Lost Souls

Chapter 26

Nightmares hounded my restless sleep, the worst of them causing me to jerk awake, soaked in sweat and trembling. I swallowed hard, closing my eyes as I flashed back to the harrowing and gut-wrenching scene that would haunt me in the days and weeks to come. Wyatt had floated before me, a maniacally twisted grin on his face as he'd gripped the shoulders of two terrified mermaids.

I'd forgotten how to breathe as I met the eyes of the first mermaid. They'd widened with terror, tears leaking out as she whimpered. Blood and silt had streaked her face, with the former cutting a line down her cheek. Her eyes were foggy with pain, and anger had rushed through me as I spotted a gash partially hidden near her hairline.

My heart stopped dead in my chest as I met the eyes of the second mermaid. She had hardly been better off; she had a swollen left eye, and bruises had mottled the entire right side of her face. She'd swallowed hard, closing her eyes as she whimpered. I'd thought hard before I had spoken, my voice devoid of emotion. "What do you want, Wyatt?"

The look he'd given me had been nothing short of maniacal. "Oh, Drew. You knew this would happen eventually. You have to choose. My sister or your own?"

The realization had hit me then: his insanity extended to even the most terrifying of nightmares. When I'd looked into my sister's eyes, a wave of grief had washed over me, the pain causing me to grip my chest as I cried out. "You are sick," I breathed, revulsion thick in my voice.

He'd just shaken his head as he looked at me. "I'm surprised it took you so long to find out." Without further preamble, he released Faye, and I lunged for her before she could hit the seafloor. She clung to me, sobbing, but I looked over her shoulder at Wyatt and Sara, the latter of whom whimpered again as she stared at her brother with terror-filled eyes.

"Wyatt, please," she'd begged, trying to jerk away from him. "You don't want to do this."

I began shaking my head as I opened my mouth, trying to form the words that would stop him from making a grave mistake he could never undo. But as I looked into his eyes, I knew nothing I could say would make any difference. He was too far gone. Faye realized it before I did because she cried out and tried to reach for Sara, but I held her back.

She'd twisted to look at me, her face reflecting the agony in my eyes. "Drew, we have to help her." The agony in her voice had cracked my heart wide open. I shook my head again, tears glistening in my eyes as I held her firm.

Wyatt had met my eyes, the glint of insanity causing me to bite back a shudder. "You did this, Drew. It's all your fault." His voice, low and menacing, just barely reached my ears.

It had happened in the blink of an eye, but in my mind, it seemed to last an eternity. He'd gazed fondly at his sister before taking her head in his hands. To anyone else, it would have looked like two siblings lovingly gazing at one another. Faye had shaken her head as she'd buried her head in my chest. I wanted to look away, but I'd been unable to. The awful, nauseating crack, along with Faye's gut-wrenching scream, had pierced the silence that overtook the water.

I shuddered now as Ani put a hand on my shoulder. Wordlessly, she placed one of my hands over her heart, exactly as she'd done yesterday. I closed my eyes, breathing shakily. As the minutes ticked by, I felt the adrenaline and agony fade from my body, replaced by a heaviness I hadn't felt in a long time.

As I opened my eyes, I glanced at the window, surprised to find faint sunlight shining into the water. Ani took a breath before she spoke, her voice soft. "I think it's almost time for breakfast. Do you want to go down or eat here?" She put a hand on my shoulder, gazing at me.