Three Rings (The Fairytail Saga) (31 page)

Ivyanne awoke for the third time that day on a dewy bed of grass under a blanket of stars, unable to recall how she had gotten there at first. The entire afternoon was a blur in her mind and she’d lost count of the amount of times they’d made love or where they had been when they did it- but her body was still throbbing in a pleasant way as though it held the memory of Lincoln’s kisses and caresses.

‘Ugh...what time is it?’ Lincoln asked, tightening his arm around her waist.

‘I have no idea,’ Ivyanne confessed. She sat up, feeling slightly dizzy. ‘Late, I think. The cold air woke me.’

‘Should have made a fire before we passed out.’

‘I thought we
did
.’

Lincoln chuckled and pulled her back down, holding her possessively against his naked body. ‘Give me five minutes and I could start another…’

Ivyanne laughed and disentangled herself. ‘Tempting, but I think I’m going to be out of commission for a day or two after that.’

‘I hurt you?’

‘The
good
kind of hurt,’ Ivyanne assured him. She got to her wobbly legs and stretched her back before hugging herself. To her horror, looking at Lincoln was making her blush all of a sudden. ‘So when did you develop bi-polar anyway?’

Lincoln’s eyes widened. ‘What’s that now?’

Ivyanne bit her lip, trying to fight off a stupid grin. ‘Oh you know….you’re so uh, commanding, in this kind of situation…. I wasn’t expecting that.’

Link snorted. ‘Because I’m such a bitch the rest of the time?’

She grinned for real. ‘That’s
not
what I said.’

‘But it’s what you were thinking.’ Lincoln reached across and took her hand, his eyes twinkling with amusement. ‘I know, I know. I’ve even been called kinky before. If I hadn’t tied Adele to the sawhorse the first time we had sex, she may have fallen off it from shock!’

Ivyanne’s brain popped. ‘What?!’

But Lincoln laughed. ‘A joke, dear princess.’ He grinned maniacally. ‘You’re not the
only
one who can be cute.’

Ivyanne sagged with relief. ‘Oh my god. You had me going, too.’ She swatted him. ‘See? Bi-polar. You were never a stand-up comic before either.’

‘Well I’ll tickle your funny bone if you do mine.’

Ivyanne giggled, but it sounded slightly hysterical to her own ears. ‘No...really.’

Lincoln stretched. ‘Really? That’s just me. I don’t mind chasing you around all day long, but as soon as sex is on the cards...well I tend to really chase, you know? If you ever want to pretend to run, I’m all for
that
too.’

‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ Ivyanne drawled. ‘But for now, we need to head back. People are going to be worried.’

‘You’re probably right.’ Lincoln agreed, yawning. ‘Dad’s been acting really paranoid lately-thinking I’m on a boat all the time….and if I’m right about the time-I just missed a dinner shift on a Saturday night. He’s going to be losing his
mind
.’

Ivyanne looked down at him, feeling a rush of guilt. ‘Oops. My fault.’

‘Only a lot,’ Lincoln said casually. ‘Are we going back to your place, or your mum’s? I’ll call him from wherever.’

Ivyanne bit her lip, thinking it over. Actually, she was re-hashing a thought she’d been halfway through when she’d fallen asleep, about Ardhi and how she was going to handle his return. ‘I’m going to go back to mum’s.’ Ivyanne said. ‘But I think it’s a good idea if
you
went back to the resort.’

Lincoln’s face was shadowed heavily as he frowned. ‘You don’t want to spend the night with me?’

‘I do,’ Ivyanne said. ‘I was just thinking of Ardhi. If we don’t go back, he’s going to be hurt, or at least his parents will be, and if I go back with you, it might be…..’ Ivyanne couldn’t think of the right word.

Lincoln got to his knees, the planes of his naked body shining in the moonlight. ‘Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to protect me from him?’

Ivyanne wrapped her arms around him. ‘Because you’re smart. We want him to know how things are going to be. But should he fly off the handle, better that it’s in a house with several witnesses-and better still if you’re not within stabbing distance.’

Lincoln shook his head. ‘I don’t like this,’ he said tightly. ‘I feel like you’re using yourself as bait for a bull shark.’

