Shadow of the Mark

by Leigh Fallon

  Three

  INTRODUCTIONS

  The next day, Adam missed first period. At the morning break, he walked up behind me and gave me a peck on the cheek.

  “Where have you been?”

  He shrugged. “I had some . . . family stuff.”

  It wasn’t like him to be vague. I glanced around. “Where’s Áine?”

  “She heard some news and didn’t feel up to coming in. She’ll tell you about it later.” He leaned down to kiss me. As soon as his lips made contact with mine, a wind whipped at our legs, wrapping us tighter together. I wanted to ask him questions, find out what had upset Áine so much that she couldn’t come to school, but my brain clouded over as I surrendered into his arms.

  He smiled and shook his head. “I shouldn’t do that just before class.”

  “What time is the Dublin Order arriving tonight?”

  “Six thirty. You’re still okay for dinner?”

  “Sure! You know my dad. He’s at his happiest when I’m in Fionn’s ‘safe hands.’”

  Adam laughed. There were few people my dad trusted with my safety these days, but Fionn, with his intimidating commando-style presence, was one of them.

  “Adam, tell me what’s up with Áine. Is she okay?”

  His jaw went rigid. “She wants to tell you herself.”

  “What?”

  “You can’t let her know I said anything.”

  I scowled playfully. “Just spit it out! Quickly—before we have to get to class.”

  “Well . . . since Áine is ‘of age,’ the Order thought it might be a good time to introduce her to . . . her intended. I guess that’s part of what they wanted to talk to us about tonight.”

  My mouth dropped open. Áine had told me that males were handpicked from a proven lineage and partnered with the female Marked to guarantee the continuation of the Marked line, but I’d always thought of it in the future tense, something that would be dealt with in years to come. “Oh my god. I thought that had all been put on hold because I’d been found.”

  Adam shook his head. “You’re a bit of a wild card in the Order’s eyes. The responsibility of continuing the line still falls on poor Áine.”

  “That’s ridiculous! You and Fionn need to stop this.”

  “What do you think we’ve been trying to do? Áine won’t listen. She’s freaking out, but she’s dead set on meeting him. I guess she’s morbidly curious or something.”

  “When is he coming?”

  Adam grimaced. “Friday.”

  “What!” I had a million more questions, but the bell rang and everyone rushed into their respective classes. I couldn’t believe I had a whole day of school to get through before I could talk to Áine. This was crazy.

  That afternoon, I once again headed to the DeRíses’, only I didn’t stop in the kitchen. I went straight to Áine’s room and knocked softly. “Áine, it’s Megan. Can I come in?”

  She opened the door and took one look at me, and her face dropped. “Adam told you, didn’t he?” She shuffled over to her bed and slumped onto the duvet, burying her face in it. A loud squawk came from under the covers, and Randel’s head popped out from a fold.

  “Sorry, Randel,” Áine mumbled.

  I sat down beside her and rubbed her back gently. “He didn’t mean to. I forced it out of him.”

  “You probably agree with them. You must think I’m a sucker for punishment,” she said, her voice barely audible.

  “No, never.”

  She turned her face toward the big sash windows that looked out over the wilds of what was once a front garden. The late-afternoon sun was streaming in across the room.

  “Thanks for . . . ,” she whispered, “for saying nothing. It’s a nice change from other people’s opinions. It’s hard with the guys—they just don’t understand. Even Randel is finding it difficult to be around me right now.”

  I smiled at her and stayed quiet, waiting for her to continue.

  “It’s just this guy, my intended, he’s part of my life whether I like it or not. But if I see him, if I judge for myself, it will be me making the choice. Not my family, not the Order—me.”

  I nodded. “I get that.”

  “I’m not scared of the Order. I won’t be forced to marry him, and I don’t feel like I have any obligation—I just need to do this.”

  “Then do it,” I said, tucking away my doubts.

  She picked up my hand absentmindedly and allowed her fingers to caress mine. The tingling was uncomfortable.

