"And one of them is already on the surface with your mother."
Seraphina's words echoed in my mind.
I stared at her.
"With my mother?"
She nodded.
"Who?"
"You don't know him yet."
"Then tell me."
"His name doesn't matter."
"It matters to me!"
Seraphina's eyes shifted toward Shawshank.
"He has been searching for you for years."
Darius stepped forward.
"Seraphina, enough."
She looked at him.
"You know I'm telling the truth."
Darius's jaw tightened.
"Who is he?" I demanded.
Seraphina looked back at me.
"The man who helped your grandmother hide you."
I frowned.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It will."
"Is he dangerous?"
She hesitated.
"Yes."
My heart began pounding.
"Then we have to get to my mother."
Shawshank nodded.
"We will."
Seraphina caught his arm.
"You can't go with her."
Shawshank looked at her.
"Why?"
"Because if the queen discovers that Bjei has crossed into the surface world with you, she'll know exactly where to find her."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Stay here."
He shook his head.
"No."
"Shawshank—"
"No."
He looked at me.
"I promised her I wouldn't leave her."
Something warm moved through my chest.
Darius watched us silently.
Finally, he spoke.
"There's another way."
We all looked at him.
"What way?" I asked.
Darius pointed toward a narrow passage behind Seraphina.
"There is an old passage that leads close to the shore. The queen cannot track it."
"Then let's go."
We hurried through the passage.
It was darker than the others.
There were no glowing flowers or beautiful coral.
Only smooth black walls and tiny silver marks.
I touched one.
"What are these?"
"Names," Darius said.
"Whose names?"
"People who disappeared."
I quickly pulled my hand away.
"How many?"
"Too many."
Nobody spoke after that.
Eventually, I saw light ahead.
Real sunlight.
My heart raced.
"The surface."
Shawshank smiled.
"You're almost home."
I looked at him.
"Are you coming?"
"Yes."
"You're sure?"
He nodded.
"I told you. I'm not leaving you."
We reached the end of the passage.
The water became warmer.
I could hear waves.
Then we surfaced.
I gasped.
The familiar beach stretched before us.
My beach.
The same rocks.
The same palm trees.
The same road leading home.
I almost cried.
"I made it."
Shawshank watched me carefully.
"You missed it."
"I did."
I stepped onto the sand.
My legs felt strange beneath me.
I looked back at Shawshank.
His tail had disappeared.
He now had human legs.
I stared.
"What happened to your tail?"
He laughed.
"It's easier to walk on land this way."
I smiled.
"You look different."
"So do you."
"How?"
"You look happier."
I didn't realize I was smiling until he said it.
Then I remembered my mother.
"Come on."
We hurried toward my house.
The closer we got, the stranger everything felt.
The front door was slightly open.
I stopped.
"Mom?"
No answer.
I pushed the door open.
"Mom?"
The house was silent.
Too silent.
Christel's bag was lying on the sofa.
I picked it up.
"Christel was here."
Shawshank looked around.
"Where is everyone?"
"Mom!"
I ran from room to room.
Nothing.
Then I heard a noise upstairs.
A door closing.
I froze.
"Someone is here."
Shawshank moved in front of me.
We climbed the stairs slowly.
A man's voice came from my mother's bedroom.
"She's coming back."
I recognized the voice.
Darius.
No.
Not Darius.
Someone else.
I pushed the door open.
A tall man stood beside the window.
He turned.
My heart stopped.
I had never seen him before.
But something about his face felt familiar.
He smiled.
"Bjei."
I stepped backward.
"Where is my mother?"
"Safe."
"Where is Christel?"
"Also safe."
"Who are you?"
He walked toward me.
Shawshank immediately stepped between us.
"Stay away from her."
The man laughed.
"You must be Shawshank."
"How do you know my name?"
"I know much more than your name."
His eyes moved toward me.
"You have no idea how long I've waited for this moment."
"Who are you?" I demanded.
He smiled.
"Your mother's oldest secret."
I felt a chill.
"Where is Angela?"
His smile faded.
"She went to find your father."
My blood ran cold.
"Which one?"
The man looked directly into my eyes.
"That's the problem, Bjei."
He stepped closer.
"You have more than one man claiming to be your father."
Then he whispered:
"And only one of them is telling you the truth."