Painful Memories

Chapter 1

Family comes in many different shapes and sizes. Some of us have large families, spanning multiple generations. Others are lucky enough to get at least one parent who sticks around long enough to watch them grow. And still, even though parents promise when their child is born that they'll love and treasure them forever, they may eventually end up breaking that promise. Parents aren't the only ones, however. Anyone—aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins—could be capable of it.

Even now, two years later, I still see my aunt's anguished face in my nightmares, hear the words she spat at me. "'A broken queen, an orphaned king, and a weak princess. You three deserve each other.'"

I hear my own words, the bitterness and hatred in each one. "'Why do you think everyone's so fond of Mom? She actually cares about her subjects; she listens to them and does whatever she can to help them. What have you done, besides make them so afraid they can't approach you?'" Those words will haunt me for years to come, if not forever.

A shiver ran down my spine as I sat up in bed, breathing deeply. I had just awoken from one such nightmare, my heart pounding wildly. These have been happening for months now. Some are more mild than others. There have been many mornings where I've awoken gasping for water, struggling to push past those words, the emotions they evoke. Mornings where I can't get out of bed.

As if my thoughts were a beacon, a knock sounded on our door. "Come in," I called out, rising from the bed and swimming into the bathing room. Kai's voice could be heard from the sitting room, muffled by the wall.

"I ran into Mom as I was getting breakfast. She told me that a little fishy told her that today was someone's birthday." The teasing lilt in his voice brought a smile to my face, despite the knot in my stomach. Truthfully, I've started hoping that everyone forgets my birthday when it comes around. I never feel like celebrating, so why make a fuss?

I quickly got dressed, slipping into a purple-and-gray dress with black-and-red bracelets and completing the outfit with my signature locket. When I swam back into the sitting room, Kai was waiting for me, a large black box in his outstretched hands. The grin on his face made my own brighten. "Happy birthday, Isadora. I love you so much." He set the box down on the table and wrapped his arms around me, squeezing me gently.

I let myself lean into the hug, wishing I could treat today with that much happiness. When we broke apart, he gently gripped my shoulders, studying me closely. "Everyone's waiting for you in the dining room. Mom ordered your favorite—chocolate with sea foam frosting." The smile on his face faded as he studied my own.

I had no doubt he could see the shadows in my eyes, the strain on my face. It was an effort just to keep a smile on my face, never mind act happy. "Can't wait," I responded, kissing him on the cheek.

Leaving the box where it was, he grabbed my hand as we left our suite. I waited for the usual panic to hit me when we neared the dining room—the rapid heartbeat, the trembling. Even though it'd been years since the attack, I didn't think my body would ever forget. Indeed, when I glanced at my hand, I found it shaking. My heart raced in my chest, which tightened painfully.

The dining room was a sensitive area. Many years ago, Aunt Naia had taken the space—a room in a palace where I'd truly felt safe—and filled it with horror and fear. Exposure therapy had me eating in the dining room every meal, day after day, working through the panic that threatened to choke me with every bite.

I repeated to myself over and over again that there wasn't anything to be afraid of, that Aunt Naia wouldn't dare show up here again. After Uncle Brandon's death, she hadn't so much as set fin near the palace, much less sought us out. The last time I—or any of us—had seen her was two years ago.

None of us had heard any news from Queen Irvetta or King Marlin since then, which was good. Maybe that meant things were finally getting back to normal—or something close to normal. Kai paused, glancing at me. "You okay?" His eyes shone with concern.

We had come to an unspoken agreement following the attack: that if either of us needed an excuse to leave, whether it be a meal or a formal gathering, the other would follow without question. I had no doubt that was what he was thinking when he voiced the question. Just as nightmares often chased me from sleep, there were days when his gaze would turn vacant, when his grip would tighten on my hand.

While my trauma stemmed from the attack, his was rooted much deeper. His was from years ago—when his father died. His grudge against Aunt Naia was more than bitterness—he'd told me in confidence that after the news had broken, it had taken everything in him not to find her and kill her right then.

Even now, he told me he has to physically restrain himself from going after her whenever her name is mentioned. "Yeah," I finally responded.

I could hear muffled chatter from the hallway. As we neared the door, Kai suddenly brightened. His smile was bigger than I'd ever seen before. "Happy birthday, Izzy." He opened the door with a flourish.

Tears gathered in my eyes before I could even take in the scene before me. The dining room had been transformed. Gray-and-purple streamers hung from the ceiling while gold-and-crimson napkins dotted each place setting. A sea of smiling faces stared at me. "Happy birthday, Izzy!" They shouted, making me flinch.

I mustered a halfhearted smile through my tears. Kai gripped my hand, the contact forcing me to move. Mom and Dad saw us first, taking turns hugging me. When a blur of blonde hair zoomed towards me, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist, I couldn't help but laugh. "Happy birthday, Aunt Izzy!" Faye exclaimed. Her eyes were shining as she thrust a wrapped rectangle into my hands.

Aunt Bella came up behind her, placing her hands on the young mermaid's shoulders. "Ms. Jessica told me that she'd been working on the drawing for days. She'd said that her aunt's birthday was coming up and this was going to be her present." She squeezed Faye's shoulders, smiling down at her.

I grinned down at her as I carefully opened the present. Uncle David swam beside Aunt Bella, the grin on his face brighter than the sun. A stick figure with curly black hair and dark green eyes wearing a beautiful purple-and-gray dress stared back at me, smiling.

I blinked back tears as I bent down to meet her eyes. "I love it, Faye. It's beautiful."

We all sat down to eat, chatter flowing through the room. Queen Katrina showed up shortly therafter, hugging me tightly. After we'd finished, Kai had taken my hand, telling me that he had a surprise for me. I thought of the large box waiting in our room and grinned. Mom and Dad waved as we left, chatting with Aunt Bella and Uncle David.

We'd just passed the large front doors in the entryway when movement outside the palace caught my eye. A flash of blonde hair. The earlier panic returned with a vengeance. My limbs locked up; my heart resumed its racing, gaining strength until I thought it was going to explode. I broke out in a cold sweat, shaking so violently I could hear my teeth clacking against each other.

A painfully tight grip on my hand brought me back to the present—to a sea of worried faces staring back at me. Kai's face was deathly pale, his eyes wide with fear. Mom and Dad had similar expressions on their faces. "What did you see?" Kai's voice was filled with worry.

For a moment, I couldn't make my mouth work. Then the words rushed out. "I—I thought I saw..." I trailed off, shaking my head, but my unspoken words were clear. Aunt Naia.

Mom and Dad exchanged all of a glance before the latter was swimming away, speaking quietly with the nearest guard. After everything we'd been through, all of us knew to trust our instincts—even the tiniest feeling. Kai had never let go of my hand, his eyes scanning my face. "She can't hurt us anymore, Isadora. She can't hurt us." He repeated the first sentence with more confidence, as if saying it aloud would make it true.

As we swam back to our room, the happy mood shattered, all I could think about were his words. Who he was trying to convince—me or himself.

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