Sophie felt her heart squeeze in her chest with anxiety as the sound grew louder. “What is that?” she repeated.

“A Mer,” Devin replied in a whisper.

“And not someone I know,” Az groaned. “Whoever she is, she can hit an impressive pitch.”

“It’s Riley,” Lewis announced grimly. “I’ve heard her make that sound once before. The first round of sedatives didn’t keep her under when we were working on her hip when we first met her. She screamed like that before I could get her knocked out again.” Lewis’ hands clenched into fists and he whirled on Carson. He grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up onto his toes. It had to have been agony with his broken arm, but Lewis’ face was so contorted and his eyes blazing that Sophie suspected he barely noticed. “Where the hell is she?” he snarled. “If you’ve hurt her, I swear I’ll-”

Devin hurried over and placed a hand on Lewis’ shoulder. “Lewis, please put my brother down,” she begged. “I promise you, I have no idea what’s going on but I’m just as concerned about it. Let’s just get to her and resolve the problem as quickly as we can.”

Lewis didn’t respond. He seemed too furious to have even noticed Devin’s presence, so Sophie stepped up instead. She placed a hand on his arm. “Forget about him, Lewis,” she urged. “We need to get to Riley.”

It was all she needed to say. Lewis released Carson with a shove and the two of them began hurrying down the hall in the direction of the sound of the screaming. Thankfully, they were close enough that they found the source in less than a minute. Sophie didn’t care where they may or may not be permitted or what she might find on the other side of the door. All that mattered was getting to Riley.

She shouldered open the door and paused for only a fraction of a second to take in the situation. Riley was secured down to a cot with her back arched awkwardly. The Mer were flexible, but Sophie knew that kind of motion was painful and damaging, and Riley shouldn’t be doing it. However, she didn’t blame the poor girl when she saw what was going on. A woman in doctors’ scrubs and a medical mask was standing over her daughter with a handheld saw poised over her. The sharp whine of the instrument nearly drowned out Riley's voice as her screech died away into panicked whimpers.

With an enraged shout, Lewis flew at the woman and shoved her away from Riley. The blow was enough to knock the woman off her feet with a startled shriek. She ripped the medical mask down off her mouth and turned the bone saw off. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she shouted. She waved the instrument in the air. “This was on!”

Sophie stepped around the far side of the cot and began unbuckling Riley’s restraints, one at a time until the leather straps were swinging freely over the side of the table. Her gaze scanned the girl for injuries before pulling her up and embracing her. Riley was shaking and whimpering still, so Sophie rubbed her back. “It’s okay. It’s okay. Riley, just breathe, you’re okay,” she murmured. She was thankful Riley’s back was to the scene unfolding because her tormenter had stood back up and was nose to nose with Lewis.

“Do you have any common sense?” she hissed. “You could have seriously injured any of us.”

“I should be asking you the same,” Lewis snarled. He jabbed a finger in Riley’s direction. “You don’t get to treat her like that. She’s a person, you haggard witch. I won’t stand by and watch more needless cruelty. She does not need surgery and even if she did, anesthetic exists for a reason!” He took a step closer and leaned into the woman’s face. Sophie had never seen him this furious before. She continued to stroke Riley’s hair and try to soothe her quivering while Lewis dealt with the woman.

“If you make so much as a motion to touch her again, you try to harm a single hair on her head, and I’ll liberate your shoulders of yours for you, got it?”

“What are you talking about? I wasn’t going to hurt her,” the woman protested.

At this point, Devin, Carson, and Az finally caught up with them and entered the small room as well. Instantly, the woman fixated on them. “Devin, Carson, who are these two? They can’t just come barging in and pushing around doctors with active medical equipment. Someone could have gotten seriously hurt.”

Devin pursed her lips as she surveyed the situation and deep frown lines creased her mouth and brow. “What was going on in here? We heard the screaming.”

The woman shook her head. “It was all under control,” she replied. “At least until these two showed up.”

“If by ‘it’ you mean Riley, you’d better watch yourself,” Sophie hissed. She squeezed Riley closer and glowered at the doctor. She twisted to examine Devin and Carson. “I was just starting to believe that maybe you two were for real, that you were different, and then I get to come in here to find her strapped down and screaming, contorting herself to a backbreaking position trying to get away from this lunatic with her saw, who was standing over her like this was some sort of bad gore film.” She shook her head. “You wouldn’t do this to an animal, much less a person. She is not a dead cut of meat!”

