by S. K Munt
‘Yes,’ Sahori said in her clear voice. ‘The men do not intimidate me, my queen.’
‘Please...call me Ivyanne.’ Ivyanne stepped up to the man on her other side. ‘Hey Camus!’
The older man nodded, his posture more lax than the others. He was Dalton’s father, so Ivyanne also knew him from her childhood vacations in Seaview. Like Garridan’s own dark golden hair, Camus’s nutmeg brown mop had been touched by grey and was shaggy and unkempt.
‘Pleasure to be here, Ivyanne.’
She smiled. ‘Has your wife come too?’
‘Yes,’ Garridan answered for him. ‘Although she’s staying at Abel Point, on our boat.’
‘That won’t do!’ Ivyanne said. ‘I’ll clear a room for you both here.’
‘Thank you, your... Ivyanne,’ Camus smiled, his deep green eyes shining gratefully.
‘No, thank you.’ Ivyanne moved on, finally reaching Lincoln. To her delight, he looked more uncomfortable than he’d ever looked before. She wanted to play on it, but beating around the bush would only disguise her anger. And she was angry.
‘What are you doing here?’ she demanded.
Lincoln’s eyes slid to hers. His stiff, military like posture was comic to the point where she wanted to stifle a giggle. ‘Protecting you, of course.’
Ivyanne frowned. ‘Did you forget that you also require protection?’
He smiled. ‘Then I can’t think of a safer place to be, then in the company of these fine folks.’
Ivyanne put her hands on her hips. ‘And the resort? Your mistress?’
Lincoln’s smile widened. ‘I’d have to be married to have a mistress….’ he winked at her. ‘But Bane’s being most helpful.’
She rolled her eyes. Bane! Of course. She brought a finger to his chest. ‘If you try going all Kevin Costner on me I swear to god I will-’
‘Kevin Costner left at the end of that movie,’ he said softly. ‘I won’t be going anywhere.’ Then he grinned. ‘Besides, he copped a bullet to the arm. Hardly fatal.’
Ivyanne exhaled heavily, shook her head at him, and moved on down the line, telling herself that she’d make Garridan assign Lincoln to the least compromising position possible. Like...pool-duty.
‘Price,’ she said in greeting to the next contender, stunned at how unlike to his fair brother Sven he looked. Price was all angles, his muscular frame hard-edged and deeply tanned, his nose slightly crooked, his eyes shaped like a fox, his smile, which was more like a grimace, lopsided. He looked as lethal as he was rumored to be, like a snake coiled to spring, and yet there was so much drama in his beauty that Ivyanne was slightly awed by his presence. He wore his dark hair long and down, and this shadowed him further. ‘I’ve heard that you’re the one to be wary of.’
Price raised a thick eyebrow. ‘You heard right, your majesty,’ he said softly. Then, his grey eyes flashed, reminding her of Ardhi. In fact, his intensity reminded her of Ardhi in many ways. Clearly, Price wasn’t the sort who liked to kick up his heels. ‘I will not let Ardhi within reach of you.’
Something about the way he said it, made Ivyanne believe him. ‘Well, I’ll sleep better knowing that, though I must admit, I probably slept better when there weren’t six extra people in the house that I felt responsible for.’ She pivoted to face Garridan. ‘They can leave whenever they want,’ she said. ‘There is no binding contract, okay? And I want them to be able to do what they like with their free time and weekends.’
‘I assumed you would,’ Garridan said.
‘Good.’ Ivyanne approached the final guard, hands on her hips. ‘Well, surprise, surprise! Should have known that you would have thrown your name into the hat.’ She crossed her arms. ‘Question is, how many times?’
Tristan’s perfect lips twitched. ‘Three, your majesty.’ He bowed dramatically. ‘I heard there was a noble, breathtaking beautiful young queen out there, who required my protective services, and I knew the moment I saw a picture of you, that I would lay down my life for a maiden so fair-’
Ivyanne smacked him on the head. ‘Knock it off!’ she snapped, although she couldn’t fight the smile threatening to shatter her frown, and when she looked behind her down the line, three more faces were clearly struggling to do the same. Lincoln and Sahori of course, were stone-faced.
Tristan radiated excitement. ‘Yes, you should have known,’ he said in a voice so intense that it raised goosebumps on her arms. ‘I’d never miss this.’
