The Marked Ones (34 page)

‘What?’ Ivyanne gasped, bobbing on the water. ‘Tristan we don’t have time!’

‘We’re on the wrong side of the boat, it’s turned!’ He squeezed the hand he was holding. ‘Ivyanne, you need a clear head, okay? So do I. Ardhi’s lost it- so this could be dangerous, for
both of us. As the princess you should leave it to me to follow them.’

‘And as the future queen I’m telling you that
won’t be happening Loveridge!’ Ivyanne spat. ‘I got Lincoln into this mess, and I’ll get him out of it! He’s been hurt enough! I won’t let Ardhi drown him if there’s a way I can stop it!’

‘How did I know you were going to pull rank on me?’ Tristan exploded. ‘Look if Ardhi’s drowned him Ivyanne,
I’ll fix it, okay?’

Ivyanne recoiled. ‘
Fix it?’ Suddenly, she understood. ‘Tristan-no! Don’t even think that! I would never ask-’

‘You don’t
have to ask.’ Tristan whispered, brown eyes glowing. ‘I’d do anything to protect that heart of yours from breaking again.’

‘Killing yourself for him is
not protecting my heart!’ She shrieked, panicking. ‘It’s breaking it a different way! Tristan if I can’t trust you to- Tristan!’ Ivyanne screamed, but Tristan suddenly sank from view.

Instinctively she launched herself up in what Ardhi had always called her ‘Sailfish showiness’ and propelled herself down, in the exact place Tristan’s head had just been.

The water was murky and churning, but Ivyanne glimpsed the harlequin shimmer of Tristan’s tail, already some twenty feet down, as he sank away. But straight away she realized, that she was seeing him from the wrong side. Tristan wasn’t diving, he was being pulled from below. His beautiful eyes were wide with shock.

⁓

The arm around Tristan’s throat was so tightly clamped that Tristan instantly worried if his throat was being crushed. He bucked and writhed, aiming his elbow behind him into Ardhi’s stomach, but the grip on his throat tightened. Ardhi didn’t have strong hands but his thin, hard fingers dug into the flesh around Tristan’s larynx painfully.

Ivyanne was above him, a blur of shimmering lilac and periwinkle scales, backlit by the searchlights of his boat, whereas her bikini top was practically colorless in contrast. Her hair floated behind her, her screams hitting his ears and almost rupturing them. He saw the panic in her eyes, though whether he actually saw it or simply recalled it he wasn’t sure, but it renewed his strength. He couldn’t let her down.

Tristan rocked his head backwards, catching Ardhi with a direct hit, but Ardhi’s grip on him only relaxed for a second. Tristan was twice as strong as Ardhi, but the other boy’s manic state was clearly fueling his rage. Tristan still had the knife in his hand, and as they were free, he knew it was the only chance he had. He swept his arm out in an arc to his side, praying that he had the blade pointed at the right body, then tried to sweep it back in.

But a hand caught his wrist, and Tristan felt his insides shrivel as Ardhi rotated his wrist and then forced it forward. The sensation of the blade slicing through a gap between his upper ribs was instantaneous and much worse then he’d ever imagined.

‘If I can’t have her,’ Ardhi’s watery voice warbled in his ear. ‘You can’t.’

Tristan felt some sort of weight lift from his body, and his eyes instantly rolled back into his head. The last thought was of Lincoln. If he’d bought the human Ivyanne loved time to swim to the safety of his boat, then he’d kept his promise to the princess.

⁓

Ardhi yanked the blade out of Tristan’s side, a shiver of horror and glee overwhelming him. The blood seemed to first spurt from the wound, before turning into a cloudy mist that stained his vision red. He glimpsed Tristan’s slackened face before the cloud absorbed him, and a thrill shot down his spine. He’d
won! He’d finally bested Loveridge!

But Ardhi didn’t have time to pat himself on the back. Ivyanne’s sudden and blood curling scream was proof of that. It hurt him, but he couldn’t think about that yet. One day she’d understand that he had the kingdoms’ interests at heart.

Ardhi darted back to the other side of the boat, where he’d abandoned the human, wondering if sharks would finish Tristan off when they scented the blood, or if Ardhi had in fact delivered a death blow, unable to hold back a smile of satisfaction at either concept as he scanned the water to catch his bearings.