The doctor shook her head and pinched her nose. “You are taking this so far out of context. I wasn’t going to dice her up, I’m not a monster. I was just trying to get those damned bracelets off. It’s not like we have the keys; they need to be cut open. It would have taken me no more than a few minutes. I could have been done already!”

Devin held up her hands. “Okay, everyone take a breather for a moment. We’ll get to the matter of what just went down in a minute. Sophie, is she hurt?”

Sophie inhaled sharply and then shook her head. “No. No, I don’t think so. Riley, hon are you hurt?” she checked. Sophie frowned when a couple of seconds passed and Riley didn’t respond. She didn’t even move or show any indication that she’d heard. She just continued to quiver uncontrollably while leaning limply against Sophie’s chest.

Taking a breath, Sophie pulled Riley up and held her by her shoulders to get a better look at her. Her pupils were shrunken to pinpricks and her eyes were unfocused, darting back and forth and rolling up into her skull. She was still thrumming like a freshly plucked guitar string, and Sophie wiped away a tendril of drool leaking from her parted lips. “Riley?” She waved a hand in front of Riley’s face and the girl didn’t blink or flinch or show any recognition whatsoever. “Lewis, something is wrong with her,” she announced. Sophie felt her heartbeat quicken.

Lewis hurried around to her side and leaned in close. He snapped his fingers near Riley’s ears and again, there wasn’t even the slightest reaction from the Mer. Lewis’s face creased and he shook her head. “What did you guys give her? It looks like she’s having a serious reaction and she’s had sedatives before.”

Carson shook his head. “We haven’t given her anything. We got them away from Lemuria mid-transit. We’ve been letting them all wake up naturally; we have no idea what they might have given them.”

“Do we have any reversals on hand?” Devin suggested. “If she’s having a reaction, we should try to neutralize the sedatives in her system.”

The doctor nodded. “I’ll get it,” she agreed.

Sophie swallowed the lump in her throat.

When the doctor handed off a syringe to Devin, the younger woman stepped up beside the cot. “I have to give you a needle, okay?” she declared in a soft tone with all her focus trained on Riley. “If you can hear me, I just want you to know what’s going on. You’ll feel a prick, but we just want to help you feel better.”

“Just hang in there, Riley,” Sophie whispered as she kissed the girl’s brow and smoothed her hair back.

There was still no reaction from Riley, but that changed the moment Devin placed her hand on Riley’s back. Instantly, the Mer went rigid. Her entire body tensed and she jerked back. Sophie watched her eyes narrow and her head tuck close to her shoulders until it looked like she didn’t have a neck.

Riley’s lips parted and pulled back into the most vicious snarl Sophie had ever seen from her. Her jaws parted and saliva was dripping down her sharp fangs. When she hissed, Sophie felt her heart stall. She’d heard Riley hiss before, she’d heard her snarl when threatened and when infuriated, and neither sounded anything like this. This was a guttural, raw, hoarse hissing that Sophie might have compared to the bellow of a crocodile and not from the willful young adult she’d come to know over the last several months.

“Get away from her,” Az shouted the moment the sound filled the room. Instantly, Devin stepped back and she yanked Lewis with her since he was closer. Sophie froze. The sound was horrifying, but this was still a Mer she’d basically adopted. She trusted Riley.

It didn’t seem like the others did, however, because Devin lurched forward and dragged Sophie back by her shoulders until they were a good few feet away. “Listen to me, if Az warns you to step back from an antagonized Mer, you do it,” she growled. “We’ve seen this before once or twice and it’s deadly. She doesn’t see you right now, she sees a threat.”

“Then how do we help her?” Sophie fretted. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Riley had twisted to glower at them with her fangs still bared and a guttural growl reverberating in her throat. “Riley, it’s us; it’s okay.”

“She will not hear you,” Az stated. “Give her some time and hopefully this fit will settle. It is hardwired into our people in times of stress or danger. If she is prone to aggression already and is having a reaction to a sedative, I am not surprised that it has triggered this more primal state in her.”

Riley hissed again and Sophie redirected her attention back to her daughter. Riley’s muscles were bunched, her shoulders rotating and she hunched low, and her gaze was fixated on them. Sophie’s mouth felt dry and she licked her lips as she took a very hesitant step back. Riley’s body language looked deadly. “I think perhaps we should give her a bit more space,” she suggested.

