Unsurprisingly, Aunt Naia haunted my nightmares as I slept—fitfully, I might add. Her emerald-green eyes were piercing as she stared me down. "Join us, Isadora. We can be a family again. Just like Tiger Shark wanted."

I bit back a shiver at the mention of my grandfather. Even though he was dead, his activities were well-known. When she pulled the Loyalty Pendant out of her pocket, I had to clap a hand over my mouth to muffle the scream building inside me.

My eyes were pleading as I stared at her. "You can do whatever you want to me. Just please, leave my family—and Kai—alone. They have nothing to do with this." I'd do anything to keep them safe.

She grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." Grabbing my wrist, she placed the Loyalty Pendant in my hand, closing my fingers over it. "You can carry on with your daily life—just be ready when I summon you. I'm sure your grandfather still has some loose ends to tie up." The grin was still on her face as she began to turn away.

At the last second, she turned back around, a warm expression on her face. "Congratulations on the wedding. I hope you and Kai are happy together."

Before I had time to puzzle over that closing remark, I woke up. The sun streamed through my window, lifting my mood ever so slightly. A faint headache pulsed at my temples, but other than that, I felt fine. As I pushed myself into a sitting position, movement out of the corner of my eye made me flinch.

Even though it'd only been less than a day since the attack, I was hyper vigilant, always on alert. Mom and Dad had already started training new guards, but the scars of the attack still remained, both physically and mentally. We'd lost multiple servants, so the palace itself was a bit quieter now. The servants that survived had been nursing their wounds and grieving for those who'd died, but that was to be expected.

Dad was a bit more withdrawn, his smiles few and far between now. The only time I got to see him was during meals, and even then the mood was somber. Mom was the same way. Rochelle and Stella had managed to hide out with the other servants, so they miraculously escaped with no injuries.

As sky-blue eyes filled my vision, I loosed a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. Rochelle smiled at me, her cinnamon hair tied up in a messy bun. "Your mother wanted to see if you were feeling up to breakfast. She said she has a surprise for you."

I got dressed faster than usual, my mind racing. When I went to put my own hair up, I froze at the sight of something glinting on my dresser. A grey pendant lay there, beckoning to me. Though every muscle in my body was screaming at me to leave it alone, I stuffed it inside my jacket pocket.

Aunt Naia's words surfaced in my head, like a recurring nightmare. "We can be a family again, Isadora. Just like Tiger Shark wanted."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pushing the anxiety and fear of the nightmare out into the water where it couldn't touch me. Could Kai be downstairs? Or was it something —or someone—completely different? I prayed with everything I had for the former.

As I swam down to the dining room, a deep guffaw could be heard, followed by a quieter feminine laugh. A merman's voice could be heard, filled with emotion. "You have no idea how good it is to see you again, son. And it's so good to finally meet you in person, Nerissa. You are just as beautiful and charming as we'd hoped you'd be."

I didn't need to be in the room to know Mom was blushing. I waited all of ten seconds before rushing in, fully aware of the multiple pairs of eyes that slid towards me. My gaze was fixed on the mermaid and merman floating in front of my parents.

Dad's eyes were wide, his gaze fixed on his parents as if he was afraid to take his eyes off them, lest they disappear. I shyly swam beside Mom, glancing into the warm blue eyes of my grandmother. She gasped, a hand going to her throat. "Is..." She trailed off, tears filling her eyes.

Dad recovered enough to swim over behind me, giving my shoulders a gentle squeeze. "This is Isadora. Your granddaughter."

My own eyes filled with tears, though I was crying for a completely different reason. As my grandmother reached out to grab my hand, she frowned. "Honey, you're shaking! Is everything okay?"

When I looked at my hands, I noticed that they were indeed shaking. My emotions had been all over the place lately, and this reunion wasn't helping. Mom swam over to me, concern in her eyes. What's wrong? She signed.

I was ready to give her the standard 'Nothing. I'm fine.' response when I felt a vibration in my pocket. The world stopped as I froze.

