"'You can't kill me. Your morality won't let you—even if it's to avenge Faye. Because you know that Ani will leave you if you do.'"

"'You're right about one thing. I can't kill you.'"

"'This is for Faye. This is for Drew and his family. And this is for me.'"

I jerked awake with a sharp gasp, my heart beating so fast I thought it was going to burst from my chest. Those three sentences played on repeat in my waking thoughts and nightmares. It was the same thing every night: I floated before Wyatt, a dagger poised inches from his heart—ready to kill him and rid the waters of the atrocities he had committed.

Even though more than two years had passed since then, that moment had imprinted itself in my brain—but so had the moment that followed. I'd handed the dagger to Sara, who swam up behind me. Angry and bitter tears filled her eyes as she raised the blade above her head.

Without hesitation, she'd plunged the tip into her brother's chest. He jerked, choking, but before he could draw in a full breath, she pulled it out. After repeating the movement several times, his chest finally rose and fell one last time before we saw the light leave his eyes.

The sound of the dagger plunging into his chest yet again should have been satisfying. But as I'd looked at his lifeless body, all I'd felt was a profound sense of emptiness. I rubbed a shaking hand over my face as I looked down at the sleeping mermaid beside me, the worry lines on her face softened by sleep. We'd both been up before dawn, laboring over the final touches of the strategy our family had been working on for months.

After Wyatt and Zander's death, countless mermaids and mermen had come forward, expressing outrage at what had happened over the last two years. More than one had told Mom and Dad their stories about either themselves or a family member being affected by Wyatt and Zander's cruelty and malice. Restaurant owners and families collectively agreed to feed and shelter those who lost their homes in the wake of the tragedy that occurred two years ago.

Had it only been a few hours ago that we'd both fallen into bed, exhausted but content? Judging from the bright sunlight shining through the windows in our suite, it was well past noon.

I swallowed hard, my breathing turning sharp and ragged. Fractured images flashed through my mind, each one worse than the former: the flash of blond hair in the distance, the bolt embedding itself into Faye's back, and her face contorting with pain as she screamed, an unearthly sound I would never forget.

As if sensing my distress, Ani's arm snaked over my abdomen, pulling me to her. Her soft voice, raspy with sleep, reached my ears a heartbeat later. "What's wrong?" As I turned to face her, I realized I was shaking.

I couldn't speak. I could hardly breathe. The memories and feelings threatened to smother me. She silently placed my hand on her chest, directly above her heart. As soon as I felt her heartbeat's steady, calm rhythm, I felt my own begin to calm. Her voice was soft when she spoke. "You had the dream again, didn't you?"

When she didn't get a response, she rested her head on my shoulder. Neither of us spoke anything for several moments. It was her way of comforting me, and it was something only she knew how to do. Finding solace in feeling each other's heartbeat was often the only way to bring peace to either of us after such a distressing nightmare.

It wasn't until I felt my chest tighten that I realized I was crying. Ragged, choked sobs tore through my body like the bolt had torn through Faye's back. When the sobs finally subsided, I felt hollow. Ani laced her fingers through mine, the diamond on her hand sparkling in the sunlight streaming through the open window.

The stark, matching black band on my hand contrasted sharply with the transparency of the diamond. After Wyatt's death, we'd both realized life was precious and that neither of us knew whether we'd wake up to see tomorrow. We married almost a month later, having a small ceremony for friends and family.

She was my rock. Sometimes, realizing that I'd be going home to her was the only thing that got me through the day.

Her voice floated toward me, musical and light. "Do you feel up to going to school? If not, I'm sure we can talk to Ms. Jessica." She'd been one of the first teachers to sign up once the school had opened almost a decade ago.

I kissed her head as I sat up, never letting go of her hand. "I have to go. It's Elle's first day, remember?" As if either of us could forget. Neither mother nor daughter could stop talking about it after she'd enrolled. Despite their fears and concerns about teasing or falling behind due to her height, Aunt Izzy and Uncle Kai agreed it was time for her to have a normal routine. At almost nine years old, Elle had just started second grade.

Seeing her smiling face at school was one of the few things I had to look forward to. Ani smiled gently at my words. "How could I forget?"

Elle adored Ani. Despite not knowing her as well as the rest of our family, she'd taken to the latter almost instantly. She even sometimes referred to her as "Aunt Ani." We swam out of bed, dressed, and left the suite in record time. The palace was already buzzing with activity, mermaids and mermen alike chattering as they went about their day. As we swam through the halls and down to the entryway, I couldn't help but clutch Ani's hand tighter.

I still hadn't told her—or anyone—what Wyatt had whispered to me in the moments before his death. Even now, his words floated through my head clear as day, menacing and cruel. "'You can't kill me. Your morality won't let you—even if it's to avenge Faye. Because you know Ani will leave you if you do.'"

I rubbed a hand down my face, letting out a shaky breath. As soon as we emerged into the open water, I could breathe a little easier. Ani's voice drew me from my thoughts, warm and soft. "Remember, we're having dinner tonight with your parents at the Bronze Mermaid."

When we reached the school, I couldn't help but smile. The large building radiated a sense of comfort and security for students and teachers alike. Aunt Nerissa and Uncle Jay had built the school almost two decades ago. It was the only school in all the realms, and because of that, there was a no-cost curriculum for students. They'd wanted the parents to not worry about cost, knowing many of the realms' citizens had been illiterate. In the first week, they'd almost reached capacity.

"Drew!" I looked up when I heard my name. Ms. Jessica Campbell was swimming toward us with a broad grin.

My smile widened as I looked at her. "If we can help out, please don't hesitate to let us know." Sitting through classes was becoming more bearable by the second now that Elle was there.

