(Ani's POV)
For the next three days, I awoke long enough to eat before falling back into sleep so deep I knew it would take nothing short of a miracle to pull me out. On the fourth day, I awoke to bright sunlight shining through our windows. Drew slept peacefully beside me, and the embrace of his arms comforted me more than anything else ever could.

The scent of fresh shrimp filled my nostrils, and I barely managed to stifle the moan building inside me. The smell of the shrimp awoke the hunger inside me that had been dormant as I'd slept, and I silently slipped from Drew's arms to reach the tray discarded on our bedside table.

As much as exhaustion still weighed me down, I no longer felt so heavy I couldn't keep my eyes open. I devoured the shrimp and lobster, downing the bubble tea in seconds. After our self-imposed isolation, I thought I could manage some company, even if it meant going down alone.

I quietly dressed and left a note for Drew, informing him of my whereabouts and inviting him to join us when he woke. Bandaging the marks on my hands had stopped the bleeding; the marks would soon fade with time, but... I knew the memories wouldn't fade as easily. I concentrated on taking slow, deep breaths and preparing myself for the bustle and chatter of the dining room. As I swam down the hallway toward the dining room, a door on my left opened, revealing a mermaid. Carla smiled softly upon seeing me. "Hello, Ani. I was just on my way to breakfast. Care to join me?"

A soft, cautious smile bloomed on my face when I responded. "Sure." I hadn't made much of an effort to get to know Drew's birth mother; thus, I wasn't nearly as close to her as I was to Queen Isabella, and I sorely regretted that.

Discovering I had two mothers-in-law filled me with love I hadn't felt in a long time. After disowning Della and Thalassa—the latter had lost her right to be called mother a long time ago—I realized how much I needed a mother figure in my life. King David had more than taken over the father-figure role, and I could never thank him enough for that.

We swam to the dining room in comfortable silence—something I was still getting used to—and I tried my hardest to keep my hands from trembling. I wasn't hungry, but I sorely needed the company. When we got to our table, easy chatter filling the water, Jonah's eyes met mine as he looked up. "Good morning, Ani. Carla. Come sit." He rose from his chair to pull out mine and Carla's, eyes locked on me.

After almost four days of near-solitude—save for Queen Isabella's visit—I had to reorient myself with the low hum of chatter, the sounds of silverware clinking on plates, mermaids and mermen picking up and setting down cups. I focused on slowing my breathing and calming my mind. When I heard my name, I looked up, meeting King David's eyes. "Sorry, what?"

The latter smiled before repeating his question. "How are the repairs of the Bronze Mermaid going? Drew told me about the meeting with Vivia a few days ago. Have the three of you decided on a plan yet?"

My unexpected detour to Nepptheas had taken longer than anticipated, leaving me drained and causing me to miss the meeting. But I made a mental note to ask Drew about it later. "Um, no. I had an obligation to fulfill before meeting them, which took much longer than expected, causing me to miss the meeting. I'll ask him about it later."

Queen Isabella's gaze remained fixed on me as I spoke, and I realized she had not disclosed her conversation with Drew to her husband. Drew had informed me of it during one of the rare moments I'd been conscious over the past few days, but I hadn't considered that Queen Isabella might not tell King David. I gave her a subtle nod in thanks, and she echoed the gesture.

Carla spoke up from where she sat on Jonah's left, leaning forward to meet my eyes. "Drew told me about the meeting and explained the reasons for it. I was heartbroken to hear about Calder's passing, but I'm not surprised he left the restaurant in such capable hands." Although she had never met Calder, hearing and seeing the genuine sympathy in her tone and gaze warmed me. I couldn't wait to introduce her to Vivia when we finally got the Bronze Mermaid up and running again.

I forced myself to eat a piece of shrimp and take a sip of bubble tea, neither of which I tasted. Queen Isabella's eyes suddenly brightened as she opened her mouth, and I tried not to look too relieved when she said Drew's name. "Good morning, Drew. Come sit." This time, she rose from her chair but sat back down at Drew's gentle smile and shake of his head.

The latter placed his hands on my shoulders as he kissed my head. "Good morning," he murmured into my ear. I couldn't stop myself from leaning into his touch. He slid into his chair on my right and smiled in greeting to Carla, Jonah, and his parents. "What did I miss?"

My own smile was weak as I responded. "Your father inquired about the status of the Bronze Mermaid repairs, and I explained that I'd had an obligation to fulfill, which caused me to miss the meeting." I let him read the unspoken words in my gaze, and he nodded. Neither of us had said anything about my confrontation with Naia and wouldn't unless specifically asked about it.