My grandfather glanced between the four of us before speaking. "Why don't we all head into the dining room and get something to eat? That way, we can continue without any interruptions." His voice was a little deeper than Dad's, but I felt like I could listen to him talk for hours.

We all agreed that would be best. As I drew up the rear, my grandparents in front of me and Mom and Dad at the head, I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. The faint vibration continued, and as I glanced down, I was horrified to find a faint glow coming from my jacket pocket.

Silt. Why did it have to be now? When we arrived in the dining room, I pulled Dad aside, explaining that I had to go help Aunt Bella with something. Confusion surfaced in his eyes, but he nodded nonetheless.

It made me sick at my stomach lying to him, but I didn't have a choice. My entire body trembled as I swam back to my room, grabbing my bag. I stuffed a change of clothes and a spare jacket inside. I pulled my cloak on over my curls. It was still mid morning, I noticed as I glanced outside, but who knew how long I'd be gone?

I was silent as I swam out of my room and downstairs, clutching my bag so tightly my knuckles were white. I bit back a sob as I passed the dining room, the laughter of my parents and grandparents simultaneously filling me with joy and dread. I would do whatever it took to keep them safe.

The swim to Nepptheas was uneventful, thankfully. When the familiar green-and-blue spires of the palace came into view, I exhaled heavily. No one paid me any attention as I swam inside. It wasn't until I'd passed the dining room that I heard my name.

Aunt Naia swam up to me, a smug grin on her face as she bowed. "Hello, Isadora. Welcome. We're so glad to have you." Her voice—filled with artificial kindness—almost made me cringe.

I gave her a nod, not bothering to respond in kind. "What do you want?" My own voice was filled with bitterness, intensified by missing the chance to reconnect with my grandparents.

She grinned, leaning towards me to whisper in my ear. "Oh, I've got something special planned for you."

I didn't like the sound of that. Nonetheless, I followed her down endless hallways until we reached a locked door. With horrifying clarity, I realized where we were and what, exactly, she wanted me to do. "So, K-king Drake was right. You do know where the Loyalty Pendant is. You've known all along."

The grin stayed on her face as the words left my mouth. "Of course. You didn't really think I'd be stupid enough to let Drake steal it for himself, did you?" Hearing her talk about Kai's father like that made anger flare up inside me.

Aunt Naia pulled a key out of her pocket, unlocking the door. It was only when we'd passed the threshold that I realized there were no guards down here—no way to call for help if anything went wrong.

We swam down another long hallway, this one with cells on either side. Prisoners—mermaids and mermen alike—stared at us as we passed, bodies thin and eyes wide. One by one, she unlocked every cell, the doors creaking as they swung open. Each prisoner slowly swam out of their cell, wincing at the light.

It took everything in me not to break down as they swam up to me, kissing my hands while thanking me for releasing them. I hadn't given them freedom. I'd condemned them to a fate worse than captivity.

My hands were trembling violently as I grabbed the grey pendant from my pocket. Aunt Naia's emerald-green eyes widened with anticipation as she realized what I was doing. All I had to do was place the Loyalty Pendant around their neck, and it was done. I bit back a shiver as I watched the light leave each pair of eyes, replaced by cold emptiness.

After I'd finished with the last prisoner, I was sobbing openly. I shoved the pendant back into Aunt Naia's hands and rushed out of the dungeons. Tears flowed down my cheeks, accompanied by gut-wrenching sobs. How could I live with myself after what I'd done?

I realized this is what Mom must've experienced with my grandfather when she was my age. The guilt and shame. I was so lost in my own grief that I hardly noticed when I arrived home. Nadia immediately swam to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder as she led me to my rooms.

"Do you need anything?" She asked softly as she helped me into bed.

I shook my head, unable to muster up the strength to speak. I was positive she didn't know what had happened—none of them did—but that didn't stop her from being concerned.

I thought it would take me hours to fall asleep. The tears slowly dried, the sadness replaced by a overwhelming sense of exhaustion. My heart was aching as I let it drag me under, praying that when I opened my eyes again, everything would be okay. I should have known better than to pray for that.

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