Ms. Jessica nodded, her eyes shining as she looked at the school and then back at me. "Of course. In fact..." she turned to Ani, a nervous smile on her face. "I was wondering if you wouldn't mind showing Elle around today. Since it's her first day, I figured she could use a familiar face to get acquainted."

The broad smile that spread across Ani's beautiful face was answer enough. "I would love to." She reached down to take Elle's hand, smiling at her. The young mermaid gave her a wide grin in response.

When Ms. Jessica looked at me, her smile faltered. "How are you doing, Drew? I haven't seen your parents since..." She trailed off, but her unspoken words were painfully evident.

I blocked all thoughts of Faye's death from my mind. After Faye passed away, Mom and Dad had found countless reasons to avoid the school. They'd been sequestered in the palace for months, leaving only for our nightly dinners. Even now, whenever we saw them, their hollow-eyed gazes hit me like a punch to the gut.

I blinked before responding. "They're taking it day by day. They wanted to be here, but..." It was my turn to trail off, my unspoken words lingering in the water between us.

She nodded, gently taking my hand. "Of course. If there's ever anything I can do, please don't hesitate to let me know." Her eyes softened as they scanned my face.

The rest of the day flew by. That night, Ani squeezed my hand as we entered the Bronze Mermaid, the smell of fresh shrimp, lobster, crab, and scallops filling the water. My stomach grumbled, reminding me how long it had been since I'd last eaten. I turned to Ani, a smile on my face. "Oh, I forgot to ask. How was Elle's first day?"

A smile of her own stretched across her face at my question. "It was great! She's only nine, but she's already so bright. All the teachers love her, and she's already made new friends. I don't doubt she'll develop a new routine in no time."

Calder, the older merman who owned the restaurant, grinned at us as we swam inside. "Welcome! I've got a table set up for you in the back." As we grinned back at him, he met each of our gazes before lingering on my face.

We'd gotten to know each other better after Faye's death. It was here that Ani and I had first met more than two years ago. Nothing positive had come of Faye's death, but meeting Ani had been a bright spot in a sea of darkness. Dad grinned at Calder. "I hope you've got plenty of scallops handy. I'm starving!" No sooner had the words left his mouth than his stomach grumbled.

Everyone laughed, even Calder. He swam over to Dad, clapping him on the shoulder. "Caught them this morning, actually. Coming right up, your Majesty." He winked at Dad.

Dad barely batted an eye at his royal title. Neither did Mom. As far as they were concerned, their status as king and queen was irrelevant in their daily lives. They were simply David and Isabella Solomon, one mermaid and merman in a realm of citizens.

As we were leaving the Bronze Mermaid, a merman dressed in all black appeared before us. Before either Ani or I could speak, he thrust a note into my hands and disappeared. I was surprised to find myself trembling as I opened it, my eyes scanning the words in time with my pounding heartbeat.

Bone-chilling fear swept through me despite only eight sentences on the note. 'I know what your family was. And I know who you are, Drew Ryan Mercer. The son of a murderer. I am the only one with this information, but I can do much damage with it if prompted. Imagine what would happen if Ani were to find out. She would leave you. And you would be all alone. Just as you should have been all along.'

A chill swept through me as I looked over my shoulder. No one was there, but I couldn't shake the sense that someone was watching us. When Ani spoke, her voice startled me. "Are you okay?"

I crumpled the note in my fist, not looking at her as I answered. "Yeah." At Ani's words, Mom and Dad looked at me, concern shining in their gazes.

I would tell them eventually, but I found myself hesitating now. They—Mom and Dad, especially—had enough on their plates. I turned to Mom, taking a breath before I spoke. "Where's Jonah?"

Mom glanced at Dad before turning back to me. "He's having dinner with his parents tonight. He told us he'd be back later."

Her unspoken words were like a punch to the gut. Even though he hid it well, grief still weighed heavily on him. He'd had dinner in their suite almost every night since Faye's death. Whenever he left the palace, he was listless and exhausted. He'd told me he could only sleep in one of Faye's spare cloaks.

Nightmares still haunted him, but he showed no sign of it affecting him except for the exhaustion on his face. When we returned to the palace, I was getting ready to head up to our suite when I saw a familiar shock of hair in the distance. I swam towards Jonah, surprising myself when I spoke. "Hey."

When he turned to face me, his eyes locked onto mine, filled with a haunted expression that I recognized all too well. "Hey. See you at breakfast in the morning?"

Judging from his tense body language, dinner with his parents had been less than pleasant. I gave a curt nod to his short reply. Only when I was back in our suite, Ani already half-asleep in bed, did I remember the strange encounter with the nameless merman at the Bronze Mermaid.

I silently unfolded the note clutched in my hand, smoothing the crumpled edges. A shiver ran down my spine as my eyes flew across the words for a second time. 'I know what your family was. And I know who you are, Drew Ryan Mercer. The son of a murderer. I am the only one with this information, but I can do much damage with it if prompted. Imagine what would happen if Ani were to find out. She would leave you. And you would be all alone. Just as you should have been all along.'

My mind raced as I tried to figure out who could have possibly sent such a threatening note. The only merman that came to mind had been dead for two years. Before I could even start worrying about it, I devised a simple solution. Tomorrow morning, I would track down Sara, whom I hadn't seen since that fateful day two years ago. Maybe she knew something about it. I clung to that solution as I swam into bed beside Ani, wrapping my arms around her back.

Sleep threatened to drag me under, but I knew if I let it, I would see the same images that haunted me night after night. It was bad enough having to deal with the threat of the mysterious note and its unknown sender. I didn't need the guilt of Faye's death weighing on me as well. The only question was, would I be able to push past the trauma that still haunted me to face a secret I still hadn't even said aloud?

Read and review!