Carrier of the Mark

by Leigh Fallon

  “Hah! They think they have the whole genetic thing worked out, but they don’t. They got lucky with Emma and Stephen. The recessive gene is still a mystery. I don’t care what they say.”

  He stood up and hugged me. “You are as much a daughter to me as Áine. When the Sidhe selected you, you received Emma’s Mark. You carry with you a little bit of her and the daughter I never got to meet.” He ran his finger over my Mark. “I feel as if their spirit is in you.” Tears sprang into his eyes and he turned to walk into the house, lost in thought.

  “You see,” Adam said, “whatever happens, we stay together. Fionn will fight to the death to protect you and what’s best for you—which, incidentally, is me,” he added with a sly smile. “Now, I think it may be time to take you back to your dad. He’s probably wondering what we DeRíses are doing to you, keeping you away for so long!”

  Eighteen

  DAY TRIP

  After we got back from Dublin we continued our regular training schedule, but we were much more cautious than before. I found it easier to trigger my power now. I could feel it—deep in my chest, an iciness served as a constant reminder that my element was always there, just below the surface. And my Mark was stinging again. Not all the time, but occasionally it would flare up. I hoped the power wasn’t growing too fast. I let Rían think that I was finding training more difficult than it actually was—I didn’t want anyone to know about the strength that I felt flowing through me. Not yet. I wanted to give Fionn and the Dublin Order time to find the solution. I was not giving Adam or my element up without a fight.

  Adam was working on his control issues. It had been two weeks now since he’d lost control, but his element had grown inexplicably more erratic ever since Dublin. He reassured me that he would be able to resolve the problem, but it seemed like his power was acting on its own accord. Fionn had started working with Adam to help him manage it, using the same techniques that he’d used with Rían.

  I made sure to make time to hang out with Caitlin when we were back, which felt easier now that I wasn’t as focused on my training. I’d missed her over the past couple of weeks.

  One Monday after school we went down to a little café on the seafront. We dumped our bags and ordered giant hot chocolates. “Fill me in,” Caitlin ordered. “What have you been up to recently? And I want the real story. Not the school-lunchtime version.”

  “Things have been pretty intense.”

  “Really? Tell me!”

  “I don’t know where to begin. Adam is amazing.”

  “Yeah, tell me something I don’t know! So … did you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “You know … it.” She raised her eyebrows up and down suggestively.

  “What? No! Of course not.”

  “Awww, I thought that after the Dublin trip there might have been some steamy sessions.”

  “Oh, there was steam, and lots of it,” I said, blushing a little. “I’ve never felt anything like this before.”

  “I know how you feel. Me neither,” she said dreamily.

  “Hang on a sec; did you do it?” I asked.

  “No! Definitely no it.”

  “Phew! It still feels a little early for all that, doesn’t it?”

  “I suppose so. All in good time.” She winked at me. “So, any more freaky magic from the DeRíses?”

  Keeping my eyes on my cup, I shook my head. “I think we were letting our imaginations get the better of us. It was probably all those hormones rushing to our brains.” I forced a laugh, hoping I sounded suitably breezy, then cringed—disgusted with myself for the all-out lie. “They’re just a little … unique. They’re nice, though. I’ll bring you up to their house with me someday after school. You can see for yourself.”

  “I’d love to! I’ve lived here all my life and have never been inside.”

  “Well, I’ll arrange it. You should see Adam’s room. It’s all sixties flower power.”

  “Seriously? That’s too funny.”

  “I know! I didn’t know what to say when he showed me.” I grinned at her as I leaned down to pick up my napkin that had fallen on the ground, but when I put out my hand, the napkin fluttered up from the floor and jumped into my palm before I even thought about what I was doing.

  “Did you see that?” Caitlin said. “It just floated into your hand.”

  “A draft must have caught it. What are the odds?” I tried to force myself to keep my tone light, and I quickly changed the subject. “So, what’s going on with Jennif—Ouch!” My neck stung sharply.

