Carrier of the Mark

by Leigh Fallon

  “So, the Halloween party next Saturday, it starts at eight thirty. Would you mind terribly if, instead of walking together, I meet you there? It’s just that … well, Killian wants a little rendezvous beforehand. I don’t have to meet with him, but I’d love to. Don’t hate me,” she added.

  “Why would I hate you?” I laughed. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure? It’ll be dark.”

  “It’s Kinsale, not the Wild West. Here, lemme show you what I bought to wear.”

  “Oh, that’s divine,” Caitlin said, holding my new top out in front of her. “You’ll have him walking into trees wearing this.”

  “Who?”

  “Oh, don’t play innocent. You know very well who.”

  “Do you think he’ll be there?”

  “Of course he’ll be there. He’s always lurking somewhere when you’re around.”

  My stomach fluttered a little. Saturday night couldn’t come quickly enough.

  My stomach was in knots as I opened the door to my house. I’d been playing out different scenarios in my head on the walk up from the bus. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I had decided I was going to make a move on Adam.

  I took some frozen chicken pies from the freezer, threw them in the oven, and set the timer. Then I ran up to my room, surrendered myself to the comfort of my bed, and dozed off.

  The oven’s beeping woke me up. Still disoriented, I jumped up and ran down to rescue dinner. I was halfway down the stairs when a memory came flooding back. Full and detailed. It smacked me in the face with such force that I slumped down onto the step.

  The monk with the long beard had been standing behind my dad in my room in the hospital, after my mom died. As I saw the scene once more, I knew it wasn’t a dream. It happened.

  Who … no … what the hell was he? And why was he here?

  My eyes began to sting and I coughed. The high-pitched beeping of the smoke alarm eventually snapped me out of my daze. Still a bit wobbly on my feet, I went into the kitchen, opened the windows, and dumped the contents of the oven into the sink. I ran the water over the charred remains. The burned pies hissed and then fell silent.

  “Megan? Is everything all right in here?” Dad said, walking cautiously into the kitchen.

  “Just a disastrous attempt at dinner, Dad. Sorry, but it looks like takeout again tonight.”

  “I have a better idea! Let’s go down to the Lobster Pot.” He looked delighted with himself.

  “Sure, why not,” I replied, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. Now I’d have to watch Dad mooning over Petra for the evening. I was happy for him, but I needed to think, not make small talk over dinner with Dad’s girlfriend. “Dad, this is going to sound a bit weird, but … do you know any monks?”

  “Monks … like the Friar Tuck variety?”

  “Sort of. I just thought I remembered one from the day in the hospital, you know, when I woke up after Mom…”

  “What has you thinking about that, Meg? Is everything all right?”

  “Yeah, Dad, I’m fine. It’s just that I saw a monk the other day and it sparked a memory, and I was just wondering.”

  “I’d remember a monk in your room, Meg. I’m sure it was just you and me.” He furrowed his brow. “Look, we can stay in and talk if you want to.”

  “No, no, I’m fine. I must have gotten it wrong,” I said, pasting on a cheery smile and hooking my arm through his. “Dinner at the Lobster Pot sounds great.”

  Eight

  HALLOWEEN

  My dad was all dressed up and ready to go to the big Halloween bash in the yacht club. It had a royalty theme, and my dad was going as King Henry VIII. He looked hilarious in his pantaloons and smock outfit, but Petra, dressed as Anne Boleyn, seemed to think he looked dashing.

  We had been seeing more of Petra this week. My dad never mentioned it to make it official, but it was fairly obvious what was going on. It was weird, my dad dating. It had just been me and him since my mom died. Even so, I was feeling pretty okay about the situation. Maybe it was easier to deal with because he wasn’t making it into a big issue.

  My clothes were picked out and laid over my desk chair. Nothing fancy, but flattering all the same. Our party was going to be in a mucky field, which hardly called for a skirt and heels. I picked out my favorite jeans and my red Converse and the new top that I’d bought in the city. It was a purple V-necked sweater that enhanced my skin tone and made my hair seem rich and glowy. It was clingy, and the vee was a little more plunging than what I’d usually wear, but Caitlin and Jennifer had both told me that I had to use every weapon in my arsenal.

