by S. K Munt
That made sense to Lincoln. ‘So how will you evolve, sweet Ivyanne?’ he asked, throwing his arm across the back of the couch again, just so it was closer to her. ‘How long do you think it will be before you’re ready to live like….’ words failed him.
‘Like….?’ Ivyanne prompted.
Lincoln cleared his throat. ‘Like you don’t still belong to him.’
She lifted her brows. ‘Am I acting like that?’
He nodded, taking her fingers in his. ‘Will you ever tell me?’
‘Tell you what?’
‘Who your choice was going to be?’
Ivyanne frowned. ‘Not having to make this decision is the only good thing that’s come out of any of this. I’ll just say that it depended on my pregnancy, and leave it at that.’
‘So it was a draw?’ Lincoln’s heart sank. ‘The baby was going to be the tie-breaker?’
Ivyanne lifted her watery eyes to his. ‘Can you live with that?’
‘I have to,’ Lincoln said softly, feeling his confidence waning once again. ‘I mean, I thought I was the love of your life, sweetheart. It kills me to know that I wasn’t the only one who-’
Ivyanne’s finger pressed against his lips. ‘Please,’ she implored him in a tiny voice. ‘I’m hanging on by a thread.’ She took her hand away. ‘You are the man I think of, when I think of love. You are the one I’ve always dreamed of, and you’re going to be the one I spend my life with. My confusion stemmed from so much more than my feelings-you know that. It was about politics, and honoring Ardhi’s sacrifice, and being loyal to my own kind….’ she shook herself slightly. ‘I won’t disrespect Tristan’s memory by saying any more than that, or downplaying how I felt-and still feel-for him. But you have to understand that I know that I’m where I’m supposed to be. I just don’t like how I’ve gotten here.’
Lincoln allowed his heart to give a hopeful thump. ‘So you think we’re destined to be together too?’ he asked quietly, finding her hand again.
Ivyanne nodded. ‘Everything that’s happened in my life-awful or good-has brought us to this moment.’ Her green eyes searched his. ‘Don’t you agree?’
He did. He leaned forward eagerly, his eyes beginning to drift to her lips as his need to convince her of their perfection with his body overwhelmed him once more. How much longer could he be expected to wait?
‘I’m weakening too.’ Her fingers grazed his lips, and he closed his eyes, imagining her mouth there. The air became thin, the scent of yellow roses made him dizzy. ‘Just so you’re aware.’
Lincoln let his weight drift forward, until his forehead was resting against her chest. He breathed her heavenly aroma in and out, listening to her pounding heart and knowing without a doubt, that she wanted him as much as he did her. For now, he’d take whatever he could.
⁓
Vana smiled approvingly at Lincoln over the top of Ivyanne’s head on Sunday afternoon, spooning a piece of white chocolate cake-an unusual treat for her-into her mouth and gloating in satisfaction. Ivyanne wasn’t holding his hand or anything like that, but she was there, and she had even smiled a few times. For now, that was progress enough.
‘Wow Vana!’ Saraya exclaimed, holding up the black pearl earrings to her earlobes and grinning. The petite girl was practically buried under a mound of wrapping paper. ‘I love them! Thank you!’
‘You’re welcome,’ Vana said, before turning to Pintang. ‘This cake is delicious! If I’d tried this a hundred years ago...I might have been dead by now.’
‘I’ll take that as a compliment,’ Pintang joked. ‘Dad still won’t touch it.’
Joakim looked at the half slab of cake in the centre of the picnic table doubtfully. His stark grey hair contrasted to his ruddy olive skin. ‘It’s that good?’ he asked. ‘Even with all of that sugar?’
Joakim was famous for adhering to a strict vegan, sugarless and organic diet. It made him a painful house guest. But his unlined face was a testament to the benefits of self-deprivation.
‘You should try some,’ Lux said, a blissful expression on her face as she licked cream off her finger. ‘This is lovely.’
‘He won’t like it,’ Pintang said quickly. ‘I once saw him spit out a mouthful of water because he thought he tasted sugar in there.’
‘There was!’ Joakim protested.
‘That’s a shame,’ Vana said with a smile. ‘Oh well, more for the rest of us!’