But it was as if her voice had antagonized Riley further because she snarled and launched herself off the cot towards them.

Just as quickly, Az was out of his chair. He slammed into Riley midair and knocked them both to the ground in front of everyone. The sounds of the fight were heartwrenching as Sophie watched Az and Riley roll together in a tangle of limbs and furious hissing.

As they fought, Lewis stepped forward and Carson caught him by the back of the shirt. “Rule number one with aggressive Mer. Never, ever get into between a pair of fighting Mer. You’ll put yourself and them in more danger of being hurt.”

“Az, be careful,” Devin called. At first, the two Mer were mostly growling at one another and throwing their weight as each of them fought for the upper hand to pin the other. They were scratching at one another because there was blood rolling down Riley’s arm and more gouges across Az’s chest. Riley lunged for his throat and Az just barely ducked out of the way to avoid what likely could have been a fatal blow.

He whistled something at her and shouldered her off. In response, Riley merely hissed and flared her gliders.

Ducking around her, Az grabbed hold of the magenta membrane of one glider and wrenched it back awkwardly until Riley yelped and squirmed. She managed to wrench free and tuck the fins in close, but before Az could make another move to subdue her, she swung her tail with brutal force and it connected with the side of Az’s head and shoulder.

Sophie’s hands slapped over her mouth as she watched the blow fling Az prone across the floor. It had sounded brutal and she’d seen firsthand the amount of damage their tails could do as well. She hoped he was alright.

“Az!” Devin called. She took a step forward and crouched to set the syringe she was still holding on the floor. She flicked her wrist and sent it skidding over the ground in Az’s direction.

The Mer looked a little dizzy as he fumbled for the syringe, but he managed to grab it just in time before bringing his tail up to take another blow as Riley jumped at him once more.

There was a sickening crunched as she wrapped her jaws around one of the thinnest parts of his tail – near his fin – and Az winced. He twisted and pulled himself closer so he could stab the tip of the needle into her neck.

Riley yelped and Az wrenched his tail free. He planted it against her chest and shoved her away, leaving her to grapple for the needle still stuck in her skin.

As Az dragged himself away from the fight, Devin hurried over and hauled him further back. “Are you alright?”

Az shook his head and spat out a mouthful of blood and a tooth with it. “Damn she hits hard. I have not felt this addled since Carson took us on that joyride cycles ago. But I will recover with a little rest.”

His gaze turned towards Riley and Sophie’s gaze followed his. Riley was curled in on herself and panting. She’d torn the syringe from her neck and was rubbing furiously at her eyes. She looked a lot calmer, or at least sufficiently subdued, but Sophie couldn’t stand seeing her so alone and fragile.

She chewed her lip and took a few steps forward. She refused to be afraid of the Mer, but she didn’t want to spook Riley if she was still teetering in a fragile, primitive headspace. “Riley?” she called softly.

Riley’s head jerked up and her gaze squinted in Sophie’s direction. “S-Sophie?” she stuttered. She still seemed quite shaky. “Are…are you real?”

Sophie’s heart seized at how broken Riley’s voice sounded. Her pale blue irises were glossy with unshed tears. Sophie walked up until she was within arm’s reach and crouched down. She nodded. “Yes,” she confirmed. She opened her arms and beckoned. “Come here, Riley.”

It took no further prompting for Riley to practically fall into Sophie's embrace. Her fingers clung to Sophie’s shirt and she buried her nose in the crook of Sophie’s shoulder. “You feel real,” Riley whispered.

Sophie squeezed the Mer tightly. “I am, I promise. Were you hallucinating? Seeing things?”

“I do not know,” Riley murmured. “Everything just felt…blurry and wrong…fake. I do not feel very well, my head hurts, I just…I thought we were going to succeed and then everything went wrong and…”

“Hush now, it’s alright,” Sophie shushed her. “Don’t worry about that right now, we’ll talk about what happened after we left after, okay? Riley, are you hurt?”

Riley licked her lips and shook her head.

“Good. What happened just now?” Sophie inquired.

