I hardly got out of bed the following day. It felt like an unseen weight was weighing me down, making it impossible to move. As if that wasn't bad enough, my head was throbbing, a headache stretching from temple to temple.

Mom, Dad, and Drew came in periodically to check on me, but I barely said two words. I just laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. Hours passed like this, and before I knew it, the sun was beginning to set.

My body and head ached, both from lack of food and pain. When the door cracked open, I flinched. Drew's head popped in, his face creased in worry. "Can I come in?" He asked quietly, eyes scanning my face. As he opened the door wider, I noticed a tray in his hands, laden with shrimp, lobster, and bubble tea.

Tears filled my eyes at his voice, but I nodded. He shut the door behind him and swam to my bed, placing the tray on the nightstand and perching on the side. When he took my hand, his grip was warm and firm. "Want to tell me what happened yesterday?"

I shook my head, biting back a sob. "I don't know what happened. But... Jacob and Wyatt... I heard their voices, then my vision began to blur as I started to fall. A black void swallowed me up, until there was nothing but black and the sensation of falling. I had to bite down on the urge to scream, forcing myself to remain calm."

Here I had to pause, take a shaky breath. Remind myself that it was only a nightmare, that I was safe. "It seemed like an eternity had passed when the sensation finally ceased and the void vanished. I didn't slam into the seafloor, but I had the distinct feeling of gasping, trying to get water into my lungs. I warily looked around, attempting to get my bearings. My bedroom had disappeared. In its place was a large swath of seafloor—one I quickly recognized. It was right outside the Bronze Mermaid."

My chest hitched as the aforementioned tears rolled down my cheeks. Drew said nothing, only gripped my hand tighter. "I whirled around, but I was alone. The front door to the resturant suddenly opened, a grown mermaid swimming outside. Three other mermaids trailed her. I opened my mouth to shout, my heart leaping into my throat—realizing belatedly that she couldn't hear me."

Drew's face paled, eyes wide. I had a feeling he knew where this was going. "They were all laughing, chattering—until a sudden hush fell over the water. A merman suddenly swam out in front of them, halting when he noticed the first mermaid. His eyes widened as his mouth opened. 'Carla?' His voice was barely a whisper."

My hands balled into fists, nails digging into my palms. I welcomed the pain—it kept me focused. "She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. When she exhaled, her face turned to stone, her eyes hard. 'What are you doing here?' She asked, not bothering to lower or hide the bite in her voice."

I almost cried out as pain splintered through my head. I slumped back against the pillows, teeth clenched. My eyes were impossibly heavy, but I continued. "Jacob flinched as if he'd been struck, his eyes filled with pain. 'Please', he said. 'I—I've been looking for you everywhere. We need to talk.' His voice cracked as the last word left his mouth."

Drew let out a tight breath, eyes filled with a mixture of pain and anger. Still, he never spoke. "Her face paled, but she didn't back down. 'I have nothing to say to you.'"

I paused yet again, preparing to voice the words waiting on my tongue. "His next words made her stop dead. 'You're a Siren.' The other mermaids gasped, glancing at Carla."

My eyelids fluttered, but I pushed through the exhaustion, the pain. "Her eyes were filled with quiet anger, hands clenched into fists at her sides. 'You listen to me,' she said softly, voice hard. 'You will not call me that again. Stay out of my life.'"

I took a breath, closing my eyes as I exhaled. "He shook his head as she turned to leave, gently grasping her wrist. Her eyes widened as she looked down at his hand. When she met his own, they were wide, pleading. 'Please, Carla. I—I know I've made some mistakes, and I'm truly sorry. Please.'"

When I opened my eyes again, they were blank. "Fear flashed across Carla's face, gone as quickly as it had come. That's when I woke up."

I picked up the bubble tea with shaking hands. Drew squeezed my hand, then spoke. "Has this ever happened before?" His voice was soft, filled with worry.

I shook my head, wincing. "No. So, why show me it now? What, exactly, was that meant to show me?"

Pain sliced through my temple like a dagger in the water. The knock, when it came, was soft, tentative. "Come in," I called out, taking a sip of the tea in my hands.

Drew turned toward the sound, face emotionless. The door opened, revealing a merman, his eyes tense and worried. When he met my gaze, I lost it.

