by S. K Munt
‘Sure. It is tight though, and I can’t see anything without turning the headlights on so just... don’t blow your cookies on Callum’s dash.’
Ardhi laughed. ‘Sure.’
Dallas started the ignition and Ardhi cringed as the sound opened up the air, sending cockatoos scattering, their white feathers gleaming in the dark sky. Callum’s car was old-just like his house, and his manner. You could tell he was the kind of guy who had been untouched by vanity his whole life. The car lurched forward. Dallas swung the wheel until the front tires left the gravelly road and they were facing the deep green leaves of the trees. He slammed the stick between them and jerked the wheel again, and Ardhi felt a bump at the exact second a loud bang resonated from outside the vehicle.
*
Ivyanne had endured an awful, lonely day restricted to the inside of the house once more, so Garridan’s suggestion for an early-evening swim had been the highlight of her week. She didn’t know why Garridan had decided to let her out-but she supposed the forlorn look on her face had driven him to his wit’s end at last.
Ivyanne was having a worse weekend than she’d imagined-and not because she was being smothered or fought over but because it seemed like no one but the official guard cared if she lived or died! She’d texted Lincoln several times that day to see how he was doing and how the karaoke had gone, but all she’d received in return were short, curt messages communicating that he was too ‘busy’ to be on the phone all day. On top of that, Tristan had spent the entire day in his room working, and Ivyanne knew he was trying to punish her for the way she’d wigged out about Lincoln. She felt awful about it, and had been going to apologize, when she’d caught him in Sahori’s arms. But how was she supposed to feel when these men were treating her like they’d die without her one minute and happily kill her the next? Why couldn’t they all just pick a personality and go with it?
Either way, Ivyanne had gotten her wish-a calmness had settled over the mansion grounds, and yet she’d never felt lonelier. Or more resentful. They could lecture her all they wanted about her indecision-but didn’t anyone care that everything she did was an important decision? That she couldn’t just hook up for fun? Make love without a commitment? Take off for a getaway without wondering if she’d be electrocuted by the man who had burned a hole into her mother’s chest?
But the fact that she was at breaking point must have been obvious because Garridan had urged her onto the boat then driven it a kilometer off the coast into the open water so she could indulge herself without him having to worry that her scent would linger near the shorefront of the mansion and attract Ardhi’s notice. It was nice, but she still felt uncomfortable in Garridan’s company. Between wondering what exactly had happened with her mother, and licking her wounds from his chastisement the previous weekend, she didn’t know what to say to him anyway.
By the time they got back inside, Ivyanne’s mood had returned to about forty-five percent-which wasn’t too bad all things considering. She followed Garridan through the laundry door and out into the kitchen, feeling the depression settle over her again to see it clean and the dining table empty. The lights had been dipped and that only added to the gloomy mood, and the sounds of her wet feet slapping against the cool tile was disconsolate. Garridan walked soundlessly, so that didn’t help add to the atmosphere. Feeling like she might go crazy if she had to continue to listen to her thoughts at full volume, Ivyanne hit the button on the iPod dock next to the phone and The Commitments ‘Try A Little Tenderness’ resonated off the splash back and vaulted ceilings.
‘Good song,’ Garridan murmured.
‘The best.’ Ivyanne bent at the waist, flipping her hair over so she could wrap her towel, turban-style around it, twisting her mouth to the side when she saw the scales she’d missed when she’d dusted off her legs. She and Pintang had mopped and vacuumed the whole house that afternoon-Ivyanne was annoyed to be the first one to dirty it.
‘It’s getting cold.’ Garridan said as he followed her inside. ‘Next time we take the yacht out, remind me to take a windbreaker for the ride back.’
‘Hey guys.’ Saraya strolled into the kitchen, smiling. ‘Good swim?’
‘Lovely.’ Garridan said. ‘Where is everyone?’
‘In the security room I think-that’s where they were headed a few minutes ago.’
Ivyanne straightened. ‘Everyone? Why?’
