by Munt, S. K
She giggled. ‘Yep. Only this future queen will be decreeing that I’m the only one who gets to enjoy your, uh, powers from hereon out.’
Tristan forced his face into a cringe. ‘Are you serious? Ivyanne you told me that I was still going to be single! If I’d known getting you into the sack would have put me on a leash I never would have agreed to it!’
Ivyanne’s mouth fell open. Tristan leaned forward and kissed her.
‘Kidding.’ He whispered, grinning. ‘Slip a collar round my neck and tie me to a bed. This mongrel is yours the moment you say the word.’
‘Jackass!’ Ivyanne squealed, getting her hands around her neck. ‘I actually believed you then!’
Tristan laughed, prying her hands free and kissing her palms. ‘That’s what you get for making me wait so damn long.’ He traced his finger over the outline of her shell necklace. He had recognised the designer the moment he’d seen it. ‘Gift from Ardhi?’
She looked down at it. ‘Yeah. Does it bother you?’
He shook his head. ‘No,’ he said. ‘But you should know-he was watching us last night. I don’t know how much he saw, but judging by his smile, it was probably only the part where you lost the plot at Lincoln and I.’
Ivyanne grimaced. ‘That would explain his good mood this morning. Dammit. I don’t know what’s going on in that head of his, but I can’t believe someone I thought was so normal could have such a sinister side.’ She pouted. ‘Now I have to deal with it, so it’s only going to get worse.’
‘How are you going to deal with it?’
‘By luring him back to Bracken where mum will be waiting with an ambush. We’ll send him off somewhere, where he can get some distance and have some alone time with his powers. Probably the Mediterranean, so it’s not a total drag for the poor guy.’ She ran her hands through her hair. ‘But still, the chances of our friendship recovering from this are like, nil.’
‘Because you have to punish him?’ Tristan asked. ‘Or because you just had sex with someone he abhors?’
Ivyanne cringed. ‘Both. Ugh. I hadn’t even thought about that second part.’ She turned to him, and her eyes were pleading. ‘Can we keep what just happened between us quiet? I mean, I’ll have to tell mum, and she’ll probably tell dad…. But if Ardhi finds out which line we’ve crossed before he’s gotten some distance, who knows what he’ll do?’
‘Fine. I can delay the group e-mail.’ He joked.
She slapped his shoulder playfully. ‘Thanks.’
‘Oh come on. As much as I’d love to brag that I just discovered heaven between the princess’s legs, I don’t see the news going over well with the more traditional Marked families, Ivyanne.’ He stroked her cheek. ‘If I’m going to be your king one day, then it’s my duty to protect you from scandal, not expose you to it. Especially seeing that I’m the one who led you to vice.’
‘Thank you.’ Ivyanne smiled gently. ‘I wish I could protect you too, but when dad finds out, you’re on your own.’ She wriggled her eyebrows. ‘The silver tongue that got me into bed is going to be worthless against his wrath. And we can’t really blame him for it. He didn’t want me near you because he was afraid you’d seduce me-and he was right!’
‘Men like being right. That’ll bring him some comfort.’ Tristan joked, but on the inside, he felt dread uncurl in his stomach. What was he going to do about Ash? Would the king resent him until the end of time? He couldn’t bear the thought of Ivyanne being torn between them. He cupped Ivyanne’s face. ‘I’ll just have to make you so happy that he grows to love me. It’ll take time, but it’ll be worth it.’
Ivyanne’s eyes searched his. ‘I hope you mean that. And I hope I’m worth it.’
‘You still doubt me?’
She smiled at him. ‘Ask me when I can think straight again. I’m still far too deep in the sex haze to assemble a logical thought.’
Tristan’s phone began to chirp. He reluctantly rolled over and glanced at the screen. ‘It’s a message from Pintang.’
‘She texts you?’ Ivyanne asked. ‘I didn’t know you two were that close.’
He glanced at her, wondering if his eyes betrayed his guilt. ‘We’re not. But uh, she’s kind of made it clear that she’d like to be a lot closer.’ Ivyanne’s eyes widened and Tristan rushed to add: ‘No she’s not trying to usurp you, princess. She’s just asked that I consider her for marriage if you don’t consider me.’
