Sadira flipped her phone over in her hand, checking the time for the umteenth time. He was fucking late! He better not have been somewhere else
telling Malo without her...No, Lu would do some shit like that, but not Malo. Malo respected her and she’d texted him when she texted Analu. What?
He thought she was going to trust him to call when he was ready to tell? No. She’d seen him submitting to the princess’s request and as soon as
she was able to come out of it, she texted. You me and Malo. Now. She was not letting Analu cut her out of this shit; because he would. He
would fuck her over and not think twice about it, especially with how the two of them had been lately.
Thanks to Malo, Sadira was spending more time with Analu than she could stomach. He was supposed to be teaching her...something, but mostly they
bickered. About any and everything. Even if she hadn’t hated Analu before, she most certainly did now. Him and his annoying complaints about being
chosen and the ridiculous mess he’d gotten himself into and how hard it was being Analu Ikaika. He could fucking bite her! There was nothing
difficult about his blessed little life except the messes he made himself. If he could’ve kept his dick dry and Maleah could have kept her legs
closed, they could have lived happily fucking ever after. Now he was stressing her out with his bullshit.
Sadira closed her eyes again and desperately tried to pull visions of the princess in real time up so she could know what she was doing. She was going
to tell them. Sadira knew she couldn’t keep her fucking mouth closed. She was going to tell her parents and if she told them before Sadira told the
Elders she would be out. Fuck! She could see the diner and her father was there, but Maleah was late. Sadira concentrated on what she was seeing, her
head beginning to throb the way it always did when she was pushing for visions she wasn’t given. She watched...she waited…She was there.
Sadira watched as Maleah trotted into the kitchen, kissing her dad’s cheek. She might have seen more, but her concentration was broken by a hand on
her shoulder.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
Of course Analu was running late. Telling his Uncle that he'd defied the rules of their tribe and gotten his promised pregnant wasn't really on the
list of things he was excited about doing that day. He hadn't been thinking of doing it at all, still waiting on the right moment to talk to Malo and
the Kapuna Elima, but he'd let Maleah convince him that it was time. Which he couldn't say she wasn't sort of...right. The pregnancy was getting more
and more noticeable everyday, her belly starting to show signs of the life living growing inside of her. Her questions were more than the stupid baby
book she kept attached to her side could answer...and she was...they were scared. He never really knew how long he'd intended to wait, but she was
tired of hiding. And he was tired of fighting, so that was the answer. It was time to let the people that needed to know in on their secret...starting
with Malo. At first, Analu had only thought to meet his uncle alone, free of Leah...and Sadira. And it would've been that way had Sadira not "seen"
what he was planning, texting he and his uncle at the same time that they'd needed to meet. He hadn't wanted to include her in this, but as the Seer,
she was already a part of it as there was no way that anyone would believe Sadira hadn't seen this coming.
Analu closed the door of his pickup truck, his feet picking up a slow jog as he made his way through the brush of unkempt sugar cane plants, one of
the few leftovers from the British influence of their home. He kept his pace as he found Sadira in the middle of the first row, right where she'd told
he and his uncle she would be. A breeze that carried the sweet scent of the sugar cane on the air ruffled her red hair, but she stood perfectly still.
"Hey..." He called, his feet slowed to a walk as he came up behind her. He was close enough for her to hear his voice, but she didn't respond, her
body as still as it had been when he spotted her. He cleared his throat as his hand touched her shoulder. She jumped at his touch, turning around, her
eyes blinking as if she was trying to refocus on her surroundings, on him.
"Sorry." He muttered as he stepped out of her space, his hand finding his pockets. There was an uncomfortable silence in the air around them.
"So...I'm here. And I think Malo isn't too far away. I-" He paused for a moment, gathering the strength to speak.
"I'm going to tell him today." He finally concluded, knowing that Sadira understood his words. "But I'm sure you know that already...or else I
wouldn't have gotten that text message. Right?"
Sadira jumped a little, turning to face whoever had touched her as she tried to refocus herself on the present. It was him. Ugh. Sadira was
sure her face had fallen into her signature “fuck off” expression as he apologized, taking a step back from her. He should have been sorry. Look
at where his weakness for the princess had gotten them! She was so fucking nervous! Malo would know she was lying and he would probably be really
upset with her. She had promised him she wouldn’t do this. That she wouldn’t lie and she’d be loyal and...Fuck! Look what Analu had made her do!
Sadira could feel her expression darken as he blathered on, pausing awkwardly every so often and not making complete sentences. Did he really think
now was the time to annoy the shit out of her?! They needed to get their story together.
“I need you to straighten the fuck up, Lu. If you talk to him like you’ve got peanut butter in the roof of your mouth the way you are now you know
he’s going to know you’re lying and that can’t happen.” Her voice came at a harsh whisper even though they were alone. It really couldn’t
happen. She was a bundle of nerves herself and right now was the perfect time for Lu to actually step up and be the “fearless leader” everybody
pretended he was...She needed one of them to be strong in this situation and it was going to have to be Analu because Sadira couldn’t handle it. She
heaved an aggravated sigh as she turned away from him, her feet pacing. This was too much too fast. Out of all the people who knew about her
pregnancy, Leah was the only one ready to tell anyone about it. Lu wasn’t and Sadira sure as hell wasn’t.
