Three Rings (The Fairytail Saga)

by S. K Munt

  Too much was going on that she didn’t understand. She’d released Ivyanne, granted her the privacy she needed to move ahead with her life-but she hadn’t expect to be frozen out to the extent that she had.

  Ivyanne’s eyes were greener for the secrets, her voice softer, her sentences shorter as she constantly stared off into space, thinking thoughts she didn’t share. Ardhi was smiling a lot, with no obvious reason for it, and Bane looked tense-which was unusual for him. She was tempted to pin it on Tristan’s death, but it wasn’t sadness in Bane’s eyes when he glanced at Lincoln or Ivyanne-but worry.

  By Saturday afternoon, Vana was downright jittery. As she polished her crown for the evening ahead, her hand trembled. She got up, checked in on Ash-who was having a mid-afternoon nap, and headed outside, taking the back door to avoid the people laughing and joking and eating Pintang’s food in the kitchen. There were too many people around and she couldn’t think or breathe in that house. She needed the ocean-needed the clarity that came with fresh air and silence. The sound of Ardhi laughing and joking with Pintang hurt her heart-it was his first laugh since he’d returned, and it seemed unfair that he could have found happiness, and Tristan, who belonged there, had found only death.

  Vana lifted her skirts once she was outside and followed the natural lay of the land upwards, inhaling the sweet and woodsy scent of the forest, touching trees as she went, rooting herself with them. A strange calm settled over her then-finding absolute refuge on the land, amongst the green, instead of the sand.

  ‘I’m half human,’ she mused, staggering up the hill on weary bones, headed towards the look-out point. ‘Why hasn’t it ever occurred to me that I need land too?’

  The wind increased as she neared the top of the hill and she put one hand to her hair, which was wrapped in curlers thanks to Saraya, hoping she wasn’t ruining her assistant’s hard work. When she was at the top-she stared out at the ocean to the north of the island and waited for the salt-speckled wind to infiltrate her lungs and lift her spirits.

  But nothing change, and she knew it wouldn’t until she’d forced Ivyanne to talk. She was free, yes, but she was still her daughter, and Vana couldn’t rest when she feared for her.

  A movement caught her eye and Vana glanced down and gasped, surprised to see Bane on the rocks beneath her, poised halfway up the slippery stack, eyes wide, limbs frozen as he regarded her.

  ‘What on..?’

  ‘Um...Aloha!’ Bane greeted, looking stunned. ‘Um...I was just going for a swim. Wanna join me?’

  ‘A swim?’ Vana repeated. ‘You’re staying in Seaview. You came all the way out here to swim, but didn’t come in first to say hi?’

  Bane’s cheeks turned red. ‘Well your highness...I’m kind of naked...and kind of gay. And I didn’t want to get any of the visiting Marked daughters excited so I decided to hang back, you know..?’

  Vana crossed her arms and glared at him, making her lack of amusement known.

  ‘Really?’ She asked, hearing the disdain in her own voice. What on earth was going on?

  Bane sighed. ‘Look, I wanted to explore your woods up there okay? I’ve always been curious-there are no woods on Oahu.’ He smiled. ‘Like I said, I’m naked, so I decided to sneak up this way. It’s weird, but I’m weird. So I’ll say hi and then carry on without the queen looking at my junk okay?’ He waved. ‘Hi. Aloha. Can you leave me alone now please?’

  But Vana’s hand clamped down on her mouth to cut off a scream when she saw Bane’s hand covered in blood. He looked at her, confused, then looked down at himself-eyes bugging when he saw it too. His entire palm was red with the watery blood, and even from where she stood, Vana could catch the scent of mermaid death from it.

  ‘Ah!’ Bane cried, throwing himself backwards, narrowly missing a rock and crashing into the water behind him.

  27.

  Ivyanne had expected that her engagement party would be held in the function room, but to her surprise she discovered that Lincoln and his staff had transformed the barefoot bar into a magical space, and really, the only one large enough to accommodate the seventy-two guests.

  The linens on the tables and cloth draping from the ceiling were all the same shade of shimmery periwinkle. Metallic balloons dangled from underneath the rafters in all shades of blue and lavender, their spiraled, silvery ribbons wafting in the breeze. In the centre of each table sat as assortment or large shells which were illuminated with a flickering light from the inside-tea light candles she guessed- highlighting the alternate colors and grooves of each individual shell. It was beautiful. Calming and serene, and unlike anything she’d ever seen before.

