This chapter deals with drugging and assault, but nothing is described in detail. Your safety is my highest priority, so please be cautious. I love you all!

Kelce and Mera were plastered by the time the hour was up. Three rounds of a new and exciting game called "Beer pong", 2 shots of some white liquid, and four smalls cups of rum later, the two were giggling like school girls by the fish tank.

"Glub, glub," Mera said, making a fish face.

"You're too much," Kelce laughed, one hand on his belly and the other on her shoulder.

"Why are you friends with these people?" Mera asked with a laugh as she turned from the fish tank toward Kelce. His smile fell away pretty quickly and the joy seemed to fade from his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Sarah. You hang around people who are generally insufferable, tolerable at best. But you are kind and funny and caring. I don't understand it." Mera shook her head and looked back at the fish, who stared up at her with large, beady eyes.

"Why are you friends with the pogues?" Kelce asked in gentle retaliation. Mera snapped her head around to look at him. "They're loud and obnoxious and don't take a lick of responsibility for anything. I can't wrap my mind around it."

Mera stared at him for a moment, before she fully understood and gave a soft smile.

"You're trying to tell me there's more to people than what we see on the outside," she said. Kelce nodded slowly and took a sip from his cup. "I guess I understand. Though I can't imagine there are many good qualities to Rafe Cameron."

Kelce laughed loudly again, which made Mera smile even wider.

"He's a real pain in the ass 90% of the time," Kelce agreed. "But he's also extremely loyal. He'd do anything for me or Topper, Sarah and Wheezie, probably even you at this point."

Mera scowled.

"I just work for his dad," she said. Kelce shrugged.

"He cares about you. Don't know how you did that-"

"I didn't do it on purpose," Mera snapped and Kelce chuckled.

"I know, Mera." Kelce decided it was best to keep the conversation off of Rafe for a while. "Why don't we go get some water? Sober up a bit before we go in for round two."

Mera nodded her head.

"And then dancing."

"Sure. Then dancing."

Mera was feeling no less wasted after three cups of water than she had felt before. Still, she made her way to the dance floor with Kelce. She could barely hear the lyrics over the loud pounding sound that these people were calling 'music', but it didn't matter. Music was music and Mera could dance to anything.

She remembered what JJ and Kie had taught her about dancing. It wasn't usually a partner thing and there was almost no jumping, unless the 'beat' dropped and then there was minimal jumping. Mera swayed her hips and lifted her arms, closing her eyes and letting the music move her as it pleased.

She could feel Kelce's presence behind her, his arm or his hand brushing against her back as they both moved in sync. Eventually, she turned around to face him, like she did with Kie. He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow, making her laugh again. She put her hands on his shoulders, feeling slightly light headed from the loud music and the lights and maybe something else.

"You good?" He asked, nearly shouting to be heard. She nodded her head. Kelce put a hand on her waist anyway to help keep her steady.

Mera didn't see Rafe weed his way through the crowd of dancing people. Not until he bumped into her to tap Kelce on the shoulder.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, glaring up at him. She was still bitter about him starting the fight the other night. And only slightly disappointed that he hadn't come to the party sooner.

Rafe glanced down at her but didn't say anything.

"I need to talk to you," Rafe said to Kelce.

"Sure," Kelce said. He slipped his hand into Mera's so she wouldn't get lost in the crowd. "This way."

"No, dude." Rafe put a hand on his shoulder to stop him from walking forward. "Just you. I don't want her there."

Mera stiffened and her scowl deepened. Was he also upset at her for not jumping into the fight at dinner? Was it suddenly her job to keep both JJ and Rafe in line? If that was the case, Mera wanted no part of it.

"I can't just leave her, dude," Kelce said.

"I'm a big girl." Mera snatched her hand from his, her glare at Rafe hardening even further. "I'll be fine."

Kelce looked back at her, worry on his features.

"Sarah said-"

"Kelce, seriously." She put a hand on his arm. "I'll just go to the bathroom or something."

Kelce glanced between Rafe and Mera for a few moments before conceding with a sigh.

"Come on." Rafe dragged Kelce out through the swarm of people, leaving Mera standing alone while the others danced on.

Now in a sour mood, Mera pushed her way out through the crowd and found herself somewhere more quiet. She could finally breathe away from all the people. Sucking in deep lungfuls of air, Mera closed her eyes and tried to quiet her buzzing mind.