  I’d decided to leave my hair down, wavy and natural. I dusted a little bronzer over my pale cheeks and nose, just to highlight my face, and carefully applied lots of black mascara to my eyelashes, curling them upward. I took one last look at the mirror. Well, I thought, that’s as good as it gets. I smacked my lips at my reflection, then jumped back from the mirror and whirled around.

  I could have sworn I’d seen the monk’s face behind mine. I shivered and glanced around the room. No one was there, of course.

  Since that conversation with my dad, I’d tried to block the creepy old man from my thoughts, and I had been doing pretty well. Until tonight. Oh, well. Maybe it’s just because I’m nervous about seeing Adam.

  I set off, wrapping my arms around myself. It was definitely colder tonight. And my raincoat was only that, a raincoat. It held no heat, but I didn’t have time to go back for a warmer jacket. I continued on, wrapping my arms tighter.

  A snapping sound made me look up. I knew it was my crow even before I saw him. I smiled up at him, welcoming his presence. Whatever his reasons for becoming my shadow, I felt no menace from him. In fact, I had kind of gotten used to having him around. And on a cold night like tonight, he felt like a real comfort.

  I walked past the school and turned up the lane that led to where the party was being held. I could hear the whoops of laughter in the distance. The smell of bonfire hung heavy in the air.

  With each step, I could feel my courage fade. I had no idea what I was going to say to Adam, or even how I’d approach him. I had just reached the turnoff when I noticed my crow was gone. A new noise replaced his familiar caw. Laughter.

  I looked behind me and saw two boys approaching quickly. They seemed a little unsteady and they were talking loudly. I ignored them and kept walking, but they came nearer, laughing uproariously. Something cracked at my foot and I glanced down, startled. It was an egg.

  “Idiots,” I muttered under my breath, but quickened my pace.

  Another egg sailed through the air, landing on my jacket. Now they were cheering.

  “Hey, Miss U.S.A., where are you going in such a hurry?”

  The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t see their faces in the dark.

  “Hey, I’m talking to you; don’t ignore me!” One of them grabbed the back of my jacket.

  His speech was slurred, and his eyes looked like they weren’t focusing. I struggled to get out of his grasp as his friend pulled on his arm.

  “Tom, give it a rest,” his friend warned.

  “No.” He smiled menacingly. “It’s Halloween. Let’s have fun.”

  I felt my legs tremble and willed myself not to look as scared as I felt. His friend lowered his voice and bent in toward Tom.

  “That’s Caleb Rosenberg’s daughter. If my mom finds out I messed with her, I’ll be killed. Let’s get out of here.” He pulled on Tom’s jacket. “Come on, Blánnaid is waiting for you.”

  “Just a little fun,” Tom said, shaking off his friend. “Blán can wait.”

  The smell of alcohol on his breath made me feel queasy. He dug into his pockets and staggered forward. I saw an opportunity to escape and I slammed my foot down on his boot.

  He yelped in pain, and glared at me.

  I didn’t know what to do. He looked like he was thinking about hitting me, and his friend didn’t seem like he was goin
g to be able to stop him. I began to panic. Should I run? Should I scream? Suddenly, a freezing-cold gust of wind flew past us. It whooshed by my legs and swirled up around me, taking my hair with it. A chill ran through my body, from my toes right up to my head.

  I screamed and tried to grab at the hair that was obscuring my vision. Finally, I pushed it out of my face in time to see the guys being picked up by the wind and tossed into the briars behind them.

  “Jesus Christ! What the hell?” Tom yelled. I could hear the other guy moaning from the undergrowth, calling for help.

  “Tom. Help me, I can’t move,” his friend called from the bushes. “Someone help me!”

  Suddenly a voice spoke directly into my ear. “Megan, are you all right?” Startled, I spun around to see Adam standing right behind me. Instantly the wind stopped.

