Three Rings (The Fairytail Saga) (22 page)

Ivyanne whimpered and forced his lips back to hers with one firm hand on the back of his head. When he complied, she squirmed against him, as though she was climbing a rock wall and desperately looking for something to get a hand hold on. He felt her hand leave his hair and pull on the collar of his shirt as the other slid under the back of his shirt and caressed his lower back. Her touch was heavenly, and her frustration, her need, fueled his own.

But he resisted the urge to strip her right then and there, his mouth demanding focus as he slowed his pace. He could practically feel her heart fluttering against his chest, and when his body began to respond in a way that
couldn’t
be ignored, Lincoln broke free.

‘My self control ends here,’ he said lightly, freeing himself of her grasp.

Ivyanne’s eyes fluttered open. ‘That was-’ she shook herself off slightly and straightened. ‘Amazing.’

Lincoln couldn’t hold back the grin. ‘Really? It was just a kiss.’

Ivyanne bit her lip, but her own smile shone through. ‘Well you’re an amazing kisser.’ She tucked her hair behind her ear. ‘You always have been….I’d almost forgotten how addictive you are.
Al
most. It’s coming back to me now….’

Lincoln was pretty sure that was the most meaningful compliment he’d ever received. ‘What is?’

Ivyanne blushed. ‘
Why
I’m afraid to let you kiss me. Because I know that once I start, I’ll never want to stop.’

Lincoln felt like he was floating. ‘I’ll be back tomorrow,’ he said softly. ‘It’s my day off. If we could hang out...alone, for once…’

Ivyanne nodded slowly. ‘I’d like that.’

Lincoln smiled and blew her a kiss. Finally, things were back on track.

⁓

It took Tristan five days to get to the Cook Islands from Caroline Atoll, stopping at Flint Island halfway through for lunch before continuing on. In the Cook Islands, he’d stayed at Rarotonga, and although it was the most populated of the Islands, he knew that there were a few abandoned premises that would offer shelter from the rain, which had been lingering around sine Wednesday afternoon. An entire Hilton resort had been abandoned there back in 2008 so he made that his camp.

He squatted in the cleanest bungalow he could find, cowering in the corner so the leak in the centre of the ceiling didn’t touch him. He’d caught fish before heading in, and made a small fire in the doorway between the en-suite and the main room-the only place in the room besides his corner which wasn’t covered in mould or grime. He could tell from the scorch marks on the floor that he hadn’t been the first homeless person to do it either. He was cold and malnourished, had a stinging wound on his arm from a jellyfish he’d swum into, and was completely exhausted. He was also so tired that he could barely think.

If he could get to a telephone and ring his sister, she’d arrange for someone nearby to help him-and yet Tristan couldn’t make himself do that. Besides-what choice other than swimming home did he have that didn’t involve boarding another plane? Tristan considered himself to be brave-but no way was he ready to be at the mercy of altitude again any time soon.

Tristan rubbed his hands up and down his legs to warm himself. If Ardhi
was
a shape-shifter with the ability to change humans, as well as a mystic capable of messing with the weather to a large enough degree that would shake a plane out of the sky, Tristan knew that a phone-call warning wouldn’t suffice anyway. No other mermaid had been that powerful-not since Anna. The element of surprise was the only thing Tristan had going for him.

Tristan pressed his hands into his brain, willing himself to come up with the solution. It would take him at least five more days to get back to Seaview, and he had to have a plan
before
then. But what? A helpless tear rolled down his cheek. He’d always thought he was as tough as men went, but his ego was taking hit after hit. The fact that Ardhi had stabbed him, fooled him then almost killed him again, and now had him squatting and starving, naked in a ruin, was more painful for him than the gash in his skull. When he included the fact that he’d ended up tied if not coming second in the race to Ivyanne’s heart, it was all Tristan could do to not take his own life. Fail after fail after fail….how much could one man bear?

Tristan took in a shaking breath, commanding himself to get a grip. He needed to get to somewhere where he could have a shower, rest and recoup-preferably clothed-for a few days to sort his mind out. Somewhere with internet access and a phone.

