The Kingdom of the Sea was in shock.

Queen Lagoon and her husband, Humpback, were dead, as was their daughter, Splash. Current was missing — one of the dozens who had escaped into the sea — but his brother, Scallop, and his father, Fathom’s uncle Eel, were not so lucky. One of the musicians had tried to fight Albatross when everyone fled; she was dead, too. Fathom would have to find out her name later.

Fathom’s parents were both dead. Manta had followed her father into the gardens, pleading for Fathom’s life, and he had killed her and Reef together. Not even Fathom’s magic could bring them back from death.

But as he’d stood with Indigo in the wreckage of the party, heartbroken, a dragon had crawled out from under one of the tipped-over couches.

It was Pearl, bleeding from a thousand cuts, but alive.

“I sliced myself up with the glass from the aquarium,” she told Fathom, her voice shaking, her injured wings hanging awkwardly. “I covered myself in blood and pretended to be dead. He walked right past me.”

She was the only dragon left to rule the kingdom, other than their mad aunt, Sapphire. Five years old and the new queen.

Of the two SkyWings, Princess Sunset had died, but Eagle, miraculously, had survived. He survived to berate them all about the dangers of animus dragons. He survived to threaten revenge and war and the extermination of the SeaWing tribe. And he survived to take a message back to the SkyWing queen that the disputed shore villages would be abandoned immediately.

Queen Pearl promised that SeaWings would never encroach into Sky territory again, in exchange for amnesty for Sunset’s death. She also promised them tributes of gems and seafood for the next five years, in exchange for keeping the massacre a secret. The last thing the SeaWings needed right now was for anyone to find out how vulnerable they were.

On her first day as queen, Pearl issued one edict. It outlawed animus magic anywhere in the Kingdom of the Sea.

Fathom stood beside her in the throne room as she signed the proclamation, and he thought perhaps he was the only one who noticed how wobbly her handwriting still was.

After the messenger left to announce the edict, Pearl sent away everyone but Fathom.

“How did you kill him?” she asked when they were alone.

“It was Indigo,” he said. “She got him with a spear. She saved me. Us.” He looked away. “Some of us.”

He’d have to get Indigo to match his story later. He knew she would do that for him, even if she didn’t understand why.

He didn’t want anyone to know he’d killed his grandfather. He didn’t want to be seen as a hero — especially not for that. He wasn’t a hero at all, not even close.

“I know the edict is about me,” he said. “You don’t have to worry. I’m not like him.”

“You think that now,” Pearl said sadly. “But maybe the SkyWings are right about what to do with animus dragons.”

Fathom felt a shiver through his bones. Had he survived his grandfather’s massacre only to have his own sister put him to death?

“I mean, how am I supposed to trust you, Fathom?” Pearl asked. “Whenever I look at you, I see everything he did. Won’t you always be tempted to use your magic? What would stop you? What could ever stop you?”

“I will,” he promised, bowing his head. “The soul that I still have, and wish to keep. Queen Pearl of the SeaWings, I pledge you this oath, on my life and sealed with my blood: I will never use my animus magic again, not for the rest of my days.”

He took a sword from the wall and drew an X in blood across his palm. It hurt so much, a bright sharp pain that was easier to bear than the hollow one inside him. He looked at the cuts all over Pearl and was tempted to do the same to himself.

“All right,” Pearl said. “I accept your oath. But there’s one other thing.”

“Anything,” said Fathom.

“You can never have dragonets,” she said. “If this power runs in your veins, you could pass it down. But if you have no dragonets, it may die with you, and all of Pyrrhia will be safer for it.”

Fathom was quiet for a moment. Was she picturing animus nieces challenging her for the throne? He wanted to tell her that if he could pass it down, he thought perhaps so could she. But it wasn’t an option for her to avoid having dragonets; the kingdom needed heirs, especially now, with most of the royal family dead.

“I agree,” he said. He never wanted dragonets anyway. What kind of father could he ever be?

“Fathom,” Pearl warned. “That means you have to stay away from Indigo.”

“What?” he cried, his heart twisting painfully. “But why?”

“Because you’re in love with her,” Pearl said bluntly, “and you’ll do anything, break any rule for her. Maybe even your oath to me.”

“I … no, I …” Fathom trailed off. Pearl was worried about the wrong oath, but she was right about one thing: if Indigo were ever hurt like that again, he knew he would still use his magic to save her, no matter what he had promised.

“Besides, it’s not fair to her,” Pearl said, uncoiling from the throne. “She’s my friend, too, and I want her to have a happy life. Don’t you? Think about it. What could she ever have with you? No dragonets, no future, nothing but constant danger. Do you want that for her?”

Fathom shrank into his wings. Was it selfish of him to want to keep Indigo’s friendship? And how could he make a decision like this without talking to her? It was her life. She’d be furious if she found out he was choosing her future without telling her.

But maybe furious was good. Maybe furious would keep her away from him.

“Shouldn’t I ask her what she wants?” he tried. “Or at least explain —”

“I’ll do it,” Pearl said, cutting him off. “She’ll tell you anything you want to hear, but she’ll tell me the truth. Don’t worry, Fathom, I’ll take care of her. I’ll make her part of my honor guard, promote her up the ranks quickly. In a few years, I’ll find her a minor noble she can have a family with. She’ll have a safe, normal life.”

Far away from me, Fathom thought miserably. With someone else.

But Pearl was right: that was how it had to be.

He knew the truth about himself now. He was not special. He was someone who ran and hid while his whole family was massacred, when he was the only one who could have stopped it.

He should have stopped it sooner. He might have been able to save his parents if he’d been faster, braver, more sure of his power. More sure that his grandfather needed to die.

Losing his magic and his chance to have dragonets … and worst of all, Indigo, the love of his life … that was exactly what he deserved.