Carrier of the Mark

by Leigh Fallon

  “Seriously? There are people still fighting over the Marked?” I asked.

  “Yes, and they are as determined now as they have ever been. That is where my loyalties divide. My first priority is to my family.” Fionn looked around the room. “The Order would gladly sacrifice any of the Marked if they thought they could perform their alignment. But I will never allow that to happen. Not with me as your guardian. I’d forfeit the alignment in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you guys safe.” Fionn fell silent for a few moments, and his eyes glazed over. He looked far away in his thoughts. “When they had four Marked Ones the last time, the Order got sloppy. They became obsessed with the alignment and let their guard slip. The Knox found us. They were after Rían, Adam, and Áine, of course. They had little interest in the children’s mother and father, and they were unaware that their mother was pregnant at the time. I escaped with the children, but their parents, Emma and Stephen, and their baby sister perished. We couldn’t even attend their funerals.”

  The silence in the room hurt my ears.

  Fionn pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. “We moved around for a while, outrunning the Knox, and we eventually found safety and a home here. Emma came from the most successful line of Carriers, and this was their ancestral home. It’s protected and keeps us safe. But the Knox is still looking for these three. They don’t give up. I swore to protect their mother and I failed her. So I pledged my life to protecting her children.”

  “The Knox,” I said, mesmerized by the story and hungry for more information. “Who are they?”

  “The Knox,” Fionn began darkly. “Well, there were always those who coveted the elements, who wanted to take the powers for their own use and benefit. But they were disorganized, untrained, and unskilled. Then, in the sixteenth century, all that changed. The Order had a female Carrier of the Mark—Éile Knox. She produced three Marked children. The fourth child was a girl, Anú Knox. Anú wasn’t Marked, as there were already four elements. She was obviously born of royal blood and, like all other royal bloods, had the potential to be Marked, but she would not receive her Mark unless Éile renounced her power and released it to Anú. Ideally the four elements should be from the same generation, where their powers are of similar age and strength. Anú—being of direct descent—was the rightful heir. But Anú was a strange child who leaned toward the darkness, and the Order feared that she would not use her power as it was intended. It was decided that Éile would retain her power and perform the alignment with her three children when they were evoked to full strength, in the hope that it would be balanced enough to achieve a full alignment.

  “Anú resented the Order for their decision and craved the power that she believed was rightfully hers. Bitterness ate away at her sanity. On the eve of the summer solstice, when the alignment ritual was to take place, Anú killed Éile and claimed the power. However, having no experience with the element and unable to control its strength, her power, fueled by anger, wreaked havoc on the Order. She killed indiscriminately. Her brothers perished, but the Order managed to save her sister. At that point, the members of the Order were forced to do the unthinkable. They stripped Anú of her power.”

  “They can do that?” I gasped. “The Order can remove the power?”

  “They could back then because they had the Amulet of Accaious. Before the goddess Danu ascended to the realm of the gods, she gave her children the amulet and the Cup of Truth to help them in their task. The amulet enabled any Marked One to renounce his or her power and pass it on to the next generation. But the amulet could also be used to strip a Marked one of his or her element. The catch was that with it, their life essence would also be removed.”

  “You mean they’d be killed?” I was stunned.

  “Not quite, but close,” Fionn said. “The Order had no choice. They couldn’t kill Anú—the Order is bound to protect the Marked. But Anú’s element was out of control, and the only option left was to strip it from her.

  “They fled with the last Carrier. Three Order members stayed behind to perform the ritual. They watched in horror as the process began. Anú went from a sixteen-year-old girl to an old woman in minutes. She lashed out at the three men, killing two, but the bearer of the amulet was immune to her failing power. In her final throes she ripped the amulet from his neck and broke it into pieces. She grabbed a shard of the amber stone from the amulet, swore vengeance, and fled.