‘Well it may not be risky at all,’ Ivyanne pointed out. ‘Maybe he truly has repented and gotten control of his rage-but on the off chance that he hasn’t, I’d rather test the theory without
you
there.’ She touched his face gently. ‘Your life is worth the paranoia Lincoln. Until I know for sure that he’s over his insane jealousy, I don’t want you getting too close to him.’

Lincoln kissed her gently. ‘What about you? Who’s going to be protecting
you
?’

Ivyanne smiled. ‘Daddy was in a great mood today,’ she said sweetly. ‘But he’s a different person when he’d mad. Ardhi wouldn’t get within two feet of me.’

Lincoln winced. ‘Now that you put it that way….best I avoid him for a few days too.’

Ivyanne laughed. ‘See? I told you you were smart.’

⁓

By the time Ardhi finally heard Ivyanne’s bare, wet feet padding up the porch steps, he was beside himself with anxiety. Since both his and Ivyanne’s parents had retired to their separate accommodations, he had been huddled on the couch with the television on, pretending to sleep while jealously watching the beach through a crack in the curtains, willing Ivyanne to return, and wondering why she had fled to begin with.

Midnight had come and gone, and Ardhi was exhausted from
feigning
exhaustion and bewilderment all afternoon. He’d put on quite the show and the families had clearly swallowed his web of lies completely-even Vana, who was a very shrewd woman indeed. Ardhi had even started believing his own complicated tale by the time they left him alone, teary eyed and emotionally raped, or so they believed.

He was anxious all right, but it had nothing to do with his exertions for the past four weeks-though fleeing to New Zealand then swimming up to Norfolk then flying to Hawaii, swimming then to Los Angeles and then flying back to Brisbane before returning to central Queensland in Dolphin form had taxed him,
none
of it compared to what he knew he was about to endure.

Lying was tiring, and seeing Ivyanne accept Lincoln’s ring through the same crack in the curtains he’d been monitoring all night had sickened him. Twenty minutes. He’d fallen just
twenty minutes
short of coming back to life before the princess officially moved on with hers. Although he knew it was the mer way to take steps towards breeding even in the aftermath of tragedy, he was seething that Lincoln had proposed so swiftly.

Ivyanne tip-toed into the room then, scales clinging to her legs and capturing the blue glow from the television, a towel pulled snugly around her entire torso, her head splattering sandy water on the floor.

‘I’m awake.’ Ardhi said evenly. ‘No point sneaking.’

Ivyanne’s face whipped around to his. After a moment of hesitation, she wet her lips and said: ‘I had a feeling you might be.’

Ardhi felt a surge of annoyance. If she’d known, why had she dragged her tail getting back? ‘Oh.’

‘How are you?’ Ivyanne asked, looking self conscious as she held the towel in place and leaned awkwardly against the kitchen table. ‘All things considered, I mean?’

‘You mean, considering the way you took off like I was a virus?’

There was a pause. ‘Yeah, she whispered, ‘among other things.’

Ardhi sighed. ‘I’m feeling slightly human again,’ he said softly. ‘Seeing mum and dad took a load off. And showering was a joy too, I must say. I’ve been living in somewhat of a primal state.’

‘They’ve been worried.’ Ivyanne glanced away. ‘Well, not worried, gutted. We all were.’

‘Really?’ Ardhi got to his feet, urging her to look back at him as he stalked her like a lion across the room. ‘Even you? After all I did?’

She swiveled her eyes back to meet his. They were glowing green with a concern that was almost maternal. ‘Of course,’ she whispered. ‘Ardhi...I didn’t eat for days. I couldn’t think. And then I went straight into denial.’ She reached her hand out and cupped his face with wet, trembling fingers, guiding his jaw left to right as though inspecting him for wounds. ‘But here you are. So I guess denial was a good place to be.’

Ardhi caught her fingers and pressed a soft kiss to one. ‘I missed you, Ivyanne. Not just lately, but before then. I’d move heaven and earth to get you back, or to make you happy.’

‘So I saw.’ Ivyanne’s eyes frosted with tears. ‘About Link, Ardhi-’

‘I know.’

