A week later, after Truly's last class, she heads to the Psi house to wait for Kade to finish up. He kept his room at the frat house, which makes for a great spot for both of them to hang out and socialize while waiting for the other to finish with work or school.

As she walks up the stairs with Coco clinging to her shirt, Truly's phone chimes in a text message from her mother.

Truly heads down the quiet hall to Kade's old room. Thankfully, the room is empty, and the house isn't too active either. Once she crawls up Kade's bed, she leans back against his headboard and calls her mom.

Coco bounds off Truly and races around the bed just as her mom picks up.

"Hello, me pearl. How was school?" Her mom sings through the line in their native language. It's comforting to hear and even more comforting to reply in.

"Mum," Truly sighs as she watches Coco climb down the bedding and debate if she wants to jump to the floor or not. "Ye didn't call ta ask me how school was."

As soon as Truly's hushed singing voice starts, Coco's big black eyes turn up at her in wonder.

"Aye, I didn't. I was calling ta see if ye had plans for the Winta Solstice yet. Did Kade's mum ask ye ta do somet'ing with her?"

"Noh, it's still months away, mum, why would she?" Truly frowns and pulls her backpack toward her.

"Excellent!" Nora's voice chimes across the phone. "T'en you two will come here."

Truly rolls her eyes as she pulls a tub of mangos from her backpack and opens them up. Instantly, Coco darts toward her and perches on Truly's arm so she can enjoy her snack. "Ye can't ask t'is early, mum."

There is a brief pause before Nora asks, "Why not?"

"I don't know!" Truly shrugs. "I haven't asked Kade if we're doin' anyt'ing for it. T'at's te whole point t'ough, isn't it? Ye called t'is early to get yer request in first."

"Well, t'at's neither here nor t'ere. If ye don't have plans t'en I don't see why ye can'nt come join yer entire family for the winta equinox."

As Coco happily smacks her lips, enjoying her sweet peachy-colored fruit, Truly lets out an unamused grunt. "Now yer resortin' ta guilt, really mum?"

"I'll take t'at as a yes."

"Mum! I have ta talk ta Kade first!" Truly's raised voice causes Coco to join in on the conversation by chirping her opinion at Truly.

"Why wouldn't he say, aye? Does he not like us?"

"Mum." Truly sighs as she runs a hand through her hair. "I'm sure he likes ye jist fine. Daddy said we shouldn't be comin' ta Emerald Isle too often."

"Well," Nora huffs, and Truly can hear movement on the other end of the line. "I can fix t'at. Not t'at I see how ye come here too often. It's been months. Months!

And back ta guilt.

"Semae!" Nora calls Truly's dad by his native name. "Did ye tell our daughta t'at she couldn't come home?"

There is a long pause before Truly overhears a deep, "Noh," filter through.

Traitor.

"Well, t'ere we have t'en. It's settled. Ye and Kade will come home for ta Winta and Spring Solstice."

"Spring? Mum, ye can't monopolize every bloody holiday."

"I can. I asked first." Nora states matter-of-factly.

"I ain't confirmin' us comin' for Winta Solstice."

As she rolls her eyes, the door to the room opens, and Gideon stills, eyeing her oddly for a moment before Kade elbows his way past him while their former pledges linger in the hall.

"I t'ink Kade's mum celebrates that tree one with ta red fat man. Christmas! I t'ink it might ova lap with ta Winta Solstice, mum."

"I asked first, so yer both comin' here first. I'll tell ta others ye'll be here." She states not making it an option for Truly.

"Mum, t'at wasn't a yes ta winta, I still have ta ask Kade." When her gaze flicks up to the movement, she quickly switches back to English. "I gotta go mum, I'll talk ta ye latar."

"Tell Kade I said hello and look forward ta seein' him in a few months."

Kade raises a brow as he drops his backpack on the desk chair. "What?"

She quickly hangs up her phone and tucks it back in her bag. "Me mum says, hi."

"Uh huh," he gives her a knowing look before he leans over to kiss her.

Coco chirps giddily at him, most likely telling him about the entire conversation Truly had, if only he understood squirrel monkey.

Spying the mangoes, Kade grabs one for himself, but the weight of a certain little someone on his shoulder who's suddenly reaching for the mango he's about to bring to his mouth has his eyes turning to Coco. "Yer lucky you're cute," he sighs, handing the little monkey his mango.

"Mum is demandin' t'at we go ta t'ere house for ta winta solstice."

"The what? Aaron, Gideon's little frat brother, asks as he plops down onto the couch across from them, earning a look from Gideon that seems to say, sure, just make yourself at home, why don't you.