Saraya shrugged. She had a bottle of disinfectant in one hand, and a cloth in the other. ‘Something about a weird car pulling up out the front. I don’t know…. I’ve noticed a few going down that old chicken track. Doesn’t seem like a big deal but with you guys out, Joyce wanted Tristan and the others to double check.’
Garridan was already moving. ‘Better see what’s up.’
The loud bang from outside caused all three of them to jump. Garridan was off before Ivyanne had a chance to get her feet back on the floor. Hair falling from her towel, she took off after him, heart pounding.
Garridan skidded into the security room. Ivyanne could see Lachlan’s back heading out the front door. ‘What’s going on?’ he demanded.
‘I don’t know!’ Joyce exclaimed. ‘We were just watching this beat up old car sitting at the foot of the gate and there was this loud bang and the guards took off!’
Ivyanne raced forward, almost slipping over on her damp feet, but catching herself on the door jamb. ‘Oh my god! Did Tristan take his gun?’
‘I’m assuming they all did.’ Joyce said quickly.
‘Do you have a spare? Maybe I should-’ Ivyanne felt a shove against her back. She landed in a surprised Joyce’s lap.
‘Stay!’ Garridan ordered, slapping a pistol down on the filing cabinet. Then the door slammed behind him.
Ivyanne turned to look at the security monitor, heart in her throat as she watched Garridan’s image race onto the screen and take off towards the street. Seconds later, a rifle cracked in the night. Ivyanne’s heart lurched into her throat.
‘Tristan!’ She screamed, shoving herself clear of Joyce.
*
‘Shit!’ Dallas said, glancing behind him. ‘Oh man!’
‘What?’ Ardhi sat up, gripping the dusty dashboard. ‘Was that a shot?!’
‘No! But I think I just popped a tire on the gutter!’ Dallas slammed the stick again and spun the wheel, the car made an awful protesting noise and lurched forward once more, but it was rough, and bumpy. Dallas got the car onto the other side of the road, facing the way they needed to go, then slammed his foot down. The car jerked, as did Ardhi’s stomach-and hopped forward three times.
‘It’s popped!’ Dallas said, cursing. ‘We’re not making a quick getaway man-better hold onto your seatbelt! Damn this piece of crap!’
‘Hey!’ An aggravated shout resonated over the thunk of the engine. ‘Who’s there?!’
Ardhi’s head whipped to the right, and he felt his insides constrict when he saw two or three shadowy figures trotting down from the front door. Pale blue lights were bobbing with them- torch beams. ‘Go!’ he hissed. ‘They’re coming!’
A boom filled the night, accompanied by a faint whistling sound. Ardhi jumped as a small tree branch outside Dallas’s window cracked and fell through the branches below it.
‘Now that was a shot!’ Dallas cried. His hands went to his seatbelt. ‘Run! Now!’
Ardhi didn’t need to be told twice. He threw open the rusty door of the car, slammed it shut and was off, his bare, blistered feet scraping along the rocky and unpaved road. A torch beam glanced off his knee and Ardhi bent his head, running faster than he’d ever believed his feet could carry him. He could hear Dallas’s breath just behind him, amidst a chorus of frantic cries coming from the property. There was a screeching sound as the metal gates opened on a motor, and Ardhi knew there was no way they’d get far from an armed man-or men-if they stayed on the road. He hopped, grabbed Dallas by the cuff of his t-shirt and yanked him into the undergrowth near the bend in the road.
‘The car!’
Dallas hissed as Ardhi tugged him down to a squat. ‘What do we do about the car? What crazy shit have you gotten me into?!’
Ardhi put his hand over Dallas’s mouth. ‘Right now, that is the least of our worries! You go bush, I go ocean. Meet me back at the house, okay? We need to divide them!’
Dallas had barely nodded once before Ardhi took off towards the mangroves near the fence line, bending his head to the wind.
*
Tristan had vaulted over the fence and landed on the dirt road before Lachlan had gotten the gate unlatched. Sahori’s warning shot had clearly startled the owners of the car-and he’d seen them split in two different directions. Both had been of similar height and build, both could have been Ardhi or not-it was simply too dark to tell. But he was determined to nab at least one of them!