‘Presents are unwrapped!’ Saraya announced. ‘What now?’ Her dark eyes were shining with merriment. Vana was pleased to see so many smiles in one day after such an awful week. It was a bright, sunny day, the air was crisp and the water refreshing. The party on the small beach in front of her house was proving to be a great success. Even Ardhi’s parents seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves.
‘Well we humans have a party game that might be a hell of a lot of fun played in the company of such gorgeous women.’ He slung his arm casually over Ivyanne’s shoulders. ‘Are you familiar with the rules of spin the bottle?’
‘Hey...that sounds like fun!’ Lux said, coming to stand beside Lincoln and suckling more cream off her pinkie finger. She winked at him. ‘I’m in!’
Vana wanted to roll her eyes, but Ivyanne did it for her, reaching around Lincoln to shove Lux gently, playfully.
‘Your enthusiasm is the precise reason I’m vetoing, missy. I’ve still got one eye on you.’
Lux laughed good-naturedly and stepped away. ‘If you’re going to let Lincoln get around shirtless, you might want to make it two eyes honey.’
‘Duly noted. Hey Link! Put a shirt on before Lux gets a beat down!’
Looking perplexed and half amused, Lincoln turned to Saraya. ‘It’s your birthday. What do you want to do?’
‘Watch a movie!’ Saraya returned without pause.
‘A movie?’ Dalton demanded. ‘For your fiftieth?’
‘Oh Saraya’s a major film buff.’ Ivyanne said, popping a stray grain of rice from her sushi into her mouth delicately.
‘As in a major fan, or major films?’ Joakim cracked. This time, it was his wife who swatted him.
‘Any.’ Saraya said. ‘I love them all.’
‘Yeah, except she only gets one day off every seven months.’ Ivyanne joked. ‘So she never gets to actually watch one!’
‘Come now!’ Vana smiled at her daughter. ‘I’m not that bad. In fact I nurture her passion. Didn’t I get you the limited edition Blu Ray of that horrid movie you like just last week?’
‘There’s nothing horrid about Romeo and Juliet.’ Saraya said primly. ‘In fact, most humans agree that it’s the love story of the ages.’
‘Well they’re a flawed race, we know this.’ But Vana got to her feet. ‘Okay let’s all file inside. The birthday girl has spoken-Double suicide it is!’
‘Wow Link, so eager.’ Ivyanne’s voice carried to Vana’s ear. ‘I thought men hated romantic movies.’
‘Yes but there’s a clause to the rule-it’s not as deplorable if it’s filmed by this director or including DiCaprio.’
‘Moulin Rouge and Titanic also make it through the radar for the same reasons.’ Dalton agreed.
‘Ugh the boat one?’ Ivyanne replied. ‘I heard it’s three hours long!’
‘You heard?’ Lincoln sounded incredulous. ‘You haven’t seen it?’
‘No. Why would I? I’ve heard first hand accounts of what went down that day from mers who frequent those waters. One of my cousins was so devastated that there was practically nothing they could do for the people on board that she hasn’t spoken since.’
‘My aunt.’ Remi confirmed, piping up for the first time all day.
Vana turned around to see that the redhead had fallen in step with Ivyanne, Dalton and Lincoln. She’d been quiet the whole time, watching Lincoln and Ivyanne interact with a trace of wistfulness in her grey eyes, just as Lux had been watching them with envy. Vana understood why, of course-soon it would be Remi’s ten year wedding anniversary with her human, and such a
milestone was shadowed by sadness-as mer/human marriages rarely lasted beyond fifteen.
To see Ivyanne and her human together, knowing that they had as close to forever as anyone could hope for, must have been tearing Remi up inside. And it wasn’t the first time she’d come to a mer celebration alone, either. Vana wondered what Michael told him, to cover her tracks.
‘She can’t stand to be in cold water now either. Last I heard, she was somewhere near Barbados. The problem was that there was nowhere to take survivors to, you see. Nothing she could do but watch.’
‘And doesn’t she think the coast off Newfoundland is haunted now?’ Ivyanne asked.
‘Oh she swears it is. She tried swimming there again about ten years ago, to put the memories to sea, as you might say, but she said there was too much dismay in the waves. Whatever that means.’
