Low, worried voices were the first things I heard when I slowly regained consciousness. Unlike yesterday—when my return to consciousness had been abrupt and startling—this time, it felt like I was crawling out of a bottomless dark pit. I tried to open my eyes, but I could barely make them flutter. I heard a sharp gasp followed by a choked sob. "Drew, I think she's waking up! Thank the gods! I'll get Waverly."

Panic crashed into me with the force of a deadly rogue wave, immediately followed by a wave of nausea. Unconsciousness threatened to pull me back under, but I resisted, fighting against it with everything in me. I finally managed to crack my eyes open, immediately regretting it as a burst of light caused my head to explode in pain. When Drew's ashen face came into view, my eyes filled with tears.

"D-Dad..." I trailed off as a lump formed in my throat. The last thing I remembered was passing out in front of the cave with Dad unconscious beside me. Flashes of the attack floated through my mind, bringing with them fresh pain and fear. "Where is he? Is he okay?" I didn't think I would ever get the sight of the crossbow bolt buried between his shoulder blades out of my head.

I tried to push myself up to a sitting position, but my arms shook so violently that I quickly gave up. Drew rubbed a shaking hand over his face, opening and closing his mouth several times as he appeared to rethink his words. He grabbed my free hand, squeezing it gently. "Let's wait for Mom and Waverly." His face was solemn as he spoke, but his eyes were haunted.

It felt like an eternity had passed before the door to our suite finally opened. Mom swam in first, her face red and blotchy with tears. Waverly was next, her face pale and eyes haunted. When they landed on me, a sob slipped from her mouth.

"Faye, thank the gods you're okay. When Drew told me what happened, I rushed over here quickly. Mom is at the hospital with your dad, but she promised to let us know if there was any change." Though she tried to steady it, her voice broke on the last word. My heart skipped a beat at the look on her face.

Mom took over, taking a shaky breath before speaking. "The bolt narrowly missed his spine but fractured and nearly broke both shoulder blades. They were able to remove it without any problems, but he's got a long, arduous healing journey ahead of him. We managed to get him to the hospital in record time, which most likely saved his life."

Drew squeezed my hand before speaking, his voice hoarse. "When can we see him?" I choked back a sob.

I looked at Mom, my heart clenching painfully. First me, now Dad—when would it end? She opened her mouth to respond, but the door opening cut her off.

Aunt Izzy swam in, followed by Aunt Nerissa, Uncle Jay, and Uncle Kai. The former's face was deathly pale as she clutched her mother's hand. When her gaze landed on me, she faltered. "Faye, sweetie, are you okay? How's David?" She looked from me to Mom to Drew, searching each face for answers.

Mom let out a sob at the sight of Aunt Nerissa and rushed into her arms. The latter held her tightly as she wept, the sound heartbreaking and fearful. Aunt Izzy swam to me, putting a hand on my arm. "How are you doing? Bella told us what happened."

I swallowed hard, breathing against the tightness in my chest, the claustrophobia that threatened to smother me all over again. For a long, terrifying moment, I wasn't in our suite surrounded by our family.

I was back in the open water near Aegrem's entrance, overcome by grief and anguish. I heard Raina's voice in my head, the hateful words she'd spat at me; I caught the faint whistling of the bolt as it sped through the water. Dad's grunt echoed in my ears, as did the sound of the bolt embedding itself between his shoulder blades. I remembered the hysteria and panic that had seized me when I'd caught a glimpse of our attacker.

When Aunt Izzy spoke, her voice was like an anchor, pulling me back to the present. "Faye. Listen to the sound of my voice. You're safe now, honey. David is going to be okay. You saved him."

Though she tried to steady it, I heard a nearly inaudible tremor in her voice on the last word. Tears spilled down my cheeks before I could take a breath. None of us were safe. I heard Mom pull Aunt Izzy aside and a whispered conversation, but I couldn't make out the words.

Aunt Nerissa swam to me and pulled me close, wrapping her arms around me. I could feel her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; her heartbreak and fear mirrored my own emotions. Her relationship with Dad went way back to when they were my age—Dad and Uncle Jay went even further than that.