Riley’s gaze wandered around the room and Sophie saw her throat bob as she swallowed. “I-umm…” When Riley paused and tucked some of her hair behind her ear, Sophie frowned. Riley was acting incredibly out of character, but after everything that she’d just witnessed in the last fifteen minutes or so, she wasn’t overly surprised that even Riley would be a little shaken up. “I woke up here. My head hurt badly and it was hard to focus on anything, but there were restraints…I could not move, I felt really panicked. Then, she came in,” Riley paused and pointed to the doctor, “with her saw. It was loud and I…I just wanted up, I said that but she did not listen, they never listen.” Tears were brimming in Riley’s arms. “I did not feel myself – I still do not – but I could not control my fright. I just kept thinking of Luna, of what they did to her, and that blade was so loud and I…”

Sophie pulled Riley closer and rubbed her back. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “No one’s going to touch you, I promise.”

There were footsteps behind her and Riley tensed in her arms. Then Devin crouched down with them and slowly extended a hand towards Riley. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I need to apologize for the reception you’ve received so far; it’s been unacceptable and this is not how I would have liked to meet you. My name is Devin, may I ask your name?”

At first, Riley did nothing more than stare in Devin’s direction. “Riley,” she finally offered up.

Devin nodded. “I wish it was under better circumstances, but it’s still a pleasure to meet you. Riley, you had a terrible scare today and that’s unacceptable. I’m sorry. I never want anyone to feel unsafe here.”

“It is hard not to feel unsafe when people are waving around weapons meant to cut flesh and bone,” Riley growled.

Once again, Devin nodded. “I hear you, Riley. But I want to assure you that no one here has any desire to hurt you. You are not a science experiment to be studied and the only surgeries performed here are ones necessary for the continued health and comfort of the individual. And in those instances it’s done properly; you’re asleep through all of it, and then you’re given proper pain management medication and care while you heal. In your situation, Michelle over there wasn’t trying to cut you open, she was going to remove those,” Devin explained as she pointed to the metal bracelets still wrapped around Riley’s arms. Sophie frowned. She hated those as well. “Since we don’t have the key to the lock, we have to cut them off. You were never in any danger, but that doesn’t make how the situation was handled acceptable, and I’m sorry. A misunderstanding like that will not happen again.” As Devin stated the last bit, her tone turned stern and her attention veered away from Riley to focus on the doctor still hovering in the corner.

Riley lifted one arm and stared at the elongated metal band with blatant distaste.

Devin seemed to notice instantly and she nodded. “We can get them off if you’ll allow us,” she offered.

Riley glanced away and rubbed her wrist. “I do want them off,” she agreed. “But I do not want to be tied down again.”

Sophie inhaled sharply and based on Devin’s expression, she didn’t think highly of that course of action either. But it wasn’t Devin who was going to talk Riley down. Sophie took another breath and glanced down. She already had Riley looking at her with furrowed brows. She’d sensed her unease. “Actually, Riley…I’d prefer if they did,” she admitted. When Riley’s eyes widened and her lips parted, Sophie rubbed her arm and shook her head. “Don’t get upset, just listen. It’s like with the spinal tap; if you move, you could be seriously injured.”

“Riley?” As Lewis approached, Riley’s gaze lit up and she had twisted away from Sophie to throw her arms around him before he’d even finished kneeling to the floor. He squeezed her in a tight one-armed hug and rubbed her back. “What if we just immobilize your arm, hmm? That way, you’re not completely trapped, but you’re less likely to shift about, okay?”

Riley hummed. “I think I can handle that,” she agreed. “Will you take them off, please?”

Lewis winced and shook his head. He held up his broken arm to show her. “I would, Kiddo, in a heartbeat, but it can’t be done one-handed. I’m sorry, Riley. But I will supervise if that will make you feel any better?”

Riley brushed her fingers over the cast and frowned up at Lewis with sharp lines creasing her features. “What happened to your arm? Did someone do this, because I will-”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Lewis interrupted. “I’m fine, I just don’t have proper use of my arm yet. What’s more important is that we get you taken care of so that you have proper use of both of yours.”

Riley nodded. “I hate these things,” she hissed as she shook a hand. She hooked a finger through the ring of the collar she was wearing and tugged at it. “And this too.”

“We’ll definitely be cutting that off,” Sophie agreed.

“And since I don’t trust who Devin picked to help with that task,” Lewis deadpanned. Sophie heard a scoff behind them, but she paid it no mind. “I think we should ask Carson to do it. He’s somewhat of a new friend and he’ll do a good job because he knows I’ll kill him if he doesn’t.”

