by S. K Munt
Heads Or Tails Book #3 in The Fairytail Saga S.K Munt
23.
When Lachlan, Price, Camus, Dalton and Sahori all filed into the theatre room to put on a boring movie and try to get some rest, Lincoln announced that he was going to have a shower and sleep in his own room-claiming that he couldn’t sleep when there was a light on. That was true-but that wasn’t his only motivation for declining the slumber party.
He waited until the door was shut before heading up the hallway, passing Garridan, who was explaining something to Saraya on the landing.
‘My alarm is set for nine thirty,’ he said. ‘I’m going to rest in my own room and join every one downstairs then, okay? I need to call dad. You know, just in case something bad happens.’
‘Suit yourself.’
‘Um do you know where Tristan is?’
Garridan frowned. ‘Showering, why?’
Lincoln bit back a smile. So he had a head start. ‘He wasn’t down with the others.’
‘It’s okay. I’m keeping tabs on where everyone is.’ He raised his eyebrows pointedly. ‘Everyone, got that? I’ll be in the hallway in a few minutes.’
Lincoln smiled. ‘Of course.’ Lincoln casually sauntered up the stairs, letting Garridan’s thinly veiled threat slide off his back. He was going to need less than a few minutes to get to where he needed to be-he just needed one to splash on some cologne, brush his teeth and get the ring, and then he’d be behind closed doors, which he would lock after him-keeping Tristan Loveridge out for good.
*
Ardhi could barely contain his excitement when he heard one of the outer doors open, followed by the kind of soft footfalls that could only be made by someone accustomed to treading lightly.’
Ardhi tittered to himself when he heard the sweet voice chirping a Doris day song through the wall between himself and the bathroom. He pressed his ear against it to hear more, then flinched when he heard the sound of a door much closer being opened.
‘... I’m acting like a stupid fool...’ Ivyanne ad-libbed, her voice was so close that Ardhi’s insides seized. He heard the window slide open, then slam shut, followed by a click. Then another.
Oh my god! He thought. She’s checking the locks! Ardhi wanted to reach for his gun so he’d be prepared for her to stumble upon him, but he couldn’t risk making the slightest sound. As it was, he was afraid she’d hear his heart beating in the empty spare room.
And then the door to the cupboard began to roll open and Ardhi almost had a heart attack. He froze, staring at the rectangle of widening light at the opposite end to where he was, flattening himself against the wall. So much for hiding in the box! Her hand was already digging through it! And he was too fatigued from his shenanigans with the weather to think clearly.
‘Hey Saraya? Are you alone?’ A long pause. ‘Okay good. Look I’ve come up to my room to get some things sorted out... and I just needed to ask you a question or two-regarding, um weddings. Royal ones.’ The hand in the box was sifting around for something, but now it stopped. ‘Okay I practically heard that shriek from up here! Calm down…. yeah…. yeah…..’ another pause. ‘Oh do they now? Ask them how much they bet that they’d end up out on their asses in the rain tonight then?’ A chuckle. Ivyanne’s hand gingerly pulled out a foot-long, carved timber box and removed it from sight.
Ardhi swallowed. If she was looking for something specific, there was a chance he’d remain undiscovered. His eyes dropped to the midway point of the closet, where his backpack lay, the handle of the small black gun glinting in the light, wondering if he could reach it in time, or if he’d have to shock her with what little energy he had left.
‘Well I never said I was announcing anything right now, did I? Sheesh! I just want to know a few things.’ The cupboard door closed, casting Ardhi back into welcome darkness and muffling her voice. ‘Hmmm maybe... the camera is disabled for a few hours…’Another low chuckle. ‘No, I’m too damn tense to even contemplate that right now.’
She had a camera in her room?! Ardhi glanced around the nursery through the crack in the door, but the only hint of a monitoring device was a few wires poking out of the wall. Well at least there’s nothing in here or I could have cornered myself!
A door shut and the voice got quieter-telling Ardhi that Ivyanne had left the room. Slowly, carefully, he slid the door open and crept over to the entry door, pressing his ear against the cool wood, trying to calm his racing heart. Her camera would be off for a few hours-that was all that mattered.