‘Oh.’ Ivyanne said coolly. ‘And would you? Consider her?’
Tristan swallowed. ‘I have. But don’t look at me like that. I’m under almost as much obligation to marry well as you are, remember? I don’t have feelings for her, but given how pissed her family was when I rejected Lumi, I figured giving Pintang a chance was the least I could do. And she’s a nice girl.’
‘True.’ Ivyanne muttered.
He grinned at her. ‘You’re jealous?’
Ivyanne sighed and rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling. ‘She’s got amazing eyes. I’d scratch them out of her head if I could. And she can cook. I wouldn’t have a clue how.’
Tristan chuckled at the idea of Ivyanne coveting another woman’s looks. ‘Hmm, you’re making a good case. Maybe I should consider her a lot more seriously.’
Ivyanne turned to glare at him.
‘But I won’t.’ He said quickly, with a wink. ‘In fact, do you need help trapping Ardhi tonight?’
Ivyanne laughed. ‘Because your presence will help?’ She shook her head. ‘Nope. He thinks I want to hang out, and he’s all too willing to escort me home.’
‘Okay. Then I might arrange to have dinner with Pintang, and let her down as gently as I can.’
Ivyanne’s eyes widened. ‘What are you going to tell her? What if she tells Ardhi?’
But Tristan shook his head. ‘I’ll just tell her that I’m in love with you, and that if I can’t have you- I‘m not going to be able to consider anyone else for decades.’ He stroked her hair. ‘If we hadn’t just made love, it would be true.’
‘Oh.’ Ivyanne blushed. ‘Wow.’
Tristan leaned over to grab his phone. The fact that Ivyanne hadn’t said ‘I love you’ back or declared them ‘official’ irked him, but he hadn’t expected her to yet. She’d given him enough for one day and if he was deserving, the rest would swiftly follow.
But as he scanned the message from Pintang, his good feelings abandoned him. ‘Oh.’ He swallowed. ‘Shit.’
He felt Ivyanne move beside him. ‘What?’
Tristan groaned and handed her the phone. ‘Read it yourself.’
Ivyanne took his iPhone. ‘Hey Tristan, I forgot to warn you yesterday to cover up your tattoo, or wear a hat, when you’re around Link. He saw mine, and asked about it, and I said it was a family thing because he put me on the spot. Ivyanne covers hers with her hair, and if he sees Ardhi’s that’s fine, because he knows my brother is here-but you don’t exactly look Indonesian. Just thought I’d give you a heads up.’
‘Wow? Link spotted her tattoo? I haven’t even seen it yet. Ardhi said she wore a watch over it.’ Ivyanne passed the phone back. ‘That’s not great, but it’s not a crisis. You and I are both leaving anyway.’
Tristan closed his eyes. ‘He saw mine. Yesterday.’
He heard Ivyanne suck in a breath. ‘What? When?’
‘When he came down to the beach. It was actually the first thing he mentioned.’ Tristan rolled over to face her. ‘And he asked what it meant.’
Ivyanne appeared to be holding her breath. ‘Please tell me you didn’t say it was a family thing too…?’
Tristan shook his head. ‘No. I said it meant stallion. Which is what started our argument over you.’ He sat up. ‘As much as I’d like to write this off as a coincidence Ivyanne, I’ve got a knot in my stomach. My tattoo is behind my ear, and it’s tiny.’ He pivoted his face to show her. ‘What if he only saw it because he was looking for it?’
Ivyanne’s hand covered her mouth for a moment. When she took it away she said. ‘Las
t night, when he was raging over the reasons we couldn’t be together, he said: ‘I’m sicking of you all lying to me!’ If he’d been talking about you and I, he would have said ‘you two’, right?’ She slapped her hand to her forehead. ‘And today, after I told him I was leaving, he screamed through the door that he’d work out my secret! I told him I was weird, not that I have a secret.’
Tristan’s heart sank. He’d worried about Lincoln’s objections to her strange lifestyle the night before, but he hadn’t lingered on it because he knew Ivyanne had given him a rough tale about her life the day of the incident at the coffee shop ‘Weird how? What cover story did you give him about us?’
‘Just that my family has old money and we travel helping people. That to keep the money in the family, we marry selectively and live private lives. That he wouldn’t understand the ties I have to my world.’
