Luna ran one hand over the other. Her heart was thumping wildly in her chest as she fiddled with the fingerless sacks. She had worn them before. Lemuria had done it once or twice through her youth, and Olivia had put them on her when they had broken them out of the aquarium, so it was not a completely foreign sensation, but she loathed them. She hated how helpless and trapped they made her feel. She rubbed at them once more before desperation took over and she shoved one into her mouth to chew at it.

She’d dug her fangs into the leather and began to pull when Sophie caught her wrist. Luna jerked and twisted to look at the woman with widened eyes.

Sophie shook her head and slowly tugged Luna’s hand away from her mouth. “That’s only going to make things worse, Luna,” Sophie murmured. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I made the wrong choice; I should have let her go.”

Luna’s heart was still pounding with fear in her chest, and she swallowed the thick lump in her throat before shaking her head. Sophie looked so devastated and full of regret. “They would have found us either way,” Luna whimpered. She had always known that hiding was only temporary. Despite how hard she had wanted to believe they were free, she had always known it was only a matter of time before their past – her past – caught up again. “I wanted you to make the choice you did. I made the choice too.” Despite her crushing desire to curl into a ball and sob the world away, Luna forced a grim smile onto her lips. “I could not let her die either; I need her.”

Luna felt tears begin to burn in her eyes and she wrapped her arms around her tail, pulling it close to her chest. She dropped her chin down onto the smooth scales and bit her lip. “I need her,” she repeated. “I miss her so much.”

She closed her eyes and felt Sophie’s arm drape over her shoulders. “I know, Luna. I miss her too. Katie’s just down the hall, and I can’t stand not knowing if she and Riley are alright, but maybe we can see about going to check on them tomorrow. I’ll press the issue, I promise,” Sophie vowed. She pulled Luna against her and Luna leaned into the hug with a soft hum. “But right now, you should try to get some sleep.”

Luna frowned and shook her head. She was exhausted and her eyes and limbs felt like they were being weighed down by rocks, but she did not want to succumb to unconsciousness.

“Luna, you need to rest,” Sophie prodded.

“Do not want to dream,” Luna mumbled. She shuddered and hugged her tail more tightly. She was still shaking with the lingering terror of the last nightmare. They were worse now that her reality was just as horrifying again.

Sophie sighed and her hand began rubbing over Luna’s arm. “I know, sweetheart, but you have to brave that possibility; you know that. There was still the risk back home, and you still needed to sleep. We need you at your best right now.”

Fresh tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. She wanted to go into the water with her parents. She felt safer there rather than exposed on the floor like this. She hated feeling this vulnerable.

“Luna, I know the last thing on your priority list is going to be giving Dr. Auldon what he wants, but if you do have a nightmare, the recorded data just might be able to help you,” Sophie pointed out.

Luna chewed her lip and scoffed, though she felt fresh tears begin to burn in her eyes. “I hate them,” she whispered. Luna did not truly enjoy hating anyone – despite her learned reactions of fear and mistrust – but Lemuria had done so much damage, committed so many wrongs, that she could not help the bitter acid that rose in her throat at the mere mention of them. She despised them and wanted nothing more to do with them.

She rubbed her nose on one of the mittens encasing her hands and returned to rubbing them over one another as a feeble attempt to dislodge them so that she would not bite at them again. Sophie was right that such an action would cause more harm than good.

“I do too,” Sophie agreed. “But right now, keeping a semblance of peace is preventing further, more extreme harm. I know it’s hard, Luna, but you need to try to relax so you don’t get yourself all worked up again, alright? I know you don’t like to close your eyes after a bad dream, but at least lie down for me, okay? It’s important to try; you know that.”

Luna started to shake her head again. What she wanted was just time to sit and think. It had all been too much and had happened far too quickly for her to process. She hoped that if she could work things through in her head, then she would feel better about it. It was probably a false hope, but so was depending on others in a confused state. She was tired of obeying simply because she did not know what else to do or had no other choice.

“Luna.” A new voice pulled her from her musings and she turned to stare at her mother. Rebecca was leaned against the bars separating Luna from the pool of water her parents had been locked into. She had spoken softly and although Luna had not known her mother long, there was something in the warm tone that felt comforting. It made her pause and listen, and yearn for an embrace or some reassuring words. Suddenly, she felt small and helpless again, and she wanted it to be made better.

