Pain. Confusion. That's what I feel as I try to push myself up to a sitting position. My vision is blurry, but after a few blinks, it clears. Pained cries can be heard from every direction, mermaids and mermen alike. I slowly get up off the ground, pausing as a wave of dizziness sweeps over me.

The last thing I remember, I was talking to Kai... My heart stops, breath catching in my throat. Is he okay? Where is he? Mom? Dad?

I want to look for them, make sure they are okay, but before I so much as begin to swim, my eyelids flutter. Unconsciousness beckons, its siren song almost impossible to resist. Before my eyes close completely, the very tip of a grey tail catches my eye, motionless on the ground.

A broken cry bursts from my lips as a sudden burst of adrenaline gives me the strength to swim. I unsteadily rise from the ground, swimming over broken pieces of concrete. When the merman's face comes into view, I can't muffle my cry. It bursts from my mouth, ending in a high-pitched shriek.

The tips of his night-black hair are streaked with dust, likely from the broken pieces of concrete. His obsidian eyes—the eyes that sparkled when he laughed, shined with love when he looked at me—are unseeing as they stared up at the surface. An enormous piece of concrete is on top of his tail, pinning it painfully to the ground.

"Kai!" I scream, scrambling to reach him. His hand is limp as I grab it, biting back my sob at his broken body. I look around, hoping to spot someone who could help, but all I see is devastation.

I gently shake his shoulder, but he doesn't move. "Please, Kai. You have to be okay. You have to wake up!" My words break off in a sob, tears streaming down my cheeks.

My eyes drift closed, unconsciousness again beckoning until I finally surrender to the darkness. When I opened my eyes again, I almost didn't know where I was. I rubbed my eyes as I rose from the bed and swam to the closet. The leftover adrenaline from the dream had transformed into sluggish exhaustion, making my movements slow and clumsy.

I zoned out as I picked out my clothes and got dressed. When the sunlight from the surface caught my hands, I was surprised to see red marks on my palms.

Not surprising; I must've been clutching those daggers harder than I thought. When the door opened, I quickly hid my hands behind my back.

Kai swam in, a gentle smile on his face as he noticed me. "Good morning, Izzy. Did you sleep well? You were out like a light when I came in last night." His eyes were filled with worry as he gazed at me.

I threw my arms around him, a lump forming in my throat. I felt his confusion, but his arms came around me a heartbeat later.

I swallowed hard when we broke apart, images from my encounter with Aunt Naia drifting through my mind. As much as I dreaded it, I knew I was eventually going to have to tell Mom about her involvement in the attack. The former's words replaced the images, biting and full of mockery. "I was only trying to make your job a little easier. Of course, I couldn't miss the chance to taunt my sister. That was just a bonus."

I winced as a headache began to pound at my temples. "Ready to head down to breakfast?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. If Kai noticed how many times my hands drifted to the locket at my neck, how they trembled just slightly, he didn't let on. He nodded, kissing me on the cheek as he took my hand.

We swam down to the dining room, the usual low hum of conversation filling my ears. Mom and Dad were deep in conversation as we swam inside, but Dad looked up as we approached. "Izzy. Kai. How are you two this morning?" His question was directed at both of us, but his eyes were on me as he spoke.

A weak smile appeared on my face. "Fine, Dad." Kai's response was similar to mine. I picked at my food and glanced around the room, unable to focus. We'd managed to rebuild almost every room damaged by the attack. Some physical scars remained—cracks in walls, torn curtains—but other than that, life had returned to normal.

As my eyes traveled around the room, various faces filled my vision. Mermaids and mermen alike, they all had smiles on their faces, despite the pain hidden behind their eyes. My head gave a throb of pain, jolting me back to the conversation.

A flash of light out of the corner of my eye suddenly caught my attention. I would have dismissed it, but the glow of the pendant was almost impossible to ignore. Kai caught my eyes, a concerned look in his own. Everything okay? His obsidian gaze seemed to ask.

I nodded as I rose, kissing his cheek before glancing at Dad. An excuse rolled off my tongue before I could stop it. I'm going to make a trip to Pelathas and visit Aunt Bella and Uncle David. Most of it was true, at least. I really was going to Pelathas. I just wouldn't be visiting either of them.

His eyes shone with concern, but like Kai, he only kissed me on the cheek before I swam out of the dining room. At least I didn't have to go all the way to Nepptheas. Pelathas was a good distance closer to Aegrem than Nepptheas.

Whereas it normally would have taken me the better part of the day to swim there from the latter, it was barely late afternoon when I arrived. The town was still in full swing, mermaids and mermen alike out enjoying the beautiful day.

As much as I was tempted to visit Aunt Bella and Uncle David, I had a job to do. I had to wonder, however, why Aunt Naia would bother coming here, considering she never came to visit us.

That was a thought for another day. I had to stay focused on my task. The smell hit me before I saw the body. A merman around Dad's age, he had dirty blond hair and eyes the color of chocolate. My hands trembled slightly as I gently closed his eyes, saying a prayer as I dragged his body over to a ravine.

I was panting heavily by the time I finished. I had just reached the border of Pelathas when I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Izzy!"

Aunt Bella. A smile appeared on my face as I turned around. "How are you? Your parents? David and I have been worried sick about you ever since the attack." Her gaze was fixed on mine, thankfully, and not on my clothes.

I gave her vague answers, not willing to drag myself back through the images and emotions. I swam home in a daze, not noticing the silt on my clothes until I'd reached my room. It was barely nightfall, but I was already exhausted. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow, barely remembering to change into a sleeping gown.

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