As Truly sips her morning tea and gently strokes Navi's head, who is resting on the swing bench couch in their small living room, she glances up at Kade, who's now been on the island with her for a week. "I forgot ta tell ye ta I got visited fifth granddah, and he gave me ta name of Merrik's oldest livin' descendant. Apparently t'is man knew Merrik when he was a lad."

In the kitchen making his Turkish coffee, Kade's head snaps towards her, and he turns with interest in his eyes. "Aye? Did he know Dour too?"

"I don't know, luv." Truly rises and digs a piece of paper out of her back pocket. "I jis got ta name and address. "Dour was ta olda brotha t'ough, and t'ey were jist young lads when t'ey knew Merrik. If he didn't meet Dour t'en maybe Merrik told him stories about his brotha." She set the paper down on the dark wood coffee table in front of her.

"Think he'd talk ta me since I'm of the Islands?"

"Aye, he should." Truly frowns as she takes a sip of her tea and tilts her head in thought. "Do ye t'ink we're prejudice?"

"No." Finished making his coffee, Kade kicks Navi off the couch and joins her. "But Drake caused a lot of drama, as did the others, and I look like him."

"Ta man is almost two hundred-year-old, omen. I don't t'ink anythin' is fresh in his head. Even if he remembers evert'in' clear, he neva met Drake, he's from Drake line, me people don't hold grudges, and it was still five hundred years ago."

"Alright." Kade shifts, pulling a leg up to face her. "I get it. I'll see about talking ta him, but first, we need ta discuss other things. I talked ta me brother," he takes a sip of his coffee, as his mind goes over that unpleasant conversation. "Draken was sent ta round up everyone me friends saw seeming ta work with the Adébáyọ̀s." A look of unease crosses his face as he fiddles with his cup, revealing by his behavior his brother's not a man you want sent after you. "Gideon's gone. He was given ta his family to deal with ta prove their loyalty. I had the school confirm his records were sent ta a school in England. Same with Maven and another. Since they were never one of our fleets, threats were made by me brother. If the man ever steps foot on Brovern or Davelvon, he'll meet the underside of the Abyss." His eyes flick up to her. "Me brother's frigate, he clarifies, since he knows she might know the ship by name. "Draken's not known for his subtlety, he prefers terror tactics actually, so if they are others, they'll conveniently forget their part in it and whatever they were asked to do."

"So are t'inkin' it's safe ta go home now?" Truly sits up straight, showing her excitement.

"Let me finish." He throws her a look as he takes a sip of his coffee. "The call last night was from Finn. I'd asked him to do his own looking into that night, warning him who was involved from my side in getting ye out. They found a few yer dad sent Brody ta talk to. Yer grandpa Orison reminded everyone yer like the bloody Pope, who has his own police and guards. They'd like ye to consider using them when we return home."

"We're goin' home!?" Truly's voice raises a few octaves.

"Aye, we can. And... I had yer dad and Bray talk to the Dean of Bellamy in confidence about what went on. We can take our end of term finals and it'll be as if nothing happened."

Truly's eyes fill with tears. "I get ta go back ta school?"

Kade nods.

"Oh, Kade." Truly leans in and gives him a heated kiss.

When they break apart, he leans over to put his drink down with a grin on his face. "As much as I'd love ta turn this into bedding ye, there's more to discuss, Treasure."

Truly sets down her tea and folds her legs up on the couch to face him.

Kade's look turns serious. "I'm giving up me room at the Psi house. Sanka let me know Ghedi showed up and ransacked it. There was nothing they could do ta stop him since he's got immunity as a High Captain." His lips turn down. "He took me chest there, no doubt searching for our rope."

"It's good ye emptied it, and put our knot in me family's vault." Truly reaches over and drapes her arm behind him.

"Aye, but it's also known I've moved the Kraken's Heart. Me father and Draken think it's in me own within the family vault. Mama Adébáyọ̀s knows everything in Drake's vault is missing. I like I feared she still had access ta it and used it ta try to secure the heart."

"Ta last t'ing we want is her gettin' a hold of t'at, and gainin' control of that bloody t'ing." Truly shivers next to him.

"It's just a ruby, but, aye. Ironically," he smirks. "She thinks my father's the one who has it, so she'll be his problem ta deal with. It's his own fault for threatening ta release the Kraken."