  And then suddenly there was Lincoln, looking more handsome than he had ever looked before as he slowly crossed the room to her, smiling. He wore a sleek black suit with the jacket unbuttoned, and a pale blue shirt underneath. Never had he looked so tall, lean and mouthwateringly tempting. His eyes were shining with adoration and his dark eyebrows raised in appreciation as he approached, biting his red lips enticingly.

  ‘You look ....’ he exhaled through pursed lips. ‘There are no words.’

  Ivyanne smiled. She’d gone to great effort to look her best, and she was pleased that it had paid off- The look on his face made her want to spring into his arms and cinch her legs around his lean waist.

  ‘Look who’s talking,’ she whispered, pulling him close, her heart pounding in her chest. ‘It’s safe to say that your days of insecurity should be well and truly over by now.’

  ‘Oh, they are. I mean, look at the calibre of chick I can pull!’ Lincoln kissed her, gently, then pulled back, his eyes dancing. ‘Do you like the room?’

  She smiled at him. ‘There are no words,’ she parroted.

  He slid one arm around her waist and pulled her against him, gesturing to the room. ‘It’s how I feel, when we’re swimming together.’

  Ivyanne was high on the glimmer of pride in his eyes. She kissed him again, forgetting that she was supposed to be playing down her affection for her fiancé for Ardhi’s benefit. But she couldn’t resist-she suspected nothing would ever quench her thirst for him, and she needed to be kissed until the memory of Ardhi’s lips had been rubbed away. She hadn’t slept a wink the night before, the illness hadn’t left her.

  ‘What was that for?’ Lincoln asked, smiling like he’d been drugged.

  ‘For being you,’ Ivyanne said. ‘You’re wonderful.’ She poked him in the chest. ‘And triangle shaped, in the very best way.’

  Lincoln’s hand went to her waist. ‘And you’re a figure eight,’ he leaned down and brushed his lips against her ear. ‘And I need to do a lap of that course again, and soon.’

  Ivyanne smiled wickedly. ‘After this weekend, I’m locking you in my house for two days straight-got it? Three, if you keep saying all the right things.’

  Lincoln grinned. ‘Better make it four.’ He pulled away and took her hand. ‘Ready to mingle?’

  Ivyanne’s eyes were already scanning the room for Ardhi. She had some more sleuthing to do and she knew that in this dress, she was in the perfect position to get almost any answer she wanted from her would be Romeo.

  ‘No....but might as well get it over with.’

  ⁓

  Ardhi literally spilled his drink down the front of his pants when he saw Ivyanne sweep into the room, and he immediately averted his gaze, mopping at the wet spot with a paper napkin, cursing. He stalked over to the bar, motioning for Sherri to hand him another one while he took his wallet out of his pocket.

  ‘Oh, you’re kidding me,’ Sherri snorted. ‘Do you need to be alone for a few minutes?’

  ‘Ha ha,’ Ardhi glanced back at Ivyanne, heart skipping a beat all over again at the sight of her bare back. ‘It’s soda, smart ass.’

  ‘You’ve never looked less like an evil genius than you do right now, wiping your excitement off yourself.’

  ‘I’m aware.’

  ‘She looks good,’ Sherri admitted, a grudging tone to her voice. ‘I’d
kill for that dress.’

  ‘Don’t go getting any ideas,’ Ardhi joked. ‘I’ll get it off her later, and you can have it, without violence.’

  ‘Deal.’

  Ardhi accepted the second napkin and wiped at the spot one more time, before looking back up at Ivyanne, his mouth going dry. She was the embodiment of the female ideal in every sense, and his heart was tripping clumsily in his chest.

  Ivyanne had straightened her curls, so that her long blonde hair fell in a silky curtain almost to her upper thighs, each individual hue of blonde reflecting the light, like garlands of pale ribbons. Her dress was a sleek sheath of aqua-blue sequins, and the scant fabric tied at her neck, then spilled down her sides and gathered at her belly-button, revealing a long, darkly tanned strip of bronze flesh from her neck down, broken only by the considerable valley between her breasts. The fabric fell away at the top of her thighs in an uneven hemline, so that her long, deeply tanned legs continued on seemingly forever to her pretty silver shoes.