Then he spotted the legs kicking frantically for the surface near the shadow of the dinghy, and he blocked out every other thought as he zeroed in on his prey, annoyed. He’d abandoned Lincoln for Tristan, leaving him down in the coral, thinking that the other man’s fear of boats and near-death experience in childhood meant that the human couldn’t swim-but obviously that had been a mistake. For someone wearing pants and shoes, Lincoln was making speedy progress towards the surface!

Ardhi set his jaw and shot forward, reaching for Lincoln’s ankle. Oh well. I’m still better at it!

34.

‘Tristan swim! Flick!’ Ivyanne shrieked as she shot into the cloud of bloody water, heart in her throat. ‘I can’t see you! Follow my voice!’

A dark shadow suddenly whizzed by underneath her, and her skin crawled. Ardhi-it
had to be. She knew she should go after him before she lost sight of him, because she had no idea where Lincoln was and if he was dead already-but that last lost look on Tristan’s face stayed with her. Besides-it was her people she needed to make priority, especially in a life or death predicament. She went down, frantically straining to catch the slightest glimpse of him. A bolt of lightning hit the water, no less than fifty meters to her left. It illuminated the underwater scene for a full five seconds. Ivyanne caught glimpses of coral and the slinky silver reflecting off a school of startled trout, before she spotted Tristan, still to her right, slowly and lifelessly rotating in the water.

Ivyanne darted towards him, wrapping her arm around his torso, before hefting him up against her chest. She’d never kicked so hard with her tail before, but it didn’t fail her- Ivyanne shot to the surface. If Tristan was still in mer form, not dolphin, he still had a chance.

‘Help!’ Ivyanne screamed, filling her lungs with air she didn’t need yet. She spun around, Tristan’s weight heavy in her arms, searching for his boat. When she found it, she waved her arm. ‘Bane! Pintang!’

‘Coming!’ Pintang cried, pulling her blue dress over her head, revealing a naked, olive skinned body beneath. Ivyanne watched in awe as Pintang leapt off the deck of the yacht, bucked in mid air, her tail magically appearing before Pintang even hit the water. Ivyanne had never seen that before-a pre-submerged transition. It took her breath away.

When Pintang surfaced, Ivyanne didn’t hesitate to shove Tristan into the other girls’ capable hands. ‘Take him! I’ve got to find Link and Ardhi!’

‘Is he...?!’

‘Not yet-but he’s been stabbed, he needs help!’ Ivyanne used her arms to push backwards through the water. ‘Apply pressure to the wound and try to talk him round!’

‘I will! Go get Ardhi for me, okay?’

‘Okay,’ Ivyanne turned, astounded to find herself inches from the hired boat. But before she could go under, Lincoln breached the surface, one hand wrapping around the steel edge on the other side. ‘Link!’ she screamed. ‘Hang on!’

‘Ivyanne!’ His eyes were wide with terror. ‘It’s Ardhi! He’s-’ But just as suddenly as he’d surfaced, Lincoln vanished again.

⁓

Lincoln would barely have had the chance to fill half of his lungs before Ardhi caught his foot and dragged him under for the second time, the adrenaline surge from killing Tristan granting him even more speed and strength then Ardhi had thought he’d be capable of. He was practically drunk with adrenalin.

‘One down!’ Ardhi said, knowing Lincoln wouldn’t have understood it as clearly as his own kind would, but unconcerned. Actions really would speak much louder.

‘Aahh!’ Lincoln’s cry from his human throat came out as garble, and he flailed in his arms, eyes bulging, bubbles rushing out of his wide-open mouth as he screamed. Ardhi dragged him down further, relishing the absolute power surging through his muscles. When the water grew darker and colder and the stream of bubbles began to dissolve, he tugged Lincoln towards him, one final burst before the deed would be done.

‘Only I can make her happy!’ Ardhi cried, his voice sounding loud and manic, even to his own ears. But the euphoria rising within him cancelled out any reservations about his course of action-he’d come too far to repent now-his beautiful world would never have him back, but at least Tristan and Lincoln would be lost to their own as well. ‘Watch me prove it!’

With that, Ardhi doubled his tail and brought the hard fold into the centre of Lincoln’s soft, human torso, forcing out any remaining oxygen and letting out a roar of victory when the human went slack in his arms.

⁓

‘
No!’ Ivyanne screamed when Lincoln was pulled under. She duck-dove, shooting underneath the boat. Suddenly, the water swelled unexpectedly and Ivyanne had to make herself sink to get out of the boats’ way. The prop hurtled past her face, giving her a fright, until she saw that it wasn’t spinning.