Tristan headed after the one who had gone towards the mangroves. He could hear the other man crashing clumsily through the trees, sticking close to the fence line. Yet after a few beats, Tristan noticed that the only footfalls that he could make out were his own. There had been no splash to indicate that the one he was chasing had made it to the water-and this perplexed him. In fact, the only sounds were the dogs barking like mad and the occasional cry of his peers back on the road-they’d taken after the one in the bush.
Almost on instinct Tristan looked up-and sucked in a breath when he saw the silhouette hightailing it along the narrow band of fence line. The man’s back was lean, dark and bare-Ardhi. If he fell, he’d end up in the yard-in the same yard as Ivyanne! Fear made his blood run cold but it didn’t slow it-he spied the nearest, largest tree and knew at once that it had been Ardhi’s path up. Tristan couldn’t follow him that way-he’d lose too much time. But, if he ran fast enough, he’d make it to pool fence where he could hopefully cut Ardhi off.
‘He’s in the boundary!’ Tristan screamed,taking off at a sprint, occasionally slamming into the rendered fence while trying to avoid copping a branch in the eye.‘Front yard! Back! Safety off guys!’
Tristan leapt over a fallen tree and then had to duck to avoid a low-slung branch, and when he up-righted himself, heard the shallow, frenzied breathing of the man in front of him-just as he disappeared from view, over the high wall near the laundry where Tristan had previously snuck in. His gut clenched and the smash of his feet into the dry leaves beneath his boots sounded like he was breaking the ground.
By the time he made it to the wrought iron fencing of the front perimeter, Ardhi’s bare feet were flying along the dewy lawn towards the dock. If Tristan wanted to catch him, he had to go for the rocks and cut him off-moving the inevitable battle to water.
Tristan groaned. He was about to battle a mermaid while trapped in boots and jeans.
*
Ivyanne had only just made it to the front door when she heard Tristan cry out that Ardhi was on the grounds. One quick glance confirmed that there was a shadow on the brick wall, an even shorter scan told her that Tristan was nowhere to be seen, and a third made her see that Garridan, Camus, Sahori and Lachlan were all out of the boundary-on the gravely road and in the bracken beyond-too far to come to anyone’s assistance.
Too far away to help Tristan.
‘Ivyanne get back in here!’ Joyce cried out. ‘They’re doing this for you, remember? They can handle it! They have a procedure!’
‘They’re doing it wrong!’ Ivyanne screeched, looking back at the fence in time to see Ardhi’s shadow, which was even more sinister when rendered silent, fall over it and into the front yard while Flotsam and Jetsam snapped and snarled, jumping in vain, trying to catch what had already eluded them. ‘The procedure requires three more guards! They need my help! He’s getting away!’ Fear paralysed her as she realized that she hadn’t yet prepared herself to take on Ardhi alone, but only for the briefest of moments. She was the reason why half of the guard were absent-so she’d have to pick up their slack.
Ivyanne staggered back inside and into the surveillance room, sweeping up the small pistol Garridan had left for them, and then made a beeline for the laundry door, being careful not to slip in her own wet footprints from before. She’d never fired a gun in her life-but she felt safer with it in her hand.
When Ivyanne’s flying feet brought her through the door and onto the narrow strip of paving that bordered the house, she saw Ardhi immediately racing along the dock.
‘Ardhi!’ She cried his name into the night as she ran, seeing his step falter then fail as she willed him to stay. ‘Running again? All alone this time?’ She panted as her feet picked up speed down the slight incline and her breath whooshed out of her lungs when she landed hard on the dock-thankfully on two feet though inertia caused her to stumble forward. ‘Where’s Sherri, huh? Did you lose the only woman who ever liked you enough to follow your dark path?! Did she scare off when she realized that you’re even capable of killing those you love the most? Like Lux? And my father?!’
The muscles in Ardhi’s back coiled under his luminous skin and he swung around, glaring at her with more menace than even Ivyanne had thought possible. His hands were balled up at his sides as he resisted her call, but his steps carried him forward once-twice-until he dug his feet in and clenched his jaw.
