by S. K Munt
Arundel met her gaze and winked knowingly. ‘No.’ She said. ‘He’s been waiting a long time Ivyanne. And he’ll be there when you’re ready. That I can hear from here.’
Every cell in Ivyanne’s body relaxed.
19.
Ardhi was making a pass from the room he was sharing with Dallas to the bathroom on Monday evening, when he caught a snatch of conversation drifting down the hall. He’d come to a halt when he encountered the locked door and heard the shower running from inside. Now he stood, tucked into the small alcove, listening with great interest.
‘... Guys I’m telling you-he is genuinely a nice guy,’ Callum was whispering. ‘It’s easy to judge someone for certain things they’ve done in the past... but in the end, it comes down to character. And this guy has it in spades.’
Ardhi paused, raising an eyebrow. He hadn’t heard Callum come in from work- in fact he’d barely seen Callum for eight days. Sometimes he actually got the feeling that Callum was taking on extra shifts to get out of the house. Not that Ardhi could blame him for that. Their posse was challenging, to say the least. Four new mermaids humping the air when they weren’t humping each other.
‘How can you be so sure?’ Loren’s asked quietly. ‘The things he’s done…’
‘Are all minor, when you think about the life he’s led. I know there are all sorts of crazy things I’d do for a girl-but the important thing is that he, and I, know where to draw the line. I don’t think I can say that for all involved.’
Ardhi frowned, realizing that Callum’s opinion of him was slightly more elevated than he deserved. As the moon grew larger, so did his desire for Ivyanne.
‘Ardhi’s a nice guy,’ Jade said, sticking up for him as well. ‘He’s done nothing around me that would make me doubt otherwise. Besides-he doesn’t want us to kill anybody-he’s only asked me to wait in the car with Sherri in case he needs an escape vehicle.’
‘When?’ Callum asked eagerly. ‘Did he say when this is going down?’
‘No.’ Jade said. ‘Why?
‘Well, I only spoke to this Tristan guy for a few minutes, but believe me when I say that by sticking to this plan-’
Ardhi jumped out of the alcove like a snake had bitten him. ‘Tristan?’ he asked quickly. ‘You saw him? You spoke to him?’
Callum’s head snapped up, and he paled. ‘Ardhi! Where did you come from?’
‘Toilet.’ Ardhi lied. ‘What happened with Tristan?’
Callum sighed. ‘I saw him downtown today... when I was handing out flyers on my break. I recognised him from the article in my busted window.’
‘And what? He was a jackass?’
Callum glanced at the others pointedly, then back at Ardhi. ‘Oh for sure. Completely arrogant. I can see why you hate him.’
‘This is amazing,’ Ardhi said. ‘What was he doing?’
Callum leaned back against the couch. ‘Buying a restaurant. For a girl named Pintang.’
Ardhi’s mouth fell open. ‘My sister? You saw her?’ He swooped over Callum. ‘How did she look?’
‘In love.’ Callum admitted. ‘Blissfully happy.’
‘But that’s crazy!’ Ardhi exclaimed. ‘Tristan and Pintang?!’
Callum eyed him. ‘Well she was all over him. And he definitely said it was for her. Does she cook?’
Ardhi’s heart was thumping. ‘Yes! She’s amazing at it!’ He flopped onto the couch, taking it all in. ‘Wow. This is... unprecedented.’
‘What’s going on?’
Ardhi whirled around to see Sherri emerge from the bathroom, her hair tucked into a cream towel that was probably destroyed now by her hair, which she’d bleached and dyed bright red, another towel wrapped around her middle.
‘Callum saw Tristan! He’s buying Pintang a restaurant!’
Sherri’s tinted eyebrows hit her hairline. ‘Really? He’s given up on Ivyanne? Ohmigosh! What are you going to do?’
Ardhi looked at her, and smiled. He was going to break Ivyanne’s heart by scaring off her only remaining option for happiness and make her see the error of her ways-the error of hurting him. A card he hadn’t been willing to play when Loveridge had still been waiting in the wings. ‘I’m going to tell Lincoln a little story…and then leave him alive and well to ponder it.’
Sherri squealed and flung herself into his arms, her grip tight. ‘You’re the best, Ardhi!’
‘Do you have any idea what they’re on about?’ Ardhi heard Jade ask.
‘Not a clue.’ Callum said softly. ‘But I’d like to.’