Rebecca did not speak again, however. Instead, she stretched a hand out between the metal rods, twisting to reach her arm out up to her shoulder.

Luna found herself moving before she could even think about it. She pulled herself up closer to the head of the mattress and laid down on her side so she was at a better height to extend her own hand out. She placed her mitten covered hand in her mother’s outstretched palm.

Rebecca rubbed her thumb over the bridge of Luna’s wrist over and over. It was as close as they could get unless Luna disobeyed the scientist’s instructions and shifted off the mattress. Part of her wanted to, but she was more afraid of the consequences of doing so than she was eager to take the risk. Still, the gentle action was enough, and Luna hummed in the back of her throat.

“Close your eyes,” Rebecca requested. Her voice was still patient and tender, and that feeling of security and need rose in Luna once more.

But with it came the bubbling fears and frustrations. She did not want to rest and shook her head once more.

“Yes,” her mother insisted. “Please.”

Luna hesitated. She had defied her mother before – the night they had been captured – and Rebecca had been patient and understanding then. Luna knew she probably would be now too, but Luna did not want to refuse the request; she did not wish to disappoint her mother. Finally, she chose to cave, and her eyes slipped shut. She was exhausted, even if she was avoiding sleep and the nightmares that often awaited her arrival, and a heavy sensation dropped down on her the moment closed her eyes.

Her mother continued to stroke over her wrist, and Luna decided that maybe risking another nightmare would not be so bad if her hand was held while she fell asleep. It made her feel more secure.

“You are not alone,” Rebecca whispered, and her grip on Luna’s hand tightened. “We are here, and I am never going to leave you alone again.”

There was a strangle in her tone, and when Luna reopened her eyes to see, she found tears sparkling in her mother’s gaze. Luna hummed quietly, and a shaky smile spread across Rebecca’s lips in response.

“Close your eyes; get some sleep. I promise we are here to be your eyes and ears while you rest.”

“Can you….” Luna blushed and trailed off. She wanted to beg for a hug, for warmth and consoling, but she also knew that she was not so young anymore – not as young as she sometimes still felt – and it was probably childish to want as she did. She fumbled for the words to ask, and wound up shifting her fingers within their confines in an attempt to hold her mother’s hand better.

Understanding filled Rebecca’s gaze and she nodded. “I am here,” she repeated.

“Thank you,” Luna murmured back. “I am sorry, I just…I am afraid. I want to go home…I cannot do this again, I cannot.” She bit her lip hard enough that the bitter tang of her own blood spread over her tongue. Despite it, she bit down harder so that she could not burst into sobs. She had finally allowed herself to hope that things were going to be alright, that maybe she would never have to face her past ever again. Now she almost wished she had never left it. At least she would not have tasted freedom and hope again.

“Oh honey, you’ve been so brave,” Sophie encouraged. Luna glanced up at the woman. She had shifted a little closer and placed the palm of her hand over the curve of Luna’s scales. “But your mother is right; you’re not alone. Not this time. We’ll figure this out, all of us together. It will be different this time.”

Luna’s lips parted to protest, but before she could vocalize any of her inner turmoil, an echoing melody filled the room. She twisted her head back to her mother, who’s jaws had parted to allow the call to resonate from her throat. It was not English, but there were no words as the vocalization rose and fell like whale song.

It sunk deep into Luna’s being until she felt nestled in the song, and some of her fears began to ebb. Part of her wanted to resist, to wonder if she should be afraid of the heavy limpness crawling up her limbs from the tips of her fingers and fin, up through her arms and tail. But her mother would not hurt her, she knew, and it felt so peaceful that Luna simply exhaled heavily, and her body fell slack against the bed.

Luna never tended to fall asleep easily after a nightmare – not unless she was so overtaxed that her mind and body gave out on her – but she was sinking deeply into it now. She yawned widely and nuzzled down against the sheets of the bed. She felt her arm fall limp, but her mother kept a grip on it.