‘I thought you were mad at me.’ she reminded him.
‘Oh-I am.’ A wicked smile lit up his face. ‘But I won’t let Ardhi deprive me of the right to strangle you myself.’
‘Now come on!’ Lincoln groaned. ‘If I have to listen to this for a couple of months, I’ll kill myself.’
‘Yes, quite,’ Garridan grumbled. ‘Tristan, keep it professional.’
‘Yes sir,’ Tristan saluted his uncle.
Ivyanne turned away, shaking her head and wanting to stomp Garridan’s foot. Instead of getting the space she needed, she was going to be locked in her own house with both suitors constantly. She was anxious enough about having Sahori and Tristan in the same region, but to have them working side by side while Lincoln looked on, gauging her reaction to it, as he would, was the stuff of nightmares!
They can’t get away with this! She thought, trying to hide her panic behind a mask of calm. There needs to be some boundaries here!
‘So!’ Garridan clapped his hands together. ‘There you have it, Ivyanne. Your guard. What do you think?’
‘It’s impressive,’ Ivyanne pivoted, trying to include them all in her gaze. ‘Wherever my parents are, I’m sure they’re resting easier already.’ But then Ivyanne smiled as something occurred to her. ‘However Garridan, I’d like to have a say in how this will be conducted, if you don’t mind.’
He shrugged. ‘Let’s hear it.’
Ivyanne smiled. ‘Sleeping arrangements,’ she said softly. ‘The guest house accommodates only four, doesn’t it?’
‘Two to a bedroom,’ Garridan said. ‘Given that Lincoln and Tristan already have allocated rooms within the house-and there is one still in here to spare-’
‘Well, we’ll change that,’ Ivyanne said. ‘I’d hate to show favoritism.’ She smiled sweetly at Camus. ‘Camus can have Tristan’s room-it’s bigger, so when his wife comes, they’ll be much more comfortable.’ She turned to Sahori. ‘And being the only girl, I think Sahori would be much more comfortable in the spare room upstairs as well-we can leave Link’s vacant for any future visitors.’ She waved to the others. ‘Tristan and Lincoln know each other well, so they’ll be best off sharing a room in the guest house, and as Price and Lachy are cousins, they can share the other.’
Tristan’s face went beet red. It was the first time Ivyanne had ever seen him come undone in a non life or death or romantic situation.
‘But-’ he spluttered. ‘I’m already-’
‘One of the guest rooms has a desk at the end of each bed,’ Ivyanne smiled sweetly. ‘You’ll both be able to conduct your business there, when you’re off duty.’ She looked back at Garridan. ‘And for that reason alone, I’d like them on separate shifts, to give them each time to do so, without interrupting the other-or should I say, getting in each other’s way.’
Garridan didn’t try to hide his grin. ‘You’re very wise Ivyanne. And quick.’ He winked at her. ‘Any suggestions as to who else you’d like in each party?’
Ivyanne nodded. ‘Camus and Tristan, with Lachlan on one,’ Ivyanne turned her benevolent smile on Lincoln. ‘Link, Sahori and Price on the other. Do you agree?’
‘My idea exactly.’ Garridan conceded. ‘Everyone will get alone time in their room. It’s perfect.’
Ivyanne smiled, exultant, resting her smile on Tristan’s face, before including Lincoln. ‘Exactly. Because some of them are really going to need it.’ Ivyanne wriggled her fingers. ‘Thanks guys. Hope you have a productive day!’
When she exited the room, it was the first time she
truly felt superior to either man -because now they knew she was smarter then both of them.
*
‘This is bull,’ Tristan said later that night, tossing his carry-all under the desk in the guest room. ‘Man, these beds are for kids.’
Lincoln was reclined on his, staring at the ceiling pensively. ‘It’s not so bad.’
‘You only say that because you’re not used to sleeping in the kind of beds that I’m used to sleeping in.’
‘If by that you mean seedy hotel rooms with equally seedy girls then no, I suppose I’m not.’
Tristan straightened, glaring at him. ‘I don’t do seedy,’ he said. ‘Before Ivyanne came along, Adele was as good as you got. Whereas for me, she was near the bottom of the rung.’
Lincoln chuckled. ‘I’ll be sure to tell her you said that.’
‘Don’t you dare,’ Tristan said. ‘Besides, she wouldn’t believe you anyway. She’s team Tristan now.’