‘Yeah well if as Ivanna, you flat out refused to give him a number or address or an idea where you lived for ten years, then I’m not surprised that he smells a conspiracy with her little sister suffering the same affliction after the death of the first.’
Ivyanne groaned and got to her feet, pulling the throw with her. ‘I have to go.’
Tristan sat up. ‘To him? Ivyanne, you need to walk away! Your mum’s been tolerant this far, but if anyone finds out that he’s looking into our family, she’ll have to have him-’
‘Don’t say it.’ Ivyanne snapped. ‘This isn’t Lincoln’s fault. He will not lose his life over my weakness.’
Tristan frowned. ‘Nor can we risk our secrecy for your weakness Ivyanne.’
‘I know that.’ She raked her hands through her hair as she gazed around his bedroom floor for her clothes. ‘I have to go somewhere and think of a cover story where I won’t cross his path. Now. I don’t care if I have to tell him my father’s a goddamn spy or in witness protection-I can’t leave him with questions. It’s too dangerous. Once I think of something that covers all of us, I’ll let you know, and Pintang too. Then I’ll get Ardhi, and get the hell out of this bay!’ She located the swimsuit top he’d thrown off halfway through their love making and used it to hoist up her breasts, before grabbing the strapless top and zipping it up. ‘I just hope Pintang doesn’t have too many questions of her own. Ardhi would love a reason to kill Lincoln.’
‘Witness protection is good then.’ Tristan grudgingly agreed, impressed that she’d come up with a plausible solution so swiftly. ‘If he truly loves you, he won’t ask that you risk your life to be with him.’
‘Then let’s hope it’s more than infatuation. Because I don’t think I can Siren two decades worth of memories from his head without leaving him brain-dead.’ Ivyanne picked up her torn bikini briefs, frowned, then tossed them onto the ground. Then she buried her face in her hands. ‘Oh god...I hope Marcus hasn’t noticed him digging!’
‘Marcus won’t touch him. In fact, he’s pretty protective of his former protégé.’ Tristan reached into his bedside drawer and retrieved a yellow bikini, tossing her the lower half, trying not to look at her lower half. ‘Put these on.’ Ivyanne caught them and wrinkled her nose. He rolled his eyes. ‘The tags are still on them silly. I bought a set for my niece Grace- she’s obsessed with yellow-but I can always get her another pair. I have an oven mitt with the resort logo on it too for my sister, if that’ll help.’
‘Pass on the oven mitt, but thanks.’ Ivyanne instantly bent and began wiggling the briefs up her golden legs. ‘They fit! Wow, Grace must be growing up!’
‘That she is.’ Tristan propped himself onto one elbow and watched her dress herself. ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to come?’
‘No. I started it, I’ll finish it. You handle Pintang...gently, please. Jealous or not, she’s a nice girl, and I don’t want her hurt.’ Ivyanne peered out of one of the portholes. ‘Can I slip into the water from here unnoticed?’
‘Yeah....’ Tristan was reluctant for her to leave. He reached out, took her hand and squeezed it. ‘Please be careful, Ivyanne. Don’t get yourself in any deeper than you can get out of.’
‘Deep water I can handle,’ Ivyanne said, turning and kissing the back of his hand in a touchingly intimate gesture. ‘I’ll let you know how I go.’
Tristan felt butterflies in her stomach. Lying naked in his bed, wishing she wasn’t leaving his side for another man made him feel more vulnerable then he’d ever felt in his life. How many women had he made feel this way? ‘How will I find you? When should I come?’
Ivyanne paused to wink at him before opening his cabin door. ‘You’re a smart boy. You’ll work it out.’ And then she shut the door behind her.
Tristan grinned and sank back against his pillows.
27.
Ivyanne was surprised to find the treehouse a good three hundred meters away from where she had remembered it to be.
I’m getting old, she thought with a wry smile, pushing through the dense rainforest. She’d followed the official bushwalking track inland for a kilometer, knowing her own, foot- forged turn-off was down from it and to the left near a fallen tree-but now she realized that both the tree and the chicken track she was seeking had probably been absorbed by the rainforest years before.
