Carrier of the Mark

by Leigh Fallon

  “No, no!” I finally broke his hold and ran for the protection of the house, making it inside just in front of Áine and Adam. They both headed upstairs to clean up, heckling each other as they went. I walked into the kitchen to help Fionn and Rían set the table. We worked in silence for a few minutes; then Rían looked at me.

  “You were quite good, you know. You’re very strong. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

  I hadn’t been expecting such a nice compliment from Rían, and at first I didn’t even know what to say. Finally, I just mumbled, “Yeah, me too.”

  He handed me the glasses to put on the table. “I’m sorry about how I acted when you first got here. I was obnoxious.”

  “It’s okay; I think I understand. I’d probably have acted the same way.”

  Rían gave me a small smile and I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Maybe working with him would turn out all right after all.

  Fourteen

  TRAINING WITH RÍAN

  It had been decided at dinner that Rían and I would train every day after school, to get as much practice as possible in before our trip to Dublin the following weekend.

  I ran the trip by my dad when I got home, telling him that we were going to check out Trinity, since it was Adam’s college of choice and Rían would be going there next fall. Luckily, he thought it was a great idea for me to check out the school, and only asked that the DeRíses pick me up at our house so that he could meet Fionn.

  During the week, I spent every moment that I could working on my power. Caitlin and I covered for each other. We had more free rein when our parents thought that we were hanging out with each other instead of with the boys. She told her mom and I told my dad that we were spending time in the stables helping out Killian. For her it wasn’t stretching the truth too much—she really was spending her evenings with Killian, but very little cleaning was going on. I, of course, was spending my time with Adam and Rían. Caitlin could never know what I was really up to, but she thought she was in on the big plan, so she was happy. I still hated lying to her, but it had to be done.

  My relationship with Rían had altered dramatically in just a few days. While he was still a dark character, and I knew it would take a long time for him to really let me in, he was making a tremendous effort and I appreciated it. We mostly focused on working together with fire. It seemed to be the one power that helped me recognize where my element was and what it felt like.

  Adam would always sit on the scullery steps, out of the way, watching, but not getting involved. I would gaze up at him every now and again, my mind wandering, imagining how much nicer it would be to run my hand down his gorgeous face, how his tall, lean body would feel under my fingers. I had to pinch myself constantly to remind myself that this wasn’t just a dream. Adam was mine.

  At the same time, I was constantly stressed about my power. I still hadn’t been able to accomplish anything notable, and I needed to evoke as soon as possible. Fionn told me about previous air Marked and the power they possessed. Some even had the ability to manipulate the air around them so that they appeared to be able to fly. I had gotten a taste of my power on Halloween and I was hungry for more.

  By the time Friday night rolled around I was starting to feel exhausted from exerting myself. I glanced back up to Adam, sitting as always on the steps, patiently observing from a distance.

  Rían followed my gaze and rolled his eyes. “Adam, any chance you would sod off for a while? Megan can’t keep her eyes off you for less than ten minutes, and it’s interfering with her training. It’s also making me feel like I’m going to puke.”

  Adam said nothing and quietly went inside. I was mortified. I had no idea I had been looking at Adam so often, or so obviously.

  Rían looked at me sternly. “Look, I’m sorry, but I need you to focus. This is our last training session before we meet the Dublin Order tomorrow.”

  It suddenly occurred to me that this was as important to him as it was to me. Maybe even more. He had been picked to train me and apparently had a lot to prove. I tried to refocus. “Adam mentioned you’re really good at control because of years of training with Fionn and meditation techniques.”

  “Did Adam mention why I had to become so good at control?”

  I looked into his pained eyes. “No … well, not really. He said you had some problems with control when you were younger, but he didn’t say too much.”

  Rían was quiet for a while as he looked out into the fields. “I assumed he would have told you. I owe him my life; we all do.”

  I didn’t know what to say. This was obviously very hard for him to talk about. I sat there in silence, giving him time to continue when he was ready. He eventually took a deep breath and went on.