"Another drink?" Someone said from beside her. Mera looked up, eyebrow cocked. Standing there with a red solo cup in his hand was a tall boy with striking green eyes and dark hair. He looked almost familiar, but Mera couldn't place it. Her eyebrow fell and a smile grew on her face.

"I probably shouldn't," she said. The boy in front of her smirked and Mera had to push away an uneasy feeling. What did Sarah say earlier? Something about something happening to girls at parties, but Mera's mind was too boggled to remember. She really needed to get some water, maybe some peanuts. She really needed to find Sarah.

"Come on, pretty thing," he said, his eyes scanning her body. Mera's smile collapsed instantly and she felt the urge to punch him in the face. The only thing holding her back was the ringing in her ears. "Just one drink?"

It was like Mera couldn't control her own body. She reached out for the cup, her mind screaming at her to stop while her limbs worked their own will. She watched herself grab the cup, watched herself take a slow, small sip, watched the boy's smile turn into a twisted grin.

But it wasn't just the boy whose face was beginning to distort with every second that the alcohol was in her system. The world around her warped. A candle flame danced somewhere to her left, but when she turned to look at it, it moved. Her limbs grew heavy and then almost numb. The cup slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. Mera scowled as the liquid seeped out of the cup and onto the floor.

"I don't feel-"

Her legs gave way from underneath her and she staggered.

"Woah, there," the boy said, catching her in his arms.

"Just...just lost my sea legs is all," Mera stammered, her mouth not moving like she expected. She couldn't even feel her lips touching together.

"Let me take you somewhere that you can lie down," the boy said, his grip on her the only thing that she could really feel.

"Ow," she muttered. "No, I think I just need to find Sarah."

"I'll take you to her."

"No, I-" She breathed in deeply through her nose, but she couldn't feel it. "Where's Sarah? I need to find Sarah."

"Don't worry, we'll see her soon."

Mera didn't even realize that he was pulling her toward the backdoor until the cool air hit her face. For just a moment, she felt her senses clear.

"Let me go," she said, tugging on her numb arm.

"I'm just trying to help." The boy's words were distorted and deep, as if he was speaking through water. Mera turned to look at him and he stared back at her with bottomless eyes, all the beautiful green gone.

Her mind faded into the background as she watched the boy start to pull her away from the house and toward the shore. Something about the dark water seemed daunting. She wasn't supposed to go in there, but she couldn't remember why.

"No," she said, her voice quiet and weak. She tried to stop her feet from moving, pulling back on her arm.

"Come on," he coaxed, giving her a tug. She stumbled forward onto the sandy beach. Mera blinked, trying to shake away the fuzziness. Something was very, very wrong, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Here's a good spot," the boy said, though he still sounded a million miles away. Mera staggered as she turned to look at him again, pulling her attention from the gentle waves.

"I shouldn't be here," she told him. Her own voice sounded distant, as if she herself was far under the waves.

"Baby, we can go wherever you want." He stepped toward her, reaching out his hand. Scowling, Mera lifted her hand to slap his away, but she moved too slowly and he grabbed her wrist. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

With his other hand, the boy whose name that Mera didn't even know reached out to touch her cheek. His hand was cold and calloused. Mera's eyebrows pinched together as his hand left her cheek and trailed down her neck. A shiver ran down her spine, but not in a good way.

"Mera!" A voice cried, cutting through the distortion that she felt.

"What was that?" She asked, turning her head slowly.

"I said you were hot," the boy told her. Mera shook her head. That was wrong. That wasn't what she heard.

"Mera!" The voice called again. This time, Mera could almost tell where it was coming from. The waves crashed harder against the shore, almost like a warning. The boy stepped closer to her until he was only a breath away. Her scowl deepened, a sick feeling in her stomach. No matter how loudly she screamed at her legs to move, her body stayed motionless. Even as the boy put a hand behind her neck, knocking her legs out from underneath her and leading her to the sand below.

"Your eyes are so pretty," he said, twirling a strand of her black hair around his finger. Mera wanted to vomit. If she could have rolled over and emptied her guts right there, she would have.

"Mera! You are stronger than this!" The voice called out to her from the water. "You are stronger than him!"

Mera blinked hard once and then again, just as the boy leaned forward to smash his lips to hers.

