I drifted in and out of consciousness for three days, voices barely managing to penetrate the fog that had clouded my mind. Exhaustion tugged at me with every breath, but every time I closed my eyes, the image of Ani with the dagger in her chest resurfaced. I felt others around me but faces and voices didn't register. I managed to break through the fog entirely on the morning of the fourth day.

A blurry face appeared in my vision, but after a few blinks, I recognized Dad's pale and drawn expression. As I took a deep breath, I felt a sense of clarity wash over me, relieving the fog that had clouded my mind for days. His grip tightened on my hand. "Drew? Son, can you hear me?"

I nodded weakly as my eyes closed again, exhaustion threatening to drag me back into the fog. I heard Dad raise his voice as he spoke to someone I couldn't see or hear—presumably Mom or Dr. Murphy. "He's awake!"

The sound of the door opening made me open my eyes again and wince at the dizziness that washed over me at the movement. I saw Dr. Murphy swim to my side and look down at me. "Good to see you awake, Drew. You gave us all quite a scare." She was smiling, but I saw the pallor on her face and the worry in her eyes.

I licked my dry lips, trying to muster enough energy to speak. "A-Ani?" My voice was so faint that Dad and Dr. Murphy had to lean in to hear me. My arms shook as I struggled to push myself up to a sitting position. Dad took my weight effortlessly and eased me back against the pillows.

Dr. Murphy nodded, her eyes shining with relief. "She's fine. Worried about you, of course, but I told her I'd give her an update after checking on you. How are you feeling? Any dizziness, headaches, nausea?"

As soon as the last word left her mouth, a sharp pounding began in the back of my head. "Headache." I forced the word out through gritted teeth, closed my eyes, and took a deep breath. "And..." I trailed off and tried to steady my breathing. "Dizzy." It was clear that one-word answers were the only thing I could do right now.

It was hard enough keeping my eyes open, never mind trying to speak. I lay still as I forced my eyes open again, barely daring to breathe. It was as if someone had driven a spike through my skull while simultaneously striking me with the hilt of a dagger. I felt Dad place a cool hand on my forehead and cheeks and then breathe a sigh of relief. "No fever." Those two words held such emotion that my chest tightened.

I heard Dad murmuring to Dr. Murphy, but I couldn't make out the words. It wasn't until I felt him take my hand that I realized I'd closed my eyes again. When I opened them, I focused more on his face and saw the pallor. His skin had turned several shades paler, making the hollowness of his cheeks and dark circles under his eyes more profound.

Unbidden, the note still tucked in a drawer in our suite flashed through my head again, eliciting a fresh wave of fear and worry. '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.'

It seemed like a lifetime had passed since I'd gotten that note. For some reason, one sentence nagged at me in a way it hadn't before. She would leave you. My breath caught in my chest as I quickly sat up. We hadn't seen or heard from Ross since the attack, and it had left me tense and on edge.

All this time, I'd thought he had meant in the romantic sense. But as the real meaning swept through me, so did a fresh wave of nausea. He had been planning the attack for who knew how long, his primary focus on getting Ani out of the way first and then concentrating on me. That's why Ani had thrown herself over me, I realized with horrifying clarity.

She'd figured it out before I had. Fear gripped my heart in an unshakable hold as I rose unsteadily from the bed. Even though a part of me knew she was safe in her room, I had to see her. To make sure she was still breathing. Dagger-sharp pain sliced through my head as I struggled to the door. Each stroke was agonizing; it felt like I had an anchor tied to my tail.

My heart raced in my chest as I panted, struggling to bring water in and push it out. I heard Mom and Dad start protesting, but I ignored them. "Honey, please. You shouldn't be out of bed." "Drew."

When I finally reached the door, I nearly collapsed against it. My hand shook as I opened the door, readying myself to cross the threshold into the hallway. "Have to... I have to see her." It was evident to whom I was referring, even without me saying a name. Black spots swam in my vision, but I didn't falter.

By the time I reached her room, I was flagging. Luckily, she wasn't asleep. But she wasn't alone, either. Dr. Murphy spoke quietly at her side, but she suddenly turned and met my gaze. "Drew? What are you doing up?" Concern was the primary emotion in her voice, but I detected a hint of worry buried beneath it.

Ani's eyes were wide as they scanned my face: the pallor of my skin, the panic in my wide-eyed gaze. "Drew?" Just as it had been yesterday, her voice was so faint I barely heard her. "You... you shouldn't be out of bed."

It wasn't until I reached her bed that I faltered. Ani instinctively reached for me, though I could tell her grip was as unsteady as my own. I gave myself a minute to catch my breath, resisting the pull of unconsciousness with every uneven breath. "You... You knew."

Mom and Dad swam in a heartbeat later, gazes flicking between Ani and me. I looked at Ani in time to see her blanch and collapse against the pillows. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks in rivulets. She opened and closed her mouth several times, but nothing came out. I hadn't clarified, but I knew I didn't need to. She knew what I meant.

Mom opened her mouth, but Dad put a hand on her arm to stop her, his gaze never leaving my face. Neither knew what was happening, but the tension in the room was almost tangible. Dr. Murphy glanced from face to face but didn't say a word. I could tell she was just as lost.

When Ani finally responded, her voice was weak. "Yes." Pain twisted her face, and I knew it wasn't just because of the wound in her chest. "I knew right after I saw the note for the first time. I knew you would do anything to protect me, even if it meant risking your own life."