  “I was eight when my mum and dad were killed.” His eyes darkened. “I loved them both so much. And … I never got a chance to say good-bye. I wasn’t even allowed to go to their funeral. I got angrier and angrier about what had happened, and the more bitter I became, the stronger my power got. I couldn’t control my emotions, and as a result, my power became more erratic and difficult to manage. I’d wake up at night having a nightmare, only to realize my bed was on fire. I’d scream and scream until Fionn came in and extinguished it. It got so bad that Fionn had to sleep in the room with me, so he was on hand to put out the fire before it took hold. We had to move constantly, since I kept damaging the houses and that would make people start asking questions. But the more we moved the more unsettled I became. It got so bad that if I was in a crap mood, things would just burst into flames around me.”

  He shook his head slowly. “One time, I was just outside my school and I was in a really foul mood, and I lost it. There were kids everywhere and parents and teachers and I burst into flames. I was endangering their lives and exposing us, but I couldn’t control it. Fionn grabbed me and wrapped his body around mine, trying to extinguish the fire. He clung to me, burning, without so much as crying out. I eventually calmed down when I realized what was happening, but by then Fionn was badly burned. He has horrible scars all over his chest, but he has never complained, not once.”

  I cringed. I couldn’t believe all that Rían had been through. He caught my expression and sighed.

  “That isn’t the worst of it. When I was fifteen, I was a little git. I was sick of all the restrictions forced on me and I tried to rebel. Fionn once caught me lighting a cigarette, you know, with my hand, without a lighter or anything, where people could see. He dragged me home and freaked out on me, told me I was risking exposing us. I just saw red; I didn’t even feel it coming.”

  He was talking so low now I had to strain to hear.

  “Áine was in her room listening to music; Adam was outside in the garden mucking about. I just exploded in anger and the element took over. I completely engulfed the house in flames. It was like nothing we had seen before. They radiated out of me with such force, I had no time to try to control them. Fionn couldn’t get to me and neither of us could get to the stairs. We could hear Áine screaming for someone to help her. We were all trapped. Then Adam saw what was happening. He managed to evoke his full strength there and then. He was amazing. He used power I had never seen before, and somehow he was able to pull water from the pools, the ponds, the rivers, and the clouds themselves. Everything that he could get. The house was doused inside and out in a deluge that put out every flicker of fire. Then he ran to get Áine.”

  Rían dropped his head down into his hands, reliving the agony of that day.

  “The Knox found us within hours—they don’t miss ‘phenomena’ like that. So that was my fault too. That’s when we came back to Kinsale, and when I started my meditation and control training with Fionn. It’s been hard, but I’ve managed to contain my element since then. My family will never suffer from my hands again.” He balled his fists up tight. “I guess when you arrived I was worried that the power of the fourth being here might trigger the instability again. But so far, so good.” He smiled at me, holding out
his hands and inspecting them.

  “So does my element being here affect you at all?”

  “Well, since you’ve arrived all of our powers have intensified. It’s been harder to keep them suppressed. Adam mentioned that you noticed how the water reacted around him at the marina.”

  “That was because of me?”

  “Yes. We had our powers well under wraps until you showed up. Áine delights in the new strength, but for me and Adam it’s a little bit harder to hide it in public. Why do you think I’m loitering around Kinsale and not in Dublin at Trinity? I was due to start the week you arrived.”

  “Oh, no. Rían, I’m so sorry.”

  “Forget it. It’s not your fault.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “You know, our powers, they’re triggered by emotions as well as a conscious action. Maybe focusing on that will help?”

  “I’ll try anything at this point.”

  He smiled. “You were pissed off at those guys on Halloween, right? Let’s get really pissed off and see if that does anything. So, Meg, what really pisses you off? Think about it.”

  “I guess I’m pissed off that my mom died.”

  He stood opposite me. “Okay. Focus on the sadness, the pain of her loss. Then grasp the chill you feel.”

