan's voice still carried a broken and hollow tone.

Remembering our stilted conversation a few weeks ago, I motioned for Ani to get dressed. After I had done the same, I wrapped her arm around my shoulder as we left our bedroom. Given what had just occurred, I knew Dathan wouldn't be stupid enough to attack, but I wasn't letting my guard down. Whatever the reason, his appearance didn't sit well with me.

I took a breath as I opened the suite door, revealing Dathan's ragged and pale face. "What do you want?" My voice was sharp and firm.

He gave me a barely perceptible nod before focusing back on Ani. "I'm sorry for just showing up like this, but I didn't know where else to go."

The words had barely finished echoing before another frantic voice sounded from around the corner, growing louder with every heartbeat. "Adriana? Are you there?"

Ani stiffened a heartbeat before I did. We hadn't heard from her mother in two years; just like Dathan's sudden appearance, it didn't sit well with me. Seconds before Thalassa appeared, Dathan spoke in a low rush. "I swear to you, I had nothing to do with this."

He shrank under my expression, which promised violence if he turned out to be lying. Thalassa's face was red and tear-streaked, even more spilling down her cheeks as she halted before us. Her eyes widened at the sight of Dathan before she focused on Ani.

"Sh—she took her. Yanked her right out of her bedroom. I don't—I don't know how she even got in. Your sister put up a fight, but she quickly knocked Della out and threatened to do worse to me if I didn't keep quiet."

Ani sagged against me, a hoarse cry ripping from her throat. Thalassa hadn't mentioned a name, but Ani and I knew who she meant. There was only one mermaid that could instill this much terror into someone.

My voice was deadly quiet as I spoke, my words calm and steady despite the tsunami of rage building inside me. "Did you see any defining features of the mermaid who took Della? Hair or eye color? What was she wearing?"

I knew I was throwing one question after another at her, but I was desperate. I had no idea how much time had passed since Aunt Naia had kidnapped Della, but I was itching to find her before it was too late.

Dathan spoke before Thalassa could, his voice barely audible. "That's why I was outside the dining room a few weeks ago. A mermaid had cornered me near the Whispering Reef months ago, taunting me about how I should have enjoyed the time with my daughters when I'd had it. I'd never seen or encountered her before, but something in my gut told me she was telling the truth."

When he locked eyes with Ani, I felt a shudder pass through her body. "All I've ever wanted was to keep you and Della safe. I know I haven't always been the greatest father—"

I took a stroke backward as the words left his mouth, the strength disappearing from my body in a rush. I hadn't thought about nor recalled those words in years, but they triggered a visceral, involuntary reaction now. Nausea surged inside me as I bolted for the bathing room, barely making it over the threshold before the remnants of the dinner we'd had a couple of nights ago came up.

Jacob's words played on repeat in my head until they blurred together. There was no way Dathan could have known the impact those words would have, and yet... I collapsed on the floor, breathing slowly and deeply. I heard murmured conversation behind me and the suite door open and close before I felt a warm hand on my back.

Ani's voice was soft and low as she spoke into my ear. "Can you sit up? I'll help." A warm, firm hand reached under my arm, awkwardly hauling me to a sitting position. I sagged against the bathing room door, trying to catch my breath. After the initial wave of nausea had passed, exhaustion settled in, heavy as a stone drifting to the seafloor.

"I-I'm okay." As drained as I was, I knew I couldn't sleep. Not now. I knew if I closed my eyes, I would see Naia or Dathan, neither of whom I was happy with. "He left?"

I hadn't mentioned a name, but I could tell by how Ani tensed that she knew who I meant. "Yeah. He apologized before he did, saying he hadn't meant to hurt either of us."

Ani inhaled like she would say something else, but a soft voice cut her off. "Adriana? Is Drew okay?"

I stiffened. I had forgotten all about Thalassa. Ani's eyes never left me as she responded, her voice tight. "Yeah, he's fine. Can you find his parents and tell them we're going out for a while? We should be back by sundown at the very latest."

Finding out where Naia had taken Della was our top priority right now. If Queen Irvetta's murder had taught us anything, it was that Naia was insane. For her to kidnap someone immediately on the heels of a vicious murder... I shook my head, shuddering.  