There was one option-Adele Knightley had been on Norfolk. Was that Ardhi’s base? Could he still be there? It seemed possible. After all, without Tristan’s dead body to bury, Ardhi was probably exercising some caution. If he hadn’t gone north yet, there was a good chance Tristan could intercept him before he wiped Lincoln off the face of the planet too.

And if Ardhi wasn’t there….then at least Tristan would know there was a vacant house he could squat in without fear of discovery while he thought of a plan B.

⁓

When Lincoln walked into the Barefoot bar, he was surprised to see that it was practically deserted. In fact, the only customer was Bobbitt, the persistent yet harmless barfly who’d been coming to the Seaview for over twenty years, way back when Link had been just a pre-pubescent guest, and the owners had been an elderly Tahitian married couple.

‘Cold season’s going to kick off soon.’ Bobbitt said, lifting his half-empty glass in greeting. ‘Wouldn’t know it by looking at
you
though. Nice to see a smile on yer dial for a change.’

‘It is?’ Lincoln asked, slipping behind the bar and automatically moving to pull Bobbitt a fresh beer.

‘It is. You lot have been dragging yourselves around looking like someone kicked your puppies for a good month now. Maybe longer.’

‘Well I apologize for that.’ Lincoln said. ‘You know about the uh, plane crash, right?’

Bobbitt nodded, his eyes somber and indicated to Lincoln to take the money for the beer from the change from the golden and red bar runner before him. ‘Awful thing, that.’

‘Yes well he was friends with some of my employees. So they’re taking it hard.’

‘Not surprised. Nice guy too.’

‘You met Tristan?’ Lincoln repeated, surprised. As a guest, Tristan had basically holed himself up in his room, tapping away at his shiny white computer like he was trying to hack into the ATO before crunch season.

‘Yeah, down on the beach. I was swinging a few balls and I’ll be damned but he shouted me a circuit on your fancy course here. We made an afternoon of it. He even gave me some advice for where to stash the rest of my super.’

‘That sounds nice.’ Lincoln swallowed uncomfortably. It was so hard to form an opinion on Tristan Loveridge which didn’t contrast with the opinion before it.

‘Yeah he was. Good bloke. Must have been lonely, though, to spend a whole afternoon with an old timer like me.’

Lincoln had never thought of Tristan as lonely, but perhaps that was the case. His brother was dead, his parents lived in France and his sister and family in Hawaii. He worked with Steve (Sven) who Lincoln had met briefly, and yet Tristan had never mentioned having a social life which breached the boundaries of charity functions and meetings. His perfect glossy life suddenly seemed kind of solitary and sad.

Lincoln didn’t want to talk about Tristan anymore. He was getting that icky feeling in the pit of his stomach again, like he’d taken the happy ending from someone who’d needed it more. ‘Where’s Sherri?’ He asked.

‘The little Kiwi?’ Bobbitt nodded towards the kitchen. ‘I think she went that way just before you walked in. She didn’t look too happy. Ask her if it was something I said. It almost always is.’

Lincoln chuckled, put Bobbitt’s change in the till and then hurried towards the corridor. ‘Keep an eye on the place, kay?’

‘Aye, aye, Link. If you run into your ’ol man in your travels, tell him to come have a beer with me.’

‘Will do.’ Lincoln hurried into the function room, inhaling the smell of fresh paint with a satisfied smile. It was looking incredible-all creams and golds swirling like the underside of waves across the walls, edged with metallic wisps of turquoise reminding him of Ivyanne’s hair and tail as they blurred in motion. The tables were draped with gold linens, and large, floating Chinese lanterns descended from the high rafted ceilings, muted turquoise and gold in the dim light, alternating in length and moving in the draft swirling in under the thatched roofing. The wood of the empty bar was freshly polished and gleaming just like the re-glossed slate floors.

He grinned, looking around for the hundredth time that week. Seeing the room restored to more than its former glory renewed his love for the resort-and made him itch to overhaul the whole place, like he’d overhauled himself. Lydia was an artist, and he’d already taken eleven bookings for the following month. He couldn’t wait to tell her he was doubling her fee-and hopefully-that acknowledgement of her talent would renew her.

