It's an exact replica of last night. The only difference is that Drew's present this time. I can almost recite it from memory. Tumbling head over tail in the whirlpool, sounds and images coalescing. This time, however, I don't even try to free myself.

I'm once again forced to watch as my family stares at me with such horror and shock on their faces. "Faye... Oh my gods, Faye. What have you done?" My older brother's voice is filled with such shock and horror that I almost can't bear it. The me outside the whirlpool reaches out to him, pleading, but he shakes his head.

I'm speechless. Even if it's not really me, I can still feel the shame and grief surging through me. When a hand lands on my shoulder, I slowly turn away from the scene in front of me.

Kailani floats beside me, her eyes filled with shame. I'm not sure how she's inside the whirlpool with me, but she's there nevertheless. "Such a disappointment, really. We'd all hoped you'd take to your new title more... enthusiastically." She says the word like being a Siren is as exciting as winning a cometball game.

Incredulous, I splay my arm out, indicating the various bodies outside the whirlpool. "Why in the gods' names would I be enthusiastic about this? Murdering innocent mermaids and mermen? Taking mothers, fathers, away from their children? Turning children into orphans?" I can feel the rage building up inside me, like a jellyfish poised to strike.

My hands curl into fists as I shoot her a glare. But she's not looking at me anymore. Instead, her gaze is fixed on something outside the whirlpool. When I follow her gaze, I immediately wish I hadn't. Mom is sobbing, screaming something I can't make out. Dad is clutching her in his arms, face pale with grief and shock.

What makes me stop dead, however, guilt and shock and shame nearly choking me, is the expression on Drew's face. His eyes are locked on me—again, the me outside the whirlpool—filled with tears of shame and shock and guilt. When I look at myself, I choke on a scream.

Every bad thought I've ever had about myself—every terrible emotion I've ever felt—is displayed on my face for all to see. Anxiety; depression; shame; guilt. That voice in the very back of my head, the one that I desperately try to silence every single day, rears its ugly head.

Who are you kidding? You're nothing but a murderer. Just like your aunts. You're worthless. You should be ashamed. No wonder your family hates you. Even Waverly is ashamed to be seen with you.

I clap a hand over my mouth to muffle the sob, the scream building up inside me, but I quickly realize that no one can hear me. So I don't. I suck in a lungful of water, then scream as loud as I can. The scream ends in a ragged, broken sob as I sink to the seafloor.

A loud gasp escaped my mouth as I woke up. For a minute, I didn't know where I was. The last thing I remembered was receiving the note from Kailani... then nothing.

A lump formed in my throat, but the tears never came. I cast a quick glance at the window, gauging the time. Dusk was slowly darkening the water. I'd slept that long again?

As if in answer to my unspoken question, a gentle knock sounded on my door. "Come in," I called out as I got out of bed and swam into my closet. I quickly pulled on a red-and-black dress, balling my hands into fists to hide their trembling.

My head felt foggy and muddled, every stroke like moving through thick mud. When my suite door opened, it took everything in me not to flinch. Drew, Mom, and Dad swam inside, the latter shutting the door behind them.

The concern in their eyes stole the water from my lungs, made my heart skip a beat. Mom opened her mouth to speak, but before she could so much as utter a sound, another gentle knock sounded on the door. Confusion surfaced in her and Dad's eyes as they glanced at the door, then back at me.

Drew breathed what seemed to be a sigh of relief as he swam to the door. When he opened it, all I saw was a blur of caramel hair, then Waverly flew into my arms. Her entire body was trembling with the force of her sobs. "I—I got here as fast as I could. I heard—Drew said—" The rest of her words were drowned in a torrent of tears.

My eyes shifted to my brother's, filled with questions. His face was pale, his mouth set in a firm line. Drew ushered Waverly to a chair beside my bed and she collapsed into it. Mom disappeared from the room, reappearing moments later with two plates of shrimp and two cups of bubble tea. She handed both Waverly and me one of each. Waverly accepted both gratefully, never taking her eyes off my face.