It shouldn’t have mattered to her. If she were normal, she would be in the dark about Lu’s bullshit like everyone else. She could gasp in shock
and awe with everyone else when he told the tribe of his indiscretions and there would be no way anyone could find fault with her about this...but she
wasn’t normal was she? She was the seer. And she had seen. Now she was here, waiting to tell the only man on this side of the island at
least pretended to care about her that she had been lying to him for almost two months. She stopped, her eyes finding Analu’s again and showing what
she was actually feeling for a change. Fear.
“Do not screw me Analu Ikaika. Don’t.”
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
The reaction he got from Sadira wasn't a surprise at all, her face setting into "disgust" the way it all ways did when she saw him and Analu couldn't
ignore the look on her face as his expression always mirrored hers. Especially now that their time together had increased, by orders of Malo. Analu
still didn't understand the purpose of having her attached to his damn hip. As if it wasn't enough that she'd almost been lodged in his ASS before!
Watching her, protecting her, and now mentoring her? It was more than he could take. It was more than ANY man could take, honestly. The looks he got
from the rest of the Pueo couldn't have been any more sympathetic if they tried. But this was his duty; he would be chosen to make sacrifices that
others would never dream of making as he moved towards becoming the leader that Malo was. This was what he was born for. This was his birth rite and
no matter how uncomfortable any of it was, it was still his. And regardless what Sadira believed, he didn't shy away from what he was born to do.
"DON'T...tell me how to do talk to our leader, Sadira." He bit back, his voice as harsh as hers. Did she really think that he wouldn't know how to
talk to his own uncle? Why did she think that he went to Malo before he addressed the entire Kapuna Elima? Not just because Malo was their Alpha and
the leader of the Elders, but because he was family. Analu had grown up with the man, he had taken wisdom from him. He had even trained under him.
There was nothing that he had not experienced that Malo had not known about. Even...even when he'd shared Maleah's bed for the first time. Yeah, Malo
knew. But he never angered at Analu. He only gave advice and disciplined. This time was different though. Analu knew that. There was more at stake. A
new life. The future of their people. The future of Analu as a leader to his people. It unnerved him to even think about it. But he didn't doubt
Malo's guidance. He trusted him beyond reason.
"Screw you?!" He barked, lowering his voice as he shot glances in the direction which he'd come to find Sadira. "The hell are you talking about? This
isn't ABOUT you!" It was amazing how the little ingrate could make everything about HER. Don't screw ME. I need...I want...ME. This wasn't
about her! The only thing that put her into the situation that Analu shared with Maleah was the fact that she and her cosmic power couldn't keep their
NOSES out of other people's business! She "saw", which meant that everything was visible to her. The extent of that, Analu didn't know. But he knew
she saw the present, which is probably how she knew of Analu's plans to speak to Malo. But even if she "saw" something, that didn't make her involved.
Analu didn't...want her to be involved. The truth was that it wasn't her fault. She couldn't control it. So, why should she have had to pay for other
people's actions and mistakes?
"Cosmically sticking your fucking nose into everything doesn't mean that-" Analu's angry words that were coming out in angry hisses between his teeth
stopped immediately as he looked over Sadira's shoulder, his eyes fixed on the new arrival. The gait was unmistakable, his stocky form walking as tall
as the stature would allow.
"Sadira." He whispered, his eyes still on the man as he advanced towards them. "Sad-SADIRA." Analu's voice rose over Sadira's words as she quieted at
the urgency in his voice.
Yes! Screw her! Was she stuttering? Was she fucking speaking English? Did she need to say it in his native tongue? Don’t fucking screw her
over. Sadira didn’t have to be clairvoyant to know that Analu didn’t want her involved with this. He probably wanted to meet with Malo, tell
him about the kid, and let the cards fall where they may for Sadira. And they wouldn’t fall in her favor. He knew the stakes for lying to the
Elders. He knew what he’d asked her to do and he knew the weight of it, regardless of the specifics she was actually thinking about. At
best, she could be killed. At worst?
Sadira and her mother were being supported by the tribe. It was the reason her mother wasn’t tricking to feed them anymore (although her fucking for
a fix still wasn’t out of the question). Sadira was here because she’d agreed to do her part in exchange for keeping the two of them alive. What
would become of them if the Elders found out she was no longer doing her part? That Analu could so easily sway her to lies of omission? Would they
stop doing theirs? What would become of she and her mother then? She hated to admit it, but she was dependent on the Elders and their mercy. A mercy
she was sure Malo had moved mountains to get them to bestow. And Lu thought he could just cut her out? She was the fucking seer! Everyone would know
she knew! And if she didn’t know something this big, what good was she really?
They began speaking at the same time after his outburst. This wasn’t about her? “You’re an IDIOT if you think this has nothing to do with me!”
How did he not get this? He thought this was about he and Leah and their little bastard? Sure. Maybe it was a little, but he needed to open his
fucking eyes and look around. “I’m the fucking seer, Analu! You know what my job is? TO FUCKING SEE! If I don’t what does that make me?
USELESS.” He was calling her name but she wasn’t finished. “If I’m useless to these fucking people, YOUR fucking people I--WHAT?!” Why the
fuck was he so desperate to not listen to reason. What could possibly be more important that pointing out the obvious trouble his FUCK UPS got other
people into. Malo? That was the one thing.