*
Ivyanne floated on her back in the cool blue water, flicking her tail lazily as she stared up at the pale blue sky above.
I miss being a princess, she thought, spotting a bunny rabbit-shaped cloud. I miss this being the only thing I needed to do a day.
Garridan and Ivor had escorted the girls out to the reef for a midday sail on Wednesday, leaving Arulen at home to guard the water and the men-folk dwelling inside. It was unusual, to be segregated that way, but the house had been a pressure cooker of sexual tension and testosterone since Monday-and for once, it was the moon’s fault, not Ivyanne's, and her suitors weren’t the only ones wreaking havoc. Price had flown into a fit of rage when he’d seen Adele and Lincoln swimming together (they’d only been discussing the resort-Ivyanne had been on a sun-lounger nearby) Sahori and Grace had gotten into a screaming match over a misplaced hairbrush, and even Camus and Garridan had gotten into a fight over the guard dogs exercise routine. The scrabble board had become a fixation in the house, only it caused as many arguments as it entertained. Things were falling apart, and Ivyanne couldn’t wait for the moon to start waning again and return some peace.
But then and there, in the ocean, the mood between the girls was serene as it was meant to be.
‘So... Sahori….’ Saraya drawled, coming up after a long submersion. ‘Am I crazy or were you and Lachlan playing footsie under the table the other night?’
Ivyanne’s ears perked up at that. ‘You were?’ She’d noticed Adele and Price paying each other attention-but she hadn’t spent much time with Sahori. Ivyanne breast-stroked in place. ‘What’s that about?’
Sahori smiled. ‘I have found a pleasant way to pass the time with Lachlan, yes. He is much fun to flirt with.’ She smirked at Ivyanne. ‘But he is not Marked, and I will not break a rule, your highness, so do not worry.’
Ivyanne was confused. ‘I thought...um I mean I heard that Tristan had asked…?’
‘Yes.’ Sahori said flatly. ‘But one cannot put much hope on such a conversation as I endured-he made it clear that he could not love me for a long time, if ever, should he be unfortunate enough to have to settle for me.’
‘What a proposal!’ Pintang laughed. ‘That’s even worse than mine.’
‘But more recent.’ Sahori pointed out, arching a brow. ‘And it was an offer I accepted readily.’
Pintang’s face darkened, and just like that, the tension was back.
Ivyanne made a face. ‘If it makes you feel better, I haven’t even gotten one.’
Joyce giggled. ‘And he thinks he knows women so well.’
‘He probably did, until he met me.’ Ivyanne lamented.
Saraya chuckled. ‘You brought this on yourself, you know. If you just went on and chose you could stop torturing yourself over what Mr Not-Quite-Right is going to do with his life afterwards.’
‘I would, if I knew,’ Ivyanne protested, stroking the blue-green surface of the water, picturing the two handsome merman. ‘You think I’m prolonging this on purpose?’
Saraya snorted. ‘Hmm... two hunky men chewing off their own arms and slapping each other with them to impress you? Gosh... why would you want to end that?’ She rolled her eyes. ‘Come on Ivyanne. I can see that they’re annoying the shit out of you-we all can. But deep down... you must be enjoying it... just a little. Personally, I couldn’t imagine cutting either loose myself. I would have propositioned them with a threesome a long time ago.’
Ivyanne laugh
ed. ‘It’s not like that,’ she assured them. ‘It’s just like... really great ice cream.’ She flicked her tail, propping herself up further out of the water. ‘You know when you go to Baskin Robins, and you can have as many flavors as you want? Sometimes you try new ones... but almost always, there’s at least two you love that just don’t go together in a banana split?’
‘Like rum and raisin, and apple sorbet,’ Joyce said quickly.
Ivyanne nodded. ‘Exactly. One’s sweet, one’s savory. And you end up standing there for the longest time, trying to pick which one you can go without…’ She shrugged. ‘That’s what this is like. When they’re together, they completely kill my appetite. But when I’m enjoying one…’ she sighed wistfully. ‘I can’t remember what the other tasted like.’ She pondered her own words. ‘All I do know for sure... is there’s a reason why I avoid Baskin Robbins whenever I’m near one. I went twenty eight years without digging out the spoon-and now look at me.’
‘I remember Tristan tasted quite lovely,’ Sahori said. ‘A sinful indulgence. You know it’s not as good for you, and yet you don’t care if it goes straight to your ass.’