I did the same, keeping my eyes on Drew. When he spoke, his voice was low, quiet. "The guards alerted us earlier this morning that a suspicious mermaid was lurking outside the palace. She wouldn't say who she was, only that you would know her. She told us to give you this—that you and only you would know what it meant." He produced a piece of paper out of his pocket that made my heart stop dead in my chest.

I already knew who it was, without him even having said a name. Kailani. Our conversation yesterday—if you could even call it that—had been brief and strange. My hand trembled as I reached for the note.

My heart was pounding as I read, my eyes slowly sweeping across the page, taking in each word. Faye Mercer, you are cordially invited to a special 'Sirens only' concert today at dusk near the Whispering Reef. Your family is welcome to attend as well. I'm sure they would love to hear your beautiful voice. Failure to attend will result in unpleasant consequences. Kailani.

Silt. Taking a breath, I quickly drained the cup of tea. I couldn't stop the tremor that shuddered through me.

Drew swam up to me, putting a hand on my arm. "Are you okay? What are you doing?"

Swallowing hard against the lump in my throat, I met his gaze, Waverly's and my parents. They all had concern and worry in their eyes. "I'm so sorry. But I need you to trust me."

Mom and Dad swam to me, the former taking my hand and the latter placing a kiss on my forehead. "We're with you all the way, sweetie." Wedged beside the worry, however, was trust, and for that I felt relief. Even if none of them had any idea what was coming.

The moon shone bright in the sky, providing the only source of light as the five of us left the palace. My face was blank, but on the inside I was panicking. When we reached the Whispering Reef, I was momentarily taken aback by the large crowd. All mermaids, they ranged in age from me to Mom, just as they had in the nightmare. And like me, they had their parents and siblings with them.

Kailani was floating near the front of the crowd, a solemn expression on her face. "Welcome, Sister Siren. We've been waiting for you." She looked beyond me, taking in Mom, Dad, Waverly and Drew.

Her expression never wavered, even as she moved beside me and spun around, facing the crowd. "Sister Sirens," she began, her voice strong and clear. "Thank you for coming. The Sirens have been around since the beginning of the mer. Blessed with the power of song, their voices can both enchant and kill. Some respect this power; others abuse it. The mermaids gathered here today have chosen to respect this power. We hope you all enjoy the concert."

With that, she turned to me, meeting all of our gazes. She had a smile on her face, but I could see the unspoken threat in her eyes clear as day. If we didn't go through with this, she would kill all of us, starting with our families.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes. Blocked out all the noise until all I could hear was my own heartbeat, strong and frantic. I took several slow, measured breaths, pushing all of my emotions into the very back of my heart where they couldn't touch me. I knew it was the only way I was going to be able to get through this.

When I opened my eyes again, a cold sense of calm had settled over me. I stared straight ahead, not allowing myself to meet anyone's gaze. As the first notes rose in the water, I gave myself over to the music. Let myself be swept away by the sound of my voice, blending seamlessly with the dozen other voices filling the water. Despite not having heard the tune in ages, I somehow still knew every word.

Sister Siren, we gather together
From lakes and ponds and seas and oceans
Ready to put our plan into motion
Come one, come all, to the place where it all began
Listen to my voice, heed my call
Come one, come all
Sing our song, sing along

As the last note faded in the water, I slowly opened my eyes. Only when I glanced over at Kailani did I notice the other mermaid in her grasp. I rushed over to her, managing to catch her just before she hit the seafloor. Her bronze eyes were wide with shock and fear as they settled on me, then glazed over.

Sadness, grief, and shame coalesced inside me, gathering strength until I couldn't hold it back any longer. Tears rushed down my face, dripping onto my dress. Even though I had no part in her death—hadn't even known it was happening until it was too late—I felt yet another piece of my heart break off and shatter.

The truth washed over me with the force of an Arctic blast. I was in something I had no idea how to get out of. The Sirens lured unsuspecting mermaids in with the prospect of a family, sisters who would never forsake or betray their own. By the time they figured out the truth, however, it was more than likely too late to back out. The only question was, would I be able to hold on to my sanity and still be a Siren?

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