It has been months since the attack on the ship, and whispered about the mysterious sirens had not died down. Some believed it to be true, others pointed the finger to Marella. Including her own grandfather, but when she asked about what her motives would be, or how she was able to that. Without any form of water magic, he quickly doubles down. To bring up the topic the next day, or sometimes even an hour later. In those months she was not allowed to set one foot outside the door. Or to stand for the window too long. What if somebody saw her, with her small but visible baby bump. Yep she was pregnant. She sighed and looked at the star filled sky, was he somewhere out there? Was he thinking about her? Who knew, maybe he was just like her own father. Getting a land walker pregnant and turn back to the sea. Not to be seen or heard from ever again. She closed her eyes, would she dream about him? Most likely she had dreamed about him almost every night. She always woke up with a salty taste on her lips, those were not from her tears. She remembered the taste of his lips, so she kissed him, or he had kissed her. Every morning she wondered if he had indeed raped her, or if they just made love. When the rest of the sirens murdered the others on the ship. It was a creepy thought, but it somehow played over and over in her mind. Did her mother also had those dreams, about her father. How long will they last? Will they disappear one day? Those she wanted it to disappear? She was not sure, her hand went over her belly. The sign of her disgrace, according to her grandmother. Who had not changed her mind, she still wanted the child out of her house as soon it was born. Her grandfather didn't agree with her, he of course considered it as an extension to the family. And Marella had no idea what her mother thought about all of this, she kept her distance. Marella sighed and let sleep overtake her.

************

The rain ticked softly against the window. Marella opened her eyes, the taste of salt still on her lips. The door of her room swung open and her mother rushed in. 

"Marella baby, get dressed. Quickly." Her mother said. Marella jumped out of her bed and started to get dressed. 

"What is going on?" She asked. Her mother sighed.

"Your grandmother, she has hired some people to abduct you." Her mother said. "So it will easier to take your baby away from you without your grandfathers' interference." She said, and looked at the door. Marella had the feeling that she was being chocked. Her grandmother was really going behind grandfather's back, why was she so surprised by that. But then there was another question on her mind.

"Where do I need to go?" She asked her mother, who sighed.

"I do not know. But you need to get out off here, out of the city. Maybe go to the capitol, or maybe it is wise to get out of the Kingdom." Her mother replied. Marella nodded and ran out of the room. Her mother followed her, until they were at the servant's door in the back of the mansion.

"Mom, I have one question. What was the name of my father?" She asked. "If this is the last time I see you."

"Alekona." Her mother said, in one breath. She looked kind of relieved. "His name is Alekona. But go now." Marella nodded and started to run.

"Grab her!" Her grandmother screamed. "She will not bring shame on my house, not again." Marella run over the wooden docks, passed a few people. Who looked surprised at her.

"Sorry." She said when she bumped into someone.

"There you are, you little murderer." A man said. "How I prayed for this day." Marella looked at the face of the man. His son was also on the ship, and apparently he had not believed the tale about the sirens.

"Please let me go." She begged, but the man just shook his head.

"You are not escaping me, half-breed. And I really do not believe a word about you being raped." He said, one of his hand was on her head. "Although I can be wrong about that." He said, looking at her baby bump. "But what do I care." He slammed her head against something hard. She could taste her own blood. "Have a nice swim." That were his last words before throwing her into the sea. 

*******

"What in the sea's name." Acale said to himself. He had seen her fall in to the water, she was not moving at all. Just sinking, slowly to the ocean's floor. But what caught his attention was the red streak of blood. The water would not kill her, her body was made to breathe underwater, but the blood will draw every predator towards her. And without her ability to flee. Quickly he swam towards her, grabbing her and swum as hard as he could. No shark, no matter which kind would pass this opportunity. He almost could feel them at his heels. He needed to get her out of the water, so that he could patch the wound. But where in the sea's name could he do that. On the docks of that cursed floating city was out of the question, and they were too far away from his house. Then it hit him, the Pōha'siren. They were not that far away, if he used his magic. And hopefully no one would be there. Well with his luck he wouldn't count on it, but still it was better than nothing. He gathered all his energy and the surrounding water pushed him forward. It didn't take long before he reached it.

"Acale, what in the sea's name?" Kalama said. Of course, he was there. "Is that not..."

"Shut up and get me some cloth, seaweed anything to close off this wound." Acale snapped at him. He lay her on the rocks, her beautiful blond hair, with red and pink highlights was wet and stuck to her face. Blood from the wound started to pour out, he started to panic. What if this killed her, this beautiful girl. His hand went to the wound, and he pressed on it. "Please Kalama."

