The Marked Ones (Fairytail Saga)

by Munt, S. K

  It was an intriguing idea, to think that one’s self conscious could have an agenda that even it wasn’t aware of. But Tristan had given her the escape from herself that she needed. How long before that need turned to dependance? Dependance, to trust? And trust to love? Or was she in love with him already? At least to the capacity that she could be, anyway, while nursing a broken heart.

  But could it be like the love I had for Link? She wondered, unable to steer around the thought now that she was here, in their place. Earlier that afternoon she’d believed herself to be home free-she’d stabbed herself in the heart then taken Lincoln out with the same knife, praying that he’d be too upset with her to get in her face again before she vacated in the morning. But now, she had to find him and explain the tattoos before he could jump to a weird conclusion and spend another ten years obsessing about a Court girl.

  The idea of facing him so quickly after having given herself to another man made her heart sink. She was glad she had slept with Tristan-she already felt so much closer to him...as well as being completely in awe-but the fact that she’d had to force herself to sleep with the best looking man in the world to get over someone else still spoke volumes about her conflicted little heart. A tear slipped out of her eye, and she angrily brushed it away.

  Ivyanne dropped her gaze to the railing. The light was dim, but she was able to make out the spot where Lincoln had once carved her name into the wood, enclosed within a love heart. She traced her finger over the ‘I’, smiling to herself. Lincoln was a beautiful man, but he wasn’t from her world, and he never could be. Dilemma resolved. Now, she just had to think up a really good running-from-the-mob story to quench his curiosity, and her life could finally begin.

  But then her finger hit an unfamiliar notch, and her hand stopped. At first, she assumed that someone had crossed it out-maybe even Lincoln when she had never returned. But as she bent and peered down, her breath escaped from her lungs with a whoosh. Someone had scratched a Y after the ‘V’ and an E after the ‘A’. Ivyanne, her current name, not one that belonged in that place, from that time.

  ‘I wasn’t sure if you’d ever see it.’ A deep voice said from behind her. ‘I thought maybe I was crazy for even writing it to begin with-but I guess your being here proves just how sane I am.’

  Ivyanne desperately didn’t want to turn around. As her forcefield of lies crumbled all around her, she contemplated simply vaulting herself over the side of the railing and into the ocean below.

  ‘You’re going to have to say something,’ Lincoln continued. ‘This isn’t an issue you can deflect by blaming your zany family, Ivanna. Nice tattoo, by the way. Though I’ve got to say, not very creative-I’ve noticed a few just like it lately.’

  Ivyanne slowly turned around, heart in her throat. He knew she was the girl from his past. A married to the mob story wasn’t going to cover her ass now. Her hands clenched together-she hadn’t anticipated this. ‘How many?’ she asked quietly.

  ‘More than you might have realized, by now.’ Lincoln’s face was illuminated by the pearly glow of the moon, but barely recognizable, so shadowed were his features with fury. He uncurled his long body from the deepest, darkest corner and stood, snapping a branch off and tossing it over the edge to clear a path. ‘It wasn’t too hard. I just focused on the people you seem to have instantly bonded with....’

  Ivyanne didn’t know who was in deeper trouble-him or her. ‘You haven’t said anything to anyone have you?’

  ‘No. I knew I was onto something I probably wasn’t supposed to know, so I was pretty sly about investigating.’ He laughed without humor. ‘I’ve had a busy few days, as you can imagine.’

  Ivyanne regarded him seriously. ‘What do you plan on doing with the information?’

  He raised his dark eyebrows. ‘Why? Is it valuable.’

  ‘Worth more than your life, to some people.’ Ivyanne said sharply.

  He flinched. ‘Even to you?’

  ‘Especially to me.’

  ‘I knew it!’ He pushed a floppy lock of dark hair out of his eyes. ‘Let me guess.... it’s a big cult right? Your mum and dad are the leaders, and you’ve been groomed to take over your entire life. But this isn’t some kool-aid drinking commune where just anybody can join in to worship the goat-god, right? It’s some serious shit.’

  ‘Close enough,’ she said quickly, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. ‘And now that you know, you have to pretend that you don’t.’

  ‘Why?’ he asked, a hard look on his face as he took a step closer. Now that her eyes were adjusting, the return of his youth and beauty stood out more than before. His eyes shone, his lips flushed with color like he had just bitten them, the smooth angles of his cheekbones and jaw begging to be sketched by some artist obsessing over the meaning of ‘tall, dark and handsome.’