Sadira turned, running a hand through her hair as Malo closed the short distance between he and the argument she and Lu had been having. Shit
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
As the engine of his truck quieted, the silence of the sugarcane fields fell around Malo. That kind of quiet was unusual on the Shore. But for the
Olde Sugar Mill, it was completely normal. The area of land had been abandoned so long ago that outside of the occasional wandering tourist or the
rebellious group of Moku teens, no one frequented it. It wasn’t Moku land anymore. The Haole Admiral and his followers had sullied it long ago with
their greed and their cruelty. It no longer served a purpose...unless your purpose was being as far away from seeing eyes and hearing ears as
possible. Seeing Sadira’s text message asking him to meet her there that morning hadn’t necessarily been a surprise...outside of the fact that
she’d asked him to meet her there with Analu. Outside of what he’d asked them to do for the tribe, they were never seen together. It wasn’t a
mystery as to why. They didn’t get along… No one, got along with Sadira. She was brash, insubordinate and defiant. Malo, on the other
hand, could not stop seeing the potential in her. But then again, he rarely saw things the way others did...and one day, he hoped that Analu would
follow his lead and look beyond the surface of things as well.
Today was not that day, Malo could feel it in the bluntness of the text message. He didn’t know exactly what to expect, but he was sure it wasn’t
good. Another fussing match about...what would it be this time? Disrespectfulness? How unfair their elder mandated situation was? How they couldn’t
stand each other and would never be friendly? How close they were to killing the other? That argument was the least funny and less tolerated by Malo
as their pairing had an importance that went way beyond “friendship” and their happiness. Analu and Sadira, whether they knew it or not, needed
each other. They both possessed strengths that Malo knew, one day, would be important for the other. Whether they would ever see it? He didn’t know.
But he had faith in the gods. Sooner or later, all unseen things would become seen. Although as he walked, seeing them in the distance, he was
thinking later was the more obvious answer.
Even though he was still a ways away from them, he could see the anger on Analu’s face. He couldn’t hear their words, but their raised voices were
moving to him on the sweet smelling wind coming from the fields. Always bickering. Always disagreeing. Malo grimaced as he thought about the future of
the Kapuna Elima if their disrespect of each other remained constant. It looked grim and unhopeful, just like a man lost in his destiny and a seer
hated by her own people. But Malo wasn’t a believer in the lack of hope.
Sadira! Analu’s voice rose, his eyes meeting Malo’s as he drew closer. Violently, Sadira fussed back at him, turning around...and finally
seeing why Analu wanted to stop their argument. Malo looked at them both, studying them with a careful eye.
“Analu.” He spoke his nephew’s name, the tone of his voice saying so much more as he watched the shame settle in Analu’s face.
“Sadira...” His voice took on a softness that he always used with her, his lips lifting slightly as he continued speaking.
“...you asked me here for a reason.” His eyes went from Sadira to Analu, waiting for the reason for the secretive meeting to be revealed.
Shit. Had he heard them? Was the cat already out of the bag that Sadira hadn’t been completely honest with him in the past weeks? By the gods she
hoped not. Sadira’s eyes found the ground as Malo stopped before them, first addressing Analu, then he said her name. Sadira…She
couldn’t help the small smile that came to her lips as she looked back up at him. He was kinda smiling at her like he always did when he greeted
her. That kind of half smile that was meant to be just between them. Jeez...he was so...no. Nope, she had to stop doing this. She knew this crush
wasn’t healthy and she knew it wasn’t going anywhere. Malo definitely thought of her as a kid (even though she wasn’t) and it was
just...business. He respected her as a future Elder and treated her like a person instead of the shit on the bottom of his shoe. She wondered if that
would continue after what she and Lu were about to tell him.
“Um...Yeah, I...I mean we have…” she couldn’t. She sounded like the idiot she’d been talking to while they waited for Malo to arrive.She
shouldn’t have been doing this! She should have told him WEEKS ago, Analu and his bullshit be damned! But no. She’d chosen this. She chosen to
keep secrets and help a guy who wouldn’t know gratitude if it kicked him in the balls. She had been telling Lu how stupid he was, but she never
should have had to. She should have done what she was here to do in the first place. See and tell. Now that she hadn’t?
“It’s really not my place to say-,” and it wasn’t. Not anymore. This one was on Analu. And knowing him, he probably wanted to tell Malo
himself anyway. It was the reason he’d had her keep this secret in the first place...who knew? Maybe Malo would be so stuck on his nephew having a
baby, that he wouldn’t bother to ask specifics of Sadira. When she saw, what she saw, why she didn’t say anything. Maybe Lu was right for once.
Maybe this wouldn’t involve her at all…
She could hope.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
Fuck. Arguing with Sadira in front of his uncle was a wonderful way to start the conversation. Their argument was a bad omen, hinting to
everything that could've gone wrong when Analu finally broke the news to Malo. And Analu didn't want to think about what could go wrong, there was
enough fear in him already. His fear sickened him...and it scared him. This wasn't the strength he knew he should've shown. Hands shaking. Heart
pounding in his chest. He should've been braver than this in front of Malo. He should've...he should've listened. The thought hit him as his
uncle called his name, disappointment in his voice at what he'd seen between Analu and Sadira. And Analu couldn't keep the shame off of his face from
his behavior...and from the disappointment that he knew he would continue to cause Malo as soon as he began talking.