‘Well... I need a good suggestion for the ceremony…. Huh? No-not The Seaview. We might have fallen in love there but after what Ardhi did to my mother and father there... I just can’t imagine it. Besides, Link just took a bullet there, you know? I can’t get married imagining him kissing Grace!’
Ardhi’s eyes widened. Lincoln! She is choosing Lincoln! For a moment, Ardhi was astounded and somehow... happy. Not that she was getting married, because he was still holding out hopes that no one would want her when he was done with her, but that she’d chosen the gentler soul- someone Ardhi had sired.
His sister was probably going to end up with the apple of her eye too, as a result, and that thought brought him some more peace.
‘We need somewhere private. I mean, there will be at least twenty mers in the water at-’ Another pause. ‘Two hundred?! You can’t be serious! Yeah I know it’s a royal wedding but-’ Ivyanne groaned. ‘Fine... The Londeree's one? No. That’ll be a bit tacky, don’t you think, considering who I might have married instead?’
‘Okay, well that’s all I need to know. …. Yeah I have a bit more work to do yet so I won’t be-what?’ Ivyanne giggled. ‘I know right? I’m feeling like a bit of a caged animal myself. Yes well maybe you can go get lucky tomorrow night…. okay, no problem. Thanks Saraya!’
Ardhi quickly retreated into the confines of the closet, and rolled the door shut behind him. After staring a the light under the crack of the door, it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust again. But when they did, he reached into his bag and quietly retrieved his revolver.
Hurry up and finish your duties, your majesty, he thought snidely. I have one for you, and it’s not going to be postponed much longer.
*
When Ivyanne had dried herself after her shower, she quickly changed into the pale green satin and black lace underwear set she’d been saving since she first moved to Airlie again, trying not to catch her own blushing reflection in the mirror. It was racier than anything she usually wore, but it suited her mood perfectly. She went to the hook and grabbed her black satin boxer shorts up her legs, and then the matching short sleeved, button up satin nightshirt that completed the look.
She lifted her eyes to her reflection and made a face-it was more cutesy than sexy really. She undid the two top buttons, letting her cleavage accessorize it more befittingly, and then swept her towel dried hair up on top of her head, so a few curls drifted around her face.
Much better. She thought. More womanly. And he needs to see me as a grown up now. Not as Ivanna. Ivyanne reached for her perfume and spritzed it over herself, and then rubbed honeycomb scented moisturizer into her legs, thinking about his hands on them, and smiling when she did.
Ivyanne reflected back to the moment she’d made her decision, earlier that day. She’d been polishing her fathers crown, lovingly stroking it with it’s special solution, when she’d realized who’s head it belonged on. And now that she knew with such a crystal clarity, she was starting to wonder why she’d ever doubted it to begin with. Only one man was her destiny-and the signs had been there her entire life. The choice had been made, and now, she would tell him before the clock struck twelve. Her lips trembled with excitement as she thought of what that moment would be like.
Thunder cracked outside, the noise wiping the smile off her face. Knowing that those booms and flashes of light outside were probably caused by Ardhi made her feel self conscious-like the light in the window glass was the flash of his eyes.
Pl
us I’m crazy to even be thinking about sex right now! She thought, sighing reproachfully at her own idiocy. She had an attempted abduction to get through yet, as well as someone’s heart to break, and when she imagined doing that, her knees all but broke against one another. But he was a strong, powerful man-he hadn’t gotten this far through his life without a thick skin, and she knew deep down in her aching heart, that he was strong enough to survive her.
But if she could-she would save that conversation until the morning. After all, now that she knew who she wanted to be with, there was no use wasting a perfectly good full moon. Ivyanne’s lips curved when she imagined inviting him into her bed. It had been far too long since they had lain together-her body throbbed at the mere thought of how thrilled she would be to slip that ring back onto her hand, where it would stay forever. After all of the months of pain and longing and heartbreak...this night would bring some pure happiness. It just had to.
But then there was a strange clicking noise that Ivyanne didn’t recognize. She spun quickly-and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun. Everything inside her seemed to splinter, like she’d been snap frozen then shattered.