She was beginning to drift off properly and began to welcome it. But when she inhaled again, Luna was bombarded with an overwhelming scent. One that had been imprinted on her from a very young age, that came with an ingrained terror.

Luna heard the doors swing open, but she had not needed to look to know who had just walked in. She was snapped from the reverie of her mother’s lullaby with a jarring force and her head jerked up to fixate on the door. A quiet whine rose in her throat and she pulled her tail close to her body and hunched her shoulders. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sophie stand and step in front of her, while her mother’s song died with a curt gurgle in her throat.

Jenny was standing in the room too. She had a hand on her hip and a curious grin on her face that sent a shudder down Luna’s spine. She did not hold Luna’s interest for very long, however.

Instead, her gaze jerked to the man who had begun to clap at a slow, condescending speed. He clucked his tongue and Luna flinched at the sharp sound before he began to speak. “Don’t stop on my account,” he mocked. “That was such a lovely little song; by all means, continue.”

Luna sunk low against the mattress and tears began to burn in her eyes. There was an overwhelmingly pungent emotion rolling off the man. He was in one of his moods. It was going to be bad. It was going to hurt. She began to shake uncontrollably.

Luna was not sure if her mother had sensed her distress or simply picked up the terrible vibe off the man, but she bared her fangs and snarled in response to his words.

Dr. Patron clucked his tongue again and lifted a hand to shove back some of his wiry brown hair. “No? Pity. There’s no need for such hostility. I just came to get a look. I thought there would be more family resemblance, honestly.”

Luna’s father growled deep in his chest, and the sound rumbled like thunder in the room. But the threat display of someone who made Luna feel safe and secure did not even make the scientist flinch. Tears slipped down Luna’s cheeks. There was nothing her father could do. He was a beast in a cage for the moment. She was once again, entirely alone, only this time, there would be others around to watch her torment. Those she cared about and who cared for her; that it made it worse.

The mattress dipped – forcing Luna to brace herself better with her palms – as Sophie stepped up onto it. The woman’s back was to her, but she also was backing up until she bumped Luna’s scales with the heel of her one foot. Sophie glanced over her shoulder as she nudged Luna again with her foot. She gestured with her chin back towards the gurney behind Luna.

Luna frowned. She wanted to ask what Sophie was doing, but the woman had already turned her attention back to Dr. Patron, who still seemed focused on both Luna’s parents. Luna glanced back to where Sophie had indicated, but there was nothing behind her other than the crossing legs of the gurney.

After a moment, Sophie nudged her with her foot again, a little more firmly this time. She did not turn to look at Luna again though.

Luna glanced back once more and understood. Sophie was blocking her from line of sight, and her parents were currently holding the scientist’s attention. Luna’s heart lurched with concern for all three of them; no one deserved to be the focus of Dr. Patron’s attention.

Another nudge and Luna turned and dove under the gurney. She had to clamber over the twisting bars supporting the cot, but after a moment of effort, she slithered into the far corner against the wall and tucked herself into a ball with her heart pounding in her chest. She knew this would not deter Dr. Patron, and she hoped that her family would not put themselves in danger to protect her from something inevitable. Her chest heaved as she sucked in a desperate breath.

She heard Dr. Patron cluck his tongue again, and she gulped and hunkered lower. She was ashamed of her fear, and that the others were going to try to protect her. “I can see I’ll have my work cut out for me,” Dr. Patron commented. He sighed heavily, but the giddy glee in his tone betrayed his faux disapproval.

Luna bit her lip to keep from whimpering aloud, and cautiously shuffled away from the wall a little to peer at the situation. Dr. Patron was tapping his foot on the ground as he regarded her parents, who each wore a warped snarl on their features and held his gaze just as evenly.

“I’ll be sure to teach you both some proper manners in due time, but alas, I’m not here to play with you two today.”

Though she could not see his face, Luna flinched when she saw Dr. Patron’s shoes turn in her direction. She knew that the gurney would not protect her, nor would Sophie truly be able to – and she hoped the woman would not put herself in harm’s way in a hopeless effort – but she was too terrified to do anything but cower squashed in the corner as she was.

“Leave her alone,” Sophie growled. Luna squeezed her eyes shut and worried at her lip. She knew she should crawl out and face her fate so that no one else would get hurt, but she was shaking so badly she could not get her limbs to obey.