Neither of us spoke until we heard the suite door open and close. When Ani did, her voice was quiet. "What Dathan said... It triggered your PTSD." After I'd come to Dr. Murphy to explain my symptoms, she had quietly diagnosed me last year. Most days, I was able to keep my symptoms under control, but some days—like today—all it took was one word or phrase to trigger it.

I blew out a breath as I nodded. "I knew Dathan couldn't possibly have known the impact those words would have on me, but it was an involuntary reaction. I hadn't thought about or heard those words in years, but..." I trailed off.

As the words left my mouth, I felt my strength return. "I'm okay. Let's go." Suddenly, all I wanted was to get out of the suite.

Ani hesitated, her eyes flicking over my face. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

My body ached like I'd swum nonstop for two days, but I also felt restless. I knew Ani was just worried about me, but we had to find out where Naia had taken Della—before it was too late.

I nodded. Ani gripped my hand as she helped me off the floor, slinging my arm over her shoulder. It was slow, but I felt better once we left the palace and entered the open water. I was not strong enough to swim alone yet, but with Ani's support, I knew we could make it. When we finally reached the Whispering Reef, we froze as two mermaids appeared atop the reef.

"I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have, but I will if you don't come quietly." The malice oozing from Naia's tone nearly made my heart stop.

As angry as I was with Dathan and their mother, I wouldn't let Della be another of Naia's victims. Ani froze, her shallow breathing the only sound in the otherwise-silent water. It was as if all the sea creatures were holding their breath. I put a hand on Ani's back to keep her from moving, but she didn't make a sound.

Only then did the former part of Naia's sentence sink in. I don't want to hurt her any more than I already have.

Thalassa's earlier words flitted through my mind, filling me with dread and fury. Your sister put up a fight, but she quickly knocked Della out and threatened to do worse to me if I didn't keep quiet.

Della was unconscious in Naia's grip, blood oozing down her face from a gash on her forehead. Ani started forward, but I gripped her good arm tightly, shaking my head. "We need to be careful," I murmured to her. "Naia's clearly unstable. You heard what she threatened to do to your mother. Look at Della. I can't watch you get hurt because of me."

Ani took a pained breath, looking for all the world like she would push past me and go to her sister, but when I shook my head again, she relented. I wanted to tell her to haul tail back to the palace and tell Mom and Dad what had happened, but she couldn't swim with her broken wrist.

A shrill, high-pitched scream ripped through the water, and I reacted instinctively, shoving Ani behind me and speaking in a low, frantic rush. "She killed Irvetta in cold blood. Something tells me she won't hesitate to do it to you or me if we try to cross her." I turned and met Ani's gaze, giving her a pleading look.

Please. I begged wordlessly. The odds of me getting hurt—or worse—if I didn't heed Naia's request were high, but I would rather die than put Ani at risk in Naia's pursuit of vengeance and blood. I took a slow, deep breath and blew it out slowly. "Ani can't swim. She broke her wrist. Let me take her back to the palace, and then you can do whatever you want with me."

The thought of leaving Ani—even in Mom and Dad's competent hands—didn't sit right with me. But Naia would most likely kill Della if I didn't cooperate, and the last thing I needed was more blood on my hands. Naia appeared to ponder this and finally nodded.

"Fine. You have an hour. But if you're even one second late..." She let her unfinished threat hang in the water, but the meaning was clear. Della didn't move.

Slowly and painfully, we swam back to the palace, both panting and exhausted. Mom and Dad were waiting outside, scanning the seafloor. When Dad spotted us in the distance, he rushed toward us, shouting, "There they are!"

Mom was seconds behind him, worry etched on her face. Before she could open her mouth, I carefully transferred Ani into her arms. Her worried eyes never left mine, but she read the urgency and fear in my expression and nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Before I could change my mind or let them talk me out of it, I turned around and began the swim back to the Whispering Reef. My earlier words to Ani floated through my head, giving me the strength to keep going. I can't watch you get hurt because of me.

I meant what I'd said. I would rather take my last breath defending Ani than hold her in my arms as she took her own. I desperately hoped I wouldn't have to prove it.

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