I couldn't breathe. Anger had given me a sudden shot of adrenaline, but I knew it wouldn't last forever. I looked down at my hands, intertwined with hers, and realized I was trembling. "That was months ago." The words were emotionless but carried a weight I hadn't felt in a long time.

She looked from me to Mom to Dad, the worry and concern in their gazes evident as they stared at us. "When you barricaded yourself in Waverly's room with Ross..."

Her voice caught as she looked down, more tears spilling down her cheeks and landing on the sheets. "I'd never been more scared—not even when Adrian had coerced Della. At least then, I had known I hadn't had any say, but to know that you willingly followed his orders... It felt like someone had reached into my chest and torn out my heart."

When her voice finally broke, my body chose that moment to give out. Mom noticed a heartbeat before I did, pulling a chair beside Ani's bed. I sank into it gratefully, my eyes never leaving Ani's.

"'She would leave you.'" My voice was brittle and filled with pain as I said those words. Mom and Dad stiffened, but Dr. Murphy frowned. She hadn't been made aware of the note or its dangerous contents. "You knew he didn't mean in the romantic sense, didn't you?"

The way her shoulders shook as sobs wracked her body was answer enough. I knew she had to be hurting as much—if not more so—than me, but to have hidden something like that from me for so long... To have risked her life knowing such a vital piece of information...

Anger, confusion, fear, and pain swirled around inside me like a tsunami. Dad put a hand on my shoulder, forcing me to meet his gaze. His eyes were calm, but the confusion on his face spoke volumes. "You need to rest. Let's go back to your room."

I didn't look back at Ani as we made to leave her room. I knew if I did, I'd never leave. When I heard her voice, broken and weary, it took all my concentration to keep my gaze on the door. "Drew. Please. I'm sorry! I love you!"

Pain flashed through my head, but I forced myself to keep going. It wasn't until we reached my room that I lost the battle with my stomach. Dad had barely closed the door before I vomited, wishing I could purge my mind of the memory of Ani's face and the words we had spoken as easily. I hadn't eaten in days, so I wasn't surprised when only bile and spit came out.

My breathing was wet and ragged when I wiped my mouth, barely able to summon the energy to move my arm. As it was, I closed my eyes, finally free to unleash the tears building up inside me since we'd left Ani's room. Sharp, pained sobs tore from my chest, fueled by the memory of Ani's broken and weary voice.

Dad gently guided me back to the bed, his comforting presence bringing a sense of peace I hadn't known I needed. When he spoke, his voice was soft and soothing. "I know you probably don't want to talk, so just nod yes or no. The note you and Ani referred to—was it the one you received at the Bronze Mermaid several months ago?"

A barely perceptible dip of my chin was all I could manage, but it was good enough for Dad. His strong arms wrapped around me, providing a comforting and secure embrace with his warmth enveloping me. The tears flowed down my cheeks in rivulets, fueled by anger and confusion.

When they finally subsided, leaving a gaping hollowness inside me, I took a breath before I spoke. "I plan to spend a few days with Aunt Izzy and Uncle Kai. After I let Mom know, I will send a message to them before I leave. I'm hoping to get there around sunset tonight." My voice was as blank as my expression.

He pulled back to look at me, worry twisting his features. "I don't know, Drew. You're still recovering." I knew what he was really saying: are you doing this just to avoid Ani? The look on his face said everything his words didn't.

I tried to instill as much sincerity in my response as possible. "I'm feeling a lot better. Really. I just need a change of scenery." The first part wasn't a lie—I was feeling better, but I needed more than a change of scenery.

I needed to be away from Ani. Away from the memories and feelings that being near her evoked. I was sure he could sense the lie, but I knew he would never call me out on it. I didn't have the time or energy to get into it.

I had to make wake if I had even the slimmest chance of making it to Beltmare before nightfall. The dizziness and headaches were more of a nuisance now—the former barely affecting me and the latter only marginally. "I'll be back in a few days."

I gave Mom the same spiel I'd given Dad, albeit a more rushed version. I could all but feel the suspicion radiating from her, but like Dad, she didn't call me out on my blatant lie. The hardest part was keeping my abrupt trip from Ani. Even though our fight still lingered in my mind, I still loved her more than life itself, and the thought of lying to her—again—nearly broke me.

When asked what to tell Ani when she discovered my disappearance, I told Mom to feed my lie back to her. It was cowardly of me, but I couldn't face her. Not yet. Lying in bed for days on end had left me restless and brimming with adrenaline—enough so that I knew I could make the trip with minimal stops.

Before I left, I hurriedly scribbled a note, whispering Aunt Izzy and Uncle Kai's names on the paper before letting it go. It was slow going. Considering the frequent stops my exhaustion forced me to make, it was no surprise that it was rapidly approaching nightfall when I finally arrived.

I left before dusk, so I thought I would arrive before or right at nightfall. Instead of feeling the exertion I'd just put my body through, I felt an unexpected sense of peace sweep through me. The guards at the palace entrance snapped to attention; both sets of eyes went to the pallor of my skin.

"Your Highness," one said, glancing uneasily at the guard beside him. I knew their names but couldn't recall them in my exhausted state. "It's late. Should I send for the king and queen?"

I found myself shaking my head before I even opened my mouth. "No. I'll tell them in the morning." No sooner had the words left my mouth than a wave of exhaustion swept over me. I barely made it to my suite before I collapsed on the bed, oblivion dragging me under.

Read and review!