Gemma could see Thea in the reflection of the mirror, standing behind her with her arms crossed over her chest. Gemma turned on the tap so she could splash cold water on her face.

“I feel fine,” she said without looking at Thea.

“We can hear you moaning in your sleep,” Thea told her.

There were only two things Gemma remembered clearly from her dreams: the watersong, and Alex.

She’d dreamt of the last day they’d spent together, kissing and talking and holding each other in his bed. But in her dreams, that day never ended, and she got to stay with him forever.

It had broken her heart to leave him, but she knew it was the best thing she could do for him. Whatever it was that she’d become, it would only bring him harm.

She’d made a promise to the sirens that if they spared him, if they left Alex and her sister Harper alone, then she’d go with them.

Gemma was determined to keep up her end of the pact. She’d do everything in her power to protect Alex and Harper. Even if that meant leaving them forever.

“I’m fine,” Gemma insisted once she found her voice, then turned off the faucet.

“Today’s, what? Wednesday?” Thea asked as Gemma dried her face with a towel. “So you’ve been a siren for … eight days now? Yeah. You need to eat something.”

“I’ve been eating,” Gemma said, but at the mention of food her stomach did a weird growling, and she pressed her hand over her belly as if she could silence it.

She’d been hungry before, but nothing had ever felt like this. This was primal, and it seemed to encompass her entire body.

When she’d been kissing Alex once before, she’d felt something similar, although slightly more intense. They’d been making out pretty hot and heavy, and then she’d “accidentally” bit him.

That had snapped her out of the strange hunger she’d felt with Alex, but she was unable to shake her current hunger. Fortunately, it was a lot milder, and she kept herself from biting Sawyer. But every day the watersong grew louder and her hunger grew stronger.

“Gemma, you know what I’m talking about,” Thea said, looking at her seriously. “What you’ve been eating can’t sustain—”

“I just need to eat more,” Gemma interrupted her.

She didn’t want to hear what Thea recommended she actually eat. Gemma already had an idea, but she wasn’t ready to hear it aloud, for someone to put into actual words what she would have to do in order to survive as this new monster.

Thea sighed loudly but didn’t argue with Gemma. “Suit yourself.”

“I will.” Gemma raised her chin defiantly, then walked past Thea out of the bathroom.

Thea trailed after her, into the hall and then down the winding marble staircase.