‘I noticed.’ Lincoln rolled onto his side, staring at him. ‘Did you sleep with her?’
Tristan frowned. ‘Haven’t we gone over this? As hard as that big manly slap of yours was that night you two burst into my room, it hardly messed with my long-term memory.’
Lincoln rolled his eyes. ‘Not then-after. In Norfolk.’
Tristan sat down on his bed. ‘It’d give you a thrill to think I did, wouldn’t it?’ he asked, playing the Devil’s advocate. ‘How far you’ve come!’
Lincoln glared at him. ‘Just answer the question.’
Tristan looked him dead in the eye. ‘No.’
Lincoln hoisted his brow. ‘Did she try?’
‘Yes.’
‘So why didn’t you?’
‘Because I was in love with somebody else. And at that point, Adele was still the crazy bitch who’d helped plot my murder.’
Lincoln sighed. ‘Did you want to?’
Tristan shrugged. ‘Adele’s beautiful, but that’s not enough, I guess, not compared to Ivyanne. I came to respect and like her, don’t get me wrong-I actually value her as a friend now.’ He looked down at his hands. ‘But I can’t muster up that level of passion for anyone else right now.’ He looked up at Lincoln. ‘Your turn.’
‘For what?’
‘Twenty questions…’ Tristan said smoothly. ‘Lux and that Sherri chick…. did you really get into a hot tub with them?’
Lincoln winced. ‘Yeah…’ he sighed. ‘But I didn’t realize where it was going until…..’ he blushed and stopped talking.
‘Did you want to?’ Tristan asked.
Lincoln shrugged. ‘If I could have closed my eyes and pretended they were Ivyanne, probably, yeah. But I couldn’t.’ He fixed his gaze on Tristan. ‘And that’s the truth, in case you’re doubting my sincerity.’
‘Not for a moment.’ Tristan cocked his head. ‘What about when I came back?’ he asked. ‘How did that make you feel?’
Lincoln smiled. ‘Elated, believe it or not. I missed that overrated mug of yours.’ He scowled. ‘But then I saw the way she looked at you...’ he sat up, expression darkening. ‘That night, when she found you...I’m almost afraid to ask…’
‘Yes. We did. Kiss that is.’
Lincoln sighed, flicking a lock of hair out of his eyes. It was growing too rapidly to be kept tidy now. ‘Is that all?’
‘Yes. Believe it or not, we both more worried about you than anything.’
That thought didn’t seem to cheer Lincoln at all. ‘It was our engagement party, but you made that seem insignificant to her, just by being there.’ He ran his hand through his hair, looking anxious and devastated. ‘Wow. That burns.’
Tristan sighed. ‘Yeah well, the significance of my return faded off pretty damn fast, didn’t it? I mean, you know I’ve been ordered not to kiss her, don’t you?’
Lincoln’s eyes lit up. ‘Really? When?’
‘The second I got here the other day.’
Lincoln’s grin regenerated his previously slackened face. ‘Well... there you go,’ he shifted back against the wall, folding his arms behind his head. ‘Interesting…’
Tristan felt like he’d been kicked in the guts. ‘You’ve kissed her since then, haven’t you?’
Lincoln met his gaze. ‘Just once, that first night,’ he said. ‘But no, I haven’t been ordered away, if that’s what you’re asking.’
Tristan deflated. ‘Well…. the hare is off and racing.’
‘Huh?’
‘Never mind.’ Tristan moved back, so that he was resting lightly against the window by his bed, mulling it all over. ‘Who do you think she’s going to choose?’
Lincoln lay back on his own bed. ‘Me.’
‘Why?’
‘Because I know what it was like when you were gone-she was moving on, and she was happy. I know she’s attracted to you and that pisses me off, but at the end of the day-it’s always me she returns to.’ He glanced at Tristan. ‘You’re smug because you got her into bed at twenty eight but guess what? I turned her down twelve years before that. Ivyanne knows which of us is the white knight, and which is the one she needs to get out of her system.’
Tristan felt his heart sink. Lincoln sounded so damn sure of himself, and the fact that they’d had an actual relationship gave Lincoln yet another advantage. ‘This is quite the game of truth, isn’t it? I feel like we should be wearing pink pajamas and daring each other to call boys.’