‘That’s actually how I’m starting to feel about these waters,’ Ivyanne said, squinting out at the silvery blue horizon bathed in a lemony glow.
Vana winced. That was a deep, depressing thought for such a young girl.
‘That’s awful.’ Lincoln said. ‘But Ivyanne, you should still watch the movie. Nothing will ever pull on your heartstrings just like it would.’
‘Not even you?’ Ivyanne teased.
‘Well...maybe me and an afternoon of Baz Luhrman at his finest. We’ll see, won’t we?’
‘We’ll see.’
Vana was about to smile but a movement from one of the top windows of her house that they were approaching caught her eye. She hesitated, staring up at what she realized was Ivyanne’s window.
‘What is it mom?’ Ivyanne asked.
Vana stared hard, but there was nothing to be seen. Her window was closed, and not even her curtains stirred in the breeze.
‘Oh, nothing.’ She said. ‘Your conversation probably just gave me the willies.’
‘Well we can’t have that. It’s a party!’ Lincoln stepped forward and took her papery hand in his strong, youthful one. ‘Now let’s go inside and watch a bunch of people kill each other, then themselves, shall we?’
Vana chuckled, her dark feelings brightening under the sunlight of Lincoln Grey.
⁓
Ardhi hadn’t known how capable of breathing almost soundlessly he was until the afternoon where he found himself imprisoned in Ivyanne’s mothers house, forced to listen to his loved ones laugh and joke with Lincoln, Ivyanne and Vana like everything in the world was just dandy and that they weren’t supposed to be mourning a certain someone. Him.
Betrayal caused his insides to clench and tighten, and with no other outlet for the emotion, he dug his overlong fingernails into the timber railing at the hilt of the landing and watched in disbelief as the new mer hierarchy settled in to watch a movie for the afternoon like a bunch of lazy humans. What had happened to beach bonfires and swims to distant islands? Since when had Baz Luhrman become a staple in mer culture? And for a fiftieth to boot!
Ardhi knew that it was Saraya’s birthday, and she was a big movie fan so the flick had probably been her call. Under normal circumstances, he may have understood, but in his present reality, understanding would mean sitting by and watching Ivyanne’s bright blonde curls bustle up against Lincoln’s dark hair in the pale blue light of the television, and the sight was enough to make his stomach roll. And the closer they got to one another, the sicker he became.
Why am I letting this shred me? He wondered, eyeing the scene from his perch vehemently. I knew this was coming. I gave my life, originally, so this could happen.
But then, a different voice in his mind responded : ‘Yes but you never saw it until now. Never saw Tristan’s hand on hers. Never saw Lincoln undressing her with his eyes. Never thought you’d live to see her physically affectionate towards another man. Now her sexuality is on display, you didn’t die and so you’re not mentally prepared to handle it.’
Ardhi shook himself off. Revulsion was one thing-but a conversation in his head was something he’d have to keep in check. Time was ticking away. Soon enough, he’d have to man up and deal with Ivyanne’s love life in person-he couldn’t afford to react like this. In fact, he needed to look graceful, and humble and completely non-plussed. They’d be scanning him for signs of hysteria and he couldn’t afford to show them a hint of his anguish. He was returning as a martyr-not for a moment could they allow him to glimpse his abhorrence for any man who laid fingertip against his Ivyanne’s flesh.
And so he remained where he was, frozen at the top of the stairs, observing the scene while silently wrestling the desire to die once more.
By the time the credits rolled, he knew three things: 1: he could handle minor demonstrations of her lust towards another man. 2: He could sit in perfect stillness for two hours and 3: He had to make his comeback before Lincoln crossed a line that Ardhi wouldn’t be able to deal with, with even the slightest shred of tolerance. If he couldn’t prevent Ivyanne and Lincoln physically manifesting their desires, then his personal body count was going to be be raised from one, to two.
He looked to see Lux giving Lincoln a sidelong glance, and his heart gave a hopeful lurch at the open admiration in her eyes.
Come on baby. He pleaded his faithful nanny silently. Nail him, so I don’t have to.
13.
