𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘺𝘢𝘮 𝘚𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘯

        

𝙏𝙃𝙄𝙍𝙏𝙀𝙀𝙉, 𝖻𝗈𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀

—— ఌ︎ ——

        TSIREYA HAD DISCOVERED very quickly in the weeks that followed Zahala and Neteyam’s first secret moment that the two were together. She brought it up to her cousin, and Zahala didn’t deny it, because she didn’t want to.

        Zahala made sure Tsireya would keep the secret, and she was the only person to know outside of the Sully family and Ov’il. Ao’nung, Rotxo and Zahala’s parents, as well as her aunt and uncle had no idea, and Zahala was happy that the secret was lasting.

        Neteyam delivered the message through Tsireya that Lo’ak was sneaking away, and Zahala made a move to leave her mauri with her cousin. Mayan stopped her. “Who are you going with, daughter?” she asked, holding Na’ana.

        “Tsireya, Ao’nung and Rotxo. We’re going to see the tulkun.” the girl answered, and Tsireya smiled to herself. She was proud that Zahala was getting better at lying to her wretched mother.

        Mayan nodded, and allowed the two girls to leave their mauri. They met up with Neteyam, Ao’nung and Rotxo, Neteyam winking at Zahala behind everyone’s backs. They rode their ilus out to Three Brothers Rocks, sliding off of them and hiding in the seaweed.

        Lo’ak was with Payakan, floating before the large tulkun. Payakan opened his mouth, and Lo’ak swam inside. Neteyam looked to Zahala and Tsireya, both of whom were on his right. Payakan closed his mouth around Lo’ak, and Zahala and Ao’nung grabbed Neteyam as he tried to swim to his brother.

        ‘No. Just wait.’ Zahala signed to Neteyam, giving him a knowing look before she looked out at the tulkun again. And as Lo’ak emerged from Payakan a few moments later, she knew that they were bonded. Lo’ak had bonded with the outcast, and Zahala and Tsireya both knew how dangerous this was.

—— ఌ︎ ——

        Ronal and Tonowari led the five teenagers into Mayan and Tanilu’s mauri, and Zahala’s heart sunk as her mother laid eyes on her. Her father looked disappointed in her, and he refused to look her in the eye.

        Mayan and Ronal stood beside each other, Tanilu and Tonowari beside them. Mayan was fuming, anger bubbling within her everytime she looked at her daughter with the Sully children. Zahala stood on Tsireya’s right, feeling Neteyam’s eyes on her.

        “You allowed this,” Ronal spoke to her daughter and niece. “You both allowed him to bond with the outcast!”

        Tsireya and Zahala breathed heavily as their fathers approached them. “Tsireya,” Tonowari spoke, and Tsireya jerked her head up, tears rimming her eyes. “You disappoint me, daughter.” sneered the Chief, and Zahala heard her father step closer to her.

        “Zahala, look at me when I speak to you,” Tanilu demanded, and Zahala looked up at him, terrified for his and Mayan’s reactions. “You have broken our rules for the very last time. You lied directly to your Mother’s face. What do you have to say for yourself?”

        Zahala glanced over to Neteyam as his parents and her brother and sister arrived, and then she looked back at her father, saying nothing. She didn’t know what to say. “Nothing? You say nothing?” Mayan sneered, walking past her husband. She raised her hand to her daughter’s cheek, striking her hard, her head jerking to the side.