"No," she ground out through her teeth, her voice a little stronger than before. Still, the boy didn't listen. His lips were slimy like seaweed as he smushed them against hers. Mera wriggled uncomfortably underneath him trying to free herself.

"Just stop squirming," the boy growled, putting his hand on Mera's hip to keep her against the sand.

"Get up, Mera!" The voice cut through the haze of her ears and Mera finally felt life return to her left arm.

With a muffled whimper, she reached out to her side, meeting nothing but sand.

"Up, Mera! You are stronger than this!"

She struggled underneath the boy again as he tugged her shirt out from her skirt. She patted around in the soft sand, searching for something that would help her break free. Her legs and other arm were still unresponsive and her one working arm was not enough to get the boy off of her.

"You are a daughter of the sea, Mera." She strained her arm to reach farther. "You are a tempest and you are deadly. Men used to cower in your presence." The boy's hand burned against her skin as he snaked his way farther up her shirt. "They once told horror stories of you and your fangs that could pierce flesh and your eyes deeper than the sea itself." Mera's static thoughts slowly started to clear, her breathing becoming more erratic. "You abandoned us, Mera. But you are still one of us." Mera's hand finally found something solid. She curled her fingers around a piece of driftwood. "Remind Man that you are still to be feared."

With all of her might and a ravenous cry, Mera lifted the driftwood and swung it as hard as she could. There was a satisfying thud as the wood connected with his skull. He cried out and rolled off of her. The ocean hissed its approval. Mera pushed herself out of the sand, her entire body beginning to tremble from the adrenaline.

"What the-"

Before the boy could even finish his sentence, Mera lifted the piece of wood again, bringing it down on his face with another shriek of rage.

"Remind him who you are, Mera."

Mera repeated the motion again, landing an attack against his ribs.

"Stop! The boy cried, lifting his hand to protect his face as Mera hit him again. Cry after cry, swing after swing, Mera brought the driftwood up and back down again, landing it square against the boy every single time.

"I am Mera," she yelled, each word accompanied by a strike. "And you will remember my fury!"

"You bitch," the boys spluttered, blood dribbling from his chin. Mera opened her mouth and a banshee like shriek came from her gut. She barely breathed as the shriek carried on, pounding the boy deeper and deeper into the sand even after he was unconscious.

"Mera!" someone somewhere in the darkness called, but Mera didn't hear them. "Mera, where are you?"

She stepped away from the boy's unconscious body, breath ragged. Her shirt was torn and covered in blood, her skirt also dyed crimson.

Gripping the wood in her hand, Mera turned toward the water.

"Look what you've done, Mera. You left us so that you would be better. Does this look better to you?"

Mera faced the water, refusing to look back at the bloody boy behind her. The water looked refreshing. If she just stepped inside, maybe wash the blood off of her own body, maybe then the hazy feeling would leave her completely.

"Mera!" Someone's feet pounded against the sand behind her. She spun around quickly, lifting the driftwood to strike, baring her teeth as if they were still fangs. But it was just Rafe standing there, his eyes wide and worried. He skid to a stop, the sand flowering out around him. He put his hands up.

"Mera..." He looked over at the boy on the ground and then back at Mera, his eyes even wider than before. "What happened?"

"Mera!" Sarah came sprinting through the sand toward her, sliding to a stop just past Rafe. She looked at Mera's clothes, looked down at her bloody hands, looked over at the boy, and understood completely. Her eyes were full of tears when she looked at Mera again. "You're safe, Mera. We're here."

Kelce and Topper appeared behind Rafe and Sarah, looking just as worried as the Cameron siblings.

Mera flicked her eyes between all four of them, her heart thrumming in her chest.

"I...I can't feel my hands," Mera said, her voice breaking as tears of rage and fear dripped from her eyes.

"I know," Sarah said, taking a step forward, her hands out in front of her. "I know how it feels. You're going to be okay. Just put the wood down and come with me."

Mera breathed raggedly, glancing over at Rafe. He looked a mess, his usually gelled hair tousled, his face red and sweaty. He breathed heavily like he had been running for hours. Then Mera looked over at the boy again, chills running up her spine.

"I...I did that to him," she said.

"You did what you had to do," Kelce said, his words laced with venom.

