The inside of Rosewood Manor was pitch-black as I swam down the long hallway. Sleep was pointless; I had tossed and turned before finally getting up and leaving my room. It was so dark, I bumped into the wall a few times before stopping in front of the door to the study. As if I had willed it, the lights suddenly turned on, momentarily blinding me.

After my vision had adjusted, I didn't move for a few heartbeats, making sure I was alone. The hallway was still empty, but I held my breath all the same.

A shiver ran down my spine as I floated in front of the door. I couldn't hear anything, but I could feel a sort of... wrongness coming from inside. My hand was trembling as I placed it on the doorknob, wincing at the noise it was surely making. What I saw as the door opened took my breath away, filling me with crushing dread and fear.

Tiger Shark was floating before a work table, a book open in front of him, his back to me. His head was thrown back, his arms oustretched. Ghosts surrounded him, too many to count. Faster than I could blink, they disappeared into his pendant. His arms were trembling as he braced them on the table, his chest heaving.

He flexed his arms and hands, trying to leash the power surely flowing through him. I couldn't see my expression, but I knew all the color must have drained from my face. My eyes were impossibly wide as I backed out of the room, trying to quell the nausea forming inside me. I was in my room with the door shut before he had even left his study. I dragged a shaking hand over my face, taking trembling breaths.

The most obvious thing would be to tell someone. But who? My heart pounded so hard I thought I might faint as I struggled to make sense of the thoughts swirling around in my head. A shaky smile was pasted on my face as I swam out of my room, through the hallway, and into the kitchen. Eliza saw me and smiled, swimming toward me. Her smile faded as she noticed my expression.

I shook my head, grabbing my notepad. Is there any food left? I'm starving. My stomach grumbled as I finished writing, echoing my words.

She nodded, holding up a finger and swimming into the pantry, reappearing moments later with a platter of food. I thanked her before swimming back to my room and eating as much as I could stomach. The walls of my room closed in on me, a cry escaping me as I unsteadily rose from my bed, rushing out of the room. Tears welled in my eyes, making my vision blurry.

I almost sobbed in relief as I swam into the open water. I swam with no destination in mind, just trying to get away from the wrongness of the cellar. A familiar scent filled my nostrils as I left Rosewood behind. I had a task; I intended to complete it. Falling into a routine was surprisingly easy, the task at hand distracting me.

I bit back a cry as a hand landed on my shoulder. Familiar dark blue eyes met mine, the strain of keeping the magic leashed evident in his expression. Lines of strain etched his face, eyes so wide I was afraid they'd pop out of his head. He grabbed the notepad from my pocket and scribbled a message. Been spying on me, have you?

I swallowed hard, shaking my head vehemently. Before I could so much as turn away, he gripped his pendant with his free hand and reached for me. I saw my chance and took it, drawing a hidden dagger from my pocket. His eyes were wide with disbelief as I drove the dagger home, aimed straight for his heart.

The next few moments happened in slow motion. His eyes went from disbelieving to blank in the span of a heartbeat; his chest rose and fell one last time as he collapsed on the seafloor, his hands scrabbling for the dagger hilt. I barely noticed the blood on my hands as I bent over him and reached for his pendant. The minute I touched it, I felt the agony and torment of the souls trapped inside.

I swam back to Rosewood, my blood-covered hands trembling. Eliza noticed me first as I swam inside. She took one look at the blood covering my hands and the blank, hollow expression on my face and led me to my room.

She shut the door behind me and guided me to the bathing room. I tore off my clothes and scrubbed myself until my skin stung and the images finally subsided. After I got dressed, I swam out of the bathing room, surprised to find Eliza still waiting. Would you like me to stay? Her hands were steady as she wrote on the notepad.

It'd never occurred to me that Eliza may have been here out of some debt to Tiger Shark. I nodded, swimming into bed and turning on my side. She sat on the side of the bed, a calming presence. After the shock of what happened, I thought sleep would be impossible, but my eyes closed the minute my head hit the pillow.

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