“Well thanks for the vote of confidence, Lewis,” Carson countered. “But yes, I can take care of those bands for you if that would make you more comfortable.”

Having been observing them – though she was still a little apprehensive – Sophie was beginning to respect Devin and Carson. They were polite, they made direct eye contact, and they spoke directly to the Mer in a way that cared about their opinions. After how she’d seen them being treated in the past, it was a relief. She truly hoped they were for real because Riley and her family deserved a better association with humanity. She laid a hand on Riley’s shoulder. “What do you think, hon?”

Riley nodded almost immediately. “Yes.”

Lewis clapped her on the shoulder and grinned. “Alright then, let’s get this over with and sorted out so we can go find everyone else, alright? Grab ahold.”

When Riley wrapped her arms around Lewis’ neck, he hugged her around the waist with one arm and hoisted her up onto the cot once more.

Carson stepped to them and offered a hand out to Riley. “May I see one of those?” he inquired as he jerked his chin at her bracelets. When Riley held out her arm, he took her wrist in a loose grip and turned her hand palm-up to get a better look at the seam of the cuff. Then he nodded. “The locking mechanism looks rather small. It should be easy to break, but Sophie is correct; we’re going to have to immobilize you first. At least your arm. Are you going to be alright with that?”

Riley sucked in a sharp breath and her face scrunched, but then she nodded. “I suppose I have to be,” she relented.

“Sooner is better,” Carson advised. “Can you lie down on your back, please?”

The thin mattress perched atop the cot creaked and rustled softly as Riley shifted herself and her scales caught on the fabric. She reclined silently and then Carson set about securing three restraints to her arm. With each one that he tightened, Riley’s face pinched even more. “Too tight?” Carson inquired when he seemed to notice.

Riley’s eyes were squeezed shut and she exhaled in a sharp hiss. “No. Just…do both arms before I lose my nerve,” she stated shakily.

Instead of waiting for Carson to come around to the other side of the cot, Sophie did it herself and then placed a hand on Riley’s shoulder and rubbed the flesh. The faster they were able to let her up, the better.

Carson laid two rubbery sheets over Riley’s arm, above and below the bracelet. “It’s going to get loud and there’s going to be sparks and some heat, so I recommend you look away, alright? If you’re not comfortable at any point, say something and we’ll stop. There’s no reason to risk your trust or comfort over this, there’s no rush on it. Now, since it’s going to be loud, do you want some muffs to put over your ears? They’ll dampen your hearing so you don’t hurt your ears.”

Riley huffed and flicked her fins. “Listen, I appreciate that you are trying to be respectful of me, I do, but just get them off of me, alright?” Her voice leaked out in a terse hiss behind gritted teeth and Carson frowned when she finished.

Sophie pursed her lips. She didn’t know how many different Mer he’d dealt with over the years, but Riley was certainly a unique individual so she wasn’t surprised he wasn’t sure what to say in the face of her bluntness, so Sophie decided to intervene. “Carson, Riley is claustrophobic and that translates into being tied down or unable to move as well, so the quicker we’re able to get her back up, the better,” she advised.

Riley’s breath whistled through her teeth and she nodded in agreement. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her nose had scrunched up as well. Sophie wrapped her fingers around one of Riley’s clenched fists.

Carson set his jaw and nodded. “Alright then. Brace yourself,” he advised as he turned the bone saw back on and lowered it into the seam of the cuff where the two ends met. Sparks flew and the noise was sharp.

Sophie nudged Lewis, who replaced her grip on Riley’s hand with his own. Sophie then leaned over and pressed her palms flat over Riley’s ears. It wouldn’t cancel out all the noise, but it would hopefully dampen it some. There was no sense risking Riley’s delicate hearing.

After a couple of intense moments, the saw in Carson’s hands jerked slightly and the cuff snapped open. Carson turned the saw off long enough to tug it away and pulled the leather sleeve beneath off Riley’s hand. Then he released that arm from her restraints and moved around to set up for a repeat on the other side.

Lewis traded places with him and took Riley’s hand properly. Sophie watched how Riley’s knuckles turned white as she squeezed Lewis’ hand. “You’re doing very well,” Sophie assured her as she stroked Riley’s hair. “Just a few more minutes; hang in there. Why don’t you fill us in a bit on what happened after we left?” Sophie suggested. She hoped perhaps it would distract Riley away from her current predicament.