"We'll take care of him," Rafe assured her, his voice shaking but sure. "We'll keep him around until the cops-"

"No!" Mera yelled suddenly, lifting the wood even higher. "No cops!"

"Okay." Sarah stepped even closer. "No one will call the cops. Topper, tell everyone to go home now. I'm taking Mera inside. Kelce, Rafe, deal with him."

Neither Rafe nor Kelce needed to be told twice. Topper ran back to the house. As Sarah got closer, Mera lowered the wood more and more, until Sarah slid it out of her grasp.

"You're okay," Sarah spoke slowly, wrapping her arm gently around Mera's waist. "Let's get you back to the house."

Any amount of energy was draining from her system and her legs began to fel like jelly again. Sarah struggled to keep her standing, but she did her best.

"I can't feel my hands," Mera groaned, her eyes rolling back and forth. Her feet dragged across the ground, trying to take her own weight so Sarah didn't have to struggle so much. But she had lost control of her body again and it felt impossible to take it back.

"It's okay. You're gonna be okay."

Mera wasn't sure she believed her friend.

Ten minutes later, Mera was curled up in the corner of Topper's bathroom, still covered in blood, still out of control of her own body. The boy was still unconscious, tied up in the laundry room. Topper, Kelce, and Rafe stood in Topper's bedroom, just outside the bathroom door, while Sarah crouched in front of Mera.

"Can I wash the blood off of you?" Sarah asked gently. Mera trembled as if she was frozen to her core, clinging to the pipes of the toilet like they were her only lifeline. Sarah let out a defeated sigh.

"What do we do?" Rafe asked in a whisper, crouching down even though he was still outside.

"The drug is still in her system. She needs to be somewhere safe and I don't think that place is here."

Rafe let out a heavy sigh.

"I'll call John B."

~~~

"Where is she? Where is Mera?"

The girl's head finally perked up when she heard the sound of John B's voice. Sarah stood up and turned, blocking the door as all four of the pogues poured into Topper's room.

"She's been drugged," Sarah said quietly, but not quiet enough to avoid Mera's ears. "She's not really....all there right now."

"The boy downstairs, did you do that to him?" Pope asked. Mera wasn't sure who he was talking to, but it was Kelce who responded.

"No. She did." There was a moment of silence.

"Let me see her." That was JJ. Even through the warping of her hearing, she could recognize his voice.

"Back off," said Rafe.

"How do I know it wasn't you that dropped the pill in her drink, huh?"

"Enough!" Kie cried. "Will the two of you put aside your egos for three whole seconds and think about Mera,. Please?"

Mera lifted her head ever so slightly, just to see Kie standing in the doorway, making direct eye contact with Sarah. For a few moments, the two girls kept their gazes locked. Mera wasn't sure exactly what they were saying, but they seemed to understand each other.

Sarah stepped back, giving Kie the space to walk toward Mera.

"Hi," Kie said, lowering herself to the ground. "Do you want to go home?"

Mera heard her words, but she could barely register what she was saying. The tunnel sound had returned. Her head was spinning, her limbs so numb she couldn't even feel where she was or how she was sitting. She squeezed her eyes shut so tight she didn't know if she would ever be able to open them.

"My head," Mera moaned.

"I know, I know." Kie had tears in her eyes, just as desperate as Sarah had been. "What can I do to help you?"

"Did I kill him?" Mera asked, her eyes still shut. "I can smell his blood on me. Did I kill him?"

"The boy who attacked you?"

Mera nodded her head slowly, tears starting to run down her cheeks again. Kie looked back at Sarah.

"He's alive," Sarah told her. Mera nodded her head and let out a shaking breath.

"Is everyone still out there?" Mera whispered. "The boys, I mean."

"Yeah, they're out there," Kie said. "They're all worried about you."

"Do you want me to ask them to leave?" Sarah asked.

Mera squeezed her eyes shut even tighter. That was too much thinking. She didn't know if she wanted to leave. What reason did they have for staying? Why would they want to sit there and stare at her while she cried?

Sarah stood, walking back into Topper's room.

"I need all of you out," she said, her usually placid tone firm and demanding.

"No way!" JJ cried. "I want to see her."

"She doesn't want to see you."

"Come on, dude," Pope piped in. "Mera needs her space."

The world swarmed in an array of black and bleakness. Her ears were ringnig and her chest was painfully heavy. She couldn't feel anything, yet she could feel everything. She curled her hands tighter around the pipes, curling her knees up to her chest. She was half ready to empty her guts on the floor.

"Let's get you into bed," Kie said, shuffling closer. Mera ran her hands up her arms and bare legs, tracing the blood with her fingers.

"The...the blood."

"We can change your clothes for you, Mera," Sarah said softly with a smile. "We'll take good care of you. You're safe."

Sarah and Kie, working together, got Mera off the bathroom floor and into Topper's room. They gently removed her clothes, dressing her again in some of Sarah's pajamas. It was a good thing Sarah spent so much time at Topper's house. She always had clothes to lend out. The two girls helped wash as much blood off of Mera's arms and legs as they could before helping her into bed.

"I don't...want to be alone," Mera said, struggling to keep herself awake. Kie and Sarah looked over at each other. It was eventually non-verbally decided that they would both stay. For one night, they would push away their hatred for each other to help Mera. After all, Kie had asked Rafe and JJ to do the same exact thing.

Kie crawled in on the back side of Mera, Sarah on the front. Kie curled her arms around Mera's middle and Sarah put her arms over the both of them, holding Mera in a small ball of comfort and warmth. Once surrounded by the two of them, Mera finally broke down completely, sobs and tears never ending. Both girls held her even tighter. Sarah ran her fingers through Mera's hair and Kie brushed butterfly kisses across her shoulder. They cuddled and coddled her until she fell asleep, the tears starting to dry on her cheeks.

