Naia's cheeks were flushed, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Her gaze swept over all of us, lingering on me the longest. Jay's hand found mine, squeezing gently. Anger burned through me like wildfire as I stared at Naia. The others' faces were a mix of horror and shock. Jay's hand tightened on mine as he struggled to keep his emotions under control—that anger that was so close to coming to the surface.

Her hands were trembling as she placed them out in front of her. I didn't know if Jay was breathing. I raised my hands, trying to keep my heartbeat under control. What are you doing here? Haven't you already done enough damage?

The words were like rocks hitting their intended target. She winced, pain filling her eyes, then shook her head. That's not why I'm here. Please, let me explain.

I took a shaky breath, running my hand through my hair. I assume Tiger Shark told you what really happened? Her hands were steady as she signed, her eyes pleading.

I nodded, leashing the anger boiling inside me. Jay squeezed my hand and as I looked at him, I could see the confusion in his eyes. I'll tell you all later, I tried to convey with my eyes.

Anger flared in his eyes at being kept in the dark, but he begrudgingly nodded. I looked back at Naia, raising my eyebrows. How did you meet him? I didn't even know about him until a few years ago.

She nodded. He came to our house a few times when we were little. As she spoke, I had vague memories of a merman with eyes identical to my own in our house, smiling as he talked with Mom.

We were just kids, so I thought he was one of Mom's friends. When I got a bit older, he introduced himself properly. A few years after that, we started meeting up in secret. I had just snuck out to meet him—I'd lied to Mom, saying I was going to meet some friends—when I was suddenly overcome by pain. After a few minutes, it lessened long enough for me to swim to our meeting point—his manor. As I arrived, I felt an unworldly presence, like something else was watching me.

My hand had gone limp in Jay's by that point. Face pale, I stared at Naia, struggling to comprehend what she was laying out in front of me.

She took a shaky breath before continuing. The servants were stone-faced as I swam in, avoiding my gaze. That's when I heard the scream. I rushed toward the sound, stopping when I reached the steady. Nothing could have prepared me for what was in front of me. You. Tiger Shark. He was reading from a large book, clutching a pendant around his neck every now and then. Your face was deathly pale, eyes wide as you stared at him. I knew in that moment what was going to happen. But before I could so much as open my mouth to shout, familiar figures had started to appear out of the corners of my vision.

My eyes were so wide I thought they would pop out of my head. Tears were streaming down her face now. They grinned maliciously at me before zooming over to you, letting out ear-piercing shrieks. I clapped my hands over my ears, trying as hard as I could to muffle the sound, but I couldn't save you. You had blacked out by the time the screaming faded. I brought you back home and didn't leave your side until you awoke. I'd never seen you so scared. I hated having to lie to you.

I hadn't realized I'd been staring until Jay put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to flinch. The world spun as I struggled to process her words. Naia saw herself out, glancing back at me one last time before leaving.

As soon as the door closed, I let out a heartbreaking sob. Jay caught me as I faltered. David was on my other side, gripping my arm. I kept waiting for the screams to come to the surface, the anger, but all that was left inside was a hollow shell.

Jay murmured to David and the others before gently leading me to our bedroom. Shivers wracked my trembling frame, alternating with the gasping sobs that I finally unleashed. He held me as we got into bed, stroking my hair. I turned my face toward his, breathing unevenly.

What am I supposed to do now? A tear slid down my cheek, but he brushed it away before it could land on the pillow.

He kissed me gently. Sleep. We'll deal with it in the morning.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Tiger Shark in his study. My head was spinning as I dozed off, concentrating on the feeling of Jay's arms wrapped around mine.

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