I couldn't even entertain the thought of us losing him. Uncle Jay's voice was quiet when he spoke, filled with tension. "Following David's recovery, there will be some ground rules. Faye, Izzy, Rissa, Bella—none of you leave the palace alone. If you have to, Kai, David, Jonah, or I will accompany you."

His hands moved as he spoke, Aunt Nerissa's eyes following the movements. Once he finished, she nodded in response. The scent of fear was heavy in the water, almost potent. Mom, Aunt Izzy, and I nodded almost simultaneously. This vendetta went beyond Sirens now. Raina was keeping her promise.

"'I want to watch as you lose everything—and everyone—you love.'" Before the thought crossed my mind, another formed on its heels. "'You, of all people, should know how the Lost Soul Pendant works—it can either take a life or give it back.'"

Whoever had brought her back had somehow acquired the Lost Soul Pendant; I'd wager they had no idea of its origin or power. "There's something else," I said, my voice weak. Multiple heads turned toward me as I swallowed hard. I sucked in a breath as Jonah's hand found mine, squeezing gently. "Raina told me that when she opened her eyes, she saw the dagger sticking out of her chest and the Lost Soul Pendant hanging from her neck."

It was as if someone had dropped a bomb in the middle of the room. Uncle Jay swam to Aunt Nerissa as she began to falter. Mom and Aunt Izzy gasped, horror in their eyes. Uncle Kai's face darkened as his hands clenched into fists.

I felt Jonah stiffen beside me as he swallowed. Taking a shaky breath, I continued, struggling to keep my voice steady. "She said she'd never figured out who'd brought her back and was hoping I could help her."

When Uncle Jay spoke, his voice was gentle and filled with concern. "You're not thinking of helping her, are you? Sweetie, it's a trap. Raina is preying on your empathy and kindness, using it to manipulate you into doing what she wants."

His words caused something inside me to reopen, a wound I hadn't even known existed. My empathy and kindness had been used against me before with disastrous consequences. How could I be so sure this time would be different? Because Raina had been my friend?

Mom spoke then, her voice small. "Laguna spoke with the doctor and he said that David's awake, but we can only see him one at a time." Her tear-stained face was pale, her eyes haunted. No doubt she was recalling the horror of the last twenty-four hours. Aunt Izzy squeezed her hand, swallowing hard.

"I'll go first." Though terror threatened to overcome me at the mere thought of glimpsing the wound that I had very nearly caused, I had to see with my own eyes that he was awake—that he was breathing. My voice shook as tears spilled down my cheeks.

Drew swam to me and pulled me close. Neither of us let go for a few long minutes. Though his face betrayed nothing, I could hear the way his breathing shuddered as he gripped me tightly. When we finally broke apart, he met my gaze, his eyes lined with silver. "You did nothing wrong," he said, his voice soft as if reading the thoughts flashing through my mind.

I hastily wiped tears off my cheeks as I steadied myself, nodding. I wondered if—and when—I would ever start to believe that. The swim to the hospital seemed to be over in an instant. When I swam inside, my heart clenched painfully, and I almost turned around. A mermaid swam up to me as I floated motionlessly in the entryway, fear, shame, regret, and guilt choking me.

I recognized her but couldn't find the strength to speak. She scanned my face, then put a gentle hand on my arm. "Your father is going to make a full recovery. He's asking for you." Her eyes searched my own as the words left her mouth, leaving the decision up to me.

She knew as well as I did that Dad didn't—and would never—blame me for what happened. Swallowing hard, I nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way. When we reached his room, I faltered. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as my breathing became uneven.

With a trembling hand, I opened the door and swam inside. When I saw Dad lying in that hospital bed, I couldn't contain the sob that rose inside me. His eyes found mine, softening as they tracked the tears welling in my eyes.

"Oh, honey," he said softly. My hands shook as I swam to his side. He raised a trembling hand and placed it on my cheek, and I lost it. Great, heaving sobs tore from my chest as I laid my head over his heart, savoring the steady, constant beat. It was the only thing keeping me from surrendering to the guilt slowly eating away at me. The shame that threatened to consume me with every breath.

Because every time I looked at him, I saw myself in his place—saw the crossbow bolt buried between my shoulder blades. And I couldn't help thinking I deserved it.

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