When I open my eyes, blurry faces stare down at me. Hot and cold flashes wrack my body, leaving me weak and shaky when they subside. I blink hard, trying to clear my vision, when I hear Mom's voice. Muffled and indistinct, I have to strain to make out her words.

They send shivers down my spine, fear all but choking me. "Thank you so much for finding her, Mr...." She trails off, but a deep, rough voice picks up where she left off, his own kind.

"Cruise, Your Majesty. Wyatt Cruise." The fear increases, my heart racing and my throat dry. Wyatt! My eyes fly open, scanning my surroundings until I meet those of dark blue, much like my great-aunt. The merman—Wyatt—smiles gently at Mom, no trace of malice on his face.

A scream traps itself in my throat. I try to speak, but I can't find the strength to open my mouth. She smiles down at me, eyes widening when she notices I'm awake. "Faye! Thank the gods!" She continues speaking, but I don't hear any more.

Instead, I try to wake myself up from what is obviously a nightmare. Digging my fingernails into my palms so hard I feel the skin split open; squeezing my eyes shut and counting to three. Panic flows through me, a sob breaking from my lips.

I drifted in and out of consciousness, bursts of conversation building and receding like a wave from the shore. "What happened?" "I'm not sure. He found her barely a league away from the palace, unconscious." "Does she have a fever?"

I opened my eyes again, but—somehow—I knew this was real, that Wyatt wasn't here. Blurry faces stared down at me, their eyes filled with tears, worry, and concern. Mom's face was pale, tear streaks frozen on her cheeks.

"Oh, Faye. Thank the gods. Can you hear me?" Her voice was broken. She gently clasped my hand, using her free one to push a sweaty lock of hair off my forehead.

I tried to swallow, but my throat was bone-dry. Terror shot through me, and I tried to push myself up to a sitting position, but my arms shook so badly I relented. She shook her head. "Save your strength, honey. You've been pushing yourself way too hard. Maybe it would be best if you took a few days off from work and school. I'm sure Waverly could explain everything to Ms. Jessica and Calder."

I wanted to protest, but exhaustion weighed me down so heavily all I could do was nod. When Waverly's face appeared in my vision, I had to choke back a sob. Her own eyes were filled with tears as she looked at me. "Oh, Faye," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I was so worried."

I weakly squeezed her hand. Dad floated beside Mom, his eyes filled with worry. Drew was beside the latter, his face pale as he looked at me. I glanced at Waverly, mouthing a single word: Wyatt. Her eyes widened, all the color draining from her face. She quickly turned to Mom, Dad, and Drew, speaking quietly.

One by one, they kissed my forehead, then left the suite. When it was just me and Waverly, I cleared my throat, trying to speak. My voice was gravelly and hoarse, but I pushed through the pain. "Wyatt... He was in my nightmare. I woke up, hot and cold flashes wracking my body. Blurry faces stared down at me. Mom's voice was the first one I heard, muffled and indistinct."

My heartbeat sped up, my hands began to shake. I took deep, slow breaths, reminding myself that I was awake. That it had been a nightmare. Waverly's eyes never left mine. "'Thank you so much for finding her, Mr....' She trailed off, a deep, rough voice picking up where she left off, his own kind.

"'Cruise, Your Majesty. Wyatt Cruise.' The fear increased, my heartbeat speeding up, my throat dry. My eyes flew open, scanning my surroundings until I met those of dark-blue, much like my great-aunt. The merman—Wyatt—smiled gently at Mom, no trace of malice on his face. A scream trapped itself in my throat as I tried to speak, but I couldn't find the strength to open my mouth."

I paused, taking a shaky breath. Only when I felt my breathing return to normal did I speak again. "Mom smiled down at me, her eyes widening when she noticed I was awake. 'Faye! Thank the gods!' She continued speaking, but I didn't hear any more. Instead, I tried to wake myself up from what was obviously a nightmare.

"I drifted in and out of consciousness, bursts of conversation building and receding like a wave from the shore. I opened my eyes again, knowing—somehow—that it was real, that Wyatt wasn't here." My voice broke on the last word as I closed my mouth, suddenly exhausted.

For a few minutes, neither of us spoke. Waverly just shook her head, eyes wide. Her voice was shaking when she spoke. "Do y-you think—" She broke off, swallowing hard. "Do you think Wyatt is going to come after you again?"

Before the words had even finished echoing, a heavy knock thudded on the large front doors of the palace. A whimper slipped free from my lips as Waverly met my gaze. Even though every single bone in my body protested as I moved, I struggled out of bed. Waverly gripped my hand as we left my suite, painstakingly making our way down to the entryway.

I was panting heavily, sweat beading on my forehead, as we reached the first floor of the palace. I felt eyes on me, heard the whispers, but I blocked them out. All of my focus was on the merman surely waiting outside.

Merrick and Nerio were floating outside, their backs to us. Their shoulders were so broad that I couldn't see past them, but I had a sinking feeling I knew exactly who they were talking to. Their voices were low, hushed, but I cleared my throat and they both whirled around, eyes wide as they scanned me.

"Your Highness," Nerio said, bowing slightly. "Do you know this merman? He demanded entry, saying that he was a good friend of yours." The slight worry and skepticism coloring his tone both comforted and scared me.

Merrick's eyes were wary as he gestured to the merman floating beside him. Wyatt shot me a grin, malice glittering in his eyes. I couldn't stop the whimper that again slipped free from my lips. "Y—you said you wouldn't hurt them," I whispered, my voice cracking in fear.

False innocence flashed across his face. "Hurt whom, Your Highness?" The sarcasm with which he breathed the last two words made my heart skip a beat. Gesturing to Merrick and Nerio, he continued, glee coating his voice now. "I think they would love to see you show off your beautiful voice."

The latter exchanged confused glances with Merrick, then turned to me. I avoided his gaze, instead looking at Wyatt. Tears glittered in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. Waverly floated beside me, never letting go of my hand.

I could all but hear the unspoken threat: You know what happens if you refuse. I would so hate for their blood to be on your hands. What would your parents think? Your brother? The way he grinned at me suggested he knew exactly what was going through my head.

I heard the front doors open behind me, concerned voices barely reaching my ears. Keeping my gaze firmly on Wyatt, I took a deep breath and began to sing.

Read and review!