For the next few months, Aunt Izzy's words were sometimes the only thing that got me through the day. Unbeknownst to me, Mom had reached out to Calder and Leith, explaining the reason for my absence—while still omitting any particulars about what had happened with Zander and the fight between me and Waverly. Nor did she give any reason for them being one waitress down for the foreseeable future. Leith was heartbroken to hear about what I'd been through; Calder, in his gruff manner, expressed his condolences to me through Mom.

When I finally returned to work, it was sensory overload as I swam inside the restaurant. It felt like a lifetime had passed since I'd last been here. For a moment, I froze, taking in the various sights, smells, and sounds as if for the first time.

The clink and clatter of plates and cups being picked up and set down, the sound of the cooks and servers murmuring in low voices, the scent of fresh shrimp and bubble tea—it was almost overwhelming. Never mind being so close to Calder and Leith. I was on the verge of a panic attack as I ducked back outside, my heart racing and breathing shaking. I tried to take a deep breath, but it was as if an anchor was sitting on my chest.

All I could see was Zander and the sensual look in his eyes; I shuddered as I recalled the feeling of his hand on my face. Before I realized it, tears were welling in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks and splashing onto my dress. I cursed myself, hating that he still had a grip on me. Everything I'd been trying so hard to suppress—those feelings I'd shoved in the back of my heart when we'd heard the news about Raina—came back with a vengeance.

Anger, sadness, grief, rage, regret—they all slammed into me with the force of an anchor. When I heard the sound of low voices approaching, getting louder with every passing second, I froze again. I instinctively jerked away as Leith appeared, face lined with worry. I was gasping for breath as tears streamed down my face. Whatever Leith saw in my eyes, my panicked expression convinced him not to come any closer. He nodded, putting his hands out in front of him.

I wrapped my arms around myself, nails digging into my flesh. It had taken weeks for me even to feel comfortable being touched by Jonah—never mind another merman. Even Dad and Drew had kept their distance, silent understanding flashing in their eyes whenever they saw me. I closed my eyes and tried to steady my breathing, to remind myself that Leith was not Zander—that he would never even think of harming me.

When Leith spoke, his voice was soft and gentle. "I don't know what you went through, nor can I even begin to imagine the pain you must be feeling. But know if and when you're ready to talk about it, I'm here. I'm so sorry, Faye."

Before his words had even finished echoing, Calder appeared, his gruff expression softening ever-so-slightly. "I take the well-being of this restaurant and my employees very seriously. As Leith said, I know nothing of what you went through, nor the pain you must be feeling, but my door is always open, Faye. We take care of each other here."

Taken aback, I didn't respond right away. I didn't think I'd ever heard Calder speak with such gentleness. I sniffled, hurriedly wiping my eyes. "I-I'm sorry." They both nodded and as they turned to go back into the restaurant, I spoke again. "Wait."

As one, they turned and met my eyes. My hands clenched into fists as I squeezed my eyes shut, taking several deep breaths and blowing them out. Over and over until I felt I could talk about it without breaking down.

"As you may or may not know, Waverly and I are descendants of Sirens—an ancient group of mermaids blessed with the power of song. Our voices are haunting and mesmerizing; one can decide whether to use them for evil or good. Many other mermaids have been lured into this group as well, fracturing relationships as well as forging them. Waverly had a sister—" My voice broke as emotion choked me. It was the first time since her death that I'd spoken about Kailani.

Neither of the mermen said a word. They just waited patiently. I took a ragged breath, swallowing hard. "Waverly had a sister she didn't know existed until a few years ago. Their father is not a good merman." I had to pause again as Raina's unseeing eyes flashed in my mind. "We found out earlier this year that he is responsible for the deaths of over a dozen mermaids, all Sirens."

I let them puzzle out the implications of that sentence. I saw it in both their gazes the moment it clicked for them. After Raina's death, I'd tortured myself trying to figure out why someone would target her—a mermaid so sweet, so loving, so gentle—before coming to the heartbreaking conclusion.

"You," Leith breathed, his voice filled with anger and disbelief. "He blames you for the death of his daughter, so he's murdering Sirens to draw you out."

I swallowed hard as I nodded, looking at Calder. His expression was cold and harsh, so much so that I had to bite back a shudder. Tears filled my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as I spoke of what Zander had done, describing in detail the impact—mentally, physically, and emotionally—it'd had on me.

"I still have nightmares about what happened. Until a few months ago, I could barely handle being in the same room with mermen, much less those I loved and cared for. It wasn't so much what happened that scarred me—it was what could have happened. He could have killed me."