Saraya burst out laughing. Ivyanne sluiced her arm through the water and showered both girls with a small tidal wave. They squealed and ducked under, and seconds later, Saraya slapped the water with her fins, sending up a geyser.
‘What’s going on up here?’ Adele demanded, surfacing. She slid her hair out of her eyes. ‘I can’t see the coral with you guys churning up the water!’
‘We were discussing men as ice-cream flavors.’ Sahori said promptly. ‘Ivyanne doesn’t know which one she craves the most.’
Adele looked at Ivyanne and smiled. ‘Oh honey... as much as I’ve wanted to kill you at times, and as fun as Price is... I get it.’ She smiled dreamily. ‘I used to take Lincoln for granted you know, but if he’d been more like he is now when we’d been together, I probably would have worked a little harder to keep him happy. I mean, he is looking good. And he’s got a bit of swagger going on…’
‘He’s getting hotter.’ Saraya agreed, her eyes twinkling. ‘I’m finding myself rooting for Tristan given that a single Lincoln would be eligible for me!’
It really got under Ivyanne’s skin to hear the other girls discussing the possibility of getting it on with her Lincoln. But Saraya was right-he would be the most eligible if she cut him loose being that he wasn’t Marked or her cousin. There would be a land-rush for him.
‘Being a mer becomes him. A lot.’ Ivyanne agreed. ‘Who knows who he’ll be in twenty years?’
Adele winked at her. ‘But that being said, Tristan is already so.…’
‘Delicious.’ Saraya said.
‘Bad for you in the best way.’ Sahori added.
‘Fattening.’ Adele chimed in. ‘A girl gains five kilos the moment he’s in!’
They all laughed uproariously at that. Ivyanne had to wipe tears out of her eyes.
‘I think it’s safe to say that whichever one you cut loose is going to be thrown to the wolves,’ Adele said, giggling. ‘And they probably won’t know what hit them-or mind after long.’
‘Which means, they will be okay.’ Saraya said. ‘You need to stop protecting them, and look out for yourself. I believe you can be attracted to both, even in love with both-but I don’t think both marriages would work when you’re looking over your shoulder for the other. One will keep you looking towards the future, Ivyanne. One will make you forget your doubts.’
Ivyanne smiled. ‘That was quite wise, Saraya. Poetic, even.’
‘It was?’ Saraya preened. ‘Why thank you.’
Ivyanne grinned. ‘But you’re still not getting into my ice cream parlor!’
Saraya squealed and splashed her, and a full-scale water-fight ensued.
*
Ardhi’s eyes were glazed after half an hour of trawling the internet on Thursday morning, looking for helpful information, and his cheeks were burning from blushing constantly. He’d started out his search by clicking on video links-but the loud, badly filmed and poorly acted scenes had taught him a valuable lesson-sex wasn’t something you could master by watching it. He needed to cast a wider net. He needed to make the precious moments he stole with Ivyanne count before he robbed her of both alternate happy endings and fled. Make her see that she’d lost her only true fairytale prince.
‘Hey Ardhi,’ Callum walked outside, lifting a cup of tea to his lips-he claimed that a ‘cuppa’ on the porch was his early morning ritual. An old John Farnham song was playing over the radio and drifted out after him, and Ardhi smiled.
Ardhi shut the computer quickly. ‘Hey.’ He said, squinting out at the rising sun, hoping the colors would deflect from his stained cheeks. ‘Good song.’
Callum smiled wryly. ‘You’d be too young to know this right?’
Ardhi smirked. ‘Got many jobs today?’
‘One half day cruise-I leave in about ten minutes.’ Callum said with a polite smile. ‘What are your plans?’
‘I’m going to be busy, planning the storming of a castle and all of that. The man who wants to buy the crown is probably getting impatient for it. And he’s not someone I want to keep waiting.’
‘Oh.’ Callum said. ‘Can I ask if he wants it so bad and has known of it for awhile...why doesn’t he just pinch it himself?’
‘Because he knows how manipulative and dangerous the Court women can be-And he’s terrified of them.’ It wasn’t a lie. Luca could barely hear Ivyanne’s surname mentioned without taking off in a sprint.
‘So he’s mer?’
Ardhi immediately realized his oversight. ‘Need to know mate, unless you fancy being tortured.’
‘Ahh. Right.’
‘So you’re planning on acting soon?’
