It's my worst nightmare—something I didn't even realize I was afraid of until now. Ross floats just a few feet before me, his signature smug grin lighting up his face, eyes gleaming with self-satisfaction. The soft glow from the sunlight above the surface accentuates the mischievous glint in his gaze, making it clear he knows exactly how he's coming across. We're floating in an outcropping near Pelathas' border, but I can barely see the realm in the distance. I'm frozen, glancing between the two mermaids in his grip. 

Both mermaids wear identical expressions of terror, but neither makes a sound. He has the upper hand here, and he knows it. I finally break the silence, my voice cutting through the tension like a dagger. "You don't have to do this, Ross. It doesn't have to be this way. Let them go."

He cocks his head and smirks. "You knew this was coming. After Faye, I had thought there were no more living Sirens. But to find out that one had literally been under my nose this entire time..."

Ross trails off and turns to Waverly, who gives a terrified whimper. The truth dawns on me with horrifying clarity as a chill travels down my spine. He knows Waverly is the last remaining Siren, but he's letting me choose between her and Ani instead of killing Waverly and being done with it.

Do I save my wife and watch my oldest friend die, knowing I could have prevented it? Or do I do the unthinkable and watch the other half of my heart die, knowing I was the cause of her death? How can I possibly sit by and watch the life fade from her eyes, knowing with a single word I could have prevented it?

I'm still deliberating when Ross speaks again, his voice tinged with his signature malice. "It's your choice, Drew. Be grateful I'm even giving you one. Faye certainly didn't get one, not that she deserved it."

The last part of that sentence, spoken with cold cruelty, breaks my fragile control over my emotions. Despair, sorrow, grief, helplessness, hopelessness—I'm drowning in a sea of misery. A dark, suffocating cloud envelops me until I can hardly breathe. It's pressing down on my chest, crushing my heart, and squeezing the water from my lungs.

When I hear Ani's voice coated in misery, it's all I can do not to meet her gaze. Each word is like a punch to the gut, forcing the water from my lungs. "Why did you leave me? I needed you, my love, and you left."

But when I hear Waverly's voice, my head snaps up, and I realize I'm trembling. Her words are like miniature daggers, piercing my heart with gut-wrenching accuracy. "I don't know why I thought you would be able to save me. You tried to save Faye, but she slipped through your fingers. Just look at the consequences that followed. You may be a prince now, Drew, but you'll always be Jacob Mercer's biological son."

I put a hand on my chest, stumbling backward as if hit by a physical blow. Her face and voice are expressionless, but her hands are clenched into fists at her sides. Ani's voice follows Waverly's and it's all I can do not to cry out. "Where are you, my love? I need you. Drew, please."

Tears sting my eyes, and I furiously blink them away when I open my mouth. The cursed note replays in my mind, each word echoing in Waverly and Ani's voices. 'I know what your family was. And I know what 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.'

I know now that Ross had sent the note because of jealousy, but that doesn't stop a shiver from traveling down my spine as I look at my wife and oldest friend. "I'm sorry," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I'm so sorry."

As the last word leaves my mouth, the tears spill down my cheeks as a sob slips from my mouth. Whenever I try to get back up, something keeps pulling me down. Ani was the light that had drawn me out of the dark pit I had fallen into after Faye's death, but I realized that sometime in the past month, I'd fallen back into that pit. Whether it was due to the injuries we'd all suffered or the emotional stress we'd been under, I wasn't sure.

They look at me earnestly but don't answer. When I hear a ghostly voice, soft and concerned, I grab onto it, clinging with all my strength. "Drew? Wake up. It was just a nightmare. You're safe." I look back at Ani, but her face is impassive. Whoever had just spoken, it certainly wasn't her.

I glance at Waverly, but her face is just as calm. When I hear the voice again, I can't stop the sob from slipping past my lips. "Drew, listen to me. Whatever you're seeing, whatever you're hearing, it's not real. Come back to me, my love. I'm right here."

It sounds like Ani, but... I shudder, more tears slipping down my cheeks as I feel a ghostly hand slip into my own. The contact is enough to jolt me out of the nightmare. As I opened my eyes again, tears blurred my vision, and I realized I was crying. Warm, steady arms wrapped around me, murmuring soothing words, and my chest hitched as I took a shaky breath.

