Color swirled behind my eyelids and a piercing knot of pain slipped into my consciousness.

“Sienna?”

I opened my eyes and blinked to clear them.

"Sienna?”

Saorise's voice rang from above me and I tried to focus on her face.

"Saorise?" I croaked, the effort making my throat ache as if I’d swallowed glass.

"You're alive!" she whispered, her wan face suddenly full of joy as she drew me against her and squeezed.

"You, too," I whispered back, relief coursing through me in waves.

I was ensconced in clean sheets on a firm mattress, but not my own. My whole body hurt, like I’d been put through a meat grinder. Especially my lungs, but none of that mattered now. My friend was alive, and so was I. We were bent, but not broken. It was time to rejoice.

"I'm not sure which is more amazing. I was sure you were a goner,” she said, her face going pale again at the thought.

What had happened to me? I could barely recall now. All I remembered was an endless pit of darkness that swallowed me whole. And then? Nothing.

My heart stuttered as I stared into her eyes. "Did I…” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word, “go somewhere for a minute?"

Saorise nodded, still not letting me go. "Longer than a minute. Much longer. And you nearly didn't come back."

"How...?"

"Think of it as Selkie CPR. I drew the water from your lungs, and my brothers..." Saorise paused. "This is one of those things that is going to sound weird until I explain it properly."

"I'm getting pretty used to those things."

"They each gave you some of their blood. And, in turn, gave you some of their power and of their lives."

I stared at her in stunned surprise. After all they’d suffered at the hands of humans, surely such a sacrifice was too much to ask.

“What do you mean? Are they sick now because of me?” I demanded, jerking away from Saorise and struggling to stand. “Where are they?”

“We’re here, love. And if you don’t get back into that bed, we’re going to make you regret it.”

Connor stood in the doorway, flanked by his brothers. All three looked like they’d been through the ringer. Mussed hair, dark circles beneath their eyes, strain around their mouths. We’d all likely be suffering so PTSD after all this for a while, but there was no question seeing me awake and Saorise hale and hearty beside me assuaged some of their heartache.

Connor’s gaze drank me in as he stalked over to the bed.

“What did you three do?” I demanded, trying to hold onto my anger and fear but trembling with emotion at the sight of them.

Saorise stood and melted into the background as Connor sat on the edge of the bed and dragged me against his chest.

“We did what we had to in order to save the woman we loved. Same as you would’ve done for us,” he whispered into my hair.

I wrapped my arms around him, breathing in his masculine scent, letting it comfort me.

“But you gave up--”

He pulled back to stare down at me. “We each gave up a little, Sienna. A handful of years in a life that would’ve been far too long without you in it. A bit of power to make sure you had the strength you needed to come back to us.”

“And we’re none the worse for wear,” Patch said, holding up his bicep and flexing with a grin.

“You were out for so long, we were starting to think--” Declan broke off, his lean throat working as he pushed off the doorjamb and came closer.

“I’m fine. Sore, and achy, but I feel…”

Alive.

That was the only word I could think of to describe it. Vitality coursed through me like an elixir.

“I feel great,” I finished lamely, my throat tight with emotion. “I love you all so much. I’m so glad everyone is okay.”

“Are you hungry?” Patch asked softly. “Can we get you something to drink?”

As if on cue, my stomach growled and I realized I was famished. “How long have I been out?”

“Three days,” Declan replied. “Three very long days.”

That explained why they all looked like hammered shit. That was a long time to fear for a person’s life.

“And where are we?”

“Still in Montana. Leanne found us a ranch house to rent for a week so you could recuperate in peace and comfort.”

I made a mental note to thank the water nymph if I ever got to see her again. In the scheme of things, my jealousy seemed so petty now. She’d been integral to our success and I felt a rush of affection for her.

“Maybe you three can go make Sienna a nice, big breakfast and I’ll get her cleaned up some, all right?”

Connor seemed ready to argue, not willing to release me, but something in his sister’s tone had him rising reluctantly.

He shot her a pointed glance and a tight smile before leading his brothers from the room.

“Is everything all right?” I asked, my sixth sense tingling.

"It is. And it’s going to be even better one day, my friend,” she said, busying herself by pulling some clothes from a bag hanging on the closet door and yanking the tags off.

She handed me a pair of butter-soft yoga pants and a thick hoody and took a seat beside the bed as I stripped off the t-shirt I’d been wearing and dressed.

“What do you mean?” I asked, tugging the sweatshirt over my head, reveling in the warmth.

“I mean I need to go now.”

My stomach clenched as I met her ethereal green gaze. “Go where?” I demanded, suddenly the furthest thing from hungry.

We’d only just found one another again.

"I need to spend some time in the sea. Get away from humans for a while. Not you. You’re different." It was probably the nicest compliment she could have given me. "But I need time to heal. Mentally, you know. The time will come when I want to get back out and meet all the lovely people - humans and otherwise - there are in the world, and I want to be ready for it. Right now, I’m nothing but a shell of myself. A mass of fear and mistrust. I need to work through that, because there is still an amazing world to see and explore.” She broke off and cleared her throat before lifting her chin. “I won’t let him take that from me, too. Time. That’s all. I just need a little time.”

I nodded, blinking back tears. The last thing she needed was me guilting her right now after all she’d suffered.

"You will come back someday, though?" I asked.

She smiled that irrepressible Saorise smile. "Before you know it. Now I know where to find you, I'm going to be visiting a lot. You'll be sick of the sight of me."

"I doubt that," I smiled. "I was thinking I might vacation in Ireland next year."

Saorise grinned and nodded. "On a certain beach?"

"We can build sandcastles."

It had been a tough conversation for both of us, but I knew it was best for her. And, above all, I knew that she was telling the truth; this was not goodbye. I would see her again. When her heart was ready.

“And your brothers?” I asked, fear coalescing in my chest like a fist. They’d sounded like they’d planned to stay. But if she needed them…if they needed to go, I would have to understand.

“They're happy with you, Sienna. They’re staying, if you’ll have them. And I couldn't be happier for all four of you. It makes you and me sisters even more than we were before."

Saorise being my sister was a childhood dream come true. And the fact that her brothers wanted me as much as I wanted them? Made me feel like we could all get through anything.

"Thank you, my sister. For so much more than I can put into words,” she said softly.

"Right back at you."

"Sienna and Saorise."

“Saorise and Sienna."

"Best friends. Friends forever."