~~~

She sat in the tub, letting the water cascade over her body. The water was warm, but she trembled all the same. Trails of blood snaked through the water like tiny rivers.

Sarah and Kie had brought her to the shower after she woke up a few hours later, hoping that she would wash the blood off, but Mera could still barely think straight. The affects of the drugs were still pounding through her system, even if she didn't feel it as horribly as before. Her mind was still fuzzy and her limbs were stil tingling with numbness.

The blood was mostly scrubbed from her skin, but she was terrified of seeing everyone's faces. She didn't want to look at Kelce and remember how he had to carry the boy she had beaten half to death back into the house. She didn't want to look Topper in the eye, knowing it was because of her that his birthday party had ended early. She didn't want to look John B in the eye knowing that she was more of a problem than he had originally thought. She didn't want to look at Pope and know that he had seen her covered in someone else's blood.

And by God she didn't want to have to look at JJ and Rafe and know that they had seen her at her lowest, completely out of control of her own body, her own thoughts.

"You're gonna prune if you stay in there much longer," Sarah's gentle voice said to her from the other side of the shower door. Mera let out a sigh and buried her head in her arms. "I know it's hard, but you can't let him win."

"He won nothing," Mera snapped. "I got away before he could do anything."

She could hear Sarah sigh, not knowing what else to say, Luckily, Kie standing right beside her with a healthy dosage of tough love.

"You got away, Mera, yeah. But now it's time to get off your ass and show this douche that you are completely unbothered. Look him in the eyes and let him know that he didn't break you." Kie's voice shook with what sounded like rage as she spoke.

Mera let out a shuddered breath.

"Is he still in the house?"

"The boys wanted to drop him into the ocean still tied up," Sarah said. "It was probably the only thing they agreed on."

"I would have let them," said Kie. Mera almost managed a smile.

"Pope convinced them that becoming murderers wasn't exactly the best way to help you," Sarah told her, rolling her eyes at Kie. Both girls fell silent as Mera fell back into her thoughts.

Let him know that he didn't break you.

Remind him who you are, Mera.

She let out one more calming breath before shutting off the shower. She pushed herself up carefully and pulled open the shower door. Sarah smiled at her, a big, goofy grin. It was almost enough to make Mera smile.

Her legs shook as she climbed out of the tub, but the numbness was almost completely gone. Kie offered her a hand to help, but Mera shook her head. She had to do this alone. The girls let her get dressed in privacy. Pulling on a fresh set of clean clothes surprisingly made her feel better, especially since it was a pair of Sarah's sweats and one of Kie's sweaters.

She emerged from the bathroom with a gentle smile. Sarah and Kie were sitting on the bed. It looked as if they had been talking quietly to one another. When she entered the room, they both stood.

"Thank you," she said to them. Sarah shook her head, stepping forward and putting a gentle hand on Mera's elbow.