  “With the Order’s numbers diminished and their number one priority being the last Carrier, they let Anú go. Most of the Order left Ireland after that, leaving only a small group to watch over their crypt. They set up bases around the world, tracking down the lost royal bloods in the hope of discovering the three lost Marks.

  “Anú bided her time. She recruited an army of followers to do her bidding, all hungry for the power of the elements. They called themselves the Knox, after their leader. Anú also realized she could use the amber shard from the amulet to track the Marked, as the amber was sensitive to the elements and glowed when they were near. Since then, the Marked have been going missing.”

  I flinched. “You mean…”

  Fionn shrugged. “We have never found a trace of any of the missing Marked. Ever. These days, the Knox is a complex and well-funded organization. Stop and think of the power one would have if he or she controlled the elements. The food sources of the world could be controlled. And who would need weapons of war if he controlled fire? Whole countries could be wiped out if you can control the water. And then there’s air.” He looked directly at me. “What is the world without air? A dead, lifeless planet. If the Knox held the power, they’d hold the world to ransom.”

  “How have they not found you here?” I asked.

  “This land is protected. It’s what we call ‘echoed’ lands. I’m sure you’ve heard the stories,” Adam said. “There were no witches, of course, but there were the Order members, descendants of the original druids. You see, land touched by Danu holds echoes of her power. The druids searched Ireland for the echoes. They were strong here, so they took control of the land. It protects the Marked from detection, but only within its boundaries.”

  “But the Order knows where you are?” I asked.

  “Only the Dublin Order,” Áine said from across the room. “The other Orders aren’t safe.”

  “What does that mean?” I turned around to her.

  “The Order is riddled with traitors. How else do you think they got my mom and dad?”

  “That’s not entirely accurate, Áine,” Fionn interrupted. “The Order is hardly riddled with traitors. But yes, the Knox has infiltrated the ranks of the Order. Unfortunately we don’t know who we can trust.”

  “But the Dublin Order is on our side. We can trust them,” Áine said, smiling reassuringly.

  “Yes, they are the good guys. We need them,” Fionn said, looking at Rían, who was staring at the floor. “Which brings us back to you, Megan. The Dublin Order members are eager to get you into training. If you choose to follow your Marked path, you need to evoke your power before the summer solstice in June.”

  I turned to Adam. “Did you ever think about not accepting it?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t have a choice. I was born with my Mark, and my mom was a Carrier. I evoked my power well before I could have even comprehended stopping it. You’ve been selected, and your power has only been growing since the selection. If you acted quickly, you could suppress it.”

  My head was spinning. Terror mixed with a magical feeling of being part of something … huge. I could walk away from this. Have a normal life. But did I want that? I looked over at Adam and a warm feeling wrapped around my heart. “I don’t want to suppress it. I want this.”

  “You can’t want this!” Rían exclaimed, letting his eyes drift up from the floor. “Haven’t you heard a word Fionn has told you? It’s dangerous. There are people who want to capture you, torture you, and use you for your element. Do you really want that?”

  “Rían,” Fionn growled
. “We talked about this.”

  “What? You’re the one who wants her to know all the facts. Well, here are some facts.” Rían stood up and pulled his T-shirt over his head. An angry red scar ran down his back from his shoulder blades right down to his waist. “This is the reality we live with.”

  “How did you get that?”

  “Having these powers isn’t all rainbows and moonbeams. We’ve had our run-ins with the Knox.”

  “They found you? When?”

  “Four years ago, just before we left the U.K.,” Fionn jumped in. “It happens, but we’ve been safe here.”

  “And if you think Rían looks bad you should have seen the other guy.” Áine smiled a little. “Or what was left of him,” she said, scrunching up her face.

  “You have your chance to walk away,” Rían said quietly. “If it were me, I’d take that chance and start walking now.”

  I looked at Adam’s face and felt the warm glow radiate through me.

  “Thanks for the warning, Rían. I get what you’re saying, but if this Sidhe guy guided me here to you, he had good reason. Something about this feels right.”

