by S. K Munt
‘Aloha, my Ivyanne.’
Ivyanne looked up from the path and grinned when she saw Bane poised at the crest of the hill, smiling sadly at her, holding his arms open. His head had been freshly shaved and his cocoa colored skin was aglow, seemingly from within. ‘I hear congratulations are in order?’
Ivyanne ran to Tristan’s nephew and buried her face in his chest for the second time in a month. He had a habit of appearing suddenly, when she was feeling the most alone-which she now saw that she didn’t have to be anymore.
‘Not yet,’ she whispered, holding him gratefully, feeling safe and warm in his arms.‘But maybe you can help us get there.’
26.
By Friday, Lincoln was going insane from seeing Ivyanne so often and yet not being able to sweep her off and bed her like her body silently demanded. He hoped she was feeling the same, but it was so hard to tell what she was thinking. Ever since she’d given him a heart attack on Tuesday night and then made love to him until dawn-she’d been secretive and strange, flitting about with few explanations as to where she was going or what she was doing.
And he couldn’t ask her about it-there was just no time and she was always with someone else. Lincoln couldn’t keep any of them straight-in fact-his dad was having more luck than he was. To Chase, Ivyanne’s strange and exotic family were nothing short of a gold mine. He was already dropping hints about having the wedding there as well. Ivyanne had said that the ceremony had to be the mer kind-the kind that humans couldn’t attend. But to appease Lincoln’s father and some of the locals, like Remi’s husband, Ivyanne had hinted that they could either hold a second ‘human’ ceremony there, or pretend to elope.
He didn’t care either way. Lincoln couldn’t wait until they were married and could take off together and start their lives without other peoples issues causing chaos and disharmony. He even grew resentful of the way Bane started hanging off her after his arrival on Thursday morning. They seemed to get into private, deep discussions often, and Link fretted that they were exchanging Tristan related woe-saddening her heart too closely to their special night.
The bright side was that most of the mers were friendly. He especially liked Dalton’s family-Joyce and Camus Court-Zara, and Remi’s niece and nephew-Jennifer and Liam. Their father Miguel, was deceased, but the fraternal twins were enchanting, with their dark auburn hair, hazelnut skin and deep green eyes, which were rimmed with gold. Scottish and Mexican descendants. Who would have imagined such a mix would bear such stunning children?
Also, Ardhi had shied away from the family reunions, holing up at The Cape-Lincoln hadn’t seen Sunday and he liked it that way. Apparently, Ardhi’s older sister Lumi had decided to wait until the wedding to show her face-she had invited Ardhi to visit her instead. Lincoln hoped he would-even though Ardhi had stayed well out of sight, just knowing he was near made Lincoln feel insecure. Not emotionally, but physically which he credited to the fact that Ardhi had accosted him in a boat-linking the two things in his mind as one fear that might take decades to overcome completely.
On Friday night, when Ivyanne didn’t come in to have dinner with anyone like she had been, Lincoln decided that he couldn’t take being parted from her for another second. He left Sherri-who had been sullen since Tuesday, to man the bar, and headed straight for Ivyanne’s place. But when he walked in her open front door, was surprised to see that her dining table was surrounded by people.
‘Um…..hello…’ Lincoln’s eyes went straight to Ivyanne’s, who was serving a deeply tanned older man he didn’t recognize prawns from a glass bowl of ice. Lincoln shot Ivyanne a questioning look. ‘Bad time?’
Ivyanne looked surprised to see him. ‘Link! Hey….I thought you’d be at work.’
Lincoln shrugged. ‘Remi and Sherri are handling it, and dad doesn’t seem to want to leave the bar.’ He smiled at Bane, noticing him for the first time sitting between a golden haired woman and a brunette girl. ‘Too many pretty woman for him to walk away from, I think.’ He looked back at Ivyanne. ‘Do you want me to come back later?’
‘Of course not,’ Ivyanne said, but she darted her eyes to her guests, obviously nervous about something. ‘There’s plenty for everyone.’
‘Um, okay,’ Lincoln walked in cautiously, smiling at the blonde woman who turned to face him. He swallowed hard as his eyes registered beauty he hadn’t been prepared for. She had blonde wavy hair, which was cropped short like Sherri’s, but in a Marilyn Monroe style. Large copper-colored eyes were rimmed with lush lashes, and a perfect cupid’s bow mouth pursed in initial acknowledgement.