  Wrinkling my nose against the sensation, I tried to pull away. “Áine . . . you’re doing it again.”

  “What?”

  “The hand thing.”

  “Oh! Sorry. People are going to start thinking I’m batting for the other side.” She laughed strangely. “It feels very odd, doesn’t it? Right but . . . kinda wrong too?” She turned my hand over in hers, looking intently at our entwined fingers, and then slowly—and a bit reluctantly—let go.

  “I think it’s just the elements reaching out to each other,” I said, breaking the weirdness of the moment. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

  She forced a smile. “I hope you’re right.”

  Four

  REINSTATED

  The three Watchers of the Dublin Order arrived at the DiRíses’ house later that evening in good spirits. After we all greeted each other in the front hall, Fionn ushered us to the table for dinner. I could tell he was as eager as we were to figure out what exactly they were doing here.

  “So what’s the big news?” Fionn asked, opening a bottle of wine.

  Will, normally the quietest of the three, cleared his throat. “There have been some changes in the setup of the Order. We have a new task force in place.”

  Fionn paused and stared at Will. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?”

  “Well,” stuttered M.J. nervously, “we knew you would have personal issues with it.”

  Will leaned forward. “Actually, they’re not so much new as reinstated.”

  “Are you talking about the Marked Knights?” Fionn growled.

  Adam sat forward. “The Knights haven’t been in existence for over a hundred years. Why bring them back now?”

  Hugh, the friendliest of the men, seemed thrilled to jump in. “After your parents died, the Order decided to bring back the Knights to ensure your protection and be ready to step in when we eventually had our fourth.” He looked at me, clearly seeing how confused I was. “They are exceptional at what they do.”

  “And totally ruthless!” Fionn interjected. “That’s why they were disbanded in the first place.”

  M.J. waved his hand. “It’s different this time. They’re organized, and their skills are second to none. We need them.”

  Fionn seemed unconvinced. “They have too much say and not enough accountability. That leads to corruption, no matter how careful you are in the recruitment.”

  I was fascinated. “Who are they?”

  Adam turned to me, his eyes bright with energy. “The Marked Knights are a highly trained militia who deal out justice against those who threaten the Marked. Years ago, there was a big falling-out between the Order and the Knights.”

  “And a lot of people were killed, not to mention Marked Ones,” Fionn said angrily. “Hence disbandment.”

  “Honestly, it’s different now, Fionn,” M.J. protested.

  I gasped. “Wait! Was it the Knights who killed Lyonis?”

  M.J. nodded triumphantly.

  “Fionn, maybe this is a good thing,” Áine said. “We are four, and the alignment is in a few months. Surely the Knights have more reason to exist than they ever did before.”

  Fionn scowled. “I should have been told.”

  “The reinstatement was partial and very low-key. Knowledge of their existence was kept to the few who needed to know.” M.J.’s face softened. “Fionn, after Emma and Stephen were killed, we had to do something to protect the children.”

  My fingers laced through Adam’s
and he held tight. His parents had died at the hands of the Knox eleven years ago, and I knew it was still painful for him to think about.

  “You had your own private battle to fight at the time,” M.J. continued. “We didn’t want to burden you with the news of the Knights. Then as time went by and the Knox activity died down, it seemed less and less important.”

  Fionn’s face tightened. “I thought I could trust you to be open with me, especially where this family is involved.”

  “You can,” said Hugh quickly. “That’s why we’re here now. The Knox are a threat again, and the Knights would like to send someone to Kinsale to keep an eye on things.”

  “I’m not having a Knight anywhere near us. We have the amulet and the four Marked Ones at full power,” Fionn snapped. “Who in their right mind would consider taking us on? My word is final. I will not have a Knight in this household.”

  “Fionn, don’t let your family history get in the way of the right decision,” Hugh pleaded.

  Family history? Adam caught my eye and shrugged.

  “So you wanted to see the amulet again,” Fionn said, forcefully changing the subject.

