Marella was glad to step outside Elana's house. She loved every moment from the evening, talking with the other members of the P'ula'ula family. But the fresh sea air that somehow blew inside the air bubble was very welcoming. Before they went Elana had gifted her some more clothing, Anika and Huali also promised to bring her some more clothing in the morning. She smiled from ear to ear, something she had never done before. She belonged down here, at least she felt at peace here even with that big threat hanging above her head. Marella took the words of Elana to heart, her great-grandmother had taken matters into her own hands before, and she had no doubt she would do it again. 

"What is on your mind?" Acale asked, he was holding her hand while they walked.

"My great-grandmother." She sighed. He sighed with her, knowing that the woman will always be on her mind. Somewhere tucked away in a corner, but still there. "You told me why women lead the sirens, but from what I gather she is not thinking with a mother's heart."

"She is not, that is for sure. But do not worry about her, at least not tonight." He replied. 

"Worry about whom, Acale P'ula'ula." A voice behind them said. Marella didn't have to guess whom it was. That voice will hunt her for the rest of her days. "I hope you were not talking about me." Lady R'ula'ula said.

"And what if we were?" He asked. "As far as I know it is not forbidden to talk about somebody that is not ourselves." Marella didn't trust the lady, she didn't trust her ability to sneak up on them. They were not talking loudly and should have heard her footsteps.

"You were always too smart for your own good. So and this brat her is the one causing so much trouble." She said, not even looking at Marella.

"I apparently am, madam." Marella said, she could speak for herself. And although she didn't trust the woman, she was not going to show any weakness. But again the woman didn't look at her, not even a glance from the corner of her eyes. Which rubbed Marella the wrong way, she pretended that she was not even there.

"So are you going to answer me boy, or what." Lady R'ula'ula snapped at Acale. But he shook his head.

"I am sorry, but you need two to play that game. And I am not going to. So I am going to take my girlfriend home. It has been a long day." He said. He dragged her in a not forceful way away from Lady R'ula'ula. But she grabbed Marella by the arm.

"You better watch your back, he or the other will not always be there to protect you." Lady R'ula'ula said in a very low voice, and she let go.

"What did she say to you?" Acale asked.

"That I need to watch my back, and I was already planning on doing that." She said and looked at him. "She is right, you and the others will not always be there to protect me." He nodded and sighed.

"Mom was right even when we have the council on our side, you are still in danger." He said.

*******

They were back inside their house. It is so funny she only lived here a day and already saw it as her house. There was nothing of her in here, it was all him. But she didn't mind, she had nothing to add to the house. Maybe she will have that over time. She lay on her back, in his bed. He had taken the couch, he didn't want to force her into something she was not comfortable with. And she didn't have the heart to remind him that they already slept together. Which was clear as day, otherwise she wouldn't be pregnant with his child. She smiled, and closed her eyes. Sleep took her without hesitation. Her dreams didn't take her to the usual sight, it didn't take her to Acale. No instead she was inside a damp room. Clearly she was underwater, no air bubble to be seen. She floated inside the room that smelled like decay and salt. Not a really good mix, her stomach started to turn. It was above all dark, at first she was not able to see her own hand before her face. But her eyes quickly adjusted, she was inside a cell of some sorts. An underwater cell. A shark passed by the bars, she only didn't know what kind of shark it was. But she dived back, getting as far away from it as possible. But the shark didn't seem to notice her at all, it just kept on swimming. Marella frowned this was a strange place, and she would ask Acale about it when she woke up. Because one thing she knew for sure was that she was still sound asleep in her bed. Then something next to her made a sound, she jumped up and slammed against the stone ceiling. Which left her a little dizzy at the moment, something that didn't last long. She focused on the direction of the sound and where it came from. Her jaw fall to the ground, it was her father. He was standing right there, gapping at her.

"Marella, how in the sea's name?" He said, and reached out to her. And she did the same thing, only their hands didn't touch each other. Hers went through his.

"Daddy." She said, desperately wanted huge him. He smiled and looked at her. 

"How is this even possible, I know I am right awake." He said and then frowned. "You are not dead, please tell me that you are sleeping." 

"I am." She said. "Sleeping." She quickly added. "What is happening, were are we? Why are you here?"