"It's like Christmas," Kade answers, opening their mini-fridge to get himself a drink. "I think."

Truly scoots to the edge of the bed, closer to Kade. "We celebrate light. It's the renewal of the world. Everyone gathers round a bonfire. We sing, dance, and we re-tell our myths and legends. And drinkin', lot of drinkin'."

Aaron scrunches his nose. "That's not like Christmas at all. It celebrates the birth of Christ."

"No," Scott counters, giving Aaron a funny look. "It's about Santa and presents."

Every Atlantean raises a brow as their eyes flick between the two.

"They don't even know what they celebrate." Gideon shakes his head as he grabs the drink Scott stole out of his hand for himself.

"It's technically both." Kade slides his hands around Truly and pulls her firmly up against him. "Me family celebrates it as well." His attention shifts to the pledges. "Winter solstice is basically a party around the bonfires," he places a kiss against her neck, "where ye wake up naked next ta a girl you don't remember meetin' in the morning."

Truly glares at him before smacking him in the gut.

Grinning, Kade nips the side of her neck. "You know it'll be you, Treasure."

"Well, hopefully we make it ta me room. If not, ye get ta se Angus in full glory sunbathin' unda ta mornin' sun. It's unfortunately become a yearly tradition for me, since in me drunkin' stupor I always seem ta pass out on ta beach."

Kade makes a face. "I'd rather watch you sing naked in the surf under the moonlight."

"You sing?" Aaron leans forward on his arms, interested because he's in a band back home.

"Oh, aye. All te time, but also for every solstice I do. And," she turns slightly pink. "T'ere aren't a lotta clothes involved. Not naked, but... not a lot ta take off either."

"Good." Kade pulls away and grins at her. "You tend to lose them anyway when you sing to me. That or get us both dripping wet." A mischievous look fills his eyes, showing her he knows just how bad his phrasing is on that.

As he leans against his fridge, Gideon frowns before he covers it by taking a sip of his drink.

Truly's blush deepens into a deep shade of red. "Maybe refrain around me mum, dah, and grandparents at least till we get ta a room."

Kade's lip curls as his fingers dance across her ass. "I make no promises."

On the couch, Kade's little brother drops his head in his hand and groans, having seen them do this and more recently. "Can you two get a room?"

Lifting a hand, Kade gestures around them. "I did. Get the fuck out. No one invited either of ye in to begin with."

Both pledges rise and reluctantly head out, wanting to spend some time with their older frat brothers.

"Does your dad really want me going to the island?" Kade asks between kisses as Gideon heads up to his raised bunk, where he doesn't have to watch or hear them if he puts his headphones on.

"When mum confronted him about it, he denied he said not ta come. So if he's irritated t'at we show up, he's only got himself ta blame."

"Then I guess it's a good thing my omma's intending to come here for Christmas." His mother was never a fan of winter solstice with his father's wandering tendencies, but she adores Christmas since it was the one time of year they would pretend to be a perfect family.

"She tried ta get ta spring one as well, but I put me foot down and told her she can't monopolize all de holidays." Truly rests her hand on his sides. "If ye want ta stay here t'ough with ye mum, we can. I'll tell mine it ain't gonna work out."

"Or you could return the favor and guilt her with the fact me mum will be left all alone since she's stealing her only son away." He grins. "They won't even have ta worry about doing something for Christmas. My father's Russian, so it's done on the seventh of January, not December twenty-fifth. They don't overlap."

Truly shrugs. "Well, I don't know. Me entire family doesn't celebrate it, and I only know what I've heard from me sorority sistas. But I'm sure me parents would be happy ta have yer mum t'ere with us."

Above in his bed, Gideon stills from putting his headphones on and instead turns to look over the side of his bunk at her. "I thought you were Irish? Since when do those Catholics not celebrate Christmas?"

Truly's gaze flicks between him and Kade. "We're pagan."

A look of unease crosses Gideon's face. He knows from his schooling paganism is pretty rare off Atlantis. The church and their witch trials saw to that. She should be Catholic or agnostic if she's from Ireland, not that. "Where exactly in Ireland are you from?"

"Stop harpin' on me wife," Kade grumbles at his first mate, "can't ye see we're busy."

Gideon's eyes roll as he turns over, but Kade's plans shatter when their door slams open and Killian, dressed in only swim trunks, strides in. "Excellent, yer here!" His eyes brighten at the sight of Truly. "You're home!" Striding over, he shoves Kade to the side and bear hugs his baby unicorn. "I would have never let him marry you, if I knew he'd monopolize you this much." He pulls away. "Now let's go!"

