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Shay whirled?—

“Shay,” Paxton whimpered.

It took her a moment to make sense of what she was looking at.

Who was standing just behind Paxton, an arm locked around the boy’s neck. Just below the woman’s eye was a tattoo of a water droplet.

The water droplet of the Riptide.

“Pia,” Shay whispered.

Pia lifted the gun in her hand?—

And pointed it at Shay’s head. The hollowclickof the safety being disengaged spurred Shay’s heart into a faster sprint.

“Don’t move.” Pia’s whisper was hollow—as dead as her stare.

“Pia,” Shay said again. She took one step?—

“I said don’t move!”

Shay raised her hands above her head. “Okay,” she said calmly. “Okay.”

She chanced a look around. There were no other Selkies here. Just Pia.

Good. That was good. It meant she had a chance at a fair fight.

So she raised her hands higher. Focused on calming her pulse and discreetly rallying her magic as she whispered, “Where are the others?”

Stalling—she was stalling. Giving herself time to think of a plan.

The sirens were getting closer. If the cops arrived, if she could create enough of a scene?—

“Not here,” Pia bit out. “We’ve been looking for you for days.” She shook her head, her upper lip curling back over her teeth as she hissed, “You shouldn’t have done it, Shay.”

“Done what?” Shay asked.

“Ran!” Pia spat. “Taken that psycho’s kid!” She bumped her gun into Paxton’s chin.

A small noise of fear escaped Paxton’s throat.

“Pia,” Shay whispered. “Please, Pia. Put the gun down.”

But she was already shaking her head. “I can’t.”

“You can. You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do!” she exclaimed, a loud sob shattering the icy night. “Ihaveto kill you.” Her lips wobbled as she added, “Or he’s going to kill me.”

Roman’s worldwas crashing around him.

Kneeling on the ground, he sobbed uncontrollably over his brother’s body, his tears soaking his face and Paxton’s shirt. His chest was still, his skin pale and icy.

Dead. His brother was dead, and he was never going to be able to move on from this, would never forgive himself?—

Suddenly, the air shifted. Peeled back, as if a door had whipped open with enough force to cause a sharp breeze.

The screaming, the crying, the sirens, the chopping of rotary blades…all of it faded away. Leaving behind nothing but cold and hollow silence, interrupted only by the thumping of his pulse in his ears.