But Malo turned to Sadira, his voice the same gentle and...fatherly that it was whenever he spoke to her. Malo had to be the only person on the entire
Shore that spoke to Sadira that way. Like he respected her. Like he...actually didn't hate the very ground she walked on. The compassion he held back
on showing Analu always reached her. His eyes always approving when he looked at her, his words always kind...even when she was wrong. And as she
spoke, his face never changed, her words stuttering the same way they had when Analu had spoken to her. She was nervous. She was nervous and as
terrified as he was and the burden that she'd been carrying for months wasn't even her own. It was Analu's. And Maleah's. Sadira hadn't been there
when Analu gave into his desire for Maleah against his uncle's wishes. And she hadn't been there when they made the son that was sleeping inside of
Maleah's belly right now. It wasn't her fault. None of this was her's to bear. But her gift... in some twisted way, it threatened to make her just as
guilty. Because Analu had asked her to keep a secret. A lie of omission. And she'd kept her promise...
"No...it's me." He spoke up after Sadira's voice faded. Malo's eyes shifted to Analu, confusion furrowing his brows. With a deep breath, Analu
steadied himself, looked directly in Malo's eyes, the way he taught him a good leader faces his challenges.
"Sadira asked you to come here, but...it's me. I have something to tell you." Another deep breath.
"Maleah's pregnant." He spat the truth out as quickly as he could, his throat going dry as soon as he let the words that he'd been holding on for two
months go. His eyes wouldn't leave Malo's, his chin raising as Malo's features shifted.
"I've known for awhile and I...kept it from you and the elders because I didn't know what to do or say. I wanted...I wanted to make sure that when I
told you, Maleah and the baby would be safe. But..." He looked at Sadira.
"...Sadira saw the truth. And she knew we needed to tell you and the other elders. She...she was wise counsel." He said, forcing himself to maintain
eye contact. Finally he looked down, out of respect.
Maleah’s pregnant. Sadira heard herself exhale. She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath as Lu finally told his uncle the
truth. Maleah was pregnant with her first child. With Analu’s first child. Their first child. Her eyes watched Malo and waited for his
reaction, but Lu spoke first, explaining himself a bit. How he’d known and he’d kept quiet to try to keep the baby and the princess out of
trouble...Sadira felt herself frown a bit and for the first time ever in their history together, it wasn’t because she was disgusted with Analu. She
felt bad for him. The was probably the hardest thing he’d ever done and he was just as scared about it as she was, if not more. What was she saying?
Definitely more. He was having a kid. A child that he would have to keep alive and safe and happy. Another life was going to depend on him and yes, it
could be argued that that was his fate from the beginning as an Alpha, but...a baby was different. A baby was his. And what if it was a boy?
Her thoughts faded when Analu said her name, bringing her back into the conversation. Sadira saw the truth. She had. She’d seen the whole
truth at 5 weeks. Maleah was going into her third month now and Sadira had said nothing about it to anyone. She knew she was wrong for that, but in
listening to Analu tell Malo a perverted version of the truth, she felt...right. Lu needed time to get his shit together. He needed time to figure out
what to say and how to say it. He needed time to...be afraid. He would never admit it but his calling was a lot. She knew that to be true
because hers was too. And Analu put all his energy into putting on this brave face whenever he was in front of the tribe, but Sadira knew the truth
about him. Mostly he was scared. Just like he was now...but he needed to understand the link between fear and bravery.
“Analu was doing what was best for the tribe. Confusion at a time like this is the last thing we need.” What was this? Sadira and Analu not
tearing each other apart for a change? “But it’s kind of a big deal so…”
Yeah.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
Maleah’s pregnant. And it seemed as if the soft breeze that moved freely through the sugarcane stalks stalled, the air becoming as absent
as the sound. Analu’s chin lifted as he kept the eye contact he’d been holding with Malo the entire time he’d been talking. Just like Malo
had taught him. Even as he struggled to look confident and respectively fearless, Malo could see the terror behind his stare. He could see the
way his breaths were coming quicker and quicker. He could almost smell the sweat on his palms. Analu...was going to be father. And the only thing that
Malo could feel inside of his constricting chest was...pride. It was wrong. The smile that threatened to break on his lips. The smile creases that he
felt on the corners of his eyes. He was...proud of Analu. Proud of his bravery. Proud of the commitment to his Promised and to his tribe. A fatherly
warmth spread over Malo, making him want to pull Analu into him, pat him on the back...congratulate him on the journey he and Maleah would take
together...the journey that Malo was never blessed to truly see. He was so proud…
But he couldn’t be that man now. The leader he was wore many masks and the mask he had to put on now was not the one he wanted to wear. Now, he had
to be the man that made decisions that affected the entire tribe, his entire people. The man whose judgement would bring either justice or pain. He
had to be Malo Ikaika, the third of his name, leader and alpha elder of the Ikaikas. That thought made his eyes narrow, still watching Analu as he
lowered his own head in respect. He looked to Sadira as she spoke, her words backing Analu’s story, the two strangely in agreement. They never
agreed. His gaze stayed on Sadira as her words faltered again.