“You’re not in a position to be giving orders,” Dr. Patron scoffed.

Luna peeked one eye open and watched Sophie shift her weight. She was still standing on the mattress, and Luna was not certain if that was so she would be in his way, or to make her taller than she was. Possibly it was both, but neither truly mattered.

“This is still my marine park,” she stated. “Thus far, I have tolerated Lemuria’s presence, and only barely, because of the brokered peace that they would remain unharmed. If you touch her, I promise you that democracy goes out the window, and I will have you all thrown out and banned. You’re not welcome nor wanted here, so leave. You’ve done enough harm to that little girl.”

Dr. Patron’s boisterous laughter echoed in the room and made Luna tense further. “Because you did such a good job taking care of them, right? You know all about what she needs? Because the other one has still barely left the brink of death for all your efforts amounted to. No, that little demon is my mermaid, and I’ll decide what is and is not enough for her. Now get out of the way, Brooke,” Dr. Patron drawled. “You’ll get your turn soon enough.”

Luna winced. It was not fair to blame Sophie for Katie getting sick. Sophie had done all she could for them and had taken the risk to Katie’s life very hard. They all had. Not that she expected the scientist to care – and she was not surprised he would fling that at Sophie now – but it was still wrong.

“Get out!” Sophie hissed. “Right now. You have no business being in here, and I won’t just stand by and let you torment an innocent child all over again.”

Dr. Patron took a step closer to Sophie, and Luna found herself leaning forward. He had grabbed Sophie by the collar around her neck and pulled her up onto her toes. “Let’s just be clear,” he warned. Luna watched him stroke the side of Sophie’s face, and she shuddered. The rancid smell of his mood thickened, and she nearly gagged on it. “You are a pawn, Brooke. You always have been. You have no power here. Whether you used to own this facility or not, Lemuria now owns you, and by extension, this place. And since I am heading this retrieval operation, you’re at the mercy of my generosity. I suggest you remember that.”

For a few heartbeats, there was no response, but when Sophie finally did speak again, her voice was terse, and it sounded as though she were speaking through gritted teeth. “They are people. With dreams and fears and emotions, and this is a family you are trying to rip apart. You cannot just box them up and treat them like animals; they are not.”

Luna shook her head, though she knew Sophie could not see. There was no reasoning with the scientist. He took pleasure in causing pain.

“But they are, Brooke. And you will be too, soon. You’re all animals, pets because you are what I say you are, and that little beast you’re trying to hide under the bed is proof of that.”

Luna bowed her head and hugged her chest. He was right. She hated it, but it was true. He had controlled her life for so long it had been all she knew. He starved her and hurt her and gave her only the bare minimum to keep her alive. And still, despite all the abuse, she played along. Played his game. She hissed and struggled and fussed with his interns and workers so he would have an excuse to punish her. She showed feeble hostility to him because he hated it when she retreated into her head. He hurt her time and time again, and she helped give him reasons to do it because she knew the consequences of him getting bored were so much worse. He called her an animal and a monster, and she had believed him for so long because she had known nothing else. She had betrayed her sense of self by forgetting it in the first place, and before Katie; she had completely given up. She could feel that old mentality, that suffocating hopelessness creeping back into her heart even now.

Sophie had asked her to be brave, and Luna was going to disappoint her. She was not brave, she was weak and broken and frightened. A meaningless amusement in a terrible man’s twisted game. She had never wanted to play, but she always did; she had no other choice.

Sophie did not seem to think so, though, because Luna heard the woman spit and saw Dr. Patron’s body tense. Luna’s heart stalled in her chest, but before Dr. Patron could react, Sophie lifted her foot and drove her knee up between his legs.

Luna frowned as she heard Dr. Patron groan and his legs seemed to bow for a moment. He had let go of Sophie and his hands moved to the area of impact. Were humans vulnerable there?

Still, Sophie had hit him. While she knew that he was still just a human being, Luna had begun to believe that retaliation was unachievable. She still remembered the last time she had tried. She did not remember what prompted it or if she had succeeded, but she remembered what had come next. It had been one of the worst times. She never tried again; not genuinely.