Truly sighs and grabs each side of Kade's face, forcing him to look at her. "Ghosts are real, I'm a siren, and I feed phoenixes every day. I have seen ye bloody Kraken with me own eyes."

Kade raises a defiant brow. "What did I tell ye about bringing up more things? I'm still at me limit. There's no Kraken. I'm not dealing with it. And it'd be dead if we chipped a real heart ta make our tears and me ring." He shows off his hand.

Truly sighs and drops her hands into her lap. "Sometimes I jist want ta ring ye neck, or knock ta sense out of ye."

He cuts her an unamused look. "Ye can start with me, Omma. I've tried ta talk some into her, but she won't leave me father now that he's let her return. I've warned her he'll just do it again, but she won't listen. So..." Kade runs a hand through his hair. "I told her I love her, but I won't go back to that house for any reason. Not after everything the man put me through. She's welcome ta come and visit or meet me elsewhere. But I won't see her there."

"Ye don't even want ta meet her somewhere in Ravenwood?" Truly leans against the back cushion and traces his jawline with her finger. "We don't even have ta go ta ye dah's house, jist a restaurant t'ere."

"I know. I told her so long as it wasn't right by the house or one of me family's haunts, I'd meet her anywhere on that island."

"But what does t'at mean for later t'en when we have wee ones? I suppose ye aren't goin' ta let her watch t'em if she's still t'ere?" Truly's gaze meets his with concern in her own. "It could break her heart."

A conflict of emotions briefly crosses Kade's face. "She can stay with us. I'm not heartless. But there's no way a child of mine is stepping foot in that damn house. I'd burn the thing first."

"Well, t'at sensible." Truly's lips curls up. "Could jist tell t'em noh, but burnin' ye childhood home down is much betta."

His expression turns stern. "My father's favorite form of discipline is corporal punishment. That man and Draken will never come near our kids."

"I know, Kade. I was jist jestin'." Truly bites her lip, and her gaze drops. "Speakin' of kids, and havin' ye mum watch t'em... have ye givin' changin' any t'ought?"

Reaching forward, Kade grabs his Turkish coffee off the table and takes a drink before he finally nods. "Aye, I have." Knowing better than to hold it when she might jump him, he puts it down.

Her gaze snaps up to him. She waits on pins and needles, waiting for the answer, but when he says nothing, Truly starts poking his chest. "And?"

"I really don't like the idea of you living far past me and mourning over me like she did Drake. It's not fair to you or any children we have. And I know there are no records ta prove my hypothesis, but logically, half-bloods should get more than just gills. There's a high chance they live a lot longer, too. It'd be a roll of the DNA dice on how they'd age, but I assume more towards their human parent." An irritated look crosses his face. "So I'd miss more and I already dislike that I'd be losing decades with you." He reaches a hand out and runs his fingers through her hair.

Truly raises a brow. "So ye want ta try t'en?"

"Aye," he gives a small nod. "I'll break common sense and swallow a pearl for ye, Treasure."

"Yer sure? If it works, t'ere won't be any changin' ye mind."

"I'm aware."

"When?"

Shifting his weight, Kade pulls her onto his lap. "I doubt anywhere in Bristham would be wise. Likely even Emerald Isle since boats pass all the time. So before we head back."

"Emerald isle has a secret underground entrance within ta vault, but I'd rather ye here and have ye take one while ye sit in ta chanin' pools."

Kade's lip lightly turns down. "I was thinking me own vault, it has a pool within."

"Noh." Truly firmly states as she shakes her head. "Jist noh. One, t'at's a deep pool ta be changin' in ye first time. Ye are goin' ta loose control of ye lower half, and ye don't need ta be thrashin' around drawin' attention of passin' sea life." She leans in closer and weaves her arms around his shoulders. "If yer worried about ta chanin' pools privacy, there are switches above ground, and in ta water ta ye flip ta lock ta portals. No one can come in on ye. T'at or... I take ye ta de hospital and we use a surgery pool."

Kade's eyes narrow. "I don't want others hearing me screaming, watching me thrash, or making a fool of meself when I try ta figure out things."

"Ta chanin' pools are sound proof, omen. We don't want ta attract predators in ta water." Her hands run down his chest. "It'll be jist ye and me."

He captures her hand, stilling it upon his chest. "I don't like the idea of you watchin' it, either. I know you, ye'll hurt with me or worse, try to get in ta comfort me if I begin ta switch."

