It takes a few moments for Jackson's body to slump forward. When his body remains still–save for the gentle rise and fall of his fluttering chest—I know he is out for the count.

The thought does little to comfort me. Jackson doesn't deserve to breathe after everything he's done. It was his actions that led to Muriel's spiral into the darkness, his actions that led to her disappearance, and he just gets to walk away unpunished?

I lean toward him, itching to cover his face with my palm, to take the breath from his lungs the way he took Muriel's sanity. I reach the corner of his mouth before freezing, the touch of his skin sending a shockwave through mine.

If I kill Jackson in the name of revenge, there will be no going back. I'll be betraying Reece again, showing him I am nothing but the animal Adrian claims me to be. I'll be proving Marine World right about me, that I'm not safe to be let out into the human world. But most of all, I'll be denying myself the chance to be good. Because it's not enough to be human, I realize that now. It's about being a good human, and to be a good human is to be faced with the choice to do wrong and choose right, instead. I may not have been given a lot of choices in my life, but this one is mine.

I pull away, my arm feeling heavy against the cold night air. When I finally look up, I see Reece has gained control of both guns. "Grab Jackson's keys, Aura," he says.

I nod briefly, feeling around Jackson's hips for his keys. "Got them."

"Now get in the car." His voice is cold, and I immediately climb into Jackson's truck.

Adrian mutters something to his son, and Reece turns his back, giving his father one last look before climbing in next to me. With a flick of his wrist, he switches on the headlights, shining a spotlight on Jackson's body sprawled across the gravel. For a second, I think Reece is about to drive straight over him when, with a scowl, he throws the car in reverse and drives around him.

We race down an empty road at full speed, Reece's silence like a weight on my chest. I go to speak, hoping it will thaw the ice on his features, but he swerves the car to the side of the road and slams on the brakes.

My hands fly out and grip the dashboard as I'm abruptly jerked forward. He cuts the engine and, without a word, gets out and slams and walks into the distance, stopping only to let out a growl that sends a flock of birds scurrying from the trees and across the ink black sky.

My heart pounds faster; I scramble to formulate a plan that doesn't end up with me being captured. I'd hoped that amidst the chaos, Reece might have forgotten how much he must hate me, but I can see now Reece isn't the forgiving type. I glance at the keys hanging from the ignition, my survival instincts telling me to take them and drive. To turn on Reece before he can turn on me.

I slide across to the driver's seat, the leather feeling cold against the nape of my neck. I grip the steering wheel, able to make out Reece's silhouette in the rearview mirror.

This is the right thing to do. Reece isn't going to want to help me now that he knows the truth. He can't even stand to be in close proximity to me, and if I'm going to survive in this new world, I'm going to need a vehicle. I've watched Reece driving long enough to know the basics of operating a car–I'm certain I'll be just fine navigating the roads. I'm a quicker learner, after all.

It's how they made me.

I glance in the mirror, watching as Reece looks at the sky, no doubt regretting having ever helped me in the first place. A part of me wants to flee just so I don't have to face him. I don't want to see the betrayal in his eyes at having discovered I'm not the girl he thought was worth saving–the girl he's risked everything for. I'm not the innocent mermaid who needed help escaping, I'm the ruthless creature who does whatever to survive, even if it means hurting others to do it.

With a deep breath, I carefully swing open the driver's door and creep toward Reece. He turns on his heel at hearing my footsteps. Hurt plagues his features; I thought he'd perfected the art of hiding his emotions, but right now he looks as broken as I feel.

"I have no idea what's going to happen to him," Reece says, his voice shaking slightly. "Marine World doesn't take kindly to failure."

"But they must have known he wouldn't turn you in," I say. "You're family."

Reece lets out a humorless laugh. "It's because we're family that they sent him in the first place." He half-turns to face me, his pained expression lit up by the streetlamp's soft glow. "This was never supposed to be a capture, Aura. This was a threat. Marine World's way of reminding me that they have somebody I love in their clutches. My dad's so hell-bent on following orders, he doesn't even see he's being played."

"That's why they didn't send more guards," I say, searching his face for confirmation.

He nods briefly. "Sending a group of guards after us would have raised suspicion. They knew we'd never go quietly. When they catch us, it will be when we least expect it. This was just a way for them to tell us to keep quiet until they do."

I clutch at the compact mirror deep within my pocket, thinking about those who have already suffered because of my escape: Muriel Two, Reece, his father–it seems the pursuit of freedom is not so free, after all.

Something must always be sacrificed.

Hey readers, sorry it's taken so long to update! Hope everyone is having a lovely Easter ❤️