Enough light from the waning moon filtered through the canopy to contrast the black and glistening leaves from the deep mauve open spaces-but the path was covered in slick, wet leaves from the rain making it harder to follow.
Ivyanne wasn’t sweating-mermaids didn’t-instead, their skin grew prickly and dry-but she felt like she was suffocating again in the dense air. She’d thought that the swim back from Tristan's boat, followed by a quick shower and a change of clothes, would have kept her feeling refreshed for awhile-but no such luck-her fresh white sundress was damp from the wet leaves and her heels were already feeling raw. Bats screamed in the night, their flutter of wings as they flitted from tree to tree distracting her every time.
I really do need to get out in the world more, she thought, pulling out a water bottle and taking an uncharacteristic gulp, feeling suddenly uneasy, alone in the darkness. This used to be so easy!
After pacing back and forth near the roots of a fallen tree for a few minutes, Ivyanne realized that she’d found the right place-only the path was gone. She replaced the water bottle after a second drink, and using the moss covered tree as guide, hiked down the small but treacherous valley and up the other side, imagining all sorts of unseen creatures watching her- snakes and spiders, things she rarely had to worry about and wasn’t as cool-headed around as she would be a shark or manta ray. She climbed over another fallen tree and shuddered as something skittered across her hand, but she pressed on and up the steep incline which was bringing her to the uneven cliff face which bordered the small bay on the other side of Oyster point.
Finally, she spotted the mouth of the cave she was looking for, yawning and pitch black against the silvery rocks which supported her old hide y-hole. As kids, she and Lincoln had loved going through it to get to the top-it had been such an adventure! But now she was relieved that there was an alternate route-up and over. Who knew what had nested in there over the course of ten years and now lay in wait in the dark? Ivyanne hadn’t thought to bring a flashlight. In fact she hadn’t thought at all. This had simply been the first place that had come to mind when she’d pictured a sanctuary, and she had headed for it without thinking.
Ivyanne blinked up at the fort dubiously. The first half of the dilapidated dwelling was nestled in the groove of a tree, the second sat flush against the boulders. So as long as she stayed in the area with the rock foundation, she shouldn’t have to worry about falling through the floor.
Ivyanne approached from the side and gingerly reached to feel around for loose rocks or bugs, but there were none. Using the tips of her fingers and the toes of her shoes, she quickly shimmied up the first massive boulder, then the second before suspending her weight on a branch of the tree and reaching for the timber siding of the fort with the other.
She got the raili
ng in her grasp and pulled on it gently, testing it’s strength. Convinced that it wasn’t ready to explode into a handful of dust and termites, she used it to pull herself across, ducking under it and between the gap of two short, vertical palings which made up part of the crude frame, and then scurried across the rough and gritty floor.
‘Well, that was an effort,’ she muttered to herself, dusting soil and cobwebs off her knees. She crossed to the left hand side of the old fort, taking the railing in her hands, amazed at how small and fragile it now seemed. The moon was huge but shy, drifting in and out of long, fast-moving clouds. Beneath it, the ocean was a vast expanse of blackness, curling around the entire edge of Seaview, it’s endless surface occasionally threaded with silver. Directly above her, low hanging branches and still more wet leaves pulled at her hair.
That’s how all of these problems will look to me twelve years from now, she thought, reaching up to bend a low branch back up and into the ones surrounding it to give her some head room before gazing back down at the bay. Small and fragile. Maybe by the time I’m fifty, or sixty, I will have forgotten Lincoln’s name.
Ivyanne chewed her lip, knowing that it would probably take longer than that. But the lip she chewed felt bruised, and the tenderness between her legs was smarting more after her strenuous hike-and they were so much more than simple aches. It was physical proof that she had been altered since her return to the Seaview. So how much more dramatically she would change after months with Tristan Loveridge?
Some branches were still tugging at her hot, heavy hair, so the took the length of it and twisted it into a thick rope before looping it into one large knot. Then, she closed her eyes, savoring the night breeze wafting over the nape of her exposed neck, remembering how she had lost control with Tristan, and why she’d allowed it.
I could have let him get protection. She mused. I could have even asked him to pull out when he was ready...so why didn’t I? I knew what it would mean. After all of my talk about needing time...did I want to be trapped?