I woke with a start, unsure what had stirred me—maybe the unfamiliar room, the firm bed, or some subconscious reaction. But as my eyes flew open and I sat up in bed, I felt a sense of unease sweep over me. Recognition slammed into me with the force of an anchor, chasing away any lingering grogginess.

We were in Beltmare. I swallowed hard, rubbing a hand over my face as I looked across the room at Ani, sleeping soundly. We'd talked late into the night after dinner, succumbing to exhaustion sometime before midnight.

She stirred, rolling over in her sleep, but didn't open her eyes. I quietly got out of bed and swam to the window, gazing at the night dark waters.

I couldn't see anyone, but I quietly swam out of the room and slipped out of the suite. I closed the door soundlessly as I left. When I reached the open water, I had taken all of a stroke forward when I glimpsed a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye.

The sun had barely risen, casting weak light down in the water for me to see by. Heart pounding, I whirled around, bracing myself. I couldn't stop my mouth from falling open as I looked into the eyes of the last mermaid I ever expected to see.

Sara Cruise floated barely a foot before me, her shirt covered in silt and torn in spots. Bruises covered her face, the worst of them causing me to suck in a breath. Her left eye was swollen shut, the skin around it puffy and red. That wasn't what made my instincts go on high alert, however.

It was the expression in her eyes as she stared at me. Exhaustion coupled with terror so bone-deep I felt it in my soul. I opened my mouth, but she spoke before I could. "Help me," she breathed. She tried to take a stroke forward but cried out as she faltered. I lunged, catching her a heartbeat before she would have slammed into the seafloor.

My mind spun as I tried to figure out what was going on. I kept coming back to one conclusion, however, and it simultaneously broke my heart and filled me with rage. I gripped Sara's shoulders to keep her upright and looked at her. "Wyatt," I breathed. We both knew it wasn't a question.

She nodded, breathing shakily. "I've never—" Her voice broke. "I've never seen him like that. When I looked into his eyes, I didn't see my brother. I saw a dangerously unhinged merman. I can't stay with him anymore. I know it's a lot to ask, but if I talked to your parents, maybe we could work—"

I cut her off, nodding swiftly. "Of course. We can ask them in the morning. Come on." I kept my arm around her as we swam back into the palace, her ragged breathing the only sound. The door to the suite opened before I could raise my hand to knock.

I didn't know if she had heard me get up or had just gotten up herself. Nevertheless, Ani's wide eyes reflected the worry in my own as she scanned my face and then Sara's. Her mouth opened slightly, but she didn't say a word. She ushered us inside and shut the door silently behind Sara. I felt more than saw the glances Ani kept throwing my way, but I didn't so much as look her way.

Once Sara was asleep in my bedroom, we swam into the sitting room and closed the door. Ani was the first to speak, her voice quiet. "What happened, Drew? Who is that?"

A rush of red-hot anger flowed through me as I recalled what Wyatt had done to Sara and Faye. I had thought we'd seen the last of him after Faye's death, but I'd been wrong. I had known he was unstable—I just hadn't thought he'd stoop this low.

Ani swam up to me, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Hey. Talk to me."

I rubbed a hand over my face, taking a deep breath. As I pulled my hand away, I realized I was trembling. "Her name is Sara. She's Wyatt's sister." I saw it in her eyes as she silently put the pieces together.

A lump formed in my throat as I breathed the last word, and I began blinking furiously to keep the tears at bay. When she spoke again, her voice hadn't lost that gentleness—it had only increased. "What do you want to do?"

To say I was floundering would be an understatement. Sara's reappearance had thrown me for a loop. Ani gently took one of my hands and placed it on her heart, forcing me to meet her gaze. The moment I felt her heartbeat—steady and sure—under my palm, the anger, fear, and worry dissipated.

"I don't know," I breathed, my voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what to do." I couldn't recall the last time I'd said those words aloud.

Ani nodded. "Get some sleep, and we'll figure it out in the morning. Your parents will know what to do." She gripped my hand as we swam towards our makeshift beds for the evening—the two couches across from each other near the windows.

I took a steadying breath and let it out slowly, finally allowing her words to sink in. She was right. Mom and Dad would know what to do. My heart was still pounding as leftover adrenaline coursed through me. I swam unsteadily to my couch and sank onto it, putting my head in my hands.

I had—and still did—harbored so much hatred and bitterness toward Wyatt in the days, weeks, and months following the uncovering of the assassin's identity. When I'd first heard the news, I had wanted nothing more than to kill Wyatt with my bare hands. With the bombshell that Sara had just dropped, that murderous rage returned with a vengeance.

Before I had even risen from the couch, Ani was in front of me, her eyes steady as she scanned my face. "Drew. Focus on the sound of my voice. You are not a murderer. You are good and kind and loving—all the things that Wyatt isn't. Don't stoop to his level." She paused, and the sight of tears in her eyes made my rage stumble.

"Killing him won't bring Faye back. It won't help Sara." Her voice broke as she breathed Faye's name, but she didn't break my gaze. "Please, Drew. Come back to me."

As she squeezed my hands again, something broke inside me. I sagged against her, gulping down water as I sobbed. Seeing Sara had brought back every emotion I had successfully locked away since Faye's death. Grief, rage, depression, hopelessness—they were smothering me. Every breath felt like an anchor on my chest, squeezing the water from my lungs.

"I know you want him to pay for what he did to Faye—to your family. I do, too. But right now, Sara needs us." She touched my cheek, her palm cool against my flushed skin.

I closed my eyes, breathing in her scent and letting it deep into my heart. After a few minutes, the adrenaline faded, replaced with the same bone-deep exhaustion I had glimpsed in Sara's eyes moments ago. I knew we had to give her space, but I felt better knowing she was right outside where we could keep an eye on her.

I recalled Ani's words from moments ago, the love and determination in each syllable. "'You are not a murderer. You are good and kind and loving—all the things that Wyatt isn't. Don't stoop to his level.'"

My chest tightened as I pictured the joy in Elle's eyes as she met Ani for the first time. We had something that Wyatt could never—and would never—have: intrinsic trust. It was more than love—a promise to go through life supporting and loving one another, even if it meant venturing into stormy waters.

I knew that I would lay down my life for Ani without question. As I lay across from her, listening to her gentle and soft breathing, I knew in my soul that she felt the same. The only question was, would our love be strong enough to withstand whatever Wyatt had in store for us?

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