  Rían stared at me for a few moments, then looked defeated. “All right, then, crazy girl. Just remember, you were warned.”

  “Good. I’m glad to see you setting your differences aside, Rían,” Fionn said, standing up. “Because the Order has put you in charge of her training.”

  “What?” Rían and Adam said in unison.

  “They feel that Rían is the most qualified when it comes to control. I tend to agree with them. Training will begin next week.”

  “But—” Adam began.

  “But nothing, Adam.” Fionn held up his hand. “You know that Rían is the man for the job. I’ll need you on the ground watching out for her. We can only guarantee her safety on the estate, and we can’t keep her here. She has to maintain her normal life. I want you, Áine, and Randel running watches. Keep your ears to the ground.”

  I stood there watching them discuss the plans that were taking shape. “What will I do?” I said quietly from the couch.

  They all looked at me.

  “You stay safe,” Adam said.

  “And you learn,” Fionn added. “You have two weeks to put your element to the test before you meet the Order. You have some serious work ahead of you.”

  With that, the family meeting seemed to be at an end, and everyone stood up and started to walk away. I held out my arms and Adam pulled me into an embrace. “Is that it? Don’t I need to hear the rest?”

  “You have enough to mull over for now. I think part two of your induction is scheduled for Tuesday,” Adam said into my hair.

  “What about tomorrow?”

  “Fionn’s going to Dublin tomorrow. We have to wait for him to get back.” He pulled back and looked at me. “You’re very eager.”

  “Do you have any idea how amazing all of this sounds? And to think I’m part of it! I want to know everything.”

  “You will; I promise. But now I need to get you home. I told your dad I’d have you back after dinner. Oh, crap. Dinner.” He gave me a rueful look.

  I laughed. “Don’t worry. I couldn’t eat now even if I tried.”

  Twelve

  GOING PUBLIC

  I was wide-awake the next morning at six a.m. After tossing and turning for fifteen minutes I finally gave in and got dressed for school. I couldn’t stop thinking about how much had happened in just one weekend.

  Adam was picking me up at eight forty-five. That way my dad would be gone, and we would get to school at the last minute, with as little fanfare as possible. Too bad it was still only seven fifteen.

  Dad was up; I could hear his shower running. I went downstairs and poured myself a bowl of cereal. I ate it slowly, one flake at a time, and watched the minutes tick by. I couldn’t wait for Adam to get here. It was weird how much more in control I felt when he was with me.

  Yesterday, everything had made perfect sense. Well, sort of. But during the night, the logic had gotten messed up. My head was all over the place. I also felt guilty about blowing Caitlin off after I had promised her I would fill her in. I could not—and would not—jeopardize that friendship.

  My dad came down whistling.

  “You’re chipper this morning,” I said, glancing up from my cereal bowl.

  “Well, life is good.” He tapped his stomach. “What’s for breakfast?”

  “Cornflakes,” I deadpanned.

  He cringed and poured himself a cup of coffee. “You’re up early.”

  “There’s a lot going on at school today. I wanted to make sure I was on top of it all.”

  “Anything exciting?” he asked, flipping open his laptop.

  Well, actually, I can control air. “Nope, nothing too exciting. Just lots of schoolwork.”

  “Don’t overdo it,” he said, frowning. “You have plenty of time until exams.” He checked his e-mail, and then gulped down the last of his coffee. “I’m off,” he said, grabbing his coat. “See you later.”

  “Later,” I called out after him.

  I cleaned up the breakfast dishes and got my bag ready. Finally eight forty-five rolled around and Adam’s car swung into my driveway. My heart flipped. I walked out to him and locked the door behind me.

  “Adam.” I smiled as he got out of the car and walked up to greet me.

  “Megan,” he breathed, and pulled me into an embrace.

  “Hello! You kids want to break it up so we can get to school sometime today?” Áine said out the back window.