When the party was over, the landlubbers-Dalton, Marcus and Pintang (who was finally returning to work) Remi, Lincoln and Ivyanne jumped into Vana’s eight man speedboat and buzzed back to the mainland. Lincoln had promised to work the dinner shift to give Sherri a break, and Dalton had a headache from the champagne and wanted a nap. They passed several boats on their way in, and Ivyanne pointed out that Sunday afternoons were a very dangerous time for the mers to be swimming in the waters of the channel-especially on a day as calm as it was.
Ivyanne talked almost the whole way back, the animation in her face evident, standing at the centre console of the sporty little boat and steering like she’d been navigating waters for years. She had of course, only Lincoln had never imagined her doing so on a boat before. He was only really half-listening though, too distracted by her beauty to give her words his full focus. He was in awe of her, and a charge was running through him at the idea that he’d been responsible from bringing her back from the blackness Tristan’s death had pulled her into.
He stroked the panel of exposed skin between the hem of her floral bandeau swimsuit and the waistband of her black cargo pants reverently as she switched the subject to sailing. Apparently, it was more environmentally friendly, and she found it relaxing. Her dad had taught her how, and Ivyanne promised to show Lincoln one day on her own sailboat, which was moored in Airlie Beach.
One Day. Lincoln was filled with the thrill of the promise those two words held. He wasn’t merely one of her options anymore-he was her only.
When they got to the marina, Dalton waved goodbye and trotted up towards the yacht club with Remi, who’s house was just around the corner from it. Meanwhile Pintang and Marcus made excuses about needing to ‘hurry back’ to the resort (though neither of them was due to work until the next morning) and took off before Ivyanne had even finished tying up the boat.
‘What’s that about?’ Ivyanne asked from where she squatted on the dock. ‘Is there something going on between those two I wasn’t aware of?’
Lincoln snorted. ‘I doubt it.’ His eyes followed the other two. ‘I’ve known Marcus for what...sixteen years? And I’m yet to see him hook up with a woman yet.’
Ivyanne squinted up at him. ‘You think he’s gay?’
‘That’s my theory.’ Lincoln caught sight of Tristan’s boat bobbing five bays over and turned away. ‘Plus I heard Saraya talking about Bane’s coming out a few days ago when you were kind of out of it, and I swear, Marcus asked like, ten questions about him.’
Ivyanne got to her feet, dusting her hands off on her print skirt. ‘Really? Wow! I must have shocking gaydar.’
‘You pushed him and his lifeguard tower over, sweetie,’ Lincoln pointed out. ‘And y
et did he yell? No. Trust me-straight men wouldn’t let a woman get away with that in public-royalty or not!’
Ivyanne smiled. ‘God that was a crazy day….’
Lincoln nodded, stepping towards her and taking her hand. ‘I remember. Especially that part when I came to yell at you about Marcus...and you tried to flirt your way out of it.’
‘Tried?’ Ivyanne asked archly.
Lincoln rolled his eyes. ‘Okay bowled me over and succeeded beautifully.’ He squeezed her hand, and they began to walk along the dock. ‘I can’t believe things have changed the way they have since. I was so afraid of kissing you. You were like this beautiful fantasy. Ever noticed that in dreams, when you get to the really good part-you wake up? I was afraid that if I kissed you-you’d vanish in a puff of smoke or something.’
‘In retrospect, I can’t believe it took you two weeks to kiss me,’ Ivyanne said. They reached the edge of the short jetty and stepped onto the sand.‘Every time you were near me, I was panicked, wondering if you would and how I’d react if you did.’ She glanced at him. ‘I still am.’
Lincoln returned her gaze. ‘I’m still terrified that you’ll vanish if I do.’ He looked up and motioned towards the beach. Her house was only the third one down. ‘It’s like I never have enough time with you, like there’s always some clock ticking. I want this walk to go for kilometers, but in twenty steps, we’ll be at your door.’
Ivyanne smiled. ‘We can walk for longer, if you’d like.’
Lincoln made a face. ‘I’d love to-but I promised Sherri…’
‘Right.’ Ivyanne sighed and pulled him up the dune, towards her place. ‘Then given how complex our lives are, we should just count ourselves lucky that we have hundreds of years together, not dozens.’