“How far along is she, Sadira?” His voice was calm, but powerful, asking for truth and sincerity in her answer. He knew that she knew…and he
wondered. If Analu had known for awhile, why was Sadira JUST seeing Maleah’s pregnancy. Especially if the child was male. For the baby lying in her
womb would be their next leader and that alone would’ve sent word from the gods. So why? Why was Sadira just telling Malo now? She knew the
agreement she held with the rest of the Elders. She knew the harm in keeping anything out of the sacred circle. And she chose to...hide it?
“And Analu? You know what the coming of a future elder’s child without a Joining means? Both of you must answer me honestly.”
How far along was she? Why was he asking her?! She knew of course, but did he know she knew? Did he know she had lied? Shit! She couldn’t
panic. Sadira fought to keep her face from betraying her emotion, her expression changing to the look Malo had always told her to address the elders
with. Look them in the eye. Be confident. Be sure. And above all else do not lie. She wouldn’t. She was done lying...for the most part. She
could not deny that everything in her wanted Malo to never know she had already known about this baby before today. And lies of omission were
different. She did not think she would be able to lie to his face...One step at a time. There was no reason to lie about how far along Maleah was. She
let Malo ask Analu an obviously rhetorical question. He may not have known the specifics, but he knew that his having a kid right now was not
a great thing. She would give him time to think of something.
“She’s 12 weeks and a couple days along. The baby’s good-” Sadira shrugged a bit. “The prin-Maleah cramps a little every now and
again, but it’s usually pretty short.” She didn’t know shit about pregnancy, but that was probably normal right? Maybe it was heartburn or some
shit. That was neither here nor there right now, though. Sadira knew all this because looked in on Maleah sometimes. Not that she cared or anything,
but she knew Lu would probably want to know what was going on with her during patrols. Sometimes he asked and she could tell him. Plus, it was good
practice. Practice she probably needed seeing as she was training herself to be the tribe’s seer.
But her training also wasn’t really of importance right now. What did matter was the shit Lu was going to be in once the others found out about this
baby. She wondered what his punishment would be...she was sure he wanted to know too.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
What seemed like a rhetorical question was anything but, Malo’s request for honesty showing his expectation for an answer. And even though he knew
he needed to provide an answer, Analu didn’t know what answer Malo wanted from him. Malo KNEW he knew what it meant for Maleah to be pregnant. They
were out of order. He was still a Chosen, the path of his leadership not yet written. He still had not ascended and he hadn’t taken Maleah as wife.
Malo was completely aware of the fact that Analu knew how heavy his actions were and how they would impact the tribe…because Malo was the one
who’d explained it to him. It had been his uncle who’d sat him down and told him how severe it was to have taken Maleah before she was
rightfully his and he was hers. He’d told Analu how important it was to be careful with Maleah, to not...to not forget how important order was.
He’d let himself forget. He desired Maleah and that made him selfish and clumsy...everything a leader wasn’t. Malo’s question wasn’t
rhetorical at all...it was a reminder. And he wanted Analu to remember...right in front of Sadira.
He felt his face flush as Sadira spoke, answering Malo’s questions with surprising depth. Maleah was twelve weeks. To the day. The baby, his son
was well. He watched her as she spoke, a short update and he couldn’t help but be...impressed. He’d always known that she could give updates
on Maleah, which she usually did for him when they were out patrolling. But he never realized how important it was...and how much he didn’t realize
she knew about Maleah’s pregnancy. She potentially knew more than he did. Guilt rose into his stomach right along with the
embarrassment...and then panic. His gaze became more piercing as he heard the words “usually” and “every now and then” leave Sadira’s mouth.
Clearing his throat, softly over her words, she finished speaking. Malo watched her the way he’d been looking at the both of them form the moment
he’d met them in the fields, his eyes scrutinizing. Searching.
“Analu?” It was his turn to speak. Looking his uncle in the eye again, he knew what Malo wanted to hear.
“His...the child’s birth will mean discord.” Analu answered as honestly as he could without his brow furrowing or his lip trembling. His son
would mean that the path the gods meant for him was skewed. Analu’s disobedience and his son’s arrival would present a problem. And that meant one
of two things. Remove him...or remove his son...
Sadira thought she might implode, Malo’s eyes still on her after she was done talking. He knew. She knew he knew. And right now he was thinking
about what he would suggest her punishment be to the other elders. Malo would have mercy on her right? Usually he was pretty nice to her. If she could
expect mercy from anyone on this stupid rock she was stuck on, it would be Malo. Then why did she feel the most horrible sense of dread in the pit of
her stomach about what Malo was thinking. If he hadn’t have been looking right at her she might have tried to see ahead a few minutes to know where
this was going, but she couldn’t. There was no guarantee she would see what she was asking to and she knew she looked stupid when she was really
trying.
As if Malo could hear her thoughts, he finally looked away from her; apparently he was satisfied with her answer. Okay...But now it was Analu’s
turn. His…Of course he wanted a boy. An heir. A leader. Someone to carry on the Ikaika name and ensure the tribe’s survival after Malo
and Lu was gone. By the gods it just sounded crazy. The next generation of the Ikaika bloodline was on the way and it meant…discord. Sadira
knew it was the right word for it as Analu said it. Nothing was as it should have been. Analu hadn’t ascended (and probably wasn’t anywhere close
to it), he and Maleah weren’t joined, and that had the potential to throw everything off.