  I put everything into it—but there was nothing.

  Rían was getting impatient. “Try harder.”

  I focused on my mom’s face, but Rían started shouting at me, telling me to focus, to feel something. I knew he was trying to get me angry, but the shouting just wasn’t helping.

  “Megan, you’re holding back—let it out. She was your mother! Don’t you feel anything?” He threw his arms up in the air. “You’re not trying hard enough, for Christ’s sake! Megan, push yourself. Just do it; you’re wasting my time!”

  Then Rían put his face close to mine. “Megan. She’s dead. You’ll never see her again.”

  Tears ran down my face, but my power just wasn’t reacting.

  “I can’t.” I sobbed.

  “Yes, you can!”

  He was shouting so loud that Adam came outside to find out what was going on. When he saw Rían shouting at me, he started running toward us.

  “Rían, shut the hell up and lay off her before I make you.”

  I started to tell Adam what Rían was doing, but Adam stopped me. He stood in front of Rían, squaring up to him.

  “If you so much as raise your voice to her again, I’ll smash your face in.” Adam stood protectively in front of me. “I agreed to this as long as I could keep an eye on things, and I said it would stop if it seemed like she was in any danger. I will not have you within a million miles of her if you go supernova on us.”

  Rían lost the amused look on his face. “You might want to rein it in and shut your face, Adam; I was only trying to help her.”

  Adam gritted his teeth. “Don’t you tell me to shut my face.”

  “Or what, little brother—are you going to drench me with a bit of rain?” Rían’s eyes flickered orange.

  Adam looked furious. “Don’t push me,” he growled, as a swirling mass of clouds started to form overhead.

  I could see the fight brewing and felt powerless to stop it. “Enough!” I cried, pushing my arms out to separate them.

  I felt a strange surge of power run though me. The cool feeling ripped through me like electricity, and Rían and Adam were flung through the air. They landed on their backs twenty feet apart.

  I stood there in complete shock. What had I done? They both scrambled to their feet.

  Adam stared at me. “What the hell was that?”

  “I don’t know. I just wanted you both to stop fighting. I didn’t want you to get hurt and … I panicked.” I looked down at my hands in awe.

  Rían brushed off his clothes and walked toward me, laughing. “Well, I guess we’ve figured out what pisses you off real good. I’ll have to remember that for the next time.”

  Adam looked confused. “Next time? You mean you were doing that on purpose? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Rían laughed into Adam’s astonished face. “We tried, but you weren’t listening, little brother. Anyway, who cares? It worked.” Rían had a satisfied smile on his face.

  Adam put his hands up and approached me slowly. “Are you okay?”

  I rolled my eyes. “Enough of the drama, Adam. I won’t hurt you. I don’t even know if I could do that again.”

  He looked at me, awestruck. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You are going to be one hell of a powerful girl.” He put his arms around me and leaned in for a kiss.

  Rían had already turned to walk back to the house. “Guys, at least give me a chance to get into the yard before you go getting all pukealicious,” he called. His chuckle floated back to us. “Wait until I tell Fionn what just happened.”

  Fifteen

  TRINITY

  At exactly six thirty a.m. on Saturday morning, Fionn’s Land Rover pulled into our driveway. He got out of the car and walked up to the house. I opened the door before he knocked and led him into the kitchen, where my dad was having coffee.

  “Dad, this is Fionn Christenson.”

  Dad stood up and reached out his hand to Fionn. “Nice to meet you, Fionn. You’re Adam’s guardian?”

  Fionn took his hand and shook it firmly. “Yes, I’m Adam, Áine, and Rían’s guardian. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Rosenberg.”

  “Call me Caleb.”

  Fionn let go of his hand. “Caleb it is. I’ll take good care of Megan this weekend. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

  I could see from my dad’s face, as he eyed how lean and muscular Fionn was, that he didn’t doubt that for a second. “Thank you, Fionn.” Then Dad looked at me. “Be good and listen to Fionn, and make sure you bring back a copy of Trinity’s brochure for me.”

