Nightmares plagued my restless sleep, fueled by my anxiety over Jonah. They all shared one thing: I kept seeing Jonah propped up between Waverly and her mother. Then my fear conjured up future scenarios, none of them pleasant.

Him dying before I got to say goodbye; him sustaining a grave and fatal injury in an attack on the palace—the list went on and on, the worst of them jerking me from sleep. A cry escaped my lips as my eyes flew open. For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was.

Then it all came back in a rush. I blinked the sleep out of my eyes as I looked around, the hospital waiting room slowly coming into focus. Aunt Nerissa put a hand on my shoulder, making me cringe. Nothing yet, sweetie. Jay just went to check with the doctor.

I swallowed as I rubbed my eyes. How long have I been sleeping? Glancing out the nearest window, I tried to gauge the time, but it was too dark.

Aunt Nerissa sighed. Three hours. As she finished signing, I glimpsed the fatigue in her face—dark circles under her eyes, the pallor of her skin. I'd be willing to bet that she hadn't slept since we'd arrived at the hospital.

The images swarmed me from every angle until I couldn't breathe. My breaths came sharp and fast—I recognized the signs of an impending panic attack. Tears blurred my vision as I put my head in my hands. I saw Aunt Nerissa raise her hands, mouth opening, but I couldn't make out the words.

That voice in the back of my head reared its ugly head yet again—and this time, I did not attempt to stop it. See? You couldn't save him. If he dies, it'll be on you. You won't be able to handle that guilt and shame. You've already fallen back into that depression spiral. Do you want his death on top of all that?

The worst part of it all was I believed it. I honestly thought that I was the sole cause of Jonah's death—that I was to blame if he died. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle the guilt and shame, yet I continued to let my anxiety and depression torture me.

A firm yet gentle hand on my shoulder jerked me from the panic attack. "Faye?" Mom's voice broke through the fog that had settled over me. Worry was etched on her face, yet she managed a strained smile. "Jonah's awake. He's asking for you."

Tears of relief and worry streamed down my face. Even when all I wanted to do was focus on the positive—he was awake and asking for me—my mind instead concentrated on the negative—I was to blame for his injury. My entire body felt heavy, burdened by an unseen weight.

Nevertheless, my desire to see him overrode my dread and fear. With Mom and Aunt Nerissa on either side of me, gripping my hands, we made our way to his room. The former spoke when we approached the door, voice low. "We'll be right outside." The latter kissed my cheek as I breathed deeply, then opened the door.

I was choking on a sob before I even saw his face. Concern flared in his eyes as Jonah glimpsed the agony on my face. "Faye," he said softly.

I rushed into his arms, unable to hold back the tears. Everything—the fear, blame, guilt, anxiety —was released from my body in a torrent of tears. He never let me go, even when the tears finally subsided, leaving me weak and shaky. "It's okay," he whispered against my hair. "I'm okay."

I finally pulled away, scanning his face. "This is all my fault," I whispered, voicing the traitorous thoughts inside my head. His eyes hardened, mouth set in a firm line as he read what was written on my face—everything I'd tried so hard to keep hidden.

He pushed himself to a sitting position, breathing sharply as he pressed a hand to his ribs. My eyes followed the movement; I'd been right in my earlier assessment of his injuries. He'd broken at least one rib. His eyes were filled with resolve when he looked at me.

"You had absolutely nothing to do with this. Kailani... She lured me out in the open and told me you were dead. Then she knocked me out. When I came to, we were in a cave near Nepptheas' border. I knew she wanted me incapacitated when I found blood staining my chest and my body aching."

His jaw clenched with anger, pain and fury flaring in his eyes. "It took a while, but when I finally regained my strength, I left the cave and began to swim. I had to stop periodically to rest, but I made it to Pelathas—where Waverly and her mother found me—before I passed out again."

He gently touched my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. My chest hitched as tears ran down my cheeks. "I thought y-you were dead. The..." I trailed off, embarrassment and regret and shame heating my cheeks.