‘Hey,’ he said. ‘I’m Lincoln. Ivyanne’s fiancé.’
The blonde woman ran her eyes up and down him, then rested her gaze on his own, smiling thinly. ‘Aloha, Lincoln. I’ve heard a lot about you.’ She extended her hand. ‘I’m Isabelle Londeree. And these are my parents, Emilia and Simone Loveridge.’
‘Loveridge?’ Lincoln repeated automatically, feeling his brain fluids dry up. He turned to the couple across from him, his tongue thick and stupid in his mouth. An older man with dark skin and deeply set, toffee colored eyes, was sitting next to a refined looking older woman-much older looking than Vana- who was returning his stare unblinkingly.
Lincoln was instantly intimidated. Simone’s posture suggested breeding-and yet not enough to conceal the distrust in her eyes. Did she blame Lincoln for the loss of her son? Both sons?
‘Yes. Tristan’s parents, and his sisters’ family,’ Ivyanne said gently, resting a hand on his shoulder, squeezing him supportively. ‘They arrived today, so I decided to have them over here for a quiet dinner.’
Lincoln had no idea what to say. ‘Well, thank you for coming,’ he licked his lips. ‘And I’m, uh, very sorry for your loss.’
‘Thank you Lincoln,’ Simone said, the trace of a muted European accent evident in her tone.
‘We were quite eager to meet you.’Emilia added, his face giving nothing away.
Ivyanne pulled out a seat, and Lincoln sank onto it, grateful for her calming hand on his shoulder. ‘Oh?’
‘Yes, Bane has told us great things about you,’ Simone nodded towards her grandson. ‘As did Tristan.’
‘Well, he was a nice guy.’ Lincoln lied. ‘His presence is greatly missed around here.’
‘I imagine it is.’
‘Of course.’ Ivyanne squeezed Lincoln’s shoulder once more. ‘Lincoln, we should probably introduce you to Bane’s sisters-Leah and Grace.’ Ivyanne looked up and frowned. ‘Where’s Grace gone?’
‘She took a phone call while you were getting the shrimp,’ Emilia grumbled. ‘Kids and phones, I swear.’ He looked at Tristan. ‘My grandchildren worship this dreadful technology,’ he explained quickly. ‘They gotta have it all- iPads, Xbox’s, phones with no buttons, credit cards…’
Lincoln smiled, relieved that Emilia was making small talk. He turned to the dark haired girl on Bane’s left.
‘Leah...you’re the one who can sense Mers right? In dolphins?’
Leah nodded, although she didn’t meet his gaze. She definitely seemed to be the reserved sort. She was a very pretty, very typically Hawaiian looking, just like Bane, although her skin was a shade lighter. ‘Before you ask, yes I’ve looked for Uncle Tristan, and no, I haven’t found anything. That wreck scared most of the dolphins clear out of the area anyway.’
Lincoln was taken aback by her brisk tone. ‘Oh. I’m sorry. That must be frustrating.’
‘She’s been in the water for almost two weeks straight,’ Isabelle said, patting her daughters hand. ‘Poor thing only usually swims for an hour or two a day.’
‘And my scale line keeps getting higher,’ Leah complained. ‘It’s almost to my belly-button now.’
‘An hour or two?’ Lincoln couldn’t believe it. ‘How do you manage?’
‘I have a high tolerance,’ Leah finally looked up, her brown eyes piercing. ‘All of us do, except Bane and dad.’
Lincoln looked around for the father. ‘Mano right? Wh
ere is he?’
‘Back in Oahu, running things while we’re gone.’
‘Oh.’ Lincoln looked back to Emilia. ‘You help run the Londeree resort in Hawaii, too, right?’
‘The spa part,’ Emilia confirmed. ‘Although I’m eager to pass the reins over to one of these kids and retire. Simone wants to go back to France.’
‘My dad’s going through that right now,’ Lincoln said, relieved to have some common ground.
‘So I hear. I’m curious to see your resort, and Aubrielle’s spa. I imagine that she must be quite the draw card?’
‘Her work astounds me,’ Lincoln said. ‘We went through a bit of a black stage for awhile there, but Aubrielle pulled us out of it. We’re very grateful to her.’
‘I understand. She was on our roster for twelve years. Unfortunately, we couldn’t keep her on. My wife and I have entered the stage in our lives, where we’re aging a bit more rapidly-but Aubrielle’s youth was bound to raise questions eventually.’