But what could they do about it really? It was too late. The princess was knocked up and they would never risk letting their healer give her
la'auho'ohemo keiki* and ending the line with Lu...They didn’t have many options. Of course Sadira wasn’t an elder and she would be lying
if she said she understood most of the shit they did. Maybe this had happened before and there was some kind of protocol for it...She didn’t know.
It seemed they would find out soon enough though.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
Discord. The absence of harmony...and the tribe thrived on harmony. From the Kapuna Elima, to the tribes, and down to the very people,
harmony was such an important aspect of their culture...of who they were. It was how they'd survived for so long. No issue was handled without the
Kapuna Elima consulting the gods. There was method to everything...including births. And deaths... Once, Analu and Maleah's disobedience
would've meant the strictest punishment...for disrupting the harmony. A punishment that was so harsh that Malo avoided recalling the memory of those
that had suffered it. It was a different time now...and instead of being the brother of a leader, he was Alpha. If he could help it, nothing like that
would ever happen again. that didn't keep him from reminding Analu and Sadira of the way things were. And that didn't stop Malo from thinking about
the way they could be.
"Yes..." He replied to Analu, still watching his nephew process what he'd just said. Analu was afraid. He had the right to be. Not only was he a
future leader, but he was to be a father. In a matter of months, he would know what it was to truly protect and care for flesh. The idea of a leader
was something he couldn't understand yet. It was a title, a position. Malo didn't know how it felt to grow up knowing that you were chosen as this
life, this position was never supposed to be his. Seeing Kalei handle it in the short years that he'd been Alpha, he had an idea of what it was to
THINK you knew what it was to be a leader and to truly live that leadership that you'd spent years training for. It seemed to be misleading and Kalei
often found himself walking blindly. But if turning an unexpected situation into something good meant a stronger leader, a stronger Alpha...Malo would
not turn the situation away.
"But..." He began, seeing Analu's face shift with hope. The hope that things could be fixed. That he hadn't completely altered his future and the
future of the tribe.
"...I've seen a muddled present turn into a promising future. You are not the first leader to disobey the gods and you will not be the last." His eyes
softened as he watched Analu, his hand reaching out and clapping Analu's shoulder firmly...reassuringly.
"That doesn't mean that you will not have to pay price. The Kapuna Elima will not be pleased. You will make penance. To the gods and to your tribe.
And you and Maleah will raise the next of our line...in respectful obedience." The last words were important for Analu to hear. This was the first and
last time that Malo could give him a pardon for something so heavy. Yes, he would have to make things right and the rest of the elders would remember
this moment of weakness. But he and Maleah would be safe. Their child would live.
Yes. Lu was right. There was discord. Malo confirmed it, his stare still hard as he paused and the two of them watched Analu try to process what
he’d just said and what that meant for him. More like what it meant for his kid. She could see the worry in his eyes, the fear he was trying so hard
to mask with determination and that fake brand of bravery he clung to so hard. He was a stupid as he looked sometimes, mostly when he was faking it
for his uncle. If they were actually friends, Sadira might tell him that he didn’t need to fake his bravery. She didn’t often compliment Analu,
not even in her head, but she would have been lying if she said he wasn’t naturally courageous. Bravery wasn’t the absence of fear. It was doing
what had to be done in spite of that fear. Lu did that. Daily. This front was unnecessary and to be honest, Sadira was sure if people saw some
emotion in Lu (outside of his anger) every once in a while, he’d be more human to them…
But maybe that wasn’t what he wanted. Maybe he wanted to keep being this idea. This figment of the tribe’s imagination that was perfect future
Alpha Analu Ikaika. And that was none of Sadira’s business. She was fully committed to getting off of this island as soon as possible. She was 17
now. This time next year, none of this shit would even matter to her. She would be living in California somewhere, with friends, living a life that
was nothing like this one. For now? For now she felt like her work was done here. Malo knew about the baby.Things were going to be alright for all
involved and, most importantly, Sadira wasn’t in any trouble. All was right.
“Okay. Well...I’m going to go ahead and let you guys talk then.” Sadira took a step back from the group. She was going to get out before
Malo’s attention could find her again. She was in the clear. The last thing she needed was to spend more time around letting him analyze their
story.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
Analu couldn't hide the shaky sigh of relief that escaped him when he heard Malo's words, his uncle's hand holding his shoulder firmly. There weren't
better words to hear at that moment. Just knowing that his Promised and his child would be okay, that disobeying the gods had not meant the demise of
either of them...of their future. Analu let himself smile as his uncle reminded him of the price that his must pay for the pardon of the kapuna
elima...and he didn't care. He would've paid any price. He would've...he would've given his life. For Leah and their son? He would've given anything
to keep them safe, to keep the wrath of the gods from their heads. Malo spoke of penance, but Analu only heard the promise of his path being righted,
even in days long devotion to the gods that he only respected and feared, but had never fully believed in. Even now, he questioned that decision. The
mercy of the tribe, he and Sadira standing united? That wasn't anything short of a miracle. A set time of prayer and fasting was the least he could
do.
"Thank you, Malo." He smiled again, fighting the desire to hug his uncle the way he would when he was a young boy. When understanding his
responsibility as a leader didn't matter. All that mattered were the bits of sugar cane that Malo would bring him...and the fatherly hugs that
followed.