When Dr. Patron straightened back up, there was rage mingling in the room, and Luna found herself resisting the urge to curl back up into a fetal position. “It has been a long time since someone has struck me…I’m going to enjoy this little game immensely. But for now, I have other things to attend to. I’ll remind you, that you now exist on the whim of my kindness. So, I suggest you learn some proper respect and work on your basic listening skills. The next time I tell you to get out of the way, I suggest you move,” Dr. Patron growled. His hand moved back towards her neck, and in the next moment, he swung to the side and dragged Sophie with him.

Sophie choked and then was sent flying. Luna winced as she heard Sophie’s body connect with the hard ground a few tail lengths away. Sophie cried out as she struck the ground, and her body shuddered. She looked like she was moving to get up but then crumpled back to the floor with a pained moan.

“Sophie!” Luna cried. She lurched forward in hopes of reaching the red-haired woman, without really considering her surroundings. Immediately, she was yanked to a stop with a hiss of pain as her hair was pulled. Dr. Patron had caught her by it and was now pulling the long tail of hair up. Luna whimpered as it pulled at her scalp, and her useless, mitten-covered hands rose to paw uselessly at the air as she reached to find his hand.

Dr. Patron clicked his tongue again and Luna froze before her shaking began again. It was no longer just a nightmare.

“There you are,” Dr. Patron purred. Though he still held her by her braid, his other hand plopped down on her scalp and patted her head a few times. “Hide and seek was never high on my favourites list, but you seem to like it very much, don’t you? I trust you know there will be consequences at being found.” His hand moved and he shook her aggressively by her hair. “I heard about your little secret, Suzie. I almost want to be impressed that you kept it so well for so long, but you lied to me. I’m very disappointed in you.”

Luna whimpered as he shook her again, and fresh tears blurred her vision.

“Luna…” Sophie groaned. “Just leave her alone.”

“Miss Barnes, deal with Brooke, please. Secure her to the fence so she doesn’t cause any more trouble.”

Jenny scowled down at Sophie, who was still crumpled on the ground. Luna was not sure what was wrong with her, but she hated that Dr. Patron had caused someone else pain too. She hated him, but her fear of consequence was too great to challenge him.

He still had her by the braid, but he seemed to have lost interest in doing anything more with her other than leave her half dangling in his grasp to watch as Jenny put away her ‘gun’ and stooped to grab Sophie under her arms and drag her over to the fence.

As she was moved, Sophie winced and bit her lip, though Luna still heard her poorly stifled whimper. Dr. Patron had managed to injure her, though Luna saw no immediate blood or injury. It must have been something inside.

Jenny pulled Sophie’s hands together behind one of the bars and had just finished tying them off when she had to hastily jump back as Luna’s father thrust up out of the water and snapped at her. The woman’s startled shriek was rather satisfying, though Luna did not dare smile.

Once Sophie was secured, Dr. Patron tugged harder on Luna’s hair and shook her by the roots once more. Luna gasped as the prickles of pain in her scalp worsened to a burn. “Now to deal with you, my little pet. I’m very disappointed with your bad behaviour. Running off like you did, hiding, lying and keeping secrets. You have been very disrespectful, and I thought I had at least taught you that,” Dr. Patron snarled. Luna recoiled at the fury blazing in his dark eyes.

A sharp hiss echoed through the room before Luna had a chance to react to the threats. Rebecca’s warning deepened into an intense growl, and saliva was running down her chin from her bared incisors. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, and she had hunched – but not defensively like Luna often did – but rather to tense her muscles and flare her fin behind her. “I will only warn you once,” she snarled in her slightly awkward English. “I have heard of your unnecessary cruelty, and given the opportunity, I would happily rip your throat out. But if you do not release my daughter immediately and depart, you will not leave this room alive.”

Dr. Patron’s bark of laughter made Luna jump. She gritted her teeth together to suppress her discomfort. It felt like he was trying to rip her hair free of her skull, and it was far from pleasant. “Silly little fish,” he mocked. “You don’t get to issue threats around here. You’ll behave, or I’ll take it out on this precious darling.” He began patting Luna on the head once more, and she shivered and twisted in his grip despite the pain. She wanted desperately to get away from him.

