Shattered Souls

Chapter 16

As usual, sleep eluded me that night. I tossed and turned for hours before finally getting out of bed and entering our sitting room. I shut the door silently behind me and sat on one of the various couches, pulling my cloak tighter around me. Uncle Kai's words played on repeat in my head, so much so that I'd all but memorized them.

"'He said there was something strange about it, though. It bore no lacerations or wounds from sharp objects. There was a significant amount of blood, yet upon further examination, no entry or exit wound.'"

I couldn't stop the shudder that rolled through my body. As far as I knew, there'd been no trace of the murderer at the scene, which meant Zander was still on the loose. But where? Had he stolen away in another realm? If so, which one?

I rubbed my eyes, letting out a near-inaudible groan. I knew I needed to let Waverly and Laguna know—I wasn't sure how. I hated to have to be the one to tell them, especially after everything that had happened.

Aunt Nerissa's face flashed through my mind, followed a heartbeat later by her daughter's. They'd been through so much trauma involving the Lost Soul Pendant, some of which they didn't even speak of. How could I break the news to them? At least none of my immediate family was in danger, thanks to Zander only targeting Sirens. But that didn't mean he couldn't come after me next.

I watched the sun rise over the water, painting the surface a pale shade of gold. When the door suddenly cracked open, I was off the couch in a heartbeat. Jonah's face was pale, his eyes wide with concern and worry when he glimpsed my own. "You weren't in our room when I woke up. I was worried." His voice was weary with an undercurrent of fatigue.

Every time I looked at him, I heard the alarm from the hospital and saw the doctors and nurses swarming the hallway, all talking over one another. "'Code blue!'" '"All available personnel to room 120, stat!'"

I'd come so close to losing him forever that everything scared me now. I worried when he was tired; I worried when he didn't eat enough; I worried when he was pale or flushed. I don't think I'd ever rid my mind of that image entirely. When he put a hand on my arm, I flinched.

"Faye?" His voice was soft yet filled with concern. "What is it?" It was only then that I realized I was trembling.

I saw the worry and concern in his eyes as he took in my face—the dark circles under my eyes, the dried tearstains on my cheeks, my ashen skin. My chest hitched, but my eyes remained dry. I honestly didn't think I had any tears left in me.

"I don't know what to do," I whispered, shaking my head. Then suddenly, I did. I hurried into our suite, grabbing the messenger bag I always kept by our bed. A change of clothes was all I packed, figuring I could eat when I got to Aegrem. After sleeping in that chair for days, my entire body protested at the thought of a long swim.

Jonah caught me as I exited our suite. He was concerned—I could tell as much by the expression on his face—but worry almost overshadowed that concern. "What's going on? Are you going somewhere?" His eyes darted to the bag slung over my shoulder.

"I have to go to Aegrem. I can't..." My voice broke as I took a shaky breath. "I can't explain everything right now, but I need to do this. If Mom and Dad ask where I am, tell them I'm visiting Aunt Nerissa and Uncle Jay." When I looked into his eyes, I nearly crumbled. I'd been running on pure adrenaline since he'd gotten released from the hospital.

I'd slept fitfully the past few nights, afraid he'd stop breathing if I let myself truly sleep. His color and breathing were almost back to normal, and he'd been up and out a few hours each day, building his strength back up. Despite that, I couldn't shake the lingering fear that had been present since he'd flatlined.

I knew I wouldn't be able to live with myself if Jonah died. Despite our rocky start, I felt like he and I shared a soul. When I'd heard those words ("'Code blue!'"), it was like someone had reached inside my chest and crushed my heart. I hugged him tightly, not letting go for a few seconds.

"Hey," he said softly, pulling away and meeting my gaze. "What's going on?" The concern and worry were back in his eyes, and I had to fight to keep my composure. I opened and closed my mouth several times before shaking my head helplessly.

Time and urgency were pressing down on me, making me anxious to get going. "Faye, please. Talk to me." Alongside the concern and worry was fear, a guilty knot forming in my stomach at the sight.

I met his gaze one last time as I kissed him deeply. It would take me most of the day to swim to Aegrem, not to mention Beltmare. I could only hope that Aunt Izzy and her mother were together because I didn't know if I could manage both trips in less than a day. "I'm sorry."

I left our suite before he could see the tears forming in my eyes. I swam mindlessly through the various hallways and reached the entryway without registering my surroundings. When I finally emerged into the open water, I sped off toward Aegrem, giving me no time to second-guess my decisions. I was so preoccupied with my racing thoughts that I didn't notice I had reached Aegrem's entrance until it was right before me.

I ignored the glances thrown my way as I swam to the palace. When I reached the entrance, one of the guards bowed and spoke, his voice low and concerned. "Your Highness. Are you alright?"

It was like a bomb had dropped. I opened my mouth to speak but was suddenly unable to as a shock wave rolled through the water. I heard a loud boom that almost shattered my eardrums a heartbeat before my head collided with the ground. I turned around to see what could have caused that explosion, but hands were on me before I could get a good look.

"Your Highness, please." "We need to get you inside." The guards' voices swam in and out of my ears as I blinked, trying to clear my blurry vision. I winced at the bright sunlight shining down from the surface, then promptly squeezed my eyes shut as a wave of dizziness rolled over me.

I recognized the symptoms well enough as a concussion but pushed them aside. My main goal was getting to Aunt Izzy and the others. As far as I could tell, the palace remained undamaged, but the guards dragged me inside before I could get a better look.

A sharp pounding began on the side of my head before we'd even crossed the threshold. I inhaled sharply, moaning. It felt like a hammer was pounding inside my head. I didn't remember closing my eyes, but when I opened them again, I saw blurry figures in front of me and heard voices, low and urgent.

"Faye? Oh, gods. What happened?" "Where are your parents?" "Faye. Can you hear me?" I recognized that last voice and nearly cried out. Aunt Izzy.

My eyes flew open as I jolted forward, regretting the movement a heartbeat later as nausea swelled inside me. I barely turned my head in time to empty the contents of my mostly-empty stomach. After a minute, during which only bile and spit came out, I could finally take a deep breath.

"I—I got here as fast as I could, but the explosion..." I trailed off as a new thought penetrated my addled mind, filling me with dread and fear. "They're coming after me." That realization stopped my heart and stole the water from my lungs.

Uncle Kai gently grasped my wrists, steadying me and forcing my gaze to his. "Faye. What's going on?"

I opened my mouth to respond but didn't get a chance. A strong hand closed around my arm, jerking me backward. I screamed as I met Aunt Izzy's panicked gaze. When dark blue eyes met mine, I lurched forward. Aunt Nerissa's hands barely brushed my fingertips before unconsciousness pulled me under.

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