"I won't-we won't fail you again. Or the Kapuna Elima. Thank you." He spoke again, bowing his head slightly, remembering his respect. Forgetting the
giddy little boy with his hands full of sugar cane for now.
His uncle nodded back, speaking again.
"I will alert the elders today. We will convene to discuss your penance." With those words, his eyes left Analu and stared into the distance letting
him know he and Sadira were excused. Analu looked at Sadira, a slight nod letting her know that they were done had she not caught the hint.
"You may leave, Analu. But, not you Sadira. I need to speak with you."
Awesome. Great. Now that they had gotten the elephant out of the room they could all go their separate ways. Sadira was sure her mother had rolled
back onto her back in the come she’d drank herself into. She probably needed to get back home and turn her over or some shit. That and she was
fucking drained. Patrol all night a nap that wasn’t really sleep as she’d spent most of it forced to watch Lu and Leah over breakfast,
and she was so fucking hungry. before she’d come here all she could feel was the anxiety building from not knowing what Malo would do to she and
Analu. Not that the threat was over? She just wanted to get a snack and sleep really.
She announced her departure just as Malo was telling Analu he would alert the other elders today. Cool. Sadira was out of it. They would be talking
about Analu’s penance, not hers. That was all she cared about in this. She opened her mouth to say goodbye to both of them, but it seemed she
wasn’t as off the hook as she thought. Sadira allowed her face to twist into a soft confusion as she nodded her understanding to Malo. She would
stay then. There wasn’t much else to talk about, but...whatever he wanted from her he was welcome to. Always.
She nodded as Analu made his leave, leaving she and Malo alone together on the path between the fields. She waited a bit, letting the silence linger
until she thought Lu was far enough away for them to talk.
“What can I do for you Malo?”
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
What can I do for you, Malo? He hesitated in his response, his eyes watching Analu retreat, an unsure look on his face when he glanced back
over his shoulder at his uncle and the tribe's seer as he left. And Malo wondered if Analu knew Sadira had lied? He knew the way those two carried on
that it would be nearly impossible for Sadira to put her neck on the line for Analu. But stranger things had happened...Malo knew that first hand. As
soon as he lost sight of Analu, he turned to Sadira, searching her eyes again. They were such...interesting eyes, a color that no one on the Shore
possessed outside of her. The cerulean blue that swirled there was comforting, almost making him forget the spitfire of a young girl that owned them.
But one day, Sadira would grow into those beautiful, mysterious eyes...just as she would grow into the knowledge of being a Seer...and the seriousness
of it, as well.
"You can tell me the truth. Like I asked you to." He answered simply, cutting to the chase. There was no time for questions or prodding. He knew
Sadira had lied about knowing of Maleah's pregnancy. She'd lied about her vision and she'd lied...to Malo. Something she had never done before. It
made Malo curious, but strangely...it made him hopeful.
"Why didn't you tell the others and me about the first vision of Maleah's pregnancy?"
You can tell me the truth. Like I asked you to. Shit! She knew this had been too easy! He knew. Malo always knew; it was his fucking job to
know. And usually it was Sadira’s job to tell him, but she hadn’t this time...had she? Fuck! Sadira went over her words in her head, backtracking
and coming over every letter of her...damn. She told on herself. How did she know how long Maleah’s cramps “usually” were if she only found out
this morning? Seeing the past wasn’t a gift the gods had given her yet. Malo said it would come with time, but that time had not happened. He knew
that. So he knew she’d known for at least as long as Analu had.
“I don’t…-,” know what he was talking about? Yes she did. And as she known she wouldn’t be able to, she could not outright lie to Malo in
his face. Oh, she hated this! How on earth had she let Analu make her lie to the only person on this island she swore not to lie to?! She just...ugh!
She was so fucking stupid! She opened her mouth to speak again. This time the truth, “I knew about a month ago. I saw her when she went to the
hospital off the Shore. I saw her when she came back and told Analu.” Her eyes had been on the ground the whole time she was speaking, her words
coming weakly. She felt like a child, confessing her lies to a parents and waiting for the crushing disappointment to come. She didn’t want to see
that in Malo. She hadn’t meant to disappoint him!
Why didn’t she tell? That was a simple answer. Lu told her not to. Things became more complicated when she began thinking about why she followed
this order when none of his others seemed to matter. She looked up, quelling her thoughts as she prepared to explain herself. “I was going to! That
night at Parliament. But I...I don’t know why I didn’t. And then I was messing with Analu and it slipped out that I knew and he ord- he
asked me not to tell anyone.” There. The why. She’d told him without full on crying, but she could feel her eyes beginning to well. She
didn’t want this! She couldn’t take Malo being upset with her. Not when he was the only one that cared enough about her to be upset in the first
place.
“Malo, I’m really sorry. I should have told you. It was wrong not to tell you. But Analu was in a tight spot and he needed my help and...Please
don’t be mad at me.”
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
One entire month. Sadira had known about Maleah and Analu's situation for an entire month and she'd resisted the urge to tell anyone? Malo knew
Sadira. He knew that no matter what she'd "seen", she never hesitated to share it, mostly because her very place in the tribe depended on that
transparency with the Kapuna Elima. The exchange was simple. Her visions in exchange for a livelihood. And with the mother she had, the mother Malo
remembered very well in their youth, she wouldn't have done a thing against the agreement she'd made with the Elders. It surprised him even more that
she hadn't told him. Not because of any official duty to do so or fear. But because...she trusted him. If there was anyone ON that side of the island
that she would have said that about, it was him. They'd become close, he and Sadira. Her, when he treated her like a person instead of some shameful
dependent and him, when he figured out how much his treatment of her meant to her. He valued her and she seemed to value him more than she did any of
the other elders.