Lincoln laughed, the sound breaking the tension in the room. ‘Let’s do it!’ he said with a gleeful smile. ‘Let’s prank call Garridan-we have his number. If we do it from the phone out in the lounge-he’ll never know. They’re all private.’
Tristan got to his feet. He was desperate to be distracted from his own thoughts. ‘I am so in on that! Which call?’
*
‘...Yes well I’ll rest easier this weekend knowing everyone in danger is under one roof,’ Garridan was saying on Wednesday night as Ivyanne scribbled away in her notebook, needing to get some work done but wanting to be close enough to her family and friends as they got to know each other.
‘And how is that possible?’ Camus asked.
‘Lincoln’s fumigating the resort, so they all need somewhere to crash. I suggested here, and Ivyanne very graciously agreed.’
‘Who’s they?’
‘Bane and Grace Londeree, that new mermaid, Adele, who I still want to quiz more about her time with Ardhi, Marcus and of course, your son is coming up too, as planned.’
‘Terrific.’ Camus said. ‘I’d like to meet the Londeree kids. I’ve never had the pleasure.’
Ivyanne groaned silently, suddenly realizing that she’d have to watch Grace shadow Lincoln like a devoted puppy for forty-eight hours straight while Tristan probably cheered her on.
‘They’re great. And I’m getting the fencing people in to the resort at the same time-it will take another week to get the cameras up and running, but after that, I’ll feel a lot better about The Seaview and it’s occupants.’
‘So where do you think Ardhi will target?’
‘The resort, unfortunately, which is why I can’t have Ivyanne there. If he knew where she was, she’d be his focus, but if he gets frustrated trying to find her...I don’t want him lashing-hang on, I think the phone is ringing.’ Garridan shuffled past her, his bare feet under the cuffs of his faded blue jeans crossing her vision as he moved towards the little security room at the front of the house.
Ivyanne was curious as to who could be ringing her-but was too consumed by her work to actually answer it herself. Saraya had provided her a list of all of the Marked family members and their ages, and Ivyanne was going through it, making a second list-of the ones she needed to write to and release from their obligations.
She paused in her work, glancing up and around, drinking in the sight of her loved ones, and the ones who were willing to lay down their lives for her as they enjoyed the amazing home she’d yet to enjoy herself. Sahori, Saraya and Pintang outside in the pool, splashing up a storm and gas-bagging about th
e human boy, Dallas they’d trifled with, Garridan and Camus having a glass of whiskey and discussing tactics for flushing Ardhi out of wherever he was hiding (God did Garridan think about ANYTHING but work? ) and Price and Lachlan lying on the thick fur mat half a room away, discussing a superhero movie like it was the most vital thing in cinematic history.
She didn’t know what Tristan and Lincoln were doing, but they were staying out of her hair, and that was all she could ask for.
At that moment Garridan walked in from the alfresco room, ‘Just some punk kids…’ he said.
‘What?’ Ivyanne asked, looking up.
Garridan made a face as he crossed the room once more and settled back across form Camus. That’s when she noticed that they’d set up a chess board between them, but had been so busy talking that only one pawn had been moved. ‘That was the weirdest phone call. They asked if my refrigerator was running. When I said yes, the guy said I should go catch it, and then hung up while laughing.’
Ivyanne let out a delicate snort. ‘Young guys can be morons,’ she said, thinking of Lincoln and Tristan and their most recent offenses.
‘Yeah... best bet is usually to go for the oldest one,’ Garridan said, giving her an uncharacteristic wink. ‘Twenty years can be the difference between a boy and a man, Ivyanne.’
Tristan. He was talking about Tristan. Ivyanne had been waiting for Garridan to throw his hat into the ring on his nephews behalf, but for three weeks, he had restrained himself. Obviously, the scotch was doing it’s job- loosening both his mood and his tongue.
‘So three hundred years must be a super-human advantage, right? Naw Garridan, if you want to marry me... just ask.’
Garridan snorted and Camus laughed.
‘Why?’ Garridan joked. ‘By the time you make up your mind, both boys will be approaching their three hundredth birthday’s anyway, won’t they, your highness?’
Ivyanne raised an eyebrow, lifted her hand and stared at Garridan’s whisky glass. When it slapped into her palm, some of the amber liquid spilling over the side and dribbling down her wrist, she was just as surprised as Garridan clearly was. It had worked! She had controlled it! But she tried to hide her joy behind a façade of nonchalance.