Tears again filled my eyes, spilling down my cheeks almost as fast as the words pouring from my mouth. "He... he just let her die. Both of them. How could he just let his family die and not do anything to stop it?"

Something—some deeply buried wound—had been reopened and I had no choice but to let it bleed. Dad and Drew swam to me, placing a hand on either shoulder. I swore I felt a piece of my heart break off and shatter, never to be whole again. The latter pressed a kiss to the top of my head, while the former put his arm around me, pulling me close.

"How are you feeling?" Dad asked, his voice soft.

So many conflicting emotions were surging through me. Anger; fear; anxiety; sadness; pain. I struggled to keep the heaviness at bay, the almost overwhelming feeling of emptiness that followed the sudden onslaught of emotions.

A steady throbbing began in my temples and I bit my tongue so hard I tasted blood. I squeezed my eyes shut, stifling a moan. As if today couldn't get any worse, the sound of singing faintly reached my ears, growing louder with every heartbeat. Until I could have sworn it was coming from right outside the palace.

The cup fell from my hands, tea spilling onto the covers, some splashing onto my hands. I barely felt it. The moan finally slipped from my lips, followed by a sob. "Please," I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.

Dad and Drew glanced at each other, then back at me, confusion in their eyes. Clearly, I was the only one who could hear it.

I took a shaky breath before looking back at my dad and brother. The latter swam to me, steadying me as I struggled out of bed. "Faye?"

I shook my head, tears in my eyes. Without a word, I made my way downstairs, hands and body trembling. Fear was a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat, nearly choking me. We swam outside—and were greeted by what I could only describe as a nightmare come to life.

The scream ripped from my lungs before I could stop it. A mermaid swam in front of us, a smug grin on her face. "Oh, Faye," she said upon seeing the expression on my face. "Don't look so shocked. You knew this would happen eventually. And to think, all of it could have been avoided."

I couldn't find the words to respond—not as my eyes took in the scene before me. All of my family was present—Mom; Dad; Drew; Aunt Izzy; Aunt Nerissa; Uncle Jay; Uncle Kai. They all stared at me with various expressions on their faces. Anger; fear; disbelief; shock.

Mica glanced at each of us, a fake smile on her face. "Your Majesties," she said, inclining her head to Mom and Dad, Aunt Nerissa and Uncle Jay.

"I—I can't," I whispered, my voice breaking. Wyatt appeared beside Mica, a grim expression on his face. He was gripping the sleeve of a young mermaid—around my age, if I had to guess. Her storm-grey eyes were wide and fearful, golden hair whipping every which way as she took in her surroundings.

When they locked on me, they went blank, as if a switch had been flipped. I knew that tactic all too well—shoving every emotion into the very back of your heart where it couldn't touch you. I swam up to her, passing Wyatt as I did. His eyes were filled with guilt and pain—real or manufactured, I couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry, Faye," he whispered, putting a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I wish there were some other way."

A flash of crimson caught my eye when I turned back to the mermaid. It was then that I saw the fatal wound—a dagger to the chest, perilously close to her heart. Blood leaked down her dress, leaving a trail of crimson. How she managed to stay upright, was managing the pain, was beyond me.

I knew without asking that she was close to death. A few minutes, if that. A wave of dizziness washed over me and I faltered. Drew was at my side in an instant, taking my weight. "I've got you," he whispered.

With a deep, steadying breath, I straightened. My hands were steady, my gaze blank as I reached her side. When she looked at me, I forced myself to hold her gaze, to keep that blank expression on my face.

"Make it quick," she whispered.

So I did. In a matter of a few heartbeats, it was over. I caught her limp body as it started to fall through the water, gently closed her eyes.

The guilt, the shame, threatened to drag me under, back into that spiral of depression. For the first time, I let it. Let all the negative emotions flow through me, like the ocean currents. I gave in to that voice—the one I tried my hardest to block out, to reject.

Hate, anger, anxiety, fear, depression. Each emotion was its own form of poison, feeding off your deepest fears. I barely noticed Drew take my hand, lead me away from the body of the young mermaid. Nor did I notice us arriving back at the palace and our suites.

I was numb, I think. I got into bed in a daze, barely feeling the tears slide down my cheeks. The hours passed both agonizingly slow and in the blink of an eye. When I finally gave in to the exhaustion tugging at me, the first rays of the sun were just barely streaming through the water.

Read and review!