‘That,’ he gasped. ‘Was an accident. What I do to you next won’t be.’ But his eyes widened, and his gaze seemed to shift from her, to the house behind her, then back to her. ‘Where are your lovers, Ivyanne? You had so many! Could it be that they’ve tired of following you down the lonely path you’re forging with your promiscuity?’
Ivyanne’s stomach tightened, and she tried not to let it show how true those words rang. ‘I’d rather they did, then become psychotic like yourself.’
‘You’re the one drawing me to you, even now-yet you wonder why I lost my mind?’ He flexed his fingers and Ivyanne saw the palm of his hand begin to glow purple. He was holding it over the water, trying to slyly charge himself before sending that charge in her direction. Her thighs tensed, and she swept the gun up in an arc until it was aimed at his head.
‘I’m drawing you to point blank range Ardhi, not to me.’ She curled her lip, making her repulsion clear. ‘I never wanted to draw you to me.’ She squeezed the trigger and winced in expectation of light and sound and violent recall-and yet nothing happened. Her heart sank as she heard Tristan’s words anew in her mind: ‘No safety’s!’
She didn’t even know what the safety was, let alone how to operate one-Garridan had never shown her. The gun fell uselessly from her hand and clattered to the dock.
Ardhi laughed cruelly. ‘Human things, human flaws…’ he clucked his tongue-the purple glow was to his wrist now. ‘I can kill you where you stand you know, and I ought to considering you just tried to put a bullet in my head!’ He clapped his hands together and grinned. ‘But I won’t.’
‘What?’ Ivyanne asked, stunned. ‘Why?’ But even as she asked the question, she was scanning the area for something she could use against him. But failing that, she had only one other option- pull him into her grip and fight him hand to hand.
‘Because there’s something else I want to take from you, something worth more than your life.’
That was when Ivyanne spied Tristan ambling over a rock in the darkness behind Ardhi-and when he got to his feet and saw her twenty meters from Ardhi-his face went white.
‘Ivyanne!’ He screamed her name, and seconds later it was echoed from above her as Garridan hollered it out, followed by a curse.
Ardhi spun, his hand flying up like a baseball pitcher. Tristan was a sitting duck, and for a moment, she felt every molecule in her body blink out and die like so many broken Christmas lights.
‘Loveridge!’ Ardhi’s greeting was almost gay. ‘Look at you-back in fighting form and standing on a bunch of jagged rocks! I might not be able to kill you with a hit, but I can sure as shit knock you down! Reckon you’ll survive that?!’
Tristan’s eyes darted to her, looking lost, then back to Ardhi as he crouched low. ‘You’ll have to hit me first mother
fucker! And we all know how good you are at striking out!’
‘No!’ Ivyanne screamed. She couldn’t abide him drawing fire on her behalf-not when she was to blame for it all! She thrust out her arms and willed the air to bend around Ardhi, to enclose him and draw him close enough to strike-but though she felt the power course through her and into the night air as it had so many times before with her willing participants, Ardhi merely turned to look at her-unmoving.
Ivyanne was so distraught to fail a second time that her will broke and for a moment-she welcomed death. She was tired of seeing everyone she loved in danger-tired of fighting when all she wanted to do was smile. She was so focused on her misery, aware only that all that was left to do was run at Ardhi and hope she made it to him before he fired at Tristan-that she didn’t hear the dock groan until the foam on top of the black wall of water was bearing down over all in view-the yacht, the rocks-and Ardhi.
There was a louder groan and the sound of whistling wind as the ocean rose to her call and smashed down upon her with a bone rattling slap that first knocked her over and then thrust her back-towards the grassy embankment as though it wanted to splinter her against the hillside.
She screamed, her mouth filling with water, and instinctively bent at the waist-moving to free herself of the binding swimsuit she still wore so that she could attempt to survive what she’d created in her true and most durable form.
But just as her fingers caught the string at her hip, a hand curled around the fleshy part of her upper arm and yanked her clear. She was on the grass, free of the tidal wave and coughing out the water she rarely swallowed in an instant. But even as she coughed and slapped Garridan’s hands away, she was turning to the water-just in time to see it recede-dragging Ardhi back with it. He was stroking furiously-still alive but retreating fast.