"Ta where?!" Truly's eyes go wide when he grabs her hand and drags her off the bed.

"To the pool! Your unicorn sisters are here and we're having a pool party. There's nothing better than wet unicorns!"

"I don't have me swimmin' clothes." She casts a help look over her shoulder toward Kade.

"It's okay." Killy casually flicks his free hand. "I have spares. You can borrow one of mine."

Kade's expression hardens as he grabs his wife's other hand and pulls her back. "Yer not baring my Treasure off ta the world. She has a damn suit in me car. Let her get it."

Turning back to him, Killy scoffs before his expression turns semi offended. "I'd have given her a rash guard. What kind of black-hearted daddy do you think I am?"

"The kind who likes girls naked in our pool." Gideon bluntly states from his bunk, having been to his own fair share of Psi pool parties.

"Well, yes," Kill concedes, "but not me own daughter." He points a finger up at Gideon. "There will be no naked women in the pool until your sister goes home. We run a self-respecting frat house."

Having heard his comment, several voices from the hall demand. "Since when?!"

"Is it too late to revoke his status as a Psi?" The voice of one of their senior's demands.

"Sadly, yes," their president sighs from further down the hall.

Momentarily forgetting what he was doing, Killian lets go of Truly's hand and leaves their room. "What the bloody hell does that mean? I am a freakin' delight and the one who makes everything fun! If it wasn't for me, there wouldn't even be naked lasses in the pool!"

"Lets get your suit before he remembers." Kade pulls her behind him, letting Kill get a bit away to bicker with the senior so that they can pass unimpeded.

"Let's hope he doesn't disapprove of me bikini. Not sure how, but I t'ink Killy is stricta t'en me own daddy." Truly follows Kade down to his jeep and pulls out her light teal-colored swimming suit, with little sea charms hanging off it. "Are ye going ta join ta pool party?" She glances over at Kade just as Coco leaps from his shoulder to hers and back again, making it a fun leaping game for the baby monkey.

"Aye. You know I'm not one ta turn away water." His eyes slide over her ass. "Or one to turn away seeing you in a suit."

"Too bad we ain't home. I wouldn't need me suit." Truly playfully bites her lips as she grins up at him.

Kade's eyes heat, suddenly liking that prospect better. Before he can take her away, Truly's suddenly in the air and over Killian's shoulder as he heads back into the house.

"Leave you two alone for five seconds and he's already trying to cart ye away. Find something else ta entertain yourself, Kade. I'm reclaimin' me black-hearted baby. She hasn't seen her mother and I in ages!"

"Would ye put me down?!" Truly awkwardly tries to move away from being ass level against him. It wasn't so bad when Kade did it, but this view she minds.

Killian scoffs. "And let him swoop in and drag you off." He throws a backward look at said man, who's following closely behind them.

"Don't know why ye are complainin'." Truly tries to push away, getting a handful more of his ass than she'd ever care to. "Yer ta one t'at gave him ta right ta drag me off."

"He wasn't supposed ta take you away! You're not even six months old yet. Who's going to give you your Guinness? She might not say it, but I know Uni misses you terribly. At this rate, she might take ye back to America with her for the holidays and I'll be left alone!"

Truly sighs and lightly shakes her head. Luckily, she finds Killy's weird way of showing affection charming and just rolls with it. "Aye, she might. But please put me down. If I'm goin' ta stare at someone's arse, I' ratha it be me husband's."

Taking advantage of her words, Kade's fingers slide around her hips, and he pries her out of Killy's grasp. He ignores the man's glare as he throws her over his shoulder and takes her inside to the first-floor girl's bathroom.

Truly takes Coco from him, so the poor girl doesn't have to be subjected to the men's restroom and changes into her bathing suit.

Once she's ready, she scoops up her monkey and carries her out to the pool, where a bunch of her sorority sisters and Psi men are already enjoying the tropical sun. To her amusement, Killian is floating on a blow-up unicorn with Heather awkwardly pinned between him and the unicorn's head as he reclines back into her with his shades on.

"Would you get off me already!" Heather pushes on Killian as Truly walks over to a sunbathing Kade.

Truly snickers at Heather's words.

"You missed the entertainment, Treasure. He threw that in and called her over to show it off. As you can see, it didn't go exactly as she expected." He grins like the pirate he is. Amused, his friend just kidnapped a girl and set sail.

"I'm jist waitin' for t'em ta finally cave and actually get tagether like everyone t'inks t'ey are." Truly sets Coco down on the chair next to him. "Jist t'ere damn pride gettin' in ta way at t'is point."