  “Are you all right?” Caitlin asked, leaning toward me.

  “I … I think something stung me.” I rubbed my Mark under my hair, trying to ease the pain.

  “Do you want me to take a look?”

  “No, no. I’ll be fine.”

  I heard a mumbled whisper. “Sorry, Cait, I didn’t hear that. What did you say?”

  “I didn’t say anything.” She looked at me, concerned.

  I heard the whisper again, this time right at my ear. I felt a shiver down my spine; goose bumps spread out across my skin. I spun around, but there was nobody there.

  “Megan, are you sure you’re all right?”

  The pain started to ease in my neck. I waited for a few seconds to see if there would be any more whispers, but the air was clear.

  “I’m fine … I think.” I looked around the café. “I just … thought I saw a bee.” A thrill of fear ran through me.

  “I don’t see one. Anyway, you were asking about Jennifer—wait until I tell you about the fight that she and Darren had over the weekend…”

  Caitlin’s voice faded away. I needed to talk about this with Adam, but if I told him about my Mark stinging, he might realize how strong my element was. He couldn’t know. Not yet.

  Adam had stayed out of school all week. He still wasn’t totally sure if he had his element under control and he didn’t want to risk flooding out Sister Basil. I missed him fiercely, and on Saturday morning, while I trained, Rían banished him from the yard so I could concentrate.

  By the afternoon I was exhausted and we called it quits. I went up to Adam’s room, and he and I curled up on his bed. Adam lay behind me with his body curved around mine. I was so tired from trying to suppress my element. I’d been warned of the strength required for suppression, but I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.

  “So how’s your meditation going?” I asked, keeping my eyes shut.

  He sighed. “Meditation isn’t really for me. I’m concentrating on managing the new strength.”

  “Well, how’s that coming along?”

  “Good. I’m going back to school on Monday. Fionn reckons I’ve got things under control again.”

  “Hooray. Last week was long without you there.”

  “I missed you too. Hey, now that I’ve been deemed safe, do you want to get out of here for what’s left of the day?”

  I opened my eyes and turned around to him. “I’d love to. What do you have in mind?”

  “Well, I’ve been pining for the sea. I’d love to take the yacht out. Do you fancy a quick spin out in the harbor?”

  I cringed, recalling my ill-fated sailing lesson. “Couldn’t we go skydiving or bungee jumping or something else less likely to kill me?”

  “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to go out sailing with me! You do realize that I control the water, right? You can’t come to any harm. In fact, it’s the safest place you could be. Anyway, you told me you weren’t afraid anymore … remember?”

  “Old habits die hard,” I said reluctantly. “Are you going to go all black eyed on me again?”

  He sighed and released his grip on me. “The black-eye thing looks like it’s here to stay. Well, when I use my element anyway. It seems to be part of the power now. I guess it’s like what happens to Rían. Do they freak you out?”

  “I’ll get used to them if I have to; don’t worry.” I ran my fingers under his eyes. “They’re just so nice when they’re green.” />
  “Come on.” He stood at the foot of the bed and pulled me up toward him, running his hand along my neck and over my Mark. I tensed for a second as he pulled back my hair for a better look.

  “Has my Mark grown much?” I asked.

  “No, it’s pretty much the same as it was before. Why do you ask?”

  “Oh. I just thought … It’s been stinging a little this week, sort of flaring up.”

  “Really?”

  “On Monday I was downtown with Cait and it was really acting up, but it’s fine right now.”

  He caught my chin in his hand and looked at me thoughtfully. “I’m going to run this trip by Fionn. Want to get some food together for us? I’ll be down to help you in a minute.”

  I headed down to the kitchen and found Áine at the table, petting Randel.

  She looked up at me. “What are you up to?”

  “Since I’m restricting the use of my power, I have been put to work in the kitchen making sandwiches.”

  “Let me help.”

  Randel shook out his feathers, hopped up over to the window, and flew away. I looked after him. “Is he off on patrol again?”