"I will be right back." Kalama replied, he did not argue with him this time around. But that would probably still come, he didn't care as long little Rʻulaʻula was safe. His eyes went over her body, until they reached her abdomen. His breath stocked in his throat, she was pregnant. In the sea's name, she was pregnant. Was the child his? He had not seen her in months, and he had watched that floating city like a sea hawk. He had not seen her once, but that those not mean that the child was his. O hell why did he care about it so much. She was literary bleeding out, and all he could think about is the short period they spent together. "Here." Kalama jumped on the ledge and started to bind a piece of cloth on the wound. "What happened to her?" He asked. 

"I do not know, she was chased by some men throughout the city. I was following her, until she fell into the water. He shook his head, with frustration. If somebody had hurt her, he would kill them.

"Alright this should hold, for now." Kalama said. "What are you planning to do with her now?" 

"She is pregnant, Kalama." Acale said. "There is a huge possibility that it is my child." Acale looked at Kalama's face.

"If you bring her to the city, you will sign her death warrant." Kalama warned him. "No outsider may see it, and life to tell the tale. You know the rules as much as I do." Acale nodded, he wanted to scream. He should have killed her, then all of this wouldn't have been an issue. But he knew that he would not have killed her, there was something about her that called for him. And he simply needed to answer the call.

"She is one of use, at least some parts of her are." He said. Kalama gazed at him with a look in his eyes Acale had never seen before.

"That is not all, is there. There was a reason why you didn't kill her, there is a reason why you slept with her. Her inner siren is calling for you." Kalama said. Acale nodded slowly, that was it. That was the call he needed to answer, it was her inner siren. "O man, o man. This keeps on getting better and better." Kalama started to rub his temples. "Well, that means that she has siren blood in her veins, But that those not promise her a long life." Kalama looked at the cloth. "But I think she will not be safe either way, so I think you should risk it. Bring her to the city, I will back you up." Acale's mouth fall open.

"You will?" Acale asked. Kalama simply nodded. 

"I will. But let's hurry up." Kalama said. Acale picked little Rʻulaʻula up and slighted back into the water. The cloth blocked the majority of the blood, but not everything. Kalama swam behind them. Acale swam as hard as he could, without taking a moment to catch his breath. There was no time. Finally, after what seemed forever, there was the underwater city, Aupunimalalo. Which looked like a normal city, inside a large air bubble. Around it swam multiple sirens, who stopped to look at them. One of his sisters swam towards him.

"Acale, what are you doing?" She asked, her husband joined them.

"There is no time to explain, Huali." He said quickly. "Get mother if you want some answers." She nodded and swam with her husband to the city. Once through the magical gate, he started to run towards his house. And his sister ran past it towards their mother's house. Her husband stayed with them.

"Is that a Naiad?" He asked in disgust.

"She is part Naiad, part siren." Kalama explained. "And it is more complicated than you think Kekao." But before Kekao could ask for more details, Acale's mother and the Matriarch of the Pʻulaʻula family entered the house. She quickly looked at little Rʻulaʻula, and her gaze snapped to him.

"What in the sea's name are you doing? Bringing an outsider to the city?" She snapped at him. Acale wanted to open his mouth to explain everything.

"She is part Naiad, part siren. Lady Pʻulaʻula." Kalama said, repeating the same words he had used to Kekao. "Acale and her met a few months ago, when we attacked the ship from the land walkers. That girl understood use perfectly, and no we were not speaking in their tongue. She also used her inner siren on Acale." Acale's mother shook her head.

"Half-breeds. Are we currently dealing with half-breeds." She sighed. "Do any of you know from which family?" She asked to them both.

"I believe she is from the Rʻulaʻula family." Acale said. Before Kalama could. "I also believe she is pregnant with my child." He added. His mother again let her gaze slide over littl Rʻulaʻula.

"I see why you believe she is from that family. She indeed looks a lot like them and those red highlights in her hair." She whispered, while walking to the girl on the table. Taking off the cloth. "This wound, somebody hurt her without a qeustion. I see why you brought her here, the lesser of two evils. Well I need to patch her up and then speak with the council." She sighed. "But son do not get your hopes up. She most likely will be killed after she delivered the baby." Acale nodded. "Unless her father claims her." Well atleast that will give him some time. Not much but some.

"I will look for him, mother." He said. How difficult could it be, the Rʻulaʻula family was not that large. And maybe little Rʻulaʻula would have a name for him when she wakes up.