  “Of course we do!” Will jumped up. “Where is it?”

  Fionn left the room for a few minutes. When he got back, he gently placed a box on the table. “As you can imagine, we don’t like having it close, as it interferes with their senses, but I’ve found that keeping it stored in echoed soil dulls its powers.”

  The soil around the DeRíses’ house held echoes of the goddess Danu, the original holder of the elements. The soil’s protective properties kept us safe, and now it had another purpose—shielding us from the amulet.

  “Really?” Will said, rubbing his hands together. “That’s interesting.” He opened the box and started poking around in the dirt.

  “Will, wait!” Fionn said. “Do you want to show him how it affects you, Áine?”

  She nodded, then looked over to the window, where a housefly was busy bashing itself against the glass. Suddenly the fly stopped and flew toward Áine, where it hovered for a moment just in front of her face, and then it flew to Adam and landed on his shoulder. Adam scowled and swatted at it as Áine giggled and flicked her hand so the fly jumped to me. I shuddered as his little legs tickled the end of my nose. Just as the fly got to Fionn, Will pulled the amulet from the soil. The fly instantly lost interest and flew erratically, finally landing on the remnants of Fionn’s cheesecake.

  “Next time, Áine,” Fionn said, reaching back and grabbing a newspaper from the counter behind him, “pick something more hygienic.” In one lethal swipe, he brought the paper down on the fly.

  “That really is amazing,” muttered M.J. as Will brushed the last of the dirt from the amulet. “It’s instantaneous.”

  Áine shook her head. “It makes me so uncomfortable.” Of all of our elements, Áine’s earth element was most affected by the presence of the amulet. Unlike for Adam and me, the amulet left her both blind and deaf to her extra senses.

  Hugh took the amulet from Will and inspected it closely. “It is imperative that none of you ever wear it, do you hear me?”

  Adam mock-gasped. “Oh no! I was planning to wear it next weekend with all my other medallions.”

  Will frowned. “This is not a joke, Adam. The last Marked One to put on the amulet was Anú Knox, and you all know how that turned out.”

  I swallowed hard as I recalled the story of how the Order had used the amulet to forcibly strip Anú of her element after she went wacko and started killing people. But something wasn’t adding up. “Will, I thought when Anú was stripped of her element, the Order member who completed the ritual was wearing the amulet, to protect him from her power. Wasn’t that how the story went?”

  Hugh answered for Will. “The story is told in a certain way so as not to reveal details of the actual process. The important thing to remember is: NEVER put it on.” He smiled reassuringly. “Don’t look so worried, Megan. The Order does these things for your protection.”

  The others didn’t bat an eye at the fact that the Order had changed the story. I guessed they were used to it, but I couldn’t help feeling a little put out. What other things have they misconstrued in the name of protection?

  Will’s eyes flicked between me and the amulet for a moment; then he pulled the conversation back. “Adam, does it not affect you like it does Áine?”

  Adam shrugged. “It did at first. But I’ve learned how to work around it. I can still use my power when the amulet is out, but the amulet creates a barrier around itself so that my element can’t get through to it. Hugh, put it on for a minute.” Adam put his hand over a glass of water and drew its contents up until the water was hovering above his hand. Once Hugh placed the amulet around his neck, Adam hurled the liquid ball at him. Hugh ducked, but just as the water reached him, it seemed to smash against an invisible wall and sprayed out around either side of him, all over Will and Áine.

  “Adam!” Áine screeched.

  “And that’s how it works,” Adam muttered, and smiled innocently at Áine.

  As they continued talking about the effects of the stone, I watched Hugh. He took out a little metal eyepiece, like the ones jewelers use to inspect diamonds, and he worked his way over the amber, back to front, inspecting every detail like he was looking for something.

  “And you, Megan,” Will said over his half-moon glasses, his voice lower than usual, “is your element still bound by it?”

  I shook my head. “I can tap into my element around it, but it’s harder to do, and I also can’t get beyond the shield.”