Drew cleared his throat and reached for my hand. "Luckily, Ani didn't miss much. Vivia and I mainly touched on general specifics: how long we would be open each day, how long each shift would last, etc. We agreed to get Ani up to speed the next time we saw each other."

We were well into breakfast when Jonah spoke up, his voice soft. "I was going to see if I could talk Drew into an impromptu cometball game yesterday, but when I asked after him, Queen Isabella said you and Drew weren't feeling well."

I felt Drew stiffen beside me a heartbeat before I spoke up. "Yeah, sorry. I think we both ate something that didn't agree with us." However necessary it was, the lie tasted sour on my lips, and I hated myself for it. I had no intention of dredging up those memories again if I could avoid it, and I knew Drew felt the same.

When King David inclined his head to my plate, I realized I had been moving my shrimp and lobster around rather than eating them. "Is something wrong, Ani? You've hardly touched your food."

I'd also been staring at my plate hard enough to melt a hole through it, but I forced myself to look up and respond. "Sorry," I mumbled. "I guess I'm just not hungry." Jonah looked at me as the words left my mouth, and I hated the sympathy that shone in his gaze. Given the concerned glances I received during the meal, I assumed my face looked gaunt and haggard.

The conversation slowly resumed, but I didn't join in. When Drew placed a hand on my arm, I looked up from where I'd again been staring at my plate. "You okay?" He murmured. I saw the exhaustion etched in his features and knew my expression likely mirrored his own.

I blinked, thinking through my response. "Yeah," I murmured back. "Just tired."

We were nearing the end of breakfast when it happened. A cup of bubble tea shattered on the dining room floor, and I flinched so violently at the sound that I fell out of my chair.

Bits and pieces of the explosion flashed through my head like the glass that had pierced my skin. I saw the lava torch hurtling through the water and smashing through the restaurant's front window; I felt the phantom burning shards of glass piercing my skin and dimly registered myself shrieking. My back hit the wall, and I didn't flinch at the hands on my arms, sliding up to cup my face and thread through my hair.

Gasping for water, I shuddered as sob after sob broke from my lips. Drew's voice broke through the haze of fear, agony, and anxiety that had settled over me, and I clung to it like a lifeline in a stormy sea. "Focus on the sound of my voice. I'm right here. You are safe. You are not there anymore. That was the Bronze Mermaid, and this is the dining room in the palace. You are safe. You are not there anymore. Breathe, my love. Breathe with me." He inhaled, and I tried my hardest to copy him.

I felt as though an anchor was on my chest, squeezing the water out of my lungs and preventing me from taking a deep breath. Ever so slowly, I pushed past the fear, agony, and anxiety enough to take a deep—albeit shuddering—breath. My vision cleared enough for me to see Drew's face inches from mine, pale and drawn with worry. King David, Queen Isabella, Jonah, and Carla flanked him with identical expressions. Drew's eyes were wide as he scanned my face, and only when my heartbeat finally returned to normal did I squeeze his hands and try to get up.

Multiple hands reached for me, supporting my back and gently gripping my arms as I rose from the ground and sank gratefully into a chair. "Just breathe, honey. Take deep, slow breaths. You're okay." King David bent down to meet my gaze as he spoke, and I had to force myself not to flinch. Carla, Jonah, and Queen Isabella all backed away at an invisible signal from King David.

I tried, but the invisible anchor remained on my chest, preventing me from getting even the tiniest bit of water. "I—I c—I can't—" My words were halting and broken.

King David nodded, his eyes encouraging. "Yes, you can. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Watch me." He inhaled through his nose, exhaled through his mouth, and nodded again.

I tried my hardest to copy him, struggling to stay in the present. Every cell in my body wanted to give myself entirely over to the memory of the attack on the Bronze Mermaid. But I fought the pull of the memory with all my strength, focusing on the feeling of King David's hands as he held mine. After several minutes, during which breathing became easier, I took my first deep breath in what felt like days.

Tears filled my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as I let out a sob. Naia's voice floated through my head, her words sharp and biting. "'You know what it's like, don't you? Hearing that voice in your head whispering your doubts, fears, and insecurities. Day after day, month after month, until it's all you can hear. Who does it sound like, I wonder?'"

My hands rose to cover my ears as if I could block out Naia's voice and her biting words. But before I could, Drew caught my hands, squeezing gently. His eyes locked on mine, filled with compassion and love, so much so that my breath caught in my chest. And I knew without a doubt he knew whose voice I'd heard.

"Naia was only trying to rattle you. After Faye's death, I nearly lost faith in myself. I couldn't get out of bed—I didn't want to keep living. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you. I experienced some of my life's darkest and loneliest moments in her basement. But I also realized something: that's exactly how she feels every day. She doesn't have our support system, so she lashed out. She's wounded and miserable and wanted you to feel the same." His words and gaze were so intense that my breath caught.