  “Did you see that?” I gasped. “It was like a tornado or something.”

  “Hey, are you two okay?” Adam called to Tom and his friend as their pale faces emerged from the briars.

  “What the hell?” Tom shouted at Adam. “You’d better not have been doing any of your voodoo shite on me, DeRís.” He stumbled onto the lane and rubbed his hand over his face where the thorns had snagged his skin. The blood smeared down his cheek and neck.

  “Don’t talk crap, Tom. Anyway, I only just got here,” Adam said. “You should cut out the booze; it plays havoc with the mind.”

  Tom’s friend tried to climb out after him, but snagged his foot in the undergrowth and fell flat on his face, right onto one of the broken eggs. He hastily jumped up, wiping the blood and egg across his forehead with his sleeve.

  “Tom, let’s get out of here,” he whispered, and stumbled away.

  “Wait for me,” Tom called, hobbling after him.

  I watched them leave. My limbs ached, though the pins and needles were beginning to wear off.

  “Hey, guys. What’s going on? What’s up with those two wasters?” Áine came into sight.

  “I don’t know. Something really weird just happened. Actually, I think I might puke,” I said, lowering myself to the ground and putting my head between my knees.

  “Is she all right?” Áine called to Adam, and I heard her footsteps speed up.

  “She’ll be fine.” Adam put a reassuring hand on the back of my neck and rubbed his thumb along my hairline. The heat from his hand sent a spine-tingling pleasure through me. It worked its way down my back and limbs until even my fingers and toes relaxed. As the last of the tingling wore off I got such a rush of elation that I gasped.

  Wow. Feeling amazing, I raised my head and looked into his eyes. “Thanks.”

  “No problem,” he said, stretching out his hand to help me up.

  “Are you guys going to the party?” I asked, looking from Áine to Adam.

  “We thought we’d check it out,” Áine replied.

  “Do you think it will still be going on? That wind was crazy,” I said, surveying the damage around us.

  “I’d say it was pretty localized, by the looks of it,” Adam said with a smile. “Do you still feel up to going?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

  “I’m okay,” I said, still buzzing.

  “You might want to, uh, check out your hair.” Adam smirked.

  “Here, allow me.” Áine reached over and started pulling leaves and other debris from my hair.

  So much for my full arsenal, I thought, cringing.

  “There, you’re as gorgeous as ever,” Áine said, smoothing out the last stray hairs.

  “Thanks,” I muttered.

  When we got to the party, most people were hanging out around the huge, blazing bonfire. Caitlin and Killian were snuggling on some straw bales, and Jennifer was standing behind them talking to Darren. As soon as she saw us, she nudged Caitlin and pointed at me. Caitlin’s eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped slightly. I gave her a quick wave and a smile.

  “I’ll be back in a while,” Áine called excitedly over her shoulder, as she walked toward the bonfire. I started to head toward Caitlin and Jennifer, but Adam put one hand under my elbow and directed me over to a log in the shadow of a big tree.

  “We need to talk,” he said.

  I looked up at him. It was a mistake. His eyes smoldered down at me. They were brighter than ever, as the light from the distant bonfire flickered up into his face. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as my breath caught in my throat.

  It seemed like he was fighting some sort of inner conflict. I had seen the look before, but this time he softened. Whatever the battle was, I think he had just won it.

  “I apologize in advance for what I’m about to say. I don’t want to scare you off, but I need to be honest with you.”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  “This is going to sound crazy, but … from the moment I first set eyes on you I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

  I was stunned. I remained silent and let him continue.

  “Since you arrived here I’ve been going crazy. I can’t get you out of my mind. The more I try to distance myself, the more I find myself drawn to you. You might find that hard to believe, considering what an idiot I’ve been.”

  The honey-smooth tones of his voice caressed my face, as if it were his hands that had touched me and not his words. I opened my mouth, still not sure what to say, and he put his finger on my lips.

  “I was warned to stay away from you. They told me from the very beginning that it wasn’t safe to ‘consort,’” he said, slightly wincing at the word, “with you. But I’m not strong enough to stay away. I think our destinies are too closely linked to be diverted to a different course.”