Riley took a breath and nodded. “Karina had her baby,” she began. “Lemuria nearly got her killed, but she is okay and the baby is healthy. But after she recovered, we had no desire to linger,” Riley reported. She licked her lips and gulped. “I-I had a plan. They had one person coming in with food. He came every time the sticks both pointed down.”

“Sticks?” Sophie inquired.

“I think she means the clock that was on the wall,” Lewis suggested. “Six-thirty.”

Sophie nodded. That made sense. She was not all that surprised that Riley had noticed. It was almost sad how hypervigilant Riley had needed to train herself to be, but at least it had come in handy.

“He came with one guard who did not enter the room, so we tried to threaten the guard with the feeder’s life.”

“You took someone hostage?” Sophie asked just as Carson got the other cuff broken open.

Riley nodded. “Katie gave the instructions; she knows more about the park and who might help us. It would have worked if they were not listening in on the feeder like they did with you. The collars have something in them; it sedated us almost instantly. I…I tried to resist but I have never experienced one so strong. There was not even time to register what had happened before everyone was unconscious. I remember nothing else until waking up here.”

Sophie helped pull Riley upright and wrapped her in a hug. “I’m just glad you’re safe,” she whispered as she gave the teen a squeeze. Riley hummed and embraced her back just as tightly. Sophie felt tears stinging in her eyes as she hugged the girl. She had been so worried and was so thankful that Riley was – for the most part – unharmed. When she finally pulled herself away, she cupped Riley’s cheek and stroked the flesh with her thumb. “How are your arms?” she inquired.

Riley lifted one arm to examine it and then winced, which caused Sophie to frown. “I am okay,” Riley murmured. “It just stings because my fins were tucked in too long.”

Sophie watched as the skin split and Riley hissed with discomfort. Her spines had to slice through a thin layer of skin that had grown over and a thin rivet of blood ran down her arm and glistened on the tips of her spines and Sophie winced. “Are you alright?”

Riley flexed her spines a few times and nodded. “Yes. It does not hurt much anymore,” she agreed. “Sophie, is everyone else alright?”

Sophie opened her mouth to respond, but paused when Devin cleared her throat and stepped forward. “Why don’t you all come see for yourself?” she suggested.

Lewis nodded. “That would be ideal,” he agreed. He nodded at Riley and then turned his back to her. “Want a ride?”

“Yes please,” she agreed. Sophie smiled as she watched Riley wrap her arms and tail around Lewis. She nuzzled him and rested her chin on his shoulder before a deep hum rose in her throat. It was a touching display.

Her purr stopped a moment later and a frown creased her lips as she lifted her head and glanced at Az, who had reclaimed his place in his wheelchair.

Riley’s slender brows furrowed together and her frown lines deepened. “I…I attacked you,” she murmured. “I am sorry.”

Az dipped his head. “You were not in a right state of mind,” he acknowledged.

Riley pursed her lips and sighed. “Thank you for preventing me from causing any further harm.”

Az grinned and nodded. “I am glad I managed it,” he agreed. “You pack a punch with that bludgeon of yours,” he joked. “I nearly lost the fight; I am out of practice and I am glad you did not truly wish harm on anyone in this room or we would have run into a problem.”

Riley grimaced. “I am sorry,” she apologized. Her gaze wandered the room and Sophie knew she meant it for everyone.

Lewis patted the side of her tail with his good arm. “It wasn’t your fault, Riley,” he replied.

“No,” Devin agreed. “You have been through a lot and you cannot be held accountable for the affects of sedatives that were forced on you. Let’s get the rest of your pod together and we’ll fill in some of the blanks on what’s happened.”

When everyone began filing out of the room behind her, Devin stopped the woman who had been wielding the saw initially. “I know you meant no harm, but we need to have a talk afterwards about what happened. In the meantime, hang back.”

The woman frowned, but didn’t argue, and Sophie fell in step with Lewis as they continued down the hall.

Riley had resumed resting her head on his shoulder, and Sophie reached out to brush the girl’s arm. She offered Sophie a smile and then began to worry at her lip as she glanced at Lewis. “Lewis…did you mean that thing you said about me to that woman just before you left? About me being like…or was it just in defence of our people?”