My voice broke as I breathed that last sentence. All these months later, it was a question that I still pondered—why? Why did he leave me alive?

Leith cleared his throat, the sound loud in the sudden silence that had fallen over us. "Faye, I think you should—"

He didn't get a chance to finish. One minute, he spoke; the next, he was choking on blood. Quicker than I could blink, a dagger plunged into Leith's neck, severing his windpipe. I screamed, the sound seeming to stretch until it went on forever. All I saw was the spray of blood; all I heard was screaming.

Panic-stricken, guttural screaming. For a heartbeat, I wondered where it was coming from. I'd never heard such a sound. Only when I felt hands on my arms, firm and steady, did I realize who was screaming.

Me. I felt Calder's hands on me and saw his mouth moving, but I couldn't hear him. The old merman's face was pale, and I could feel him shaking underneath me, but his gaze was steady as he looked at me and spoke. He firmly shook my shoulders, the movement jolting me out of the grief-stricken haze that had settled over me. His voice was far away and muffled, like he spoke from several rooms away.

"Faye? Faye. Can you hear me? I need you to go straight back to the palace and tell your parents what happened. Do not stop for any reason. Whoever..." he trailed off, swallowing hard. "K-killed Leith may still be waiting to ambush you. Go!"

When I didn't move, his face softened, and his voice was a shade more tense. "Please, Faye. Go!"

That word thrust me into motion. I zoomed through the water, my chest heaving as I worked overtime to pull water into my lungs and force it back out. I was so lost in the haze of grief and shock that when I reached the palace, I just lurched toward the guards at the front.

"Your Highness?" One of them—I vaguely recognized him but, in my current state, could not recall his name—said, his voice gentle and soothing. When I didn't answer, he glanced at the guard beside him, who nodded and disappeared into the palace. He turned back to me, his eyes softening.

I wasn't sure what it was—maybe the tone of his voice or the expression on his face—that made me open my mouth, but once I did, the words just poured out. "Please. I—I need to find m—my parents." I was all but gasping now; the grief and shock were slowly morphing into hysteria.

It was only when the first guard's face paled, his eyes widening in shock and horror, that I realized what had happened. I bit down on a scream so hard my teeth chattered as I looked down and saw the blood—Leith's blood—coating my arms, chest, and neck. "Please." My voice broke as I faltered. The guard steadied me with hands on my shoulders, his eyes filled with concern and worry.

"Faye!" The voice was muffled and faint, getting closer with every breath. I heard a loud pounding in my ears; at first, I couldn't tell where it was coming from. When Mom appeared, with Dad seconds behind her, they took one look at me—my bloodied appearance—before all the color drained from their faces.

Dad lunged for me, swiftly taking my weight moments before I would have hit the seafloor. "Are you hurt? Sweetie, what happened?" I barely heard his words over the pounding in my ears. He turned to Mom and spoke, but I didn't even have a chance to breathe before my eyes rolled back in my head, and blackness consumed me.

My return to consciousness was slow and gradual. My eyes remained shut, but the rest of my senses were working overtime. I felt the warm blankets on the bed in our suite; I tasted blood in my mouth, which meant I must have bitten my tongue.

I heard a muffled voice, his words getting more precise with every trembling breath. "From what I can tell, Faye was not the target—not yet, at least. Leith was an unfortunate casualty. Calder has taken the responsibility of seeking out his relatives and informing them of what happened. I'm just worried what this double dose of grief may do to her." Dad's voice was weary and filled with fatigue.

I tried to open my eyes, but it felt like anchors were resting on them. The best I could do was move my fingers, immediately getting his attention. His voice was filled with weary relief as he spoke. "Faye? Honey, can you hear me?"

As relieved as I was to be unharmed, I realized I didn't want to open my eyes. I knew that if I saw Dad's face—the grief surely etched in his features—then it would be true. If I kept them closed, Leith would still be alive. I knew it was a foolish hope, but I clung to it. Tears squeezed out from behind my eyelids, leaking down my cheeks steadily.

I knew without saying anything that he knew what I was doing. Dad knew because when he leaned in to kiss my forehead, he whispered, so softly I almost didn't hear it, "He didn't die in vain. I swear to you, Faye, whatever it takes, we will find Zander and make him pay for what he did to Leith."

I'd never heard Dad's voice sound so... cold. Even though I knew it was all in the name of keeping me safe, I shuddered even to imagine what would happen if Dad were to face off with Zander. If either of them would get away unscathed. What would happen if they were both left with soul wounds that would never heal.

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