"It was the least we could do. I should never have let you out of my sight, Mera. That's on me and I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." Mera's voice cracked and she wagged her head before smiling again. "You were there when it mattered."

Her words didn't seem to hold much weight because when Sarah closed her eyes, a tear slid down her cheek. Lifting her hand, Mera brushed the tear away with the pad of her thumb.

"Let's get you some food, yeah?"

Mera nodded her head and Sarah stepped back, taking in a calming breath.

Walking down the stairs to the bottom floor had seemed so easy last night compared to now. Before, all she was worried about was being in a large crowd of people for the first time in over 350 years. Now, she was terrified that her legs wouldn't hold her, that despite all the strength that she felt in her soul, her body may not be able to carry her any longer. Not to mention she didn't want to see any of the boys and their looks of pity or hear their apologies.

But she did it anyway. With one hand gripping the railing with all its strength, she took that first shaking step down the first stair. That was the hardest part. The rest would be easy. It wasn't until she was half way down the stairs, Kie and Sarah a few steps behind her, that anyone in the living room noticed that she was there. It was Pope first. He pushed himself off the couch, earning attention from the others, and ran toward the stairs.

"How you doing?" He asked, standing at the bottom step with a hand out for her to take. She gave him her best smile but waved off his hand.

"Never better," she told him. Pope smiled at her, letting his hand fall back to his side. By that time, the other boys had walked over, each with varying degrees of concern on their faces. Mera wanted to shrivel up like a barnacle and disappear, but she knew that she couldn't. She had to face this head on.

"I want to see him," she said, praying that her voice didn't waver.

"Mera, is that a good idea?" Kelce asked. She nodded fervently and then glanced back at Kie, who dipped her head in agreement.

"He's this way," said Rafe. His usually stoic face was riddled with concern. She remembered what Kelce had said last night, about the things Rafe would do for those he cared about, and how that now included her.

"I'll come with you," John B said, stepping forward. Mera put up a hand.

"No, cos. I'll be fine."

"Mera-"

"You saw what I did to him last night, do you really think I would ever let him get anywhere near me again?"

It was an open ended question for anyone to answer. She looked at each one of them in turn and each one of them looked away from her, except JJ.

"Just call if you need help," he said to her. She nodded shortly before turning to follow Rafe.

The boy from last night was stored in the closet. His hands were ziptied and his mouth was gagged. There were bruises all across his face and neck, his nose split across the bridge and his lip busted. Mera stared down at him apathetically.

"Wake up, fucko," Rafe said, kicking the boy harshly in the leg. He startled awake, taking a few seconds to breathe rapidly before looking up at her. She watched his heart skip into his chest as he tried to scuttle away from her like a crab searching for shelter from a storm.

"Do you know who I am?" She asked, peering down at him. He nodded quickly. Mera lowered herself to the ground so she could look him in the face. His breathing was sporadic, uncontrolled. He was terrified. "Good. Now every time you even think about touching someone without their permission, every time you even think about putting something in someone's drink, I want you to remember my face and I want you to remember what I did to you. Because I won't let you live twice."

From anyone else, the threat might have been vague, all bark and no bite. But Mera had killed for less. She had run a man through for so much as laying a hand on her shoulder when she didn't want him to. This boy was lucky.

Rafe was shocked to hear the words come out of her mouth. Sure, she had a sharp tongue and she had punched him in the face when they first met, but he didn't expect this from her. It was then that he realized that he didn't really know the girl before him at all.

The boy's eyes welled up with tears and she almost laughed.

"How pathetic," she mused. "Only a coward would do what you did. You are a coward. And you will live with that title for the rest of your life, won't you?"

He nodded his head again.

"I want to hear you say it." She tore the gag from his mouth and he let out a series of coughs.

"Please don't hurt me," he begged.

"Say it then. What are you?"

"I...I'm a coward."

She smiled, sickly and sweet, like she always did before she dragged a sailor down to his death.

"That's right. Don't forget it."

She stood then, still staring down at him as he whimpered before her.

"What do you want me to do with him?" Rafe asked. Mera scoffed.

"Turn him loose. Let him live with his sins."

With that, she turned on her heel and headed back toward the living room.

Everyone was talking quietly among themselves when she entered. They quieted and turned toward her.

"Right then," she said and gave her usual careless smile. "What's for breakfast?"