My nightmare is a mirror image of the previous day. "I'm sorry," I sob, tears blurring my vision. Mica is floating beside me, a smug grin on her face. Dozens of mermaids surround us, unfaltering even as tears flow down their cheeks. Most of them are around Mom's age, but a few are my age or younger. With shaking hands, I swim up to the first mermaid.

Her anthracite hair settles just past her shoulders, gently swaying in the current. Blank eyes stare straight ahead, not even blinking when I place a hand on her shoulder. As I prepare to open my mouth, to voice the words that are waiting on my tongue, she suddenly turns her head and meets my eyes.

I falter, barely managing to steady myself. Her hair lightens to blonde, brown eyes turning grey. Horror fills them as they settle on me, the sight like a punch to the gut. "Faye?" She whispers, shock lacing her voice.

A broken sob escapes me as I force myself to break Mom's gaze. I realize a heartbeat later, with horrifying clarity, that this is a nightmare. It has to be. Furiously shaking my head, I turn back to Mica. "Please," I sob, chest hitching. "Please don't make me do this. I—I will give you anything—"

My words are suddenly cut off as Mica, impatiently waiting, shakes her head and glares at me. "I didn't want to have to do this, Faye," she says, clicking her tongue in displeasure, "but you leave me no choice."

To my horror, she leans down, placing a hand on Mom's shoulder, lips inches from her ear. Taking a deep breath, she starts to sing, the words stretching out in the silence until her song seems to last forever. In reality, however, it's over in a heartbeat. I lunge for Mom just as the last note leaves Mica's lips.

Her chest rises and falls one last time before ceasing. I manage to catch her before she hits the seafloor, eyes blank, staring at nothing. Gently shaking her, I struggle to speak through the tears, the gaping hole in my soul. "Mom? Can you hear me? Please wake up!"

The last syllable is a choked sob. I sink through the water, heavy and numb at the same time. A suffocating weight settles on my chest, squeezing the water from my lungs. If it wasn't for the pounding of my heart in my ears, I don't know if I would remember to breathe.

Everything is pointless. Why do I even try to fight against Mica and Wyatt? I'll only lose. I'm not brave enough. I'm not strong enough.

These thoughts are a whirlpool, their undertow dragging me down until I can't see the surface. Over and over, again and again, until they're all I hear, all I feel. Cowardly and weak.

I close my eyes, wanting nothing more than to be swallowed up by that suffocating blackness, that awaiting oblivion. When I opened my eyes again, head throbbing, the tears came before I could even take a breath. My very bones ached, the exhaustion from yesterday lingering like a phantom ache.

I dragged myself out of bed, barely even glancing at myself in the mirror. I knew what I would see because it was a mirror image of what I felt inside. Blank, empty eyes, void of any emotion. This was exactly what Mica and Wyatt wanted, I realized with a jolt. For me to be pushed to my limit, to break. Why they specifically sought me out.

They'd been studying up on me. Learning my family history, my weaknesses. The question was, how long had they been watching me? Before Wyatt had shown up at the Bronze Mermaid?

When the knock sounded on my door, I flinched. I hadn't realized I'd been lost in my thoughts for so long. Hurriedly getting dressed, I opened the door, revealing Waverly's cheerful blue eyes. "Hey. We're going to be late for school. Ms. Jessica said she—" Her voice broke off as she scanned my face. Concern filled her eyes as she swam inside and shut the door behind her. "Are you okay?"

I nodded, willing my eyes to brighten, my smile to widen. "Yeah. I'm ready if you are."

If she heard the strain in my voice, she didn't let on. She only scanned my face once more, lingering on my eyes before nodding and exiting the suite. I froze as we passed the dining hall, familiar voices filling the silence.

I wanted nothing more than to rush inside and throw my arms around my parents, never letting go. To see for myself that Mom was alive. Breathing. I forced myself to swim past the entrance, hands clenching into fists at my sides.

Drew met up with us as we left the palace, sunlight shining down on us. We exchanged greetings, but I kept my gaze on the ground the whole time. If I had looked up, I would have seen Drew and Waverly swap concerned glances. I went through school in a daze, speaking only when I was called on and spoken to. I hardly heard anything that was said, barely paid attention to the lessons.

The throbbing intensified until it was a living thing, vibrating behind my temples. It wasn't until the last class of the day that I felt Waverly's hand on my arm, jolting me back to the present. I looked up, shock running through me as I stared into familiar wide eyes. Aunt Izzy was floating beside Ms. Jessica, a large smile on her face.

It faded slightly, however, when she glimpsed my face. I tried for a smile of my own, but I barely managed to tilt my lips before my face crumpled. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I hurriedly got up, ignoring all the curious and concerned glances thrown my way.

Blindly, I made my way out of the school and into the open water, chest heaving as I tried to bring water into my lungs. My heart thudded in my chest, blood pounding in my ears. Choked sobs forced their way out of my mouth, each ending in a scream.

Once again, all I could hear was those thoughts. Just like the nightmare. Over and over, again and again.

Everything is pointless. Why do I even try to fight against Mica and Wyatt? I'll only lose. I'm not brave enough. I'm not strong enough.

I barely registered the strong, warm arms wrap around me, taking my weight effortlessly. It felt as if my very soul was shredding in half. A firm voice broke through the haze that had settled over me, concern lacing every word. "Faye? Can you hear me?" Drew.

His words were like daggers piercing my heart. Whether he realized it or not, his question was—word-for-word—exactly what I had asked Mom in the nightmare. Taking a ragged breath, I screamed once more, pouring all of my energy into the sound.

Again, the scream ended in a broken sob as I collapsed against Drew. He held me tightly, stroking my hair and never letting go. Even as my tears leaked down my cheeks and onto his shirt. Even as I curled my hands into fists and pounded them against his chest. He took the blows without complaint, never saying a word.

When the tears finally subsided, leaving me weak and empty, I lifted my head. My older brother's worried eyes met mine as he used his thumbs to wipe away the tearstains on my cheeks. If I couldn't even protect Mom in a nightmare, how could I possibly do so in reality?

He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "I've got you, Faye. I've got you." His arms tightened around me as the words left his mouth.

"I'm not strong enough," I whispered, finally voicing the words that had been running through my head on repeat all day. He put his hands on my shoulders, pulling back to face me.

His eyes were filled with such anger that it stole the water from my lungs. "Don't ever say that again," he said, voice quiet, but not weak. "You are one of the strongest mermaids I've ever seen, Faye. I know it; Mom, Dad, and Waverly know it too. Why don't you?"

I wanted to confess everything to him right then and there, but I couldn't even open my mouth. I didn't remember swimming back home, nor into my suite. All I was aware of was the overwhelming exhaustion pulling me under before my head even hit the pillow.

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