  ‘Actually not why, but how?’ He demanded. ‘How can you honestly expect to just drag me into the very centre of your insane life then toss me out without so much as a clue to who you actually are, Ivanna?’

  Ivyanne turned her face away from him, blinking back tears. ‘Don’t call me that!’ she whispered. ‘That’s not my name!’

  Hands were on her shoulders, and she felt him give her a quick shake. ‘No it’s not. It’s your alias, isn’t it? Ivyanne, if everything we’ve been through since we were kids wasn’t just a farce, you owe it to me to tell me why you look closer to thirteen then thirty. And not in a: ‘Oh my! You’ve aged so well way!’ but in a black magic, blood-sucking way... with a tan.’

  ‘Fine!’ Ivyanne huffed. ‘We’re daylight vampires, all right? The jig is up.’

  ‘Don’t be a smart arse!’ He snapped. ‘If I wasn’t so damn grateful that my Ivanna didn’t die, I probably would have strangled you for lying to me by now!’

  ‘You’d better be strong enough to strangle me for at least twenty minutes Link!’ She snapped. Then her hand flew to her mouth as she realized how severely she’d misspoken. But she couldn’t help it-her kind were not the type to swoon helplessly at masculine threats.

  Lincoln raised a dark eyebrow. ‘Now it comes out!’ he gripped her shoulders tighter. ‘That wasn’t a girl power thing-you meant it! So you’re tolerant to suffocation, huh?’ He crossed his arms, leaned against the opposite railing, and frowned, as though deep in thought. ‘You’re strong. But you get sore feet easily-which seem magically better after a dip in the ocean-which you do frequently, and always have. In fact-a lot of my staff always have. And never in the flagged zones either-y’all seem to go way out.’ He tapped his lower lip. ‘But you avoid chlorine, don’t drink, don’t age...and from the look of your resume, and Aubrielle’s and Remi’s and Pintang's ...you’ve all taken an active interest in environmental issues.’

  Ivyanne’s nails dug into the flesh of her upper arms as her heart sank. She had nothing to say.

  ‘Yes Ivyanne...I’ve been working hard these past few days.’ Lincoln said, a twitch of pride puling at the corner of his lips. ‘You saved me from drowning when we were kids-I was out there because of a riptide-but what the hell was an incredibly overprotected girl doing beyond the shark nets by herself?‘

  Oh my god......Ivyanne felt like she was going to black out. He’d missed nothing.

  ‘I’m a strong swimmer,’ she whispered feebly.

  ‘Oh I know. And from what I saw earlier this afternoon, you come in from your swim, shedding scales like a fish or a-’ He stopped there, taking a step closer. ‘Am I warm?’

  Ivyanne had to clench onto the railing to stop herself from falling over in shock. ‘Shut up! You have no idea what you’re talking about and if you don’t let this go-’

  But Lincoln reached out and cupped her chin, tilting her face to his. ‘My mermaid....’ he said, with reverence. ‘That’s what I always called you, because of the way you appeared that first day we met and saved me from drowning...’ He slid the other hand around the back of her neck and tugged on the loop she’d made so that her curls cascaded down her shoulders. His p
upils appeared to dilate at that, his gaze softening as he caressed it. ‘This hair...I used to bury my face in this hair!’ The intensity came back into his expression. ‘But you lied to me! How could you let me think you were dead? Couldn’t you see how it killed me? Do you have no conscience?!’

  ‘I had to lie!’ Tears sprung into Ivyanne’s eyes. ‘Your life was in danger if I didn’t!’

  ‘Why?!’ He demanded. He shook her slightly once more. ‘Tell me why now! You owe it to me!’

  Ivyanne felt like she was going to be sick.

  ‘Mermaids exist, and you’re one of them.’ Lincoln said now, still holding her face in place. ‘Ivyanne I know I’m right, and if what you said about my life being at risk is accurate.... then be honest with me now.’ He pulled up to his full height, looming over her and said quietly: ‘If you’re going to kill me, I want to know what secret my death is protecting first.’

  Ivyanne looked away, wiping the tears from her face. Mermaids had been spotted before and they’d always handled it. However, this was so much more than a glimpse from the bow of a ship, or a near-death encounter when the rescuer was never seen again... this was a sane, sober man, coming to a deduction based on a series of events that could not be explained any other way. ‘I can’t kill you Lincoln.’ She said softly. ‘You know that. But there are others who would.’