  Will glanced at Hugh. “So why does the amulet affect Áine’s element so much more?”

  “I think I have the answer to that,” Fionn said. “Áine has become dependent on her element. She uses it all the time, without even thinking about it. So the stone interferes with her entire version of normal. She needs to learn how to separate her regular senses from her elemental ones.”

  “Fascinating,” Hugh whispered, his eyes still focused on the amulet. “Fionn, I must take it to the crypt. It would be safer there.”

  “Absolutely not! I won’t let it back into the hands of the Order. You three aside, I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could chuck them.”

  M.J. blew out his cheeks. “The Order won’t like this, Fionn.”

  “I don’t care what the Order likes or doesn’t like. This is my family we are talking about.” It was clear Fionn was putting an end to the conversation. He placed the amulet in the box and left the room with it.

  Áine sighed. “Phew! So what’s next on the agenda?”

  Hugh, who’d been glaring after Fionn, suddenly turned back to the table and his face lit up. “That would be your intended, Áine. I’ve heard great things, I tell you. Great things.”

  “Oh,” Áine muttered, shrinking back onto the bench. “Do you mind if we talk about that later? I don’t think we need to involve everyone in that particular discussion.” She glanced at Adam who had his eyes firmly fixed on the table.

  “Is there a problem?” Hugh’s eyes followed Áine’s gaze to Adam.

  She shook her head. “Nope, no problem. I’d just prefer to do it later. Anyway, there are more pressing things to talk about, aren’t there? Like the alignment. We’re still aiming for June, right?”

  “Of course. Now that Megan has evoked, there is no reason to delay it.” Hugh clapped his hands together.

  “I’d prefer to wait,” Adam said. “Megan’s still coming to terms with her new power. She needs more time.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Fionn said, walking back into the room. “She is much further along than we realized.” He raised his eyebrows at me, and I blushed. “However,” he continued, “Adam has a point. She needs more time to get mentally prepared for what lies ahead. Let’s see how training goes over the next few weeks before we make any final decisions.”

  Will stood firm. “This is one decision you won’t be involved in, Fionn. The Order is already m
aking the arrangements.”

  “Unmake them,” Fionn snapped. “We’ll decide when we’re absolutely sure.”

  “No. The Marked are ready, and you know that.”

  M.J. leaned in to Fionn and lowered his voice. “This is what they were born for. Once it’s done, they can begin to live something resembling a normal life. Don’t deny them that.”

  Fionn glared at him. “Stop twisting this,” he said quietly. “The alignment is dangerous. We’ve seen what it can do.” I strained to hear the conversation.

  “Only because we never had all four at full strength. This will be different.”

  “Enough,” Fionn hissed. “This will not be finalized until we have all the facts and Rían is here to speak for himself.” With that, Fionn walked out of the room.

  After what felt like an eternity, Adam finally spoke. “Way to go, pushing Fionn’s most sensitive buttons. You know, you could have just asked us.”

  M.J. cleared his throat. “We didn’t mean to upset Fionn, but it is imperative that the alignment happen this summer solstice.”

  They were right. Getting the alignment over and done with would be a huge relief, and I was confident I could handle it.

  Adam nodded. “We’ll give you our final answer once Rían is here to speak for himself.”

  “What’s Rían doing, anyway?” I asked.

  “Oh, just helping me out on a little project,” Hugh said. “And no, Megan, I don’t have any answers for you yet.” It was depressing how quickly my one shred of hope could be destroyed.

  Áine took one look at my expression and stood up. “Right, who’s for coffee?”

  Five sour faces turned toward her.

  “Aw, come on, guys, it could be worse. On Friday, you could be meeting the guy you’re being forced to marry!”

  Five

  DEVELOPMENTS

  At school the next morning, Chloe was waiting patiently for us at the front gate. She bounded over and gave me a big hug. I laughed. “Hey, Chloe! How are you?”

  “Doing well. I baked some cookies that we can all share at lunch.”