Shattered Souls

Chapter 6

It's a replica of the previous nightmare—with one glaring difference. I still hear my family and Waverly's voices, but another steals the water from my lungs.  "Faye, help me. Please, you... you have to help me." The voice is faint, but I recognize it instantly.

Jonah. My heart slams to a halt as I choke on my breath. Is it a choice? Forcing me to choose between the love of my life or my family?

Zander's words come back to me, each one piercing my heart with the force of a dozen daggers. "'Because even though this is only a taste of the agony I suffered with losing my daughters, now you can see what it feels like.'"

"Jonah?" I call out, my voice breaking. What if he's hurt—or worse? I'd never forgive myself if he died when I could've done something to save him.

Somehow, I feel the former's presence before he even opens his mouth. I whirl around, a gasp slipping from my mouth as I come face-to-face with Zander, wearing the same smug smile from the previous nightmare. "You have to choose, Faye. That's the only way this can end."

I realize the implications of his words before they even finish echoing. When Jonah appears before us, his injury identical to the one he'd suffered two years ago, I can't stifle the cry building inside me. Only this time, he's not unconscious, and he's not propped up between Waverly and Laguna.

How he managed to stay conscious—never mind swim all the way here—I have no idea. The strength of will he must have had is tremendous. I know that if I open his shirt, I'll see the same wounds and feel the same blood soaking my fingers. He takes a shaky breath, his eyes unfocused as he looks at me. They widen at the same time a pained gasp escapes his mouth.

"Faye," he whispers, his voice barely audible. I've taken all of one stroke before I stop dead, my heart slamming to a halt. Another merman appears beside him, blood soaking his shirt from an unseen wound. Drew's face is deathly pale, his eyes closed, and his breathing shallow and uneven.

Judging by how he clutches his side, I'd say a dagger caused the injury. A cry slips from my lips, heartbreak and terror fused in a single sound. Like Jonah, I have no idea how he managed to swim here or stay conscious while doing it. But unlike Jonah, he's not conscious now. I'm lunging for him before I even register the movement.

He's limp in my arms, his breathing a wet rasp. He didn't even flinch when I caught him, nor does he now. "Drew," I whimper, my voice breaking. "Open your eyes! Please open your eyes!"

When I hear another voice—his voice—behind me, every ounce of grief and fear drains from my body, replaced by blinding rage. "I told you, Faye: you have to choose." Zander smirks when I whirl around to face him, still clutching my brother.

Drew inhales but doesn't open his eyes. A tear slips down my cheek and splashes onto his face, but he doesn't move. "I—I can't." The words are broken, desperate.

I lock eyes with Jonah, his eyes filled with pain and understanding. Never breaking my gaze, he mouths two words—the finality in them crushing my heart into pieces. It's okay.

I think he'd figured it out before even I had: when faced with whether to save him or Drew, I would always choose Drew. Jonah swims over to us, each stroke painfully slow, then takes my face in each hand. I feel him falter as he presses his lips to mine, but I let him lean against me, taking all his weight.

I'm sobbing, but I don't break the kiss. He's the one that finally pulls away, his eyes filled with equal amounts of pain and love. "I love you. No matter the distance between us, in death or life, I will always love you. You are the best part of me. You are the reason I get out of bed in the morning. You saved me when I didn't even know it. I will always be grateful." With his words still lingering in the water, he presses his forehead to mine and closes his eyes.

I can't breathe. It feels like someone reached inside my chest, tore out my heart, then ripped it in half. "Please," I whimper, clutching his hands so hard my knuckles turn white. "I—I can't." I falter as the word leaves my mouth.

When Zander speaks from behind us, his voice filled with impatience, his words stop my heart mid-beat. "Looks like you've already made your choice, Faye."

The next few moments seem to happen in slow motion, but in reality, it's over in seconds. Faster than I can blink, Zander unearths a hidden dagger and plunges it into Drew's chest. His eyes widen, then go blank. Blood stains his shirt and chest, but I don't even notice. I know that every time I close my eyes, every time I breathe and he doesn't, I'll see the light leave his eyes.

Without registering the motion, I somehow let go of Jonah and catch Drew, heedless of the blood soaking my dress and hands. The sobs coming from my mouth are guttural and heartbreaking. But just like before, something pulls me from the nightmare. A cry shattered the silence as my eyes flew open, my panicked breathing unusually loud in my ears. I didn't even realize I was hyperventilating until I gasped for water.

Tears blurred my vision as my hands clutched the blankets. The nightmare brought back everything I'd been trying so desperately to avoid: the grief and anger from the previous day combined with the agony of seeing Waverly and hearing her pleas. My whole body was trembling as tears coursed down my cheeks. When I felt a hand on my arm, I nearly jumped out of my skin. Mom's eyes were wide and tear-filled as she looked at me.

Only then did I register that we weren't alone in our suite. Dad, Drew, Jonah, Waverly, and Laguna floated around the bed, eyes wide and faces pale. The latter's eyes were also filled with tears that she desperately tried to blink away. Waverly was beside her mother, motionless in the water, staring at nothing. I knew the signs of shock well enough to recognize it when I saw it. The only question was, what caused it? What happened?

I opened my mouth but couldn't get any words out. I cleared my throat and tried again, my voice hoarse and broken. "What happened, Mom?"

She swallowed hard, trying unsuccessfully to blink away the tears that were moments from spilling down her cheeks. When she finally spoke, her voice was as hoarse and broken as mine. "Zander... He..."

She shook her head as she trailed off, seemingly trying to work up the courage to speak. "Zander murdered Mica. Her body was found in a ravine a few leagues from the palace around sunrise this morning. A group of mermaids and mermen spotted it, then reported it to Merrick, who notified us."

I froze, my grip slackening on the blankets. Whenever I opened my mouth to speak, my throat tightened, trapping any words inside. My eyes were wide with fear as I glanced around at the various faces.

Dad spoke then, his voice quiet. "We've locked down Pelathas and sent word to Nerissa, Jay, Marlin, Irvetta, and Katrina. They've done the same with Aegrem, Nepptheas, and Beltmare and are encouraging residents to stay indoors indefinitely. For now, everyone needs to stay inside. There's no telling what Zander is capable of."

At Dad's words, Laguna whimpered, clutching Waverly tighter. My mind spun with everything he'd said, fear mixing with the anguish from my dream. My unspoken question must have shown on my face because Jonah pulled me close, wrapping his arms around me.

"I won't let him hurt you, Faye." I know he meant his words to be comforting, but they had the opposite effect. I burst into tears, clinging to him. Every time I looked at Drew, I saw him as he'd been in the nightmare—unconscious, face deathly pale, barely breathing.

If Zander was capable of murdering someone he didn't even know, what would stop him from coming after one of us?

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