“If you hurt her,” her father growled. His tail raised and smacked down on the floor with a sickening crack, and a few white shards splintered into the air.

“I’m going to punish her,” Dr. Patron corrected. “But you’re welcome to watch. Let it be a lesson on where disobedience and aggression will get you with me. I suppose it will also be a preview, as I intend to break the rest of you in just as efficiently.”

Ixion roared in response and bared his fangs.

Luna shuddered and squeezed her eyes shut. She was afraid. She was afraid of the pain she knew was coming and afraid of his temper. She was terrified about being hauled back to the Lemuria Aquarium, and what it meant for the friends and family that were being dragged into the mess with her. She was scared of her past and all it had taught her, and the memories that had an icy grip on her heart and were keeping her compliant. But mostly, she was afraid of anyone else getting hurt because of her. She did not want to be helpless anymore.

She felt tears sting in her eyes as she reopened them, and it happened to be Sophie’s pained gaze that she met. Understanding glowed in the woman’s eyes and she nodded. “You’re not a pet,” she whispered, and though Luna had to strain a little, she still caught the woman’s words. “Prove it.”

Dr. Patron’s grip tightened on Luna’s hair and he pulled her even further off the ground. As more of her weight was suspended by the follicles, Luna finally cried out again, and the man began to laugh at the enraged reactions of her parents. The fence around them was too tall to scale, though that did not seem to stop either of them from trying.

Dr. Patron sighed and gave Luna another shake by her hair. “This is proving to be quite the disruption. I see where you get your disobedience from. No matter, I’m sure this demonstration will be a lesson for all of you, isn’t that right, Suzie?”

Luna bristled. She hated that name. She hated how he said it, with that condescending tone as though it was the name of an animal, or something even lesser. Even now, when he knew they could speak and was openly conversing with them, he was doing it in a way as though none of them mattered in the slightest. It was not fair, and Luna was tired of it.

She had endured so much pain over the cycles and was bound to endure more. What difference did it make at this point if the punishments were earned or not? He was going to hurt her either way.

She finally let some of her anger free after so long stewing. “Luna,” she corrected in a terse hiss. “My name is not Suzie; it is Luna.”

Dr. Patron released his grip on her hair, only to plant his boot against her abdomen as she fell from his grasp. She coughed as she landed on it, and then he shoved her away. “You don’t get to decide that,” he countered.

Luna growled at him. “I am not a pet,” she argued. “I am not an animal or a beast or a monster. You are the monster. Everything you have done, it is cruel and pointless, and you delight in it. At least I am capable of compassion and empathy and understanding. At least I am a person.”

She heard Sophie’s hum of agreement behind her, and Luna pushed herself up despite the ache of the bruising around her rips, to puff out a little more. “I will not play your game anymore.”

“Oh yes you will,” Dr. Patron stated. “I almost liked you better when you were a mute little toy, though I always did miss your screams. I’ll enjoy making up for lost time, for sure. But you are nothing more than what I make you.

When Dr. Patron took a menacing step towards her, Luna shrunk back on instinct and a lot of her courage fled.

He stuffed a hand into his pocket and pulled out a small black case. Instantly, stifling horror clogged Luna’s senses and she shook her head. The desire to curl into a fetal position swamped her once more.

As he stepped even closer, Luna felt a strange feeling blossom in her chest. It was an acceptance that mingled with her fear. Dr. Patron delighted in her fear and her pain, and he sought to control her. But while he could scare her and hurt her, he could not control her as much as she had allowed him in the past. Sophie was right; there were things he could not take from her, and she was not alone this time.

Knowing that gave her one final burst of courage and she decided to test an earlier curiosity.

The scientist who had haunted both her waking world and her nightmares for years now loomed over her again. Luna braced her palms on the hard floor and shoved her weight up. Her arms shook, but they held her as she swung her tail up between the man’s legs and connected with all the force she could muster into the armoured limb.

This time, it was the scientist who made a pitiful, pained noise, and his skin turned ashen as he collapsed near her. Tears blurred Luna’s vision as she shook her head and bared her teeth, though she no longer felt menacing. “No more,” she sobbed.