  Áine wrinkled her forehead, her eyes clouding in concern. “He’s been a bit anxious for the past few days, but I can’t figure out what’s bothering him.” She shrugged and then looked at me with suspicious eyes. “So what are these sandwiches for? Am I sensing an outing? A picnic? Ooh, can I come?”

  Suddenly Adam’s voice rang out loud and clear behind me. “Absolutely not.”

  She stuck out her tongue at him but he ignored her and came up behind me, putting his lips at my ear. “Let’s get going before anyone else tries to join us. Oh, and Áine,” Adam said, turning to her. “Fionn needs to see you in his office.”

  Áine raised one inquisitive eyebrow at Adam before leaving the kitchen.

  When we got to the marina, Adam punched in the security key code and opened the gate wide for me to walk through. He guided me down the gangway, nodding to the odd person here and there on their boats. We came to the club’s yacht, a large white-and-blue boat with graceful sails all neatly tied up. I didn’t know much, but even I could tell that she was a beauty.

  Adam helped me aboard and then jumped on himself. He went below deck to store away our lunch and then came back up and handed me a life preserver. I rolled my eyes. “What happened to my being completely safe with the controller of the oceans?”

  “It’s to make you feel psychologically safer. Besides, it’s club rules.”

  “Fine. If you insist.”

  As Adam prepared to set sail, I found myself a comfortable seat and relaxed. It was nice to be around water but not have any lingering feelings of fear. As soon as we had gotten a safe distance from the marina, Adam cut the engine and got to work unraveling ropes and clicking catches. With a whizzing noise the main sheet ran up the mast and billowed out. Then it fell silent as the wind caught it. The beautiful sails strained at the lines as we moved out of the harbor.

  We followed a southwest heading for about two hours. Finally we got to where Adam wanted to be. He dropped the sails and tied everything in place. “Now,” he said, doing a full three-sixty. “We are most definitely on our own.”

  That was certainly the truth. There was nothing but sea in every direction. The sky was blue and very clear, with a pale, winterlike quality.

  “First things first,” he said. “Let’s eat.”

  “Good idea! I’m starving.” I ran down the steps, grabbed the picnic bag, and made my way back up.

  “Do you mind if I take a quick dip before we eat?”

  “Ummm … swimming in November? Fine with me, but you do realize that it’s absolutely freezing in there, right?”

  He smiled. “That I do.” He kicked off his shoes and removed his shirt in one fluid movement. I caught my breath. Focus. Adam kicked off his pants. In only his boxers, he stepped onto the edge of the boat and dived into the icy water, barely causing a ripple.

  He stayed under for what seemed like an eternity. Rationally, I knew there was no reason to be worried, but still, I leaned over the edge and anxiously scanned the water.

  His head finally broke the surface just below me. When he spotted me, he grinned. “You fancy joining me?”

  I stood back from the edge. “Not a chance.”

  He hauled himself up the ladder, dried off, and got dressed. He rubbed his hair absentmindedly with the towel as he walked over to me and sat down.

  “Aren’t you frozen?” I asked him, concerned, as I pulled my legs up to my chest and pulled my jacket tighter around me. I put my hand on his arm but his skin was warm to the touch.

  “Powers have their advantages. I can regulate the temperature of the water,” he explained with a grin.

  We settled down to eat, but I could only nibble at my sandwich. I couldn’t stop thinking about my powers and my evoking or lack of evoking. I was still amazed by how much I’d felt my power intensify over the past week. I couldn’t believe I had used it without even knowing that day with Caitlin. And that wasn’t the only time. At home the other night, I’d been staring at one of my schoolbooks and suddenly I realized it was hovering in midair. It seemed so simple, like breathing. It was all about manipulation of the air around me; there was so much I could do that I hadn’t initially realized.

  I hadn’t pushed my power to the limit by any means, but I felt like I could do anything I put my mind to. Unfortunately, though, two weeks had passed and the Dublin Order didn’t have any updates for us. Fionn was still in the dark as well, though he was spending most of his time buried in translations of the Druid Scribes.