  That was all revealing enough, but when Ivyanne turned and her hair swung away, Ardhi saw that the back of her dress concealed less than the front-she was bare to her waist, the muscles in her back rippling.

  It was all Ardhi could do not to grab her, throw her over his shoulder, and drag her out to sea so he could do as he pleased with her. She must have known that she looked enticing enough to make any man desire her- but was there a chance she’d dressed that way for him? He couldn’t rule it out. Nor did he want to.

  Just as he thought it, Ivyanne turned slowly, her eyes resting on his, and smiled. Then, she began to make her way across the floor-leaving Link in the middle of a conversation with his father. Lincoln didn’t seem annoyed by her desertion, but his eyes followed her movements, and her rear, appreciatively. Ardhi clenched his jaw, wishing he could punch Lincoln just for looking at her, let alone whatever else they’d done together.

  ‘Go,’ Ardhi whispered to Sherri. ‘Now.’

  ‘Gone.’

  Ardhi’s blood was pumping like crazy, and he could see the knowing glint in Ivyanne’s eye, which worked him up even further.

  ‘Hello Ardhi,’ Ivyanne said, leaning over, grazing his cheek with a kiss. When she pulled back, her green eyes were sparkling-outlined with a similar color to her dress, which also glittered. ‘You look handsome. Were you just talking to Sherri?’

  ‘The new chick?’ Ardhi shrugged. ‘Nah. I needed her to mop up a spill.’

  ‘Good,’ Ivyanne pouted. ‘I really don’t like her. If you guys hooked up, it would drive me nuts.’

  ‘She’s not my type. You’re my only type.’ Ardhi leaned back against the bar, enjoying her jealousy. ‘You look like a felony- are you trying to get yourself in trouble?’

  ‘I’m already in trouble.’ She bit her lip, and blushed. ‘I shouldn’t be talking to you right now. God I’m such a wreck. I have been since we kissed. I can’t handle this indecision anymore Ardhi...why did you do that to me?’

  ‘Because I know you want to choose me,’ Ardhi said loftily. ‘I knew you needed kissing to get there, and look at you...glowing. And you want to be mine, you know it.’

  ‘Choose you...’ Ivyanne sighed. ‘Yeah right. I can only imagine the fall-out from that. The kingdom will go nuts!’

  ‘So? Let them. You won’t have to rule for years. We could hide somewhere in the meantime...start our life privately, like mum and dad did.’ Ardhi couldn’t believe that this conversation was actually happening. He’d actually done it- planted a seed of doubt in her mind he had to cultivate into an acre of uncertainty. If he could get her to elope as his parents had-people would stop talking about his family as though they were vicious rule breakers. They’d get respect, at last. And he’d get her.

  ‘Like where?’

  ‘I know a place,’ he said quickly. ‘Lux has one in New Zealand we could use. No one would ever think to look for us there.’

  ‘I’m still not ready to deal with Lux.’ Ivyanne said, twisting the ring he’d given her on her finger and pouting.

  ‘She won’t be there.’ Ardhi said, trying to ignore the pang of guilt in his chest. ‘Just you and I.’

  Ivyanne smiled crookedly. ‘Oh come on Ardhi, it’s a pipe dream. Anywhere we go, we’d be traced.’

  He straightened. ‘No we won’t-I can get us the papers-some fake ones. I’ll order tickets online tonight if you want.’

  Ivyanne’s smile faded. ‘Really?’

  He nodded. ‘Just say the word.’

  She looked down again. ‘I can’t.’

  ‘Not yet.’ He whispered. ‘But you will.’ He leaned back, noticing that her breathing had grown heavier. When she looked up at him, her expression was dazzled.

  ‘I think you might be right.’ But then her eyes darted over his shoulder. ‘Hey, Pintang’s here, we better...’

  ‘Drop the subject. Until Monday.’ He said quietly.

  ‘Monday.’ She repeated.

  Ardhi turned around to see his sister, looking stunning in a flouncy pink satin dress, step into the room. She’d cut her hair shorter, and re-dyed the ends hot pink once more. Seeing her looking so grown-up filled Ardhi with an unusual bout of sentimentality. She’d been strange with him since she’d returned, and he was anxious to get things back to normal again, in case he had to go again.

  ‘I’ll go greet her,’ Ardhi squeezed Ivyanne’s hand. ‘I love you, Ivyanne. I’ll wait.’