"I'm not lettin' ye do t'is alone, it ain't safe." She flatly tells him. "So ye betta get over t'at notion. If ye don't want ta do it here so t'at ye can learn ta swim without pryin' eye, we could go ta Hangman's Cay and swim in t'at cove."

I could just go to that island. It's an idea. No one else, save me, Helmswoman could get on it. "I might do that, but I'll still be fine. Orison told me if it feels like I can't breathe I need ta put my head underwater and inhale."

"Oh me stars, noh." Truly lets out a heavy sigh, determined now more than ever to be there with him. I will strangle t'at man. "It won't feel like ye can't breathe for starters, and it ain't t'at simple. Ye can't jist breath in water and hope for ta best."

Kade's fingers lightly tense against her sides as his jaw ticks in irritation, but he reluctantly concedes. "Fine, but I couldn't get in the water and be near you cause it wasn't safe, neither can ye."

"Yeah, noh kiddin'." Truly scoffs. "I wasn't plannin' on it. I like life, t'ank ye. Males have venomous barbs at the base of t'eir tails. I'd ratha not be stabbed."

At her words, Kade leans back, and his brows furrow. "What? When were any of ye gonna tell me that part?!"

"I didn't t'ink about it, it's not too often t'at t'ey're used, ye know." Truly rolls her eyes. "I'll give ye a quick anatomy lesson." She rises and gets off his lap. "First here," she gestures between the middle of his thighs, "will be ye penis pouch. T'ere will be some muscles right along here." Truly runs her hands along the top of his thighs. "That ye don't want ta engage, unless ye want ta give ta ocean a good show."

Kade throws her a look. "Do I want to know why ye know that?"

"Siren sex-ed, give me a break." She throws him a glare. "Next," she gestures to his ankles. "It'll actually be further down, but I t'ink it's basically ta same muscle area, ta barbs sit in t'ese muscular tubes, with venom sacks jist above t'em. If ye need t'em, you push down... I t'ink. T'ey should come out and ye'll whip ye tail ta stab whatever ye at tryin' ta stab. It's usually sharks now."

"Now? Ye mean it was used on sailors before?"

"Noh." Truly glares up at him. "I mean in warfare. T'ere are other sirens, ye know. And a long time ago when we didn't have ta sense of a snow crab, males would use t'em ta fight for a mate."

Kade raises an unamused brow. "Yer anatomy lessons suck, yer grandah's too since neither of yeh thought to mention any of this before. What kind of poison potency are we talking about here?"

"Ta venom can kill others. It depends on where ye strike and the care given afterward. It affects the respiratory system makin' it hard ta breath so if t'ey already have a compromised system or are weak, t'ey might not survive."

Truly's brows lightly furrow. "Which is why ye won't use t'em unless ye absolutely have no other choice on another person, siren or human. If ta person or animal survives the venom, t'ere is a high risk of infection. T'e barbs are quite large and t'ick so jist t'em alone can do a lot of damage. If ye want to make sure ye kill yer attacker ye, ye want ta strike in ta chest or gills. T'at or aim for ta neck or an artery it'd be game over, but non vital areas are more likely ta survive." Truly crawls back up on his lap, "Ye really shouldn't need t'em, me love. T'ey only ones t'at do are our military and it's if sharks get ta idea t'at we look tasty."

Kade's lips thin at the idea of having a weapon he barely knows how to use. "I'm not one to sit idly by. If I have a weapon at my disposal, I like ta know how ta use it, and well. My cutlasses aren't for show. Every Brovern knows how to properly fight with them, even Hailee's learnin'. If I have those spikes, I'll learn ta use them right, even if I have ta ask someone ta teach me once I'm good enough at the basics like maneuvering."

"Whatever." Truly rolls her eyes. "Ye might want ta ask Brody t'en and make a sound like it's less like a weapon when ye do ask."

He raises a brow. "Why him?"

"Cause ye say it ta like t'at ta any other male t'ey're gonna suggest ye get t'em removed." Truly moves off his lap and sits next to him. "T'ey aren't viewed as weapons at all. T'ey for last resort defence, unless yer guarden the perimeter of ta city or well beyond ta protection line, ye should neva have to use them."