"This is a very rare gift, it is named dream walking. You are able to travel, through your dreams. Without leaving the comfort of your bed, only those who are the subject of that dream can see you." He explained and she nodded slowly. "It is also a possibility that you can enter somebody else's dreams." She looked shocked what if she had done that in the last couple of months. Was that why she kept dreaming about Acale? "To answer your second question, just to keep it simple. We are in a relic of the past, a prison that is not being used since the Era of War. They were build for some unknown reason, they were never used as far as I know until now." He looked around and then huffed. "This is the way my grandmother choice to punish me. Locking me up, while I am guarded by sharks and a giant squid." Her jaw smashed against the ground once again. She had locked him up, inside a prison. She really needed to tell her grandfather and Anika this, if she could remember it when she wakes up. "You really need to keep the dream walking to yourself. Only share it with Acale and Lady P'ula'ula."

"Can I tell Anika..." She started to ask, but he started to shake his head.

"Do not tell them, I love them both. But like me, they are hotheads. Unable to keep their mouths shut, in the heat of a discussion." He said with a grin. " I hope you got a much cooler heat, from your mom." She had, at least she thought so.

"Dad, do you know if your grandmother is planning to kill me after I have given birth?" She asked, she already knew the answer. But still, she wanted to hear it out of his mouth.

"Yes, she is. She allows me however to see you one more time before she those it." He replied. "What probably means that she is going to do it here." He then looked around, again. "Please stay close to Acale." He said. 

"You know that it will not stop her." She remembered him and he nodded. She closed her eyes. "I miss you daddy." But she didn't hear anything back, so she opened her eyes. She was no longer inside the prison cell, she was inside the bedroom. Laying in bed, tears streaming over her face. She sat up and started to whip them away. Her father was currently sitting in a rotten cell, guarded by sharks and a giant squid. She remembered everything so clearly. She removed the sheets and jumped out of bed. Marella needed to tell Acale about this and quick. She ran out of the bedroom, he was standing in the kitchen talking to his mother.

"Marella did we wake you up?" He asked and she shook her head. "Do you want some warm sea cow milk?" This time she nodded.

"Good that you are here Elana, there is something that I needed to tell you." She walked to them and sat down. And told her story in one breath, about what her father told he about her gift. About the prison and about her great-grandmothers plan to kill her there. Also, about his warning to keep this a secret. Elana nodded and sighed.

"Your father is right, about keeping that gift of yours a secret. But I am glad to know that he trust me enough to let you share it with me. There were indeed a few prisons build during what he called the Era of War." Elana said. "Although there were not many, and as far as I know they were never used. However, all of them were guarded by giant squids and many sharks. Even if you were able to tell me which kind of shark it was I wouldn't know." She looked at Marella. "And we really should teach you about the many species of underwater life." Marella agreed with her if had time to learn it all. Acale frowned slightly.

"Did you have dreams about me, before you came here?" He asked and she nodded.

"Every time I woke up, I still could taste the salt on my lips." She said, and blushed. But looked at his mother and then sighed. "We never did anything else than kissing inside those dreams." 

"I know that, but I thought it was because I couldn't get you out of my head." He said. 

"Well that is true." His mother stated. "She would not have been able to enter your dreams if you were not thinking about her." Marella felt a little better knowing that this was the case. Entering somebodies dream was in her mind invading somebodies privacy. Acale looked if he was thinking about it and then sighed.

"Well, in that case." He looked at Marella. "But I am glad that we at least have a hint about the location of your father. It may not be much, but it is something. We now also know that Lady R'ula'ula is planning to kill you in the same prison. So if we find your father..." But his mother raised her hand.

"I know I said be on your guard. But please do not let it take over your lives." Elana said. "But I agree. Now all you two need to do is go back to sleep. The girls are planning something like girls out and you need the rest." Acale laughed.

"You mean they come together talking about their other halfs, under the fog of them getting their hair and nails done." He said, and Marella pirked up. She never had done that before, of course she was always half invited. So she never went, but it always sounded like fun. Acale looked at her and smiled. "I do not know if they are planning that, but I see that you are like the idea." She nodded. His mother hummed.

"It indeed sound like lot off fun, maybe I will come to. If Huali allows me of course. If that is the case, I will see you tomorrow." She said and walked out of the door. Acale nodded and sighed.

"She is right, you need to rest for two." He said and walked over to the couch. She looked at him and lowered her head slightly. 

"I know you are want to take things slow. But I will feel more at ease if we slept in the same bed." She said, and he looked at her with big eyes. "I mean just sleeping, not having sex." She felt the heat rise in her face. What would he think of her, first she had claimed that he had raped her. Now of course she knew that was not the case. Just a few minutes ago she had told him that they have kissed and shared dreams for months. Now she wanted to sleep with him in one bed.

"If that is what you wish." He simply said, he took her by the hand and guided her to the bedroom. They lay there under the sheets, he fall a sleep in the matter of seconds. Turning towards her wrapping on of his arms over her. His hand resting on her abnomen, she smiled when sleep took hre for the second time that night.