  ‘I love you too,’ Ivyanne whispered, before turning to the bar. ‘And now I need a drink…’

  Ardhi grinned and approached his sister, opening his arms wide, unable to keep the broad smile off his face.

  ‘Sis!’ he cried, enfolding her in a hug, feeling Ivyanne’s eyes on his back. Ardhi’s heart was set to burst with joy. He didn’t have her yet-but he was close.

  And then suddenly, Adele stepped into the room, a golden blur, eyes roaming until they landed on his.And she smiled.

  ⁓

  Ivyanne waited until she had locked herself into the privacy of a stall in the ladies bathroom before she tugged Ardhi’s cheap blue wallet out of the folds of her dress. Her heart was still hammering from the fear of getting caught, but Ardhi had been too busy leering down her blouse to have noticed her slight of hand. She’d dressed as she had simply because she knew it would throw him off balance. She couldn’t believe how well it had worked-men were too predictable-even mermen.

  Ivyanne opened the wallet, not sure what she was expecting to find, but hoping that there was something that could explain what he’d been up to in his absence. He’d claimed to have been out of his mind, and that was the first thing she needed to disprove. After all, wasn’t his temporary leave of sanity and severe distress the only reason why anyone had welcomed him home with open arms?

  Ivyanne’s instinct was screaming that he had lied about everything. Ardhi hadn’t been shivering in some cave in New Guinea-he’d been up to something much more sinister than that something involving New Zealand-a country that was becoming a theme in her day to day life. Sherri, Lux’s cottage, her Paua ring? They had to be connected, she just knew it.

  Ivyanne examined the contents of the wallet, frowning, but there were no cards, no I.D’s...just three hundred dollars in crisp yellow notes. She closed the wallet, and frowned at it, noticing for the first time, that it had a little picture of the Hawaiian Islands on the front of it with the words ‘Aloha’ stenciled above it.

  ‘Hawaii?’ she whispered to herself, trying to remember the last time that Ardhi had been overseas. Ivyanne opened the wallet again, and examined it more carefully. She pulled out the notes, mouth falling open when she saw the wrinkled one dollar bill- U.S money-shoved towards the back. She pursed her lips and dug her fingers into the coin section, feeling an unfamiliar one lodged in the hem. She pulled it out.

  ‘A nickel?’ Ivyanne turned the shiny coin over. When she read the date stamped onto the back, her stomach hit the floor. ‘2012?!’

  Ivyanne shoved the coin back into the walle
t, her mind reeling. The evidence definitely suggested that Ardhi had been in Hawaii, and not long before. After all, they were only just over a month into the year. There was no other way that coin would be in his possession, unless he’d procured it himself.

  Ivyanne leaned against the stall wall and inhaled deeply, commanding her brain to think straight. It seemed like there were millions of little clues, and they’d all just add up if she was able to focus. Lux’s place in New Zealand, internet flight booking experience, Hawaiian wallet, new American Money, blonde girls on Norfolk....Hawaii. But why Hawaii? Bane and his family wouldn’t have offered Ardhi sanctuary-as their alliance was with the boy he had stabbed. And the only other thing that came to Ivyanne’s mind when she thought of Hawaii in recent times was...

  ‘Tristan.’ She whispered his name, feeling herself go cold as a violent tremor coursed through her. At that exact moment, her phone rang.

  ⁓

  ‘You could have told me you were back.’ Ardhi said quietly, meeting Adele halfway across the floor. He’d spied Lincoln taking notice of her entrance, and his rival now kept glancing at her with a combination of shock, irritation and fascination from the other side of the room. Ardhi guessed he had two minutes with her before Lincoln came over to find out why his ex was there. Ardhi had to decide how to play it before then.

  Adele held up her hands. ‘You asked me to come-so I came.’ She glanced around, like a lioness seeking antelope as Ardhi steered her towards the bar, and out of earshot. ‘So am I going after Lincoln, or what?’

  ‘I don’t know yet,’ Ardhi said, noticing Sherri approach them from behind the bar, her pretty features looking perplexed. ‘I need until Monday to figure out my next step now.’

  ‘Why Monday?’

  ‘Because Ivyanne’s thrown him a crumb.’ Sherri said helpfully, smiling. ‘You might not be needed at all.’

  ‘Really?’ Adele frowned at him. ‘She’s into you?’