Ardhi decided it was time to come clean. ‘Yeah actually, I’m thinking this weekend would be best. Possibly Saturday night-it seems like either Tristan or Lincoln take off on the weekends and security there becomes a bit more lax. If I’m to get in and out without spilling blood, then that would be the time to do it.’
‘Clever.’ Callum was squinting out at the water. ‘Be cautious though-this Saturday night is the full moon. People get a bit crazy.’
‘I’ve heard that...’ Ardhi drawled, imaging Ivyanne naked in the brightest moonlight, hands bounds, knees falling open for him...he shifted in his seat, feeling his body stir once more. ‘Trust me when I say that I have no intention of rushing anything.’
‘Good. Just let me know where and when you need me. I could use a new boat as a reward...’
Ardhi chuckled. ‘Sure thing. I should have details pinned down by tonight.’
‘Sweet. Hey do you mind if I borrow my computer for a second?’ Callum asked. ‘I need to check my net banking and make sure that everyone’s paid up before I leave.’
Ardhi handed him the computer. ‘Here you go. And thanks again for all of this. I shouldn’t be in your hair too much longer.’
‘No problem.’ Callum lifted the lid of the lap top and pressed a button. Instantly, he frowned. ‘How can a virgin man pleasure a woman?’ he asked dubiously.
Ardhi’s blood tuned to ice. ‘Wait... that doesn’t re-set when you shut it?’
‘Umm...no. Awkward Porn rule 101-always hit the little cross in the top corner.’ Callum frowned at him. ‘This is what you’re researching?’
Ardhi’s face was on fire. He groaned and shielded his eyes. ‘Don’t judge me okay! But yeah... I was just curious. I’m a... I mean I’ve never…..’ he stammered over the words, and then scowled. ‘Look that was supposed to be private.’
Callum cocked his head, smirking. ‘And just who is the lucky lady?’
Ardhi looked away. ‘I don’t know yet. But I’m going to need to find one to change for myself soon, aren’t I?’ The lie came easily.
‘I guess.’ Callum hit a few buttons. ‘Just seems like a strange thing to be on your mind at the moment.’
Ardhi’s stomach twisted. He didn’t want anyon
e knowing what he had planned for Ivyanne-he’d never get their help if they did. ‘Yeah well…. restless night, if you know what I mean.’
‘I do. That Jade sure likes to walk around in next to nothing, doesn’t she? Can drive a man insane!’ Callum smiled, still staring at the screen. ‘Okay!’ he said. ‘All paid up.’ He shut the computer and then slid it onto the table. ‘I better get going. And don’t be embarrassed-it’s been awhile for me too.’
Ardhi smiled. ‘Jade seems quite welcoming...’
Callum flushed. ‘Not my type. Besides... I like a bit of a challenge, you know?’
Ardhi smiled, imagine Ivyanne writhing in his arms. ‘Oh-I know.’
‘That’s what I thought.’ Callum drained his cup and slapped Ardhi’s back on the way out. ‘Later storm boy.’
‘Later.’
*
Trying to ignore the sound of Ivyanne’s laughter on Friday afternoon was like trying to tune out gunfire. Literally. She’d begged Garridan to teach her how to handle a firearm and he’d relented. And of course, Lincoln had joined in, claiming to want a refresher course now that his sling was off.
So as Tristan attempted to indulge in a relaxing dip with Pintang by the dock, the constant bang-Bang-Bang of Ivyanne’s target shooting was broken only by her delighted laughter and Lincoln’s praise.
‘I tell you...’ Tristan said, turning onto his back and lazily flicking his tail. ‘I’m this close to throwing in the towel.’
Pintang laughed bitterly. ‘A month ago that would have been music to my ears. Now if I had a towel-I’d smack you with it. You’ve come too far to wuss-out now!’
‘Hey if I wuss-out, it’ll still be with panache.’ He joked. ‘But seriously, my sister called to invite me to mom’s birthday party on the big island next week and damn if I’m not tempted to just go and see if Ivyanne notices when I don’t come back.’
‘Oh so I lose to Sahori instead of Ivyanne? Gee...thanks!’
Tristan rolled over onto his front and stared at her. ‘Hey now…’ He said softly. ‘You know why it’s Sahori I’ve made arrangements with, don’t you?’
Pintang glanced at him, blue eyes sorrowful. But then she smiled sadly. ‘Because you know she can deal with being runner-up better than I could?’