"I swim all over the bloody islands, including the Devil's Keys and Siren's Rock, ye all avoid. Most, I'm sure, would consider that beyond the line of protection," he counters. "I'd be a fool to remove me only weapon. I can't exactly wield me cutlasses under water, and the sea would ruin them."

"For one, ye can't risk gettin' caught, so ye can't jist whip ye tail out whenever ye want. T'ere are non-radar areas ye have ta swim in. Brody will show ye how, but he'll tell you not ta be a dumbass and stab anyone. Plus, I know he knows how ta use his well. When we were kids, I was out swimmin' where I shouldn't have been and a shark came up. I was pretty little t'en and vulnerable and ta bloody t'ing took notice. T'ankfully Brody was able ta take it down fast."

"I realize I can't swim just anywhere I bloody please, if this even works. And so yer aware, no one scans the Devil's Keys without my permission and when I give it ta the scientists, I go with them. Even the Navy will only use their surface sonar for fear of disturbing the Kraken and releasing it upon them, and they stay at the edges of the keys. You'd be safe swimming there unless I warned there was a team heading out. If yer insistent to come, I'll have ta get me boat and bring it here first or ask if they'll let me borrow one. I don't have me flag though, so we'd get stopped." A thoughtful look crosses his face. "Ye know, we really should do something about that. We can't easily go where the other can. We might want ta see about a mixed flag just for us and any kids we have later."

"Ye can borrow a boat from here. As far as flags go, it won't really matta, yer goin' ta get stopped and inspected at ta border. Ye have ta have the clearance from ta crown."

"Do I always need it no matter how I come in?" That seems bloody inconvenient.

"Noh, jist by boat. If we were ta swim in from home, which is how we normally come in, ye can just pass ta border." Truly slumps back against the cushion. And pulls her legs up to her chest. "Ye jist don't want someone stealin' a Davelvon boat and comin' t'rough like t'ey own ta place."

Kade raises a brow as the corner of his lip turns up in amusement. "Are ye calling me cocky when I drive into the keys, Treasure?"

"Well, I wasn't. I wasn't even talkin' about ye, but if yer askin'..." The corner of her mouth curls up. "Aye, ye are cocky, and not jist when yer sailin' in ta de keys. Ye are all ta time." Truly waves her arm out in a grand sweeping motion.

"Oh, aye?" Kade's hands snap out to her sides and begin tickling her.

"Kade, stop!" Truly screams and laughs as she falls back. Her legs kick in a sad attempt to get free, and weakly pushes against him since all her energy is going to her manic laughter.

Shifting his weight, Kade leans over her, his legs pressing against hers, but at least relents on her sides. "Yer not as happy as I thought ye'd be, Treasure. Why's that? Worried something will go wrong?"

Truly's smile falters. She shifts beneath him and frees at least one leg she wraps around him. "Aye. Even t'ough I read ta journals of what happened when Pasha and Amphitrite's children took t'em, that was a long time ago, and t'ey were half-breeds."

"Couldn't ye summon Pasha or Orsion ta talk to them if yer concerned the journals are wrong? Ask them yerself."

"Pasha t'inks I'm her mom, and gets really confused and emotional. I've talked ta Orison about it, and ta accounts are correct, but again, t'ere kids were half-breeds, luv." Her hand runs up and down his side. "It took one pearl ta change t'em. I'm jist worried that t'is won't work, and t'at we're gettin' our hopes up. I suppose if one doesn't work we can try two or t'ree, but when do we stop? If nothin' happens after t'ree I t'ink it might be best jist ta..." Truly sighs, already losing hope just at the thought of it not working.

"Ta stop. Aye. I'm aware I might not have the DNA strand that makes ye what you are anymore. Seventeen generations is a lot of new blood added and it's recessive, well..." He gives a small shrug.

Truly's eyes mist up. "I didn't want me own feelin's persuadin' ye, but I don't want ta live a hundred and somethin' years without ye, and I jist don't want ta get me hopes up is all. Ye have no idea how bad I want t'is ta work."

Kade shifts his weight onto his forearm and caresses the side of her face. "I know. I don't like the idea of losing those years either when I might be able to have the chance ta have them with ye." Leaning his head down, he captures her lips with his until they're forced to break away. "It'd be a several hour trip by speed boat and we'd need supplies, but if ye wanted to try, we could head over to Hangman's Cay today. Ye'd likely just need ta tell yer granddah."