  ‘Then I’ll die.’ The anger was gone from Lincoln’s’ voice now. ‘I love you. I always have. Just please tell me…’ His voice caught. ‘Did you ever care for me at all?’

  Ivyanne heart burst into a million fragments and she wiped at her tears, collecting herself. What was right or wrong no longer mattered. It was time to sink, or swim.

  28.

  Ardhi was so nervous about his meeting with Ivyanne that he couldn’t think of anything to do to pass the restless hours but swim. Around Oyster point he went, then up to the Cape, then back down to the mouth of Settler’s River-the gateway to River City. Three o’clock came and went, then four. Then five. His limbs began to burn, but not with exhaustion. The salinity of the water was charging him, making him feel bloated and swollen with power. The sky above was a clear shade of fuchsia, painted by the setting sun, and his mood so grand that he couldn’t imagine seeing a stormy sky again.

  By the time he was almost back to the resort, night had fallen. The boats in the marina bobbed quietly, peacefully. Lights shone within some, others were dark, kept there only as playthings. Ardhi was contemplating going up to the yacht club and seeing Dalton, just to have something to do, when a fresh energy rippled through him. He turned, glaring at the dock. The presence was strong. Mer, for sure. He swum closer.

  ‘Sorry I can’t give you a ride at the moment man. I’ll drop off your bags later though.’

  ‘Thanks Dalton. I’m sure I can find the resort easily enough.’

  Ardhi watched in astonishment as Bane Londeree bounced out of the yacht club and stood for a moment in a pool of light near the door, looking down the beach. Ardhi was so frazzled by the sight of the one person he’d actually banked on staying out of his way that his skin shivered, scales dissolving instantly as his ‘fight’ reflex overshadowed ‘flight.’

  ‘What are you doing here?’

  Bane’s head whipped around, his long braided hair flying, his eyes scanning the water around Ardhi vacantly. ‘Who was that?’

  Ardhi stroked to the rocks bordering the marina until he was standing waist deep in the shallows. ‘The only person who should be here.’

  ‘Oh. Ardhi.’ Bane’s usually immovable smile vanished at the sight of him. ‘I heard you’ve been acting like the princess is a tree you’ve pissed on. Wasn’t expecting a welcome wagon though!’

  ‘Ha!’ Ardhi crossed his arms and glowered at the hawaiian boy. But before he continued he paused, and looked around. A breeze was wafting through the marina, and strangely, a trace of Ivyanne’s scent was within it. Then he realized she could have visited Dalton to farewell him any time that afternoon, and turned back to Bane. ‘Your uncle’s already worn out the welcome due to your side of the family. You won’t be getting an Aloha out of me.’

  ‘Nor did I expect one.’ Bane sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. ‘Look, I’m from one of the most monsoonal places on earth, so don’t think the threat of your bad weather juju is going to frighten me off.’

  Ardhi scowled at him. ‘You heard about that?’

  Bane’s skin was darker than Ardhi’s, and so when he smiled, his teeth blazed in the night. ‘We’re mermaids, Ardhi. We have rules to abide by-keep our secret, protect the environment...and gossip about those who do anything remotely news-worthy.’ His grin widened. ‘I think there’s something about breeding well in there too, but it might be towards the back of the manual.’

  Ardhi rolled his eyes. ‘Yeah well, Ivyanne’s breeding is going to be a non-issue after tonight. She’s leaving here, and she’s asked me to go with her.’ He smiled triumphantly. ‘You’re too late.’

  ‘Well I’m Hawaiian. We rush after surf, not women.’

  Ardhi opened his mouth to reply, but then there it was again-Ivyanne’s scent. He looked around him, and frowned. He could feel her energy too-lots of it.

  ‘You okay there Ardhi?’

  ‘I can sense Ivyanne. Maybe she’s swimming nearby….’ He murmured, thinking he better lay off insulting Bane on the off chance that Ivyanne was listening.

  ‘Well, that’s kind of disturbing.’ Bane was wearing a feminine looking leather shoulder bag which he hoisted up his arm. ‘As much as I’ve enjoyed our reunion-I have a marked Son party to RSVP to before she rushes off in the sunset with you.’