‘Good evening your majesty.’ Ardhi whispered, his eyes glittering like coals. ‘I’ve come to bring you your wedding gift. But please kindly put your hands up first.’
Ivyanne’s heart seized.
*
Ardhi had been intending to pounce Ivyanne while she was in the shower, but he’d gotten caught up watching her reflection in the mirror from the hall as she sudsed herself, and he had been paralyzed with desire. And now here she was-beautified and at his mercy.
Ardhi trained the gun on the back of her graceful neck. ‘Now... before you scream... I want you to think about the first person who’s going to come rushing through that door, and how badly you want them to have a head once all of this is over.’
Ivyanne’s eyes were wide. ‘Ardhi-don’t-’
‘Shut up.’ He snapped. ‘Your bedroom camera-I heard you tell Saraya that it’s off?’
Ivyanne nodded, eyes wide.
He smiled. ‘Good. This is turning out better than I’d expected. Go in there please.’
Ivyanne’s eyes narrowed, but she stepped out of the bathroom, her hands on her head. ‘Ardhi you are-’
Ardhi shot his hand forward an wrapped it around her throat, pushing the gun into her nape. ‘I’ll say when it’s time to talk your majesty. Now get into the bedroom.’
Ivyanne nodded and so Ardhi released her throat and pushed her forward with his bare foot on the back of her calf, following her closely.
‘I’ll warn you not to make any sudden movements,’ he said quietly. The rain on the roof was becoming louder and louder as his agitation increased. Blue flashes penetrated through the curtains. ‘One thing I know about these human hazards is that they go off very easily. And I’m not here to kill you. Now, kneel on the bed, facing away. And put your hands behind your back.’ He smiled as she complied, shrugging off one strap of his backpack and letting it fall to the floor, watching her twitching lip and nervous eyes in the mirror. In the reflection, he also caught sight of a picture of her mother and father framed on her bureau. ‘I guess I should take this moment to tell you how sorry I am for your parents deaths, hmm?’
‘Really?’ Ivyanne’s voice dripped with sarcasm. ‘How thoughtful of you. Ardhi you’ve always been such a great friend.’
‘I was. You weren’t.’ He said tersely. Her eyes were so full of hate that they were like the green of flaming driftwood. It cut him deeply. ‘Your father was trying to pour poison down my throat, Ivyanne. Should I have just accepted death without a fight?’
‘If you had a conscience, you would of.’
‘If you had a conscience, I would have been chosen the day I declared my feelings for you.’ Ardhi knelt on the bed behind her, and slowly traced his finger down her spine. ‘But you’re about to make things so very right so don’t worry-all will be forgiven.’
‘How noble of you,’ she said blithely. ‘You’re a bigger person than I.’
Ardhi smiled and gingerly rubbed her shoulder. The satin was slippery both against his hand and off her shoulder. ‘I know.’
Ivyanne stiffened. ‘What are you going to do?’ she whispered.
‘Balance the scales.’ He said, grabbing her collar and tugging it down over her shoulder. He heard one of her buttons pop. ‘But first, I need some energy. That storm has exhausted me, and now that I’ve seen how you can channel yours, I’m need to leave you with the bare minimum.’ Her skin felt incredible to touch-better than the satin. Ardhi leaned forward and licked her shoulder delicately, groaning at her heavenly scent. He began to caress her with his lips reaching around with his free arm and placing his hand high on her chest. She twitched at his touch, then jerked when he pressed his fingers into her flesh, drawing some of her strength. Ivyanne gasped but her posture began to slacken as Ardhi’s heart thumped with renewed vigor and pins and needles stabbed into his fingertips, burning hot and exquisite. After about thirty seconds, he drew away, his hand warm and shaking. He didn’t want her completely lifeless-just dizzy.
‘God you’re so alive,’ he whispered, curling his hand around her hips and rubbing himself against her backside, letting her feel his desire. ‘In fact I think I’ll be able to forgive you a few times if I get a taste here and there...’
Ivyanne stiffened. ‘Shoot me.’ Her voice was cold, dead-pan. ‘Now.’
Ardhi pulled back, startled. ‘Excuse you?’
‘I said-shoot me. I want you to.’