But things were dire-now that the boat was behind her, it was blocking the floodlights from Tristan’s yacht, making visibility a huge issue. Needle Island was only one hundred meters away, but she knew the area well, and she knew she swimming down into the trench which was popular with the die-hard fishing crowd-herself included. Now, she was negotiating the inky water with outstretched hands, certain only that Ardhi would have dragged Lincoln into the depths, and knowing that she’d see nothing.

To prove her helplessness, something sharp suddenly tore down the side of her tail- from hip bone to knee before she managed to jerk away, wincing. She hoped it hadn’t penetrated beyond the soft tissue insulating her legs from her scales-or she’d have a nasty scar for a few months. The hand on that side suddenly brushed against something equally unforgiving and she jerked it away. Oyster Rock. Well, at least she knew where she was. Instinctively, she veered right, then ducked down once more, letting her memory negotiate her path through the oyster rock and down to where the coral was softer.

Come on come on come on!
She screamed internally, not wanting to make a noise and alert Ardhi of her pursuit. For a whole thirty seconds she shot through the water, feeling for vibrations of any other life form, but locating nothing. Ardhi’s lightning strikes had been conducted by the salt water, but it had still infused the immediate area with a sort of charge, numbing her senses.

After a minute, Ivyanne began to panic. She didn’t need a breath, but she needed
help. She pushed herself back up to the surface and broke it, launching herself as high out of the water as she could do attract Bane’s attention.

‘Lights!’ she gasped, flipping so that she angled back down. ‘I need lights!’ Before she could get an answer, or even confirmation that she had been heard, Ivyanne was under again, ten feet and sinking fast. Twenty more seconds of silence and darkness followed, but just as Ivyanne let out a frantic sob for everything she was losing, something smashed into her so hard that it knocked the wind out of her. Bubbles shot out of her mouth.

‘Ardhi?’ She shrieked, turning slightly, trying to make out the other merman-but she was answered with a muted boom of thunder from above and nothing else.

Recovering Ivyanne pivoted and dove again, heart stopping momentarily when she felt something softer rub up against her cadual fin. Ivyanne made herself sink lower, said a quick prayer, then reached down, feeling around for the obstruction while the other hand held her stomach where she had been hit. When she felt limp fingers glance off hers, her heart gave a hard, hopeful thump. She gripped the hand and with every ounce of strength she had, vaulted up towards the surface, tagging Lincoln’s prone form behind her. Halfway up, the lights found her, illuminating the immediate space around them. She looked down as she strained for the surface, seeing Lincoln’s peaceful but lifeless face through the red cloud of water in her wake.

⁓

The deed was done. Now she’d know-they’d
all know, his power and his devotion. Ardhi released Lincoln’s lifeless body, and took off, not even slowing when he felt Ivyanne’s own soft and yet strong body collide with his. Now was not the time to ponder, but to flee. When Ivyanne realized her own gratitude, he’d be there to witness it-one way or the other, even if she never knew it.

⁓

When Lincoln came to, he flinched to see three concerned faces staring down at him. One he did not know, one he’d thought he’d known, the third, tear-streaked and radiant-was one he’d always know.

‘I didn’t die?’ he gasped. But the next thing he knew, he was choking.

The unfamiliar boy turned him onto his side, thumping his back as coughs jerked Lincoln’s curled body. ‘That’s it!’ he said soothingly. ‘Get it out.’

‘Thank god!’ Ivyanne’s voice was trembly, an edge of hysteria to it. She was pulling away from his face, her features blurred but majestic. ‘No you didn’t die.’

‘Just,’ Pintang whispered. ‘Ivyanne got you out and was about to revive you but your eyes opened on their own. Thank goodness.’

‘Ardhi?’ Lincoln croaked, between watery gasps.

‘He got away.’ Ivyanne said sadly. ‘I had to get you to the surface.’

For the first time, Lincoln realized that her wet hand was clenching his. ‘Help me up,’ he managed, as the last droplets of water evacuated from his chest. His head was pounding, making him dizzy. Had he really just fought off a merman in a stormy sea? Or was he really having a nightmare in his own bed? If it was the latter, he’d have to see a shrink about it. Adrenalin was pumping through his veins almost violently.