"Ye mean cowardice." Brandyn plops down on a nearby chair as his brother Skylar cannonballs into the pool intentionally near Killian and Heather, causing her to shriek. "The man can chip the cup of any girl he sets his eyes on, but he can't ask that one a simple question."

"Temptin' ta force t'em inta hand fastin'. Seems fittin'." Truly smirks as she plays with Coco.

Brandyn lightly nods at the idea. "Anyone got a spare tri-cord? We could get them drunk and then dare them to do it."

Kade shakes his head no, as do several of their nearby brothers.

"We could send a pledge to buy one." Griffin throws an amused look over his shoulder from where he chills nearby in the pool.

"Wouldn't be legal. Even if you got them ta say the words, they're both foreigners." Kade informs the only one in their group save Truly, who's memorized their laws.

"All the better." Brandyn smirks, knowing Heather at least would freak.

Truly gives Coco a gentle pet before leaning over and lightly kissing Kade as she hands him a leash. "It's hot. I'm takin' a dip." With that, Truly gets up and heads to the deep end of the pool before she dives gracefully in.

"While you're in. See if any of your sisters got a spare one," Brandyn calls after her as his eyes slide over a nearby Theta.

After swimming for a few minutes, Truly snags a spare floaty. Unable to keep quiet for long, she absentmindedly sings to herself. "I'm scared of what's inside my head. What's inside me soul. I feel like I'm swimming but getting nowhere. Fear is suffocating me. I can't breathe. I feel like I'm drowning. I'm sinking deeper. White foam fades to red. As I enter the city of the dead."

Nearby in the water, Gideon's pledge stops mid-rough housing with Skylar and turns to face her. Taking advantage, Skylar dunks him under, expecting him to shove him back, but it never comes. The boy merely surfaces and ignores him.

Not even thinking about where she is or who she's with, Truly sings the next part in her native tongue like it should be as she gently kicks in the water. "Aw me om arrawen. Om arren. Soosom a om. Soos a om."

Pulled by her siren voice, Kade rises, barely remembering to toss Coco's leash to Brandyn. He ignores everyone around him as he walks straight towards her. As he reaches the edge of the pool, he practically strides through Gideon.

His roommate teeters and nearly falls into the pool himself. "What the fuck, man?"

Utterly ignoring him, Kade steps out over the water and falls in, barely missing Griffin as he leans against the wall, his attention, like many, on Truly as she sings.

"Kade!" Gideon snaps, as a sense of foreboding fills him when he realizes many of his brothers seem to be beguiled by her, including his best friend.

Kade doesn't turn to look back at him, though. He just continues towards her until the water gets high enough he has to swim. When he reaches her, he grabs the side of her inner tube and hoists himself up.

A smile spreads across her face. "Hello, me luv. I'm glad ye joined me."

Filled with a desire to be with her, Kade lifts himself further as his eyes zero in on her lips. Capturing them, their kiss quickly turns heated, and the lovers soon forget where they are. A sudden splash fills the air as Truly's tube angles, and she topples into Kade and the water.

When neither swiftly surfaces, and they continue kissing beneath the surface, Gideon tenses. "Siren," he mutters under his breath, seeing her for what she is.

"What?" Griffin's head lifts as his senses return to him, only confirming it more for Gideon.

"Get them up!" Gideon points in the couple's direction, still beneath the water. "Skylar! Don't let her drown him in front of you!"

One of the few unaffected in the water, Skylar throws him an odd look at the statement, but his shaggy hair hides the questioning look in his eyes. He does humor his friend by swimming over and repeatedly shoving Kade in the back.

Annoyed that he's just broken their kiss, Kade surfaces with Truly quickly behind him and rounds on the kid. "The house better be burnin'," he growls out as his eyes narrow.

"Gideon told me to do it." Skylar points a finger over to him. "Blame him."

Kade snaps his head towards his first mate and best friend. Annoyed with his recent mood swings, he flicks him off then leads Truly to the other side of the pool.

When a shriek fills the air and Heather and Killy suddenly splash into the water, thanks to a grinning Griffin, the tension in the pool seems to lift.

After Heather sputters to the surface, she swims over to Truly and Kade, casting a glare back at Griffin, who's getting counter-attacked by Killian.

"Ye were gettin' cozy with me black-hearted daddy." Truly grins.

Heather gives Truly a glare before resting her arms on the side of the pool. "If by cozy you mean being tackled and pinned in place by that idiot." She nods over her shoulder towards Killian. "Then, yeah. Real cozy."