She paused. ‘Well, yes that, I assumed you were told
that
.’ She smiled sadly. ‘I meant
thank you
.’

He shrugged and tried to look nonchalant. ‘It was nothing.’

‘Maybe not now that we know you can do it so easily,’ Ivyanne whispered. ‘But you didn’t know that, did you? You thought you were giving your life for my happiness. And that’s a debt I can never repay.’

Ardhi chuckled, though he was touched by her gratitude. ‘I can think of one or two ways…..’

She dropped her hand, her expression instantly becoming guarded. ‘Oh?’

‘Yes.’ He moved closer to her, until their faces were just inches apart. ‘You can forgive me.’

Ivyanne visibly relaxed, and Ardhi had to fight back a triumphant smile. What had she prepared herself for? Him demanding her hand in marriage? There was no point to that, and would only make it look like he’d learnt nothing. No, that demand, he would leave to their people. According to her parents, Ivyanne and Link had three months until they took their vows-giving Ardhi three months to intercept the bride to be while his ringers kept Lincoln distracted.

‘Oh. For what?’ She eventually asked. ‘Ask and it’s yours.’

‘For the way I pushed you.’ He said, taking a lock of her hair and running it between his fingers. ‘And the way I let you down as a best mate. And...for Loveridge.’

Ivyanne made a weird gasping sound in the back of her throat and spun away, bringing her fingers up to her face. Ardhi flinched, surprised.

‘What? Not going to happen?’

‘Yes. I mean...no, I can forgive you. It’s just...Tristan.’ A sob racked her broad shoulders. ‘Oh god…’

Ardhi frowned deeply. She was crying over Tristan?
Now
of all times, her sadness for him was overpowering her relief to have Ardhi home? Ardhi was incensed. In fact, he kind of wanted to take her by the shoulders and shake some sense into her.

‘I’m sorry.’ He said shortly. ‘I figured with you and Lincoln engaged and all, that you’d be able to discuss the Tristan thing. Clearly you’re not ready.’

‘It’s just not the day for it.’ She whispered, staring down at her hand, twisting her ring anxiously. ‘Oh god seriously, can we not talk about this?’

‘I think that would be wise.’ Ardhi said, trying not to sound as put out as he was feeling. His eyes scanned her shoulders, trying to work out what was off about her appearance.

‘You’re not wearing a bikini.’ He said. ‘Did I chase you out the door that fast this morning?’

Ivyanne’s cheeks turned pink. ‘Something like that. I had one….I may have left it here….’

Ardhi frowned. ‘So where were you all day? I thought you’d come back a lot earlier.’

‘Oh. Well, Link and I went for a swim out there somewhere…’ she said vaguely, motioning towards the door. ‘We fell asleep at one point and woke up having no clue what the time was.’

‘Fell asleep? On a strange island? Ivyanne that’s such a risk!’ Ardhi couldn’t help but reprimand her. ‘Your parents said there boats everywhere all day. You should have been quicker in the water, not taken ten times
longer
.’

‘Well I wasn’t in the water
that
much....’ Ivyanne hedged.

‘Then what were you-’ The question spluttered to a stop on Ardhi’s lips and for the briefest of moments, he saw red. Ivyanne and Lincoln had been gone for twelve hours and she was returning naked after having fallen asleep? He was so pissed off and caught off guard by the insensitivity of the gesture made his hands throb. ‘Oh are you
kidding
me?!’

Ivyanne jumped. ‘Ardhi, don’t flip! I got engaged this morning, okay? There’s a natural progression from there I shouldn’t have to apologize for.’

Ardhi put his hand to his stomach, trying to keep his dinner down. ‘I finally work up the guts to drag myself back here and grovel at your feet regardless of the fact that your insensitivity was partly to blame for my breakdown, and you decided to commemorate the occasion by getting down with your new fiancé?!’ He could not get his head around it. ‘What part of my appearance today made you hot, Ivyanne?’

‘Ardhi stop yelling!’ She hissed, stepping backwards. ‘Remember what’s happened the last few times your temper has gotten the better of you?’

‘Yeah, I do. Clearly you don’t or you wouldn’t try to provoke me!’