Lewis shook his head. “I meant every word, Riley,” he assured her. “Sophie’s not the only one who considers you family, and I’m never going to stand idly by and allow someone to mistreat you. You are like a daughter to me.”

For a moment, Riley was silent, but when Sophie glanced up at her face, she saw Riley’s eyes were glossy with tears. Her lids slid shut over the pale blue irises and she tucked her head to lean against Lewis’ cheek as a purr began to rumble in her chest. “I have never known what it feels like to have a father,” she whispered between rumbles. “Thank you. Both of you. I do not think I ever truly realized just how much I wanted – how much I needed – a family.”

Sophie clucked her tongue and wrapped her arms around both Lewis and Riley. “We’re grateful for you too, Riley. Don’t cry, okay hon? Everything’s going to be alright and neither of us are leaving you ever again.”

“Not a chance in hell,” Lewis agreed.

Riley hummed and resumed resting her chin on Lewis’ shoulder. She didn’t say anything more, but Sophie felt they’d all said everything that needed to be. They were a family and she refused to allow anyone to break them up again so easily.

Their trip was cut short after that when Devin paused outside a new door. She lifted a hand and rapped her knuckles against the wood pane. There was a small glass window in the door, and Sophie could vaguely see the backs of a few chairs through it, but the lights were dimmed and everything was a little blurry. “I just want to warn anyone who might be on the other side of the door that we’re going to enter, alright? Please don’t feel alarmed, and if you’re in front of the door, move back,” she advised.

Devin turned the handle and pushed the door open slowly, peeking her head around as she did. A moment later, she pushed the door the rest of the way open and beckoned everyone in.

It was a strange sight to see the Mer all perched on chairs around the long conference table, but Sophie was relieved that they all seemed unharmed. Karina and Nero were sitting side by side, and he had his arm around her shoulders. Luna was leaned up against her father, and both were sitting beside Rebecca. There were plenty of other chairs, but the Mer had all clustered together on one side, as close as they could to one another. It didn’t surprise Sophie at all.

“Sophie! Lewis!” Luna exclaimed. The worry previously clouding her irises vanished as a gaping grin spread across her lips. She braced her palms on the table and leaned forward over it to beam at them. “Are you alright?”

Sophie crossed around the table and plopped a hand down on Luna’s scalp. She ruffled her hand through the girl’s long coconut locks and scratched her nails across the crown of her head. “We’re just fine, sweetheart. Are you all okay?”

Luna nodded. “Where are we?” she inquired.

Sophie shrugged. “I think we’re about to find out very soon,” she assured the girl. She watched as Lewis pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table and helped Riley down off his back into it. She thanked him quietly and he took a seat beside her.

Immediately, Lewis’ attention shifted to Karina and Nero and he nodded at them. “Congratulations.”

Karina’s smile was soft and her head fin flicked back and forth a few times as she nodded. “T-th-thank you,” she stammered.

“I am glad you three are unharmed,” Ixion spoke up. “But what is this place and who are these people? Our patience runs thin on the lack of answers and entrapment on land.”

“I’m very sorry about that,” Devin replied. “It sounds like you’ve all been through a lot – far more than you should have ever had to – but our only goal now is to get you all home safely and ensure that this sort of predicament does not happen again.”

Carson strode forward and clicked a remote at the large projector screen at the front of the room. “My sister and I both appreciate your collective patience, you’ve been without answers for long enough. Now that we have everyone congregated, we’d like to discuss in depth exactly where you are and what the plans are moving forward, if everyone would like to take a seat. It won’t take too long.”

“No,” Riley refused. Her brows had dipped and she’d pressed one arm against her throat so that her spines slipped beneath the collar around her neck. In a single fluid motion, she tore through the leather with a sharp grating sound, and shook her head as it fell onto the table with a soft clink as the metal of the tag hit first. “You cannot start yet.”

Sophie’s gut had clenched into a tight knot as she noticed as well, but it was Luna that piped up next. “We are not all together yet,” she protested softly.

Devin and Carson both frowned and glanced between the two Mer who had objected. It made Sophie’s heart stall that they seemed confused. She licked her lips and hoped there was a simple explanation. “Where is Katie?” she demanded.

Devin’s frown deepened and she blinked slowly and shook her head. “Who?” she inquired back. Sophie’s heart plummeted into her stomach at the response.