Slowly, King David touched my arm, his grip warm and reassuring. Queen Isabella did the same, her eyes locking on mine. Jonah swam beside King David, placing a soft hand on my shoulder. Carla placed hers on my opposite shoulder, and only when I had my guard down—when I felt the strength, love, and support from my family more powerful than the sun's rays—did I see a flash of a grin that made my heart stop beating. I hadn't seen the mermaid's face, but I knew who she was; I'd recognize her even if I were blind or deaf.

It was the mermaid who'd taken my husband and torn him down to a shell of himself. Somehow, Naia had escaped from the dungeons and was floating in the dining room doorway, her trademark malicious grin on her face. As our eyes locked, I sped toward her, hands outstretched toward her neck, ready to surrender to instincts I'd ignored while visiting her in the dungeons. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a voice told me not to, but I didn't listen to it.

I knew Drew was horrified to see me like this—not to mention his parents, Carla, and Jonah—but I was beyond reason. All I could see was the mermaid who had caused immense mental and psychological anguish to our family; all I could feel was a yearning to make her pay for what she'd done. "Ani, no!" I faintly heard a voice cry out, but my rage and grief had consumed me to the point where logic was foreign. As I got within grabbing distance of her neck, rough, warm hands seized mine and pulled them behind my back.

"Ani. She's not there." I felt Jonah's warm breath on my ear as he spoke. "Believe me, I know what it's like to want someone to pay for what they did. I felt that way for years after Faye's death. And if I'm being honest, I still feel like it sometimes. But Wyatt paid for what he did, just like Naia's paying now. She is in the dungeons, where she will remain imprisoned for the rest of her life. You don't have to deal with this pain alone. We're all here for you. We can get through this together."

At Jonah's words, I blinked at where I'd seen Naia just moments ago and saw nothing. "She's not there," he repeated, and at his words, I went limp in his arms, furious and embarrassed tears stinging my eyes.

"I-I'm sorry," I gasped out, sobs slicing through me as swiftly as the glass had pierced my back. "I'm s-sorry," I repeated until sobs muffled my words.

Still murmuring, I felt Drew's powerful, warm arms pull me to him as I buried my face in his neck. He stroked my hair, his voice soft as he whispered to me. "You have nothing to be sorry for, my love. Jonah's right—you don't have to deal with this pain alone. We're all here to support you, and we'll get through this together. You've carried the burden of your grief and shame from Calder's death all by yourself for so long.

"You don't have to anymore. We're all here to support each other. Out of everything Naia said, only one thing had proved true: 'Lean on your loved ones. They're the only ones who can save you from the brink.'"

Taking slow, measured breaths, the anger and adrenaline faded from my body, replaced by a heaviness I knew all too well. I felt Drew take a breath before he spoke. "Ani and I need some time away from the palace. We'll send a note when we arrive, but we plan to spend a few days in Beltmare."

Silence descended at Drew's words. When Jonah finally spoke, worry laced his voice. "Are you sure, Drew? After what happened..." he trailed off, but his meaning was painfully clear.

Drew nodded. "I'm sure. We'll be back in a few days." We swam out of the dining room with his final words lingering in the water. Only when we'd gotten back to our suite did he gently set me down on the couch in our sitting room.

"Let me pack my stuff, and then we can get going." I tried to sound more confident than I felt.

"Are you sure you're up for the swim?" His tense eyes scanned my face as the words left his mouth, and I knew he was as eager as I was to leave Pelathas—and the memories it contained—behind for a while. Even though I hadn't actually seen Naia, he knew to take any mention of her seriously.

I wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and never come out, but my desire to leave Pelathas surpassed my exhaustion. "I'm sure. Maybe we'll make it in time for dinner." It was a good three-hour swim both ways, but I would push myself to the limit to get there before midnight. I grabbed my messenger bag off the couch—a birthday gift from Queen Isabella—and stuffed a few dresses inside before adjusting the strap to where it hugged my midsection.

"Ready?" Drew asked, swimming to my side and eyeing my white-knuckled grip on the strap.

"Yep," I replied, trying to quell the anxiety swirling around inside me. I knew it was foolish to hope that my anxiety and paranoia would fade completely while in Beltmare, but I clung to that hope with everything I had as we began the long swim. After everything we'd been through, we needed something to look forward to. Naia may have taken my and Drew's sense of safety, but she could never take our optimism. Would we ever be able to go about our daily lives without constantly needing to look over our shoulders?

Read and review!