  He glared back toward the gate we’d come through and I followed his gaze. Rían was standing there, leaning against his motorcycle. Watching us.

  “You feel it too. I can tell. It’s more than just attraction.” His finger that was caressing my lips moved slowly to my cheek. He let it slide gently up my jawbone toward my ear, stopping there to twirl a lock of my hair in between his finger and thumb. I lifted my hand to where his rested on the side of my face and I leaned into it. I rubbed my cheek slowly back and forth over his palm as I managed to get my breathing under control. I looked right at him, staring deep into his eyes.

  “Yes. I feel it too,” I admitted, barely able to breathe. “Since the first day I saw you I’ve felt it.”

  He brought his other hand up to the other side of my face and held it there, as if memorizing it. Slowly he bent toward me and kissed my left cheek, then my right. His breath was so warm it sent tingles down my spine. I sat perfectly still, delighting in every sensation. He moved up to my forehead and kissed it gently. His neck was tantalizingly close to my lips. He smelled warm, spicy even. My whole body tingled with pleasure.

  He moved back down toward my nose and paused there for a little kiss before reaching my lips, where he stopped and pulled away slightly. Was he waiting for my permission? I moved into him, pressing my face into his hands, leaving him with no doubt as to what I wanted.

  He bent in again and pressed his lips against mine. They were soft and full and everything I had imagined them to be. The kiss became deeper and more meaningful. The flow of electricity, of power, of passion between us was hard to contain. It was as if nobody else existed.

  I put one arm around his back and left the other holding his palm against my face. His free hand raked through my hair. He pulled back gently.

  “Wow,” he said.

  “Wow,” I agreed.

  “That was…”

  “I know. What now?”

  “Now things get very interesting.” He looked back toward Rían, who climbed onto his bike and sped off back down the lane.

  I put my hand on Adam’s face and felt along his cheek and down along his jaw, reveling in the softness of his skin in comparison to the light stubble. He closed his eyes.

  “You have no idea how good that feels,” he murmured.

  “Oh, I think I do,” I replied with a smi
le. I felt slow, like I was moving through syrup. Everything around me seemed to glow.

  “Megan,” Caitlin called from the direction of the bonfire.

  I looked away from him reluctantly. “Over here.” A little embarrassed by my intense feelings, I pulled my hand away, but Adam held it to his lips, letting his tongue lightly caress my palm. My eyes closed in pleasure.

  “There you are,” Caitlin said, ducking under the boughs of the tree that were half hiding us from view. She stopped short, catching sight of the two of us.

  “I, uh, I just wanted to check and make sure you were all right.” She was already backing away. “So … you’re okay?”

  “I’m fine,” I reassured her.

  “It’s all right, Caitlin,” Adam said. “We were just coming to look for you.” To my surprise he stood up and pulled me up from the log. “Let’s go join the fun.”

  Caitlin glanced at me, wide-eyed. I just smiled. I would tell her some edited details later, but not everything. There was something entirely private about our moment.

  As we approached the bonfire, a figure caught my attention. Standing by the hedge, just visible through the flickering flames, was the monk. I stopped walking and stared at him. His watery gray eyes smiled back at me, and then he just dissolved.

  Adam tugged on my arm. “Are you all right?” He followed my gaze through the bonfire, squinting off into the distance. “What are you looking at?”

  “Nothing,” I said, moving toward the fire.

  “Are you sure?” He looked back over his shoulder.

  “I’m sure. Come on; let’s join the others.” We made our way over to Caitlin and the gang. When we sat down he whispered something to Áine, who jumped up and ran off into the darkness. She returned a few minutes later, shaking her head, and sat back down beside us.

  The rest of the night passed in a blur. I sat by the fire with the most exquisite arm in the universe securely around me for all to see. I could tell people were whispering about us, but I didn’t care. The bonfire was just a heap of softly glowing embers when we got up to leave. Killian was going to walk Caitlin home, so we said our good-byes.