  I was so deep in thought I didn’t realize Adam was watching me with concerned eyes. “What?” I said, looking at him.

  “Don’t think about it too much, please. It only makes it harder. We’ll make this work.”

  “I know,” I said, and smiled. “So, when can I see your new and improved powers?”

  “All in good time. Let me digest first.” He stretched out beside me, putting his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. I gently ran my fingers over his face, along his eyelids, down his nose, tracing the line around his lips.

  “This is so nice,” he murmured after a while. Then he propped himself up on one arm. “Ready for some magic?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He jumped up and pulled me with him. Then he looked out to the sea and slowly closed his eyes. The boat was absolutely still on the water. The ocean around us seemed solid, like glass. About thirty feet out from the yacht, though, waves began to jump and dance. I followed the crests as they created a perfect circle, with us at the very center. I looked up at Adam, but his eyes were closed. All of a sudden, the waves shot up in a vertical wall, surrounding us in a circle of water. It was smooth, almost transparent. It rose at least fifty feet in the air.

  I looked at Adam again. He had his hand out in front of him now, palm out, as if holding the wall of water in place. He slowly opened his eyes and looked down at me to gauge my reaction.

  His eyes were ebony, with irises that glowed like the water he was now controlling. I was speechless and felt my element jolt in my chest. I spun around with my mouth open, finally turning back to him, drinking in the power that seeped from him, and quivered as I felt his power mix with mine. I sensed my element’s hunger for the connection and how it was drawn to his eyes. It scared me—they scared me—but then I saw the green flicker through the black and swirling blue and Adam smiled. I felt a very different pull—it was warm, comforting, and just as strong, but it had nothing to do with elements. I smiled back at him.

  “It’s so beautiful.”

  “That’s nothing—watch this.”

  He threw his arms up again. This time the wall rose higher and arched inward, until it finally met above our heads. It was like being underwater, our own private water cave. I could see fish swimming through the liquid ceiling high above us. The sun behind it turned the sea dome a shimmering aquamarine. It g
littered and sparkled like nothing I had ever seen before.

  “It’s so … magical.”

  He smiled. “Pretty cool, isn’t it?”

  I looked deep into the black eyes, seeing my own reflection. “You are truly a wonder, Mr. DeRís. And for the record, I’m seriously starting to dig the new eyes.” I stretched up to kiss him, slowly at first, but then deeply and passionately. He put his arms around my waist in response, squeezing me tight to him. The wall of water held for a moment more before it dropped with a great whoosh and crashed back to the sea surface. The boat rocked, but Adam held me firmly and kissed me back with a burning urgency. We were both left breathless.

  “We’d better start heading home.” His hot, ragged breath caressed my ear. “It’s another two hours back to the marina, and we’d better get in before nightfall.”

  “You’re right.” I released my grip on him.

  But he didn’t let go of me. His mouth stayed at my ear. “Don’t let me go,” he whispered.

  I laughed. “I’ll never let you go, Adam. You know that.”

  “No, I mean literally. Don’t let me go.” The black and swirling blue eyes faded to green and he looked at his feet.

  “What are you talking about?” I said, following his eyes. Then I did a double take. We were hovering about four feet above the boat’s deck. “Aghh!” I screamed. We both dropped to the deck and landed in a heap.

  “How did you do that?” he asked urgently, pulling me to my feet.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t even realize I was doing it.”

  Adam frowned. “Has this happened before?”

  “Not this floating thing; that’s a first. But…” I paused, knowing he wasn’t going to like what I was about to tell him. “Well, other stuff has been happening. I’ve tried to stop it. I swear.”

  Adam’s brow furrowed. “You should have told me.”

  “I didn’t want to worry you.”

  “No matter what happens, we have to work this out. Do you hear me? We have to work this out.”

  I nodded nervously. “I try to control it; it’s just—I feel the power running through my veins. I’m not doing these things; the power is.”