Truly rolls her eyes. Heather can deny it all she wants, but she caught a few smiles from her as they floated around.

"Now I have to spend every godblessed evening with him too to plan out our formal." Heather's gaze drifts over to Killy, who's still wrestling around in the pool with Griffin. Truly catches a small smile crosses Heather's lips before the young woman averts her gaze back to Truly and Kade.

"Who are ye takin' ta formal?" Truly fully expects Heather to answer Killy, but Heather's thin shoulders sag slightly.

"I've been so busy planning formal out and with school I haven't had the chance to ask anyone."

Truly raises a brow and glances over at her black-hearted daddy. "Killy!"

"Truly, don't you dare." Heather softly hisses as her look turns threatening.

"Don't worry. I won't." Truly grins. "You will." Truly calls out again before Heather can stop her. "Get yer arse ova here. Me mum has ta ask ye somethin'."

Shoving Griffin underwater, Killy holds him there for a moment before finally letting the man sputter to the surface. "Don't mess with the Irish!" He throws Griffin a cocky grin as he heads towards the girls. "Aye?" His blue eyes shift to Heather.

"Do you really think beer mugs were a better souvenir than the lanterns?" Heather cast Truly a glare.

"Yes." Kill, Kade, and several Psi's around them all reply in unison.

"That is not what ye wanted to ask him." Truly raises a brow as she leans back into Kade.

With a huff, Heather's attention turns back to Killy. "Do you have a date for the formal yet?"

Surprised, Killian's brows raise in surprise, causing Kade to chuckle against Truly's hair.

"Why Uni." He grins, recovering quickly. "It's December fifth. I thought you knew that."

Heather gives him an unamused glare to cover her disappointment that he didn't answer no one. "I'll take someone asked you then. Good, it'd be pathetic if you showed up alone." Not willing to admit that it's exactly how she'll be showing up.

Kade rolls his eyes, knowing this'll go nowhere. "Kill, take the mother of yer child ta formal. It's the least you can do for knocking her up."

Heather's eyes go wide. "Don't state it like that, Jesus Christ."

"Alright." Killian causally agrees, blindsiding her. "I'll even dress up and get ye a corsage if you like. These boys don't know the meaning of formal." He tsks and shakes his head. His eyes naturally going to Kade. "I couldn't believe what ye wore to marry me Sparkles. Yer a disgrace to your name. Ye know that?"

Truly frowns in confusion. "He was really dressed up. What was wrong with what he wore?"

Killian raises a brow. "He was barefoot in jeans, with only a button-up shirt." He turns and points a finger at Heather. "And the git almost did it shirtless!"

"Aye, and?" Truly raises a brow.

"Men only get married in tuxedos or suits where we're from." Heather shakes her head, knowing it's not the same for Atlanteans.

"What the hell's a tuxedo?" Kade demands, his eyes flicking down to Truly.

She lightly shrugs her shoulders, not knowing herself.

Heather sighs as she calls out to one of her sisters to bring her phone over. Once she gets it, she pulls up a picture of a couple being married and shows it to them.

Truly's nose scrunches up. "I'm neva gonna complain about me military uniform eva again."

A look of horror crosses Kade's face. "He's being strangled by a poorly tied noose and she's dressed for a bloody funeral. Who wears white ta a hand fast? It's the color of death. They're dooming themselves from the start."

Heather sighs, tossing her phone on a nearby lawn chair. "They were white as a sign of purity."

"Are ye marrying them off at ten?" Kade raises a brow. They'd have to be around that age in Atlantis to be pure, as she calls it.

"No." Heather leans back against the pool edge. "Not every country is like Atlantis. It's more of a tradition, anyway. Brides often aren't pure."

"I'm likin' our islands more and more. How about you, Treasure?" Kade breathes against her ear.

"Aye." She chuckles. "T'ough I always loved our islands, but not jist cause yer," she points to Heather, "country is weird."

"We aren't weird!" Heather throws her hands out to the side.

"When was the last time you swam topless?" Kade raises a brow, knowing many girls choose to but can't at school because the university caters to the other countries' morality.

"When was the last time Truly did?" Heather raises a brow, knowing the girl is modest for Atlantis.

Kade's lip curls smugly up. "Yesterday, and she was more than topless. She was naked."

Truly turns a deep shade of red that reaches down her neck and shoulders.

"I'm okay with this. If you want ta give it a try, Uni," Killian grins. "Me brothers and I are very open-minded. We don't object at all."

Heather flicks him off before splashing him. "Hell freezes over before you see me naked, idiot."

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