Ardhi narrowed his eyes at the back of her head. ‘Now why would I do that when my way is so much more fun?’
‘Because if you’re expecting an ounce of co-operation beyond what I’ve already given, then you’re fucking crazier than I thought you were.’ Ivyanne rotated on the bed and glowered at him. ‘You think I give a fuck about my legacy?’ She demanded, standing up, crawling towards him, even though he had the gun between her eyes. ‘You think there’s not someone else who can do my job and keep our species thriving?’
Ardhi was forced to back up. Her disregard for her life was an unprecedented turn of events. ‘You’re bluffing.’ He said, reversing off the bed.
‘No. I’m not.’ She lifted her chin regally. ‘You don’t think I don’t realize why you’re attacking now, of all nights? You think I’m going to live with the consequences of that when I could have death instead?’ She smiled. ‘You are insane. So just go on and shoot me, Ardhi Kayu-Api, because at this moment, I have nothing to lose-but my dinner.’
Ardhi stretched the gun out, closer to her. ‘I’ll do it!’ he hissed. ‘I want you, but I can live without it. I’d prefer to see you dead than I would seeing you married to another man!’
Ivyanne shrugged, her eyes blazing. ‘So do it. If you’re lucky-you can still get in while the body’s warm. And I wouldn’t be surprised if you did you sick fuck.’
Ardhi grabbed her by the hair and yanked on it, jerking her head down roughly and holding the gun to her face. ‘How dare you judge me!’ He hissed, unmoved by her whimper of pain. ‘I loved you Ivyanne! I would have done anything for you!’
‘Anything but let me be!’ She whispered, a solitary tear running down her cheek. ‘You murdered my mother and father! And yet if I could hold you right now and beg you to be my friend again-if I thought it could work out-I would. I’d forgive it all-the plane crash, my parents, this moment...!’ She shook her head, the tears spilling over. ‘I’ve needed you so many times-needed my best friend to talk to.’ She cupped his face, taking him by surprise. ‘I needed you, Kayu-Api. More than I ever needed a lover. That’s what you never understood-that you were already the most valuable man to me in the world. I’ve been so lost without you….’
Ardhi was astounded by her shift in attitude. Her green eyes were luminous, her lower lip trembling. Never had he wanted so badly to hold her. ‘I can’t go back,’ he croaked as tears pricked at his own eyes. ‘I can’t loo
k at you and not desire you, and that desire is taking me somewhere dark and I can’t fight it.’
‘That’s the human in you-’ Ivyanne whispered, her expression as deep and vast as a glittering green sea. ‘Be the merman. Be my merman.’ She waved her hand over her face. ‘This is meaningless, and it’s undoing you. Please Ardhi... swim away from the Siren in me before I drag you to where it’s too dark to see. I’ve brought you nothing but misery-there are hundreds of girls who could make you happier if you just gave them a chance. Sweet girls who would never doubt their love for you. You could be happy without me if you just allowed yourself to be.’ She shook her head, more curls springing free. ‘Possessing my body is not a fair trade for your soul. You must know that!’
Ardhi was overcome with a wave of uncertainty. Was she right? Could he redeem himself if he walked away? All of this time he thought he was rebelling against the human aspects of mers, but what if he was the weak one? What if he was as under her spell as every other man? What if she could break that spell and set him free?
Knock knock knock! The clattering against the door snapped Ardhi out of the trance of her eyes.
‘Hey…’ A low voice whispered. ‘It’s Link, baby. Can I come in?’
Ardhi blinked, then felt his eyes widen. He wasn’t the problem! Lincoln, the human-had caused all of this!
As though sensing Ardhi’s shift in consciousness, Ivyanne’s gaze became less certain, and she darted an anxious glance at the door.
God she really had me going there for a second! He raged internally, feeling like a fool for having swallowed her bait for even a second. Like she’d ever forgive any of it!
‘Ivyanne? Ivyanne let me in.’ The door handle rattled. ‘We need to talk.’
Ivyanne’s head snapped around to gape at the door, her eyes widening, then back to him. ‘No!’ she whispered fervently, as though reading his thoughts. ‘Ardhi please-’