  Ardhi waved his arm towards the resort. ‘Well you’re as entitled as I...apparently. If you find her, by all means, try and talk some sense out of her. I’m not worried.’

  ‘That’s the spirit!’

  Ardhi pushed backwards off the rock and rolled his eyes. Two minutes of Bane’s wit and Ivyanne would run to Ardhi’s arms!

  ‘Hey. I thought Tristan was staying at the resort.’

  Ardhi glanced up at Bane, who had halted after a few steps. ‘He is. He’s been staining that place for almost a week.’

  ‘Then why does he have a boat here?’

  Ardhi glanced around him. Dozens of boats were nestled together in the marina. ‘He doesn’t.’

  ‘Yes he does-he called dad for a recommendation before buying a princess yacht last week. That princess yacht.’

  Ardhi turned in the direction Bane was pointing, and frowned at the sleek, white vessel a few moorings away. He was about to object-Pintang hadn’t mentioned anything about a boat-when he saw the lettering on the side of the boat: Nigara’s Legacy. The mere action of reading the title opened a door inside Ardhi and suddenly, Ivyanne’s energy hit him full force, as though the boat itself were the source of it. He vaulted himself out of the water, scrambled up the rocks and marched past Bane, not caring that he didn’t have a stitch on.

  ‘Whoa-what are you doing?’ Bane demanded. ‘Someone might see you!’

  Ardhi said nothing and headed down the damp planks of the dock, feeling a strange pressure behind his eyes as he drew closer to Tristan’s boat. He was hoping against hope that he was about to catch sight of Ivyanne sending Tristan away, and yet intuition told him that wasn’t the case. It was almost six. Pintang had said Ivyanne and Tristan were meeting at four. Her presence should have been long gone.

  The boat was unlit and silent. Ardhi grabbed the chrome rail and swung up onto the outer deck.

  ‘Ardhi!’ Bane called out, losing his composure. ‘What are you doing? You’re gonna get arrested! Kananapaki! ’

  Yeah, for murder, Ardhi thought, glancing around the deck. The idea that Tristan had lured Ivyanne away from the resort to such a private dwelling struck a negative chord inside him. What if he’d kissed her? Pawed at her, trying to talk her around? He stomped through the doors of the cabin, glaring around him like a frenzied bull seeking the matador as his hand swept over the w
all. He located a light switch instantly and flicked it, illuminating the room. The shiny white furniture and glass twelve seater dining table reeked of wasted wealth.

  ‘Dude this is seriously trespassing.’ Bane announced, arriving behind him.

  ‘Yeah well If that uncle of yours tried anything on Ivyanne I’m going to trespass over his face!’ He saw the bedroom at the opposite end of the room, and stalked towards it, kicking it open, almost afraid to look at what lay behind it.

  However, no one was there. But the feeling of Ivyanne was everywhere.

  ‘No one’s here, okay?’ Bane’s voice was suddenly right behind him. ‘Can we just go?’

  ‘Not yet,’ Ardhi said, spotting a discarded piece of cloth on the floor and kicking it. Bathing suit bottoms-torn ones. His mouth went dry.

  ‘Don’t jump to any crazy conclusions.’ Bane came to a halt beside him. ‘For all you know-’ Bane fell silent when his eyes landed on the disheveled bedclothes at the same time as Ardhi’s did. A bloodstain marred one of the white sheets.

  ‘Oh….dude!’ Bane bemoaned.

  The sheet-the entire room in fact-turned scarlet to Ardhi’s vision. Instantly he was hit by a wall of grief, loss and white-hot anger. What had Ivyanne done? Who was she now, that she could even consider such a course of action?

  It’s the humans! A voice inside his voice raged. You saw how she reacted to that Lincoln guy! It’s his influence! She couldn’t do it with him so she went for the easiest mer option-bloody Loveridge!

  He walked over to the opposite wall, where a large plasma television had been fixed across from the table and with little effort, wrenched it free of it’s fixings, lifted it above his head, and then brought it down on the table top-the glass instantly shattering and flying in all directions with a resounding smash that instantly soothed the edges of his anger.

  ‘That’s it!’ He managed to rasp, more to himself then to Bane. ‘I’ve had it! This ends tonight.’ A boom of thunder punctuated his sentence for him. And when he turned around, he found the boat deserted. Bane Londeree had already fled.