‘You should probably stay on your side for a while, man.’ The strange boy said in a thick American accent-twice as obvious as Tristan’s own. His skin was the color of hot chocolate, his eyes dark and full of consternation. ‘You’ll be weak for a few days.’

‘I feel fine.’ Link said honestly, realizing it was true. The dizziness had already subsided. His clothes were soaking though, weighing heavily on him, and he was cold-but he didn’t feel as thrashed as he’d expected. Then again, he’d expected death. ‘Now that the water is out of me, anyway.’

Ivyanne pulled on his arm so he was sitting, but kept one of her hands bracing his back from behind. Lincoln saw she was soaking wet, wearing only a strapless bikini top with a towel knotted around her waist. He knew at once then when she’d saved him, she would have been in her true form-one he’d never glimpsed but imagined to be sensational. He wanted to kick himself for missing it.

Then he was instantly annoyed at himself for already focusing on her beauty over the fact that he’d just almost
died. This was the second time she had saved his life-how much harder would that make it to forget her?

‘He looks okay,’ Pintang, also soaking wet, also wrapped in a beach towel, eyed him. ‘What did Ardhi do to you Lincoln?’

‘Aside from literally making him sleep with the fishes?’ The other boy joked. He then turned to Lincoln and winked. ‘I’m Bane, by the way. The insignificant suitor.’

Lincoln’s eyebrows flexed. ‘Hey.’ He managed to say, wondering if he’d died and was now in hell and being forced to watch the parade of perfect people. Bane was almost as good-looking as the other two! No wonder Ivyanne had found herself in a conundrum! The truly puzzling part was how Link had ever managed to turn her head at all!

‘We should siren him now.’ Pintang said quickly. ‘While he’s still half out of it. It’ll make it easier.’

‘
Siren me?’ Lincoln’s heart skipped a beat. ‘Why? I’ve seen the shell! I can’t say a word!’

‘But you’ll be haunted by this forever.’ Ivyanne’s face was apologetic. ‘Besides, too many people know you know, Link. You’ll be less paranoid if you’re oblivious to
that fact, at least.’

‘And I don’t want a pay-reduction because my brother tried to kill you.’ Pintang said humorlessly.

Lincoln backed up against the wall. He didn’t want a mermaid-induced lobotomy! And he definitely wanted the mermaids off his pay-roll! But there was a groan from across the room, and it drew the focus from him.

‘He’s coming to!’ Bane cried, his face flushing with what could only be relief. ‘Tristan! Mahalo!’

‘Oh!’ Ivyanne’s arm fell from Lincoln’s back, and she vaulted over him, her bare feet kicking up scales, which shone like metallic confetti right across the boat deck. ‘Oh my god!’

‘Tristan’s hurt?’ Lincoln leaned forward, frowning as the others surrounded Tristan, who was lying on a bench seat near the steering ever, a bandage wrapped around his torso, a blanket covering the rest.

Ivyanne looked back at him. ‘He dived in to save you-Ardhi stabbed him. We thought-’ she looked away. ‘Honey? Can you hear me?’

Something inside Lincoln shattered when he heard Ivyanne calling out to his rival so fondly, fear and desperation so distinct in her tearful voice. It stung that she’d left his side so easily, but he shook off the bitterness. He’d almost drowned, yet he
was okay.

But by the look of the blood soaking through the crisp white bandage around Tristan’s ribs, golden boy was at risk of a lot more than a lobotomy. And if he truly had taken a knife to the ribs to protect Lincoln, then Lincoln needed to be grateful, not envious.

Tristan groaned again. ‘Lincoln?’

‘He’s alive! We all are! You must have passed out from the pain.’

‘Ardhi?’ he coughed. His usually velveteen voice sounded raw.

‘Gone, but we’ll find him.’ Ivyanne leaned down and planted a kiss on Tristan’s forehead.

Lincoln flinched, witnessing it. So she hadn’t been lying-she really had developed feelings for the other man. Accepting that was like swallowing pungent seaweed.

‘Never do that again, okay?’

‘You know I can’t promise that...’ Tristan rolled his head to the side, his eyes meeting Lincoln’s-the expression within them subtly empathetic. ‘Bet you wish you didn’t get out of bed this morning, hey?’

‘That’s pretty much it,’ Lincoln said, not adding that watching Ivyanne fawn all over him, was making him wish Ardhi had
finished the job. ‘Thanks though.’