A deep voice spoke up from nearby, and I immediately sat up, wincing at the rush of dizziness that momentarily overtook me. "Drew? Son, are you okay?"

Without realizing it, I had unconsciously wrapped my arms around myself. Three pairs of eyes stared at me with expressions of worry and concern. As my vision slowly returned to normal, I realized I was still in the chair beside Ani's bed. Mom and Dad were across from me, worriedly glancing between me and Ani.

I took a deep, slow breath and exhaled, repeating the process until the panic, grief, hopelessness, and despair disappeared from my body. Mom leaned in to brush sweaty hair off my forehead, but I couldn't stop the shudder that overtook me. When Ani spoke, her voice was quiet. "What did you see? You kept saying, 'I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,' but you wouldn't wake up."

I opened my mouth, but every time I tried to form the words, the image of Ani from the nightmare reappeared. It wasn't until several minutes had passed that I could speak again. "Ross had you and Waverly in his grip. I told him he didn't have to do it, but he didn't listen. He admitted that after Faye had died, he'd thought there were no more living Sirens. But to find out that one had literally been under his nose this entire time..."

A lump formed in my throat, blocking any other words from forming. When I spoke again, my voice was rough. "He knew Waverly was the last remaining Siren, but he let me choose between her and you instead of killing Waverly and being done with it. Every negative emotion smothered me until I was drowning in a sea of misery. I heard your voice first," I continued, motioning to Ani.

"It was coated in misery, and it was all I could do not to meet your gaze. Each word was like a punch to the gut, forcing the water from my lungs. 'Why did you leave me? I needed you, my love, and you left.'"

My voice broke on the last word, silent tears streaming down my cheeks. "When I heard Waverly's voice, my head snapped up, and I realized I was trembling. Her words were like miniature daggers, piercing my heart with gut-wrenching accuracy. 'I don't know why I thought you would be able to save me. You tried to save Faye, but she slipped through your fingers. Just look at the consequences that followed. You may be a prince now, Drew, but you'll always be Jacob Mercer's biological son.'"

The love, worry, and concern I saw in their gazes broke something inside me. I swiped at my face, taking a steadying breath and blowing it out slowly. "Whenever I try to get back up, something keeps pulling me down. Ani was the light that had drawn me out of the dark pit I had fallen into in the wake of Faye's death, but I realized that sometime in the past month, I had fallen back into that pit."

I took Ani's hand, squeezing gently. "I love you and will be by your side every step of your recovery. But the thought of something happening to you and my being able to prevent it... I can't stomach it. Ross knows that; it's why he sent the note in the first place. I wasn't able to save Faye, and the survivor's guilt is killing me."

Mom took a breath before speaking. "I talked to Dr. Murphy earlier, and she said if you feel up to it, Ani, you can be released today. Her only stipulation was that you always have Waverly or Drew with you whenever you leave the palace. After what Ross did..."

She trailed off, exhaling shakily. "He's unstable, and I don't want to give him another chance to come after you again. Staying home for a few days to rest and recover would be best. We love you, honey, and we want to keep you safe."

Ani let out a sob as she fell into Mom's arms, and for a few moments, her sobs were the only sound in the otherwise silent water. Waverly swam to me and gripped my hand. Dad moved to Ani's other side and touched her arm. We all looked at Ani as she spoke. "I want to go home."

There was so much pent-up pain, shame, and exhaustion in that sentence that none of us said a word. Mom helped Ani get dressed before the five of us left the hospital together. I sensed a somber cloud hanging over us as we swam home. I kept a protective arm around Ani, but I felt the shudder move through her as we entered the palace.

I picked up the pace only when the shudder morphed into full-on trembling. Even though no one was looking at us, I knew that merely being around so many mermaids and mermen was a struggle. Dr. Murphy had been right: Ani's recovery would be long and daunting. It was clear that the mental aspect was what we needed to be focusing on right now.

Waverly moved into a suite across from us that allowed her easy access to Ani—and vice versa—should the need arise. For the first time in a long time, I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

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