He listened as she told him specifics, how she'd seen Maleah finding out about the pregnancy at the haloe hospital and how she'd immediately told
Analu. They had all known for awhile and still, she'd lied. Analu had lied for her, too as he'd found out about her knowing shortly afterward. There
were so many lies floating that it was hard to see around them...hard to see the good in everything that Sadira had told him.
"Well...although I have every right to be angry..." He began, his face stoic. "I'm not." A soft smile broke onto his lips. He wasn't mad at her at
all. Matter of fact, he was awed. Awed at the devotion that the two had shown each other in the midst of a crisis that could've meant harsh punishment
for all of them. Analu had sacrificed himself to protect his growing family, but he'd also done it to protect Sadira as he took the penance of the
situation onto himself. And Sadira...had stayed loyal.
"You've show such loyalty to Analu. How could I be upset with you?" His face went stoic again as he walked closer to her and wrapped his arm around
her shoulders, an endearing interaction that would've set the rest of the Kapuna Elima on edge. Never get too close to her. She has a job to do,
Malo. That is it. Especially with those eyes... He didn't care whose eyes she had, he'd never hesitated to show her the kindness that everyone
else neglected to give her.
"One day, my reign as Alpha will be done...and Analu will be your Alpha. You've shown me that the transition will not be as...rocky as I once thought
it would be. And that has made me very happy. Very proud."
He was right. He had every right to be angry with her. She’d lied for over a month now. Everytime the elders asked her if she had anything to report
she gave the same reply. The Gods are quiet. That was all she had ever been instructed to say when she had nothing important to tell. That
wasn’t true of course. The gods were never quiet. They showed her shit she didn’t care about constantly, but that hadn’t been true the last few
times she’d said it. The Gods had SCREAMED about Analu’s first born and she had said nothing. She felt like she had been doing the right thing
then, but now? With Malo asking her why she lied to him, how she could lie to him? She was wrong. So wrong and Malo had every right...to...what?
Sadira couldn’t help the the confusion that came to her face at his words. He wasn’t mad? “I don’t....I don’t understand…” She didn’t.
If he were anyone else she might have asked why he was fucking with her like this. Of course he was mad. This was the one thing, the one constant of
any of their time together. She was not to lie to him. Ever. Now she had and he wasn’t upset about it? You’ve shown such loyalty to
Analu… Sadira’s thoughts churned as Malo pulled her close. ]Loyalty? No. No that wasn’t really the word for it...She was just being cool
about it. He asked her not to say anything and she gave her word she wouldn’t. Sadira could see what Malo thought he saw, but that wasn’t there.
She may have found a smidge of respect for him in this whole thing, but Sadira still didn’t have any love for Analu.
But he was proud of her. Sadira bit down on her bottom lip to stop the smile from completely taking over her face. Malo was proud of her and she was
not going to say anything to him to make him feel anything different. She reluctantly pulled away from him, her eyes connecting with his again as she
spoke. “Thank you, Malo. I know I let you down though and I promise it won’t happen again. I won’t keep anything else from you and I’ll take
my punishment from the others without complaint.” She meant that. She knew there would probably be hell to pay for what she’d done, but the grace
Malo had shown here here made her confident in the belief that he would not let them do their worst to her.
She could take it. She was stronger than they thought she was.
She sees you when she's sleeping.
Ha. See what I did there?
She didn't need to thank him. It was enough for Malo that he could watch her transforming before her eyes from the "mistake and shame of the
tribe" into what would one day be a amazingly powerful Seer and Leader to the people who once shunned her. Of course, the steps were numbered and few,
but Sadira was growing. She was maturing. Her keeping her promise to Analu and the humility she'd shown with Malo, he had no choice but to see her
growth. He remembered when she was a child, when the other Elders finally allowed him to meet her, to talk to her. He could admit, he was...hesitant
to see her, but she was just a little girl. A little girl that had already begun to dream of the future. She was...unyielding. Full of life. Fiesty.
Everything that Malo personally respected, but knew weren't characteristics of a leader. He had his doubts. Now...he didn't. He saw the woman in her
that she was hoping would finally reach the surface. And...he had hope. Beyond anything. He had hope.
"Just remember." He said, as he smiled in her tightening hug, pulling away as he looked down at her.
"Analu is your future Alpha. I am you present. Don't confuse the two." His warning was light, but it was true. Although Analu was the Kapuna Elima she
would see in the future, she still needed to be reminded to respect the one of the present. He had no doubt that she would, her words letting him know
that she would take her punishment as quickly as they handed it to her. Punishment?
"Your punishment?" He repeated, his face growing into mock confusion. "What punishment?" He drew close to her again, talking softly as if they were in
a room full of ears.
"Although it is hard to see at times, Analu is growing into his leadership too. He's taken care of it. Go home. Get some rest. Take care of your
mother." He said, a smile lingering only for a moment as turned to leave.
![[*]](images/davis/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