But thoughts of renovations abandoned him when he spotted Sherri slumped near a buffet table, blowing her nose into a tissue and looking more delicate than usual.

‘Sherri? Are you okay?’

The girl turned around, her eyes red, her cheeks flushed and her features forlorn. ‘Oh, Link hey. Sorry. I was just taking a time-out.’

‘What’s the matter?’ He was concerned but wary as he approached her.

Sherri waved her hand. ‘Oh it’s stupid. Bobbitt, well he called me Scrappy Do….’

Lincoln raised an eyebrow. ‘I’ve been called worse.’

‘Yeah I know. It’s just that...well my
dad
calls me that.’

‘Oh.’ Lincoln rounded the table. ‘Are you homesick?’

But Sherri turned her face away. When she spoke, her voice was brittle : ‘My dad is dead, Link. Eight months now.’

Lincoln’s heart sank. ‘Oh! Oh wow. Sherri I didn’t have a clue. I’m so sorry!’

‘You weren’t to know. I avoid thinking about it when I can, and never talk about it.’ She sniffled. ‘It was just so unexpected, and the timing was rotten.’

Lincoln slid onto the floor beside her. ‘Can I ask what happened?’

Sherri hung her head. ‘He got a new girlfriend.’

‘Wait, where’s your mum?’

But Sherri pursed her lips. ‘Ran off on us when I was eight. It was always just dad and I, running the farm together. We were a great team.’ She dropped her eyes. ‘And then Candy came along.
Candy
, can you believe it? Anyway the farm wasn’t making enough money for her liking. She pushed dad to become a truck driver. We sold our land but kept the house. Then Candy didn’t want me around anymore so-well I joined Greenpeace because there was nowhere in my area to rent and I’d always loved the ocean. I went off for the year and when I came back, they were getting married. I picked up some shifts at the old tavern, just to make some cash while I stayed for the wedding, but one night the coppers came to the bar to tell me….dad had been in an accident.’ Her face crumpled. ‘He had flipped his rig and died instantly.’

Lincoln’s heart went to the girl, who was now sobbing. He encircled his arms around her while she cried fat, wet tears into his shirt.

‘I’m so sorry, Sherri.’ Lincoln lamented. ‘My mum died a few years ago too. I know what it’s like.’

‘But I’ll bet you two were at least getting along.’ Sherri blew her nose again. ‘Candy totally had dad around her finger. And to make things worse, they’d lived together for so long that she inherited half of everything! Life insurance, the house...now we fight almost on a daily basis about what to do with the old place. She’s determined to sell, and I can’t stop her. I went back about three weeks ago to beg her to just let me have it but she said no. Which is why I’m back in Australia. I can’t stand being somewhere with so many memories that are just being torn apart by that woman.’

‘I can imagine.’ Lincoln sighed. ‘I really don’t know what to say.’

‘You don’t have to say anything.’ She looked deeply into Lincoln’s eyes. ‘I’m sorry for what I almost went along with the other night. That wasn’t me, and I could tell it wasn’t you.’ She sniffled. ‘I thought that it might be good for both of us to be a little wild, like that Lux woman, and have a little fun. But the next day, I felt like hell, and I was furious with that Pintang and Ivyanne for ripping you to shreds over something you were a victim of, not the aggressor.’ She let out a long, shuddering sigh. ‘I crossed a line by interfering, but I was only trying to defend you Link. Yet I only made it worse and now Pintang won’t even look at me.’ She wiped at her eyes. ‘I should just go. Maybe Ivyanne will be more comfortable coming into the bar, if I’m not around to remind her of that awful day....’

‘Sherri
no
’ Lincoln was horrified by her guilt, and his heart ached for her and all she had been through. If anyone knew what it was like to lose a parents at a mature age, it was him. ‘Ivyanne will get over it, and as for everyone else here, you’d be surprised at how understanding they can be of, well, people being
human
.’ He smiled wryly at his own private joke. ‘You’re a fantastic worker and a beautiful girl, and the customers love you-so you’re not going anywhere. If a fresh start is what you want, then consider it done.’