‘Maybe when she encounters the same thing here, we can send her back-as her own skilled daughter.’
Isabelle smiled. ‘So we just lobby her back and forth over the decades? I like it.’
Lincoln felt Ivyanne release him. ‘The mud crab smells ready,’ she said, making her way to the kitchen.
‘You can cook?’ Lincoln joked. ‘I could use some bacon and eggs every now and then, you know.’
Ivyanne smirked at him. ‘That’s why you have a breakfast buffet at the resort. Seafood is the only thing I can cook.’
‘Which is good, because we’re all vegetarians.’ Bane said.
‘You are?’ Lincoln thought that was strange-that they’d sooner eat a species so closely related to them, instead of meat. ‘I’ve felt bad about eating sea life since I turned.’
Everybody laughed.
‘We only refuse to eat meat because of our health-not because of ethics,’ Isabelle said. ‘Seafood is our natural source of protein, so long as it’s hunted ethically.’
‘These prawns are from a farm,’ Ivyanne said, coming back and placing a place stacked with three, steaming red mud crabs in the centre of the table. ‘And dad caught these in the estuary yesterday. All bucks, all of legal size.’
‘They look delicious,’ Bane said. ‘I miss these mud crabs when I’m back in Hawaii.’
‘Speak for yourselves,’ another voice drawled. ‘Eating shellfish is ick. All of those innards? Can someone take me to McDonalds after this?’
Lincoln looked up, surprised to see a fourth girl enter from the back door, sliding the glass shut behind her, a phone in her manicured hand.
‘That’s Grace,’ Ivyanne said, smiling at Lincoln’s stunned expression. ‘Tristan’s other niece.’
‘And the only one of us who fills her body with junk.’ Isabelle sighed. ‘Get in here you-you’ve never had Australian Mud Crab before-trust me, a McPoison burger won’t be necessary after this.’
‘Yeah, yeah…’ The girl pulled up a stool at the edge of the table, evaluating Lincoln with a shrewd look. ‘Is this the guy?’
Lincoln swallowed, not only thrown by her less than friendly entrance, but mesmerised by the girl’s beauty. He guessed her to be in her late teens, and was every bit as radiant as her deceased uncle and her mother. Her golden blonde hair was so dark that it was almost treacle, and flowed down her back, spiraling gently at the ends. She was dressed in a snazzy, glittering denim mini-skirt with knee hi boots and a casual knit sweater which sloped off one shoulder. She had deep brown, almond-shaped eyes, and a dimple in her perfect chin. Her complexion was clear and glowing, and unlike the rest of them, she had adorned herself with sparkly jewelry which set off her tan. She was breathtaking.
‘Yes Grace, this is the guy,’ Ivyanne said, apparently not thrown by the girl’s tone. ‘My future husband, Lincoln.’
Grace eyed him up and down, then turned to Bane. ‘You’re right-he is hot.’
‘Grace….’ Bane complained, and went deep red, daring a look at Lincoln. ‘Sorry man. That’s not quite what I said.’
‘Yes it is,’ Grace insisted, crossing her legs and grinning at her brother. When she smiled, her mouth spread wide and dominated her face. ‘You said Link was tall and dark and triangle shaped-in the very best way.’
Lincoln felt his own cheeks burning. He looked at Bane, and smiled. ‘Is it weird that I’m kind of flattered to be on your gay-dar?’
Everybody laughed, and Lincoln felt the mood of the room relax. He looked at the youthful girl across from him and managed a weak smile. ‘Nice to meet you, Grace.’
Grace tugged on Ivyanne’s sleeve as she spooned a salad onto the plate before her. ‘You know, it’s not too late to marry Ardhi or Bane here,’ she joked.
Ivyanne and Bane exchanged a horrified look.
‘That’s enough young lady,’ Isabelle turned to Lincoln. ‘Sorry-MTV generation.’
‘That’s okay,’ Lincoln said. ‘How old are you, Grace?’
Grace lifted her chin and smiled a dazzling smile. ‘Not too young, if that’s what you’re asking.’ She returned her attention back to Ivyanne. ‘I swear, I can give him a good home.’
Ivyanne patted her head affectionately. ‘Nice try.’ She winked at Lincoln. ‘But he’s already got one.’
‘Damn.’