  I gave him a hug, grabbed my bag, and ran outside to the Land Rover. As soon as I got into the backseat, Adam picked up my hand and raised it to his lips.

  Oh, yeah. This is going to be a nice weekend.

  When Fionn finished talking with my dad, he came out to the car and climbed in.

  “So, how long is it to Dublin?”

  Fionn looked at me in his rearview mirror. “It’s about three hours, longer if we stop.”

  It was a warm and bouncy ride. Áine was listening to her iPod on headphones, and Fionn and Rían were in front, guessing at what might come of our visit. That meant I was free to snuggle into Adam’s shoulder and relax. I had been stressing about this trip and all I had to learn, but here in Adam’s arms I felt safe and sure and very sleepy. I put my arm across his chest and fell fast asleep.

  When I woke up he was tracing patterns across my face.

  “Morning, beautiful.”

  I started to sit up and looked out the window. “How long have I been out?”

  He stretched, raising his arms above his head. “About two hours.”

  I moved away to give him more room. “I’m so sorry! You must have been so uncomfortable.”

  He chuckled at me. “I was more comfortable than you could possibly imagine.”

  Áine leaned over him. “You were snoring like a rhino; I could hardly hear my music.” She shook her iPod at me in annoyance.

  I blushed. “I was?”

  Adam started laughing. “Don’t mind her; it wasn’t that bad, and it only lasted for a few minutes.”

  I was absolutely mortified.

  Rían turned around and looked at me with a grin. “Remind me to talk about this during our next session; it’s bound to get you ticked off. We could see some serious stuff—maybe even a tornado!”

  Everyone burst out laughing. I made a face. “I’ll get you all back someday.”

  When everyone had calmed down, Fionn told us what he was planning for the day. “We will go straight to Trinity and meet up with Hugh, Will, and M.J. We can have lunch with them and then we’ll go check into the hotel.”

  Áine eyed him suspiciously. “And my shopping?”

/>   Fionn tried to look stern. “Shopping can wait until Sunday. We have far too much to focus on today.” He stared pointedly at her in his rearview mirror.

  She smiled sweetly at him. “Righty-o.”

  When we pulled into Trinity, Fionn had to give his name to the security guard at the gate. The barrier was lifted and we were waved through. We parked, and I was happy to get out and stretch my legs.

  Fionn led us purposefully across the cobbled drive and through the campus. It was beautiful, but the others, who’d all seen it before, continued without a glance. We turned down a little road into a vast square of grass and trees with what looked like a bell tower at the center. The square was surrounded on all sides by impressive stone buildings. Fionn made his way to one of them and approached a door tucked away in a corner. As we got near, a small man with white hair and a beaming smile walked toward us, his arms outstretched.

  “Welcome, old friend. It is so good to see you again,” he said, hugging Fionn and straining the seams of his brown tweed suit.

  Fionn smiled. “Hugh, it’s good to see you too. Where are Will and M.J.?”

  “In the crypt, buried in books. I haven’t been able to get them out of it since we heard the news.”

  Hugh turned to us. “You’re all looking so well. And this must be the elusive Megan. My, aren’t you the rare find.” He tipped his head to me. “It’s an honor and a privilege. Welcome.” He took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed at his shiny pink face as he turned toward the door. “Come, let’s go to the crypt and see if we can prize the others out of there, so we can get some lunch.”

  We followed him through the ornate wooden door and into a grand office. He closed the door behind us and locked it. We made our way to the back of the room where Hugh unlocked a small door and held it open for us. Inside, a rickety staircase led down into a storeroom full of old books and broken equipment. Hugh came in behind us and went over to a bookshelf. He pulled back a panel, and turned something. Suddenly one of the old flagstones shifted and revealed a wooden hatch in the floor. Hugh pulled it open and stood back.