"Aye. I need ta set a priest or priestess up ta feed ta birds and take over the prayers. T'en pack ta few t'ings I got here. I should be ready in about an hour." Truly's gaze shifts to the side where she knows Navi is lying on the floor. "Can we take ta animals? I hate t'at we have ta keep leavin' t'em behind."

"We can. We can swim in that lagoon at the entrance and stay in one of those houses or head inland with them and stay in me actual house I kept all the students away from."

Truly's face scrunches in confusion. "What?"

A look of realization crosses his face. "That's right, I haven't told ye, have I? I have an off ta grid house on Deadman's island. Had the architect who did the tree house make it too and vow not ta tell anyone. I'm not used ta bringing it up. It's where I was coming from the night I found ye swimming at the beach. I was ensuring that area wasn't hit, and the house was good with Sanka and Gideon. I would've told ye about it back then, but we needed ta stay with the others and you'd just found Coco so I didn't see the point."

Truly's gaze narrows on him. "Ye jist were enjoyin watchin' me suffa. Didn't see ta point me arse."

"Ye weren't suffering." Kade rolls his eyes. "And I didn't want the others finding out about it. We can stay there now, if ye like. It's on a small pond by a waterfall, but it's a mile to the shore. The one ye were on to be exact."

Truly shrugs. "A house is a house ta me, but keep in mind ye might be sore."

"There's a small beach hut if I need it by that beach we were at. If we had to, we could stay there. My only concerns Coco getting free while we're in the water. Do ye have something secure for her here?"

"I've got a small cage for her t'at Nan uses when she watches her. I'll get it before we leave, but if she gets lose, I can call ta her... might bring in a few monkeys in ta area, but," Truly shrugs.

Kade's lip lightly curls. "So long as you don't try to keep those too." He reluctantly rises off her. "I suppose I'll go talk Orison about getting us a boat for a few days and grab her cage while I'm there. I assume I'll need ta ask for permission to return, too. Do ye need anything else from their house?"

"Noh. I'll jist get t'ings at ta temple settled, and get ta dogs t'ings together, and pack. Are ye gonna borrow more of me granddah's clothes?" Truly bites back a smile.

"No," he throws her a semi annoyed look, knowing she enjoys the fact he was only comfortable asking one of her family members for something to wear. "I have things stored there so I can just give him back what's his when I go."

Truly checks her watch. "I've got ta get ta de temple ta feed day birds and say the morning prayers. I'll get someone set up while I'm t'ere t'en come back here and get everythin' t'e animals and I need. Do ye want me ta meet ye down at ta docks?"

"Sure, I can take them with me though, so ye don't have to, and take some of it with me. That way, ye don't have to haul it all. I'll grab the supplies we'll need too or ask where I can get it, if we don't have it."

"T'ere a small grocery store near me Nan's. It's small t'ough, most t'at live undawater hunt for t'emselves."

"We just need food. I can commandeer fuel from the Navy." He smirks. "They're used ta me doing it and just charge me for it now. Can I use euros though at that store or me card? Or do they use a different currency?"

"Different, but ye can jist tell t'em who ye are, and it'll be takin' care of." Truly get up off the couch and walks over to the door to slip on her sneakers.

"Alright." He rises and nods towards their room. "I'll grab yer pearls from the bedroom, but do we need anything else for this ta work? If yer worried about something going wrong, we can get a medic bag from whichever ship comes to verify my identity."

Truly stops and thinks it over for a second. "Maybe grab a gill syringe from ta store, jist in case ye can't figure it out right away."

A look of unease of using something like that briefly crosses his face. "And where do I find that?"

Truly's nose wrinkles up, knowing he might not like the answer. "In ta infant aisle."

Kade's nose scrunches in unamusement. "When this blows up ta yer pregnant later, I'm gonna remind ye you sent me into that aisle to get it. I've noticed how things fly around this island. It's like a bloody sorority house when it comes to gossip."

"Well, what do ye want ta do, ask Nan ta grab one for ye or see if she has any from when she had littles?" Truly raises a brow. "Noh, ye don't cause t'en she'll be buggin' us relentlessly for pictures of ta babe t'at ain't t'ere."

He raises a brow. "The woman knows by now with my questions that I'm considering turning, but I'll get one from the store just for you." Moving to her, he gives her a chaste kiss. "Now go do what ye need to and I'll meet you at the docks in an hour or so." 

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