Lincoln accepted a crab claw that Bane was holding out to him, chuckling. He’d never met a girl like Grace before, but despite the inappropriateness of her comments, she had certainly lightened the mood of the room. And Ivyanne’s reference to him having a home, warmed his heart.
He was finally fitting in somewhere, and it felt good.
⁓
Ardhi waited until the last of the Londeree's and Loveridge’s had headed up the darkened beach, laughing and talking loudly with Lincoln- before he crept out of the shadows and scooted towards Ivyanne’s door.
His heart was racing and there was a wide smile stretching his face. Seeing Lincoln leave with the rest of the guests instead of lingering for a good-night kiss, or worse had given him that extra bit of hope he needed to do something that could very well risk his entire venture.
When he was standing at the door, he took a moment to center himself-breathing in and out-before raising his fist to knock.
Ivyanne answered a beat later, her expectant smile falling a fraction to see him there. But then she leaned against the doorway, and cocked her head questioningly.
‘Hey Ardhi...ugh I know I promised you we’d hang but I’ve just been so busy..’
‘I know.’ He said quickly. ‘I’ve been staying out of your way, not just because I’m not exactly thrilled about your engagement, but because I know you like alone time when you have projects going.’
She smiled. ‘You know me so well.’
‘I do. That’s what friends are for.’ He reached into his pocket and then presented the ring her, pleased at the way the light above the door made the paua shell glitter. ‘And I want this to symbolize that-our friendship. If you have to wear his ring on that hand, please wear this on the other, so I know you won’t forget me when you’re an old married bird.’
Ivyanne stared down at the ring, then lifted her eyes to his, her expression confused. ‘Ardhi...is this your way of telling me that you’re okay with this? Or your way of telling me that you want your ring on my hand, no matter what?’
Ardhi was surprised again by how quickly her shrewd mind worked. ‘It’s to symbolize our friendship,’ he said, taking her limp hand and sliding the ring onto her third finger. The inside of it was dark timber, carved and sanded perfectly smooth-and it slid easily to her knuckle with no resistance. But once it was in place, he retained his grip, and pulled her into him, whispering against her parted lips: ‘This is me telling you that that I want you, no matter what.’ He kissed her then, acting before she could pull away, clasping the back of her silken curls with his open palm and slanting his mouth against hers hungrily, joy exploding inside him like fireworks, sizzling his nerves as he tasted he
r, felt her-claimed her for his own.
But his initial bliss paled in comparison to when Ivyanne moaned-and kissed him back, grasping his face in both of her hands, stroking his tongue with hers wantonly. Ardhi trembled in response, feeling his blackened spirit soar and take flight-landing only when he felt the tears on his cheeks. Both of theirs, mingled. He pulled back, gasping to see Ivyanne looking as wide eyed.
‘You were right,’ he breathed, stepping back. ‘The man should act first-to prove the chemistry.’
Ivyanne looked dazed. ‘Ardhi, I-’
‘Ssh,’ he brought his finger to his lips and smiled, feeling giddy. ‘We have time, princess. I’ll let you get through this weekend, and play the happy bride-to-be, and I’ll even play along.’ He backed up another step. ‘But once these guests leave, and you can drop the pretense that he fulfills you the way you always dreamed of, I want you to think about what just happened, and how right it felt-then come to me.’
Before she could say another word, he turned and swept off, grinning.
All right Adele, he thought. Any time now.
⁓
Ivyanne reeled back from the door and shut it behind her, looking down at the ring on her clenched fist-the New Zealand crafted ring, judging by the paua, and letting out a silent sob as each and every piece began to shift from theory to fact in her mind.
She turned to Bane, dropping the hand, pressing it against her stomach. ‘Did you see…?’
Bane, who had been standing behind the door, asking questions about the best way to get onto Bracken unobserved in the daylight nodded, his skin devoid of its usual glow.
‘Ivyanne...he just pulled the pin on a grenade, you know. And he’s going to throw it at Link come Monday, if you can’t detonate it first.’
Ivyanne nodded, and then suddenly, was running for the kitchen sink, where she threw up her dinner, her joy, and her peace of mind.
⁓
No matter how many times Vana swam that week, it was never enough to take the edge off her anxiety. She made love to her husband twice a day, she dulled her senses with the occasional glass of champagne, and she swam until her fingers wrinkled even more and her scale line began to climb-but it just wasn’t enough.