Agony was written on my face as I floated near the Whispering Reef, struggling against the iron grip of the merman restraining my arms behind my back. Familiar faces stared back at me, their expressions a mirror of my own. Bella. Meri.

Tiger Shark floated in between them, a cruel smirk on his face. My eyes widened as they fell on his neck, the pendant resting there. A cry of alarm was already forming on my lips as he clutched the stone, invisible waves of power floating from the stone and onto his body. The only sign of his strain was the slight furrow in his brow. He flexed his hands and rolled his neck before reaching for Bella.

Her eyes widened, a scream breaking from her lips. My mouth was open in a scream before I even realized what had happened. It was over in the blink of an eye. Her face completely drained of color, her eyes dulling. Even from the distance, I could feel her spirit leave her body. Seeing her body slump to the ground snapped some sort of tether inside me.

A roar of grief escaped me as I struggled and thrashed against my captor. Tiger Shark grinned, obviously enjoying my torment, before moving onto Meri. Her eyes were so wide I thought they would pop out of her head, her gaze pleading as she stared at me.

Before he so much as reached for Meri, though, he swam over to me, motioning to the merman holding me. He reluctantly let go, and I rubbed my sore wrists as I snatched my notepad off the ground. I hadn't even seen it fall out of my pocket.

Tears filled my eyes as I wrote. Please. Please, stop. I... I'll do anything!

They laughed. He mocked my pleading expression before snatching the notebook from my hands. I told you... This is what would happen if you disobeyed me. Maybe next we'll move on to your husband.

His eyes twinkled as he mentioned Jay. I knew he was just baiting me, but I fell for it. I couldn't sit back and watch them be tortured in front of me. Before I could so much as move my hands, however, I woke up.

The pain that radiated from my shoulder was like nothing I'd ever felt in my life. The slightest movement sent red-hot whips of pain through my veins. Gritting my teeth, I carefully got dressed and swam home. The fear and agony that slammed into me as I saw the others was almost unbearable. They were going about their daily tasks, not preoccupied with the future as I was.

A warm, strong hand gripped mine, the other gently wiping the tears off my cheeks. I hadn't realized it until now, but I was shivering. Jay's eyes met mine, filled with concern and worry. What happened? Are you alright? His hands were steady as he signed.

I flinched as a blanket wrapped around my shoulders. I found out how Tiger Shark is able to practice magic. With a trembling hand, I reached into my bag and grabbed my notebook, handing it to Jay.

I watched the emotions flicker across his face as he read: anger, bewilderment, and fear. He took both my hands in his after he finished reading. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes to make sure he never hurts you or anyone ever again. The determination in his gaze had me biting back a shiver.

A whimper broke from my lips, tears rolling down my cheeks as I sunk to the ground, unable to banish the vision of Bella and Meri's lifeless bodies from my mind. Hands were on me, carefully lifting me off the ground and helping me inside. Faces swam in my blurry vision as I gasped for water, the tears coming harder and faster now.

A sudden exhaustion slammed into me, so pressing I could hardly muster the energy to breathe. The others swam in, their expressions similar to Jay's. He took one look at my face and took my hand, leading me into our bedroom. I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow.

Read and review!