  Adam pulled back and rolled his eyes. “You ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  He opened the passenger door for me and ran around to the driver’s side and jumped in.

  “I’ve been relegated to the backseat,” Áine announced with a big grin.

  “We can swap if you like,” I offered, turning to look back at her.

  “God, no,” she declared. “I’m happy to hide out back here. You have your weird connection vibe going on, and it’s uncomfortable to be between you two. No … it’s nauseating, actually.” She laughed, stuck her finger in her mouth, and fake-gagged.

  When we arrived at the school, Adam pulled into one of his regular parking spots. I looked nervously out the window toward the school gates. Caitlin wasn’t there. Shoot. She must be really angry.

  “What’s up?” Adam looked at me thoughtfully.

  “I think Caitlin’s pissed off at me.” I sighed. “I blew her off last night—completely forgot I was supposed to meet up with her.”

  “She’ll come around. She’s a good friend,” he said softly.

  “I hope so. I never meant to hurt her feelings.”

  Áine got out of the car and crossed the road, and Adam squeezed my hand.

  “We’d better follow her lead and get in there before I drive off and keep you captive for the day.”

  “Feel free,” I said, laughing.

  A smile crossed his face, but his focus was beyond me, out the window toward the school.

  “Looks like Caitlin’s a better friend than you imagined. I’d say she’s ready to forgive and forget.”

  I followed his gaze and saw Caitlin standing inside the gates on the green. “Caitlin,” I squeaked.

  We got out of the car and he took my hand again as we walked toward the school. People were looking at us, but I couldn’t care less. I went straight up to Caitlin, grinning at her wide eyes.

  “Hey,” I said. “I’m so happy you’re here. You’re the best.”

  “I know,” she replied, never taking her eyes off Adam.

  “I’ll see you in class,” Adam said, giving me a quick kiss. He turned to Caitlin with his most captivating smile. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “Sure,” she mumbled as Adam walked away.

  I turned back to her with an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry about last night! I got carried away and didn’t realize how late it was.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I
’d have dumped me too if I was on a romantic date with that! But I need details! You owe me that much.”

  “That I do,” I agreed, laughing, thrilled to be forgiven.

  “Thank goodness we have maths today, since I have you all to myself in that class. Too bad I have to wait through three other classes! Now come on or we’ll be late,” she said, grabbing my sleeve.

  We ran to our first class and made it just in time. Adam was there sitting in the second row with two seats beside him. He surreptitiously tapped the one closer to him and I rushed to claim it. Caitlin gave me a meaningful look and sat in the seat on the other side of me. Jennifer turned around and took in the seating arrangement with wide eyes. Then she half smiled and flicked her hair over her shoulder as she turned around to face the front of the class again. Adam seemed to be enjoying the attention.

  Finally, fourth period rolled around, and Caitlin and I headed to math. I couldn’t wait to tell her everything. Well, almost everything.

  Caitlin was eager to get me to class early, so we could talk before we had to resort to writing notes. She ushered me into the back row. As I sat down, my stomach twisted a little. I wasn’t looking forward to lying to my best friend. It was made so much worse when her excited eyes looked at me and she smiled her gorgeous, open smile.

  “Well?” she prompted, waiting for the floodgates to open.

  “I don’t know where to start,” I replied honestly. I guess lying by omission isn’t as horrible as all-out lies.

  “Start with how on earth you ended up arriving at the party with Adam!”

  After everything that had gone on yesterday, I had completely forgotten about the egg attack on Saturday night. I retold the story about the boys, of course carefully edited, leaving out the part about me actually creating the tornado that ripped through the lane.

  She started laughing. “I heard Blánnaid Flynn telling a story about her boyfriend, Tom O’Donnell, and his friend Mick. Apparently, they were found walking around the town all bloody and windswept, saying Adam used voodoo on them.” Suddenly she stopped laughing. “He didn’t, did he?”