I didn't speak for several moments, trying to figure out how to explain what had happened—what I'd experienced. Jonah never pressed me. He just held my hand and gave me space. "It was horrible," I finally whispered. I then attempted to explain everything—the ghosts, how long I'd been seeing them, what they'd said to me.

His expression never changed, even when I told him I'd heard him pleading, begging me to save him. When I finally finished my tale, I faltered as sobs wracked my body. "That wasn't real," he murmured as he pulled me into his arms. "This is. I'm right here. We're both okay."

I clung to him as I sobbed, digging my fingers into his shoulders. His words were like a metronome, repeatedly playing in my head. I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm okay...

I flinched as I heard the door crack open and a soft voice say my name. "Faye?" A sob broke from my lips as I rushed into Mom's arms.

The tears came faster than I could breathe. That sense of drowning overcame me again, so much so that I gasped for water. I honestly thought things couldn't get any worse. Before the thought had even finished crossing my mind, I heard it yet again.

The faint but distinct sound of singing. Exhaustion pressed down on me, almost overtaking me. By sheer will, I managed to let go of Mom. "Faye?" She asked, her voice filled with concern.

More than anything, I wished I could turn off my emotions again. Go entirely numb. But I couldn't.

Wordlessly, I grabbed my messenger bag from where I'd dropped it by his bed. "I'm sorry," I said hoarsely, meeting each pair of curiously worried eyes. With shaking hands, I swam to Jonah, kissing his forehead. He gripped my hands and squeezed, not letting go even when I pulled away.

"Wait," he said, eyes filled with worry and fear. "Where are you going?"

My mouth opened, but no words came out—because what could I tell him? I finally shook my head, pressing another kiss to his forehead. A piece of my heart broke off and shattered into a million pieces as I swam out of the hospital room. Tears blurred my vision, but I hurriedly blinked them away. I had no time for emotions right now.

I had no idea where to go, but somehow I ended up near The Bronze Mermaid—where a dozen other mermaids had gathered. I bit back a sob as I faced Kailani, her trademark smug smile stretching across her face. "Faye," she said, voice full of fake enthusiasm. "So glad you could join us."

"What do you want?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady. It was all I could do to keep from sobbing.

She didn't answer, only inclined her head. As I followed the movement, I gasped. Mica floated a few feet before me, two mermaids beside her. But that wasn't what made my breath catch in my chest.

It was the tears in Waverly and her mother's eyes as the latter looked at me, the agony on their faces. Something had happened. Something bad. Mica's face was expressionless as she looked at me.

"Haven't we suffered enough?" I cried, my voice finally breaking.

In an instant, Kailani was in front of me, eyes blazing with anger. "Not even close," she hissed, voice filled with venom. "You took everything from me. Now you're going to see how it feels."

She swam on Waverly's other side, touching her shoulder. My friend flinched, a sob slipping from her lips. "Family is so important. It's supposed to be the one constant in our lives. The thing that always stays the same."

The entire sea was holding its breath. My heart thudded in my ears; I felt lightheaded. I was going to pass out. I was going to throw up. Somehow, I knew what Kailani was building up to, knew the words that were seconds away from being out in the open.

Waverly was motionless in the water, her face drained of color. Kailani shot me a grin, eyes sparkling with malice. "Your father is dead. I killed him. He came looking for you and your mother a few days ago. Didnʼt so much as put up a fight. It was too easy."

Silence. Horrible, deafening silence. I rushed forward, catching Waverly just as she began to falter. She clung to me, heartbreaking sobs filling the water. I held her tightly, my heart breaking anew.

I recalled my earlier words to Kailani. Haven't we suffered enough?

And her response, hateful and cruel. Not even close. She was right.

Numb, I transferred Waverly into her mother's waiting arms, tears staining both mother and daughter's faces. "I'm so, so sorry," I whispered, my voice breaking yet again.

She didn't seem to hear my words. Neither of them did. I swam home in a daze, not paying attention to anything around me. I fixed my gaze ahead to the palace in the distance. I made it as far as the entrance before I faltered, bowing my head as I cried out.

How long had Kailani been holding onto that secret? Years? Decades? Regardless of the timeline, it didn't matter. Nothing would ever be the same again.

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