Carrier of the Mark

by Leigh Fallon

  “One-eyed Lily?” I asked.

  “Yeah, she’s the great-granddaughter of the woman who had her eye swiped out. One-eyed Lily says her family is now cursed, and since that day, all the female children have been born with one eye.”

  Caitlin threw the crust of her sandwich at Darren. “What rubbish. One-eyed Lily is a crazy alcoholic who fell asleep drunk on the pier and lost her eye because a fisherman accidentally lodged a hook in it. Don’t listen to him, Meg. He’s only winding you up.”

  I glanced around at their faces. Darren smirked at me, and Jennifer had gone back to inspecting her hair for split ends.

  “So who’s signing up for the school’s sailing classes?” Killian asked, changing the subject.

  Caitlin looked excited, while I cringed and pretended not to hear. I personally couldn’t think of anything worse.

  Caitlin eyed me. “Would you be up for it, Meg?”

  “No way,” I replied, laughing nervously. “Water and I are not friends!”

  “Oh, you should,” Killian begged. “It’s going to be fun.” He looked pointedly at Jennifer and Darren.

  “It’s a tad remedial for me.” Jennifer sighed, sticking her nose in the air.

  Darren snorted. “Come on, Jen. Sitting on the deck of your dad’s day cruiser in a bikini does not equal a qualification in sailing!”

  She pouted at him as Killian looked back to Caitlin, his eyes pleading. “Come on, Caitlin; will you?”

  Caitlin melted under his gaze. “I’d love to, but I’ll have to run it by my mum.”

  “Excellent.” Killian smiled at her.

  “Who’s running the course?” Darren asked.

  “The yacht club and the outdoor education center; I’m sure the alleged druid himself, Adam DeRís, will be doing some instructing,” Killian replied.

  I felt a flicker of interest register on my face. I fought to hide it, but Caitlin didn’t miss a beat. She immediately went to work on my weakness.

  “Oh, come on, Meg; it could be fun, and we’d get to miss Friday-afternoon PE for five weeks.”

  I groaned inwardly. I was totally witless around water, and here I was being coerced into a sailing course! You know you want to, a voice in my head chirped. One-on-one time with Adam DeRís.

  “I’ll think about it,” I said.

  “I guess you can count me in too,” Jennifer added, not to be left out.

  Caitlin was bouncing up and down. “Come on; let’s get inside.” She looked like she was going to explode.

  “We still have ten minutes before class starts,” I said as I ran after her.

  “Will you really do the sailing course?” She turned to me.

  “I hate water,” I replied, cringing, “but if you need me to…”

  “Oh, I do need you. I do,” she said in a gush. “Killian will be there, and he seemed to want me to be there, didn’t he? Maybe it’s time to up the ante on Operation Snag Killian.”

  “Operation Snag Killian?” I repeated, laughing.

  “Oh, shut up. I nearly have to mop up the drool that pours from your mouth every time Adam comes within ten feet of you.”

  “You’d better be nicer to me if you want me to do this sailing course,” I warned.

  “Okay. I promise, I won’t mention Adam again!”

  “Fine. You’re on.”

  “Yay! And to show my appreciation, this weekend I’m going to introduce you to the many delights of the Kinsale Equestrian Center. You’re going to love it,” she declared.

  “Your bringing me to the equestrian center wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that Killian’s parents own it, would it?”

  She raised her eyebrows questioningly. “How did you know that?”

  “It’s a small town,” I replied, mimicking her voice. “And Jennifer mentioned it earlier.”

  She smiled sheepishly. “Well, there’re some fine animals there … and some great horses too,” she added with a smirk.

  “You’re impossible! Come on; let’s get to class and get your head out of rippling muscles and firm hindquarters. And the horses, for that matter.”

  She exploded with laughter, and we made our way to class.

  That night I ran the sailing course by my dad. He was startled, to say the least, since he knew how much I hated the water. But of course he was delighted.

  “This place is good for you,” he said. “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you’re glowing.” He paused. “Hey, are there boys involved in this sailing course?”

  “Dad, it’s not like I go to an all-girls school. Yes, there are boys involved.”

  My dad looked a little uncomfortable. “Has anyone caught your eye?”

  “I’ve been at school for two days; give me a chance to get settled.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that; you’ve just been acting different. I thought there might be an outside influence.”

  “No, Dad. No boys.”

  He looked back to the TV, where the news was playing softly. “That course is being run through my club, isn’t it?” he asked, without turning to me.

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “Just wondering. I think one of our guys is helping run it. Adam DeRís. He’s the one we ran into yesterday, remember?”

  “Yeah, he’s in a few of my classes.”

  “You should have heard the stories that Sybil was spinning about his family—all nonsense, of course, but wow, can that woman tell a tale.”

  “What did she say?”

  Dad leaned forward. “She said that the DeRís land is bewitched. People won’t even walk there. There have been reports of flocks of savage birds that attack if you get too close. And the farmers claim that the crops won’t grow where their land meets the DeRíses’.”

  “Did you hear the one about the cat?”

  Dad nodded his head and laughed. “Oh, yeah, that was a doozy. Anyway, Adam’s an excellent instructor. You’ll be in safe hands.”

  If only I were in those very safe hands right now, I thought, smiling. Oh, God, I was absolutely pathetic.

  Later that night I remembered the daisy that Áine had given to me. I threw myself onto my bed, dipped my hand into my bag, and pulled it out. It was as perfect as when Áine gave it to me. I twirled it around in my fingers, inspecting the delicate petals, allowing my mind to wander to the DeRís family. A scratching noise at the window drew my attention, and I saw a big black crow looking in at me. He had a ring of silver feathers around his right eye that made him look like he was winking.

  “Shoo,” I said, waving my hand at him. He flew away.

  Without giving it any more thought, I placed the daisy on my nightstand and curled up in bed, pulling the quilt tightly around me.

  Three

  THE EQUESTRIAN CENTER

  My first week was over, and I couldn’t believe how settled I felt after such a short time. In all the towns I’d lived in and schools I’d attended, I’d never clicked with anyone like I did with Caitlin. I had a feeling she was going to be a keeper. And Jennifer, Darren, and Killian seemed like people I would count as true friends.

  I also felt myself softening toward the quirky, slow-paced way of life. It was strange to say, but I was even looking forward to school next week. Of course, it helped that I had nothing to really miss from my old life. We’d moved almost every year since my mom died. As soon as the anniversary of her death rolled around, I would notice my dad getting restless. Before I knew it, the bags were packed, the car was loaded, and we were off again to “start over.” Our last “home” was Gloucester, Massachusetts. We’d lasted there longer than most places, but before I dared to hope for a second year in one school, Dad got the Kinsale offer.

  My friends in Gloucester were nice, but I had never had a best friend. It was my own fault, I guessed. One thing I learned early was not to form attachments—they only ended in tears. But now that I had a taste of how things could be, I didn’t want to go back to our odd sort of half life. I no longer wanted to feel displaced.

/>   The only blip in my new life was Adam DeRís. I couldn’t get him out of my mind. From my first day at school, he’d occupied my thoughts. His staring and awkwardness combined with my constantly tingling hands made me hyperaware of his presence in school. I ached just to get a glimpse of him.

  Saturday was torture. No school, no Adam. I spent most of the day at my desk, trying to catch up on schoolwork. It was three weeks into the school year here. I had missed the first two weeks and I had some serious studying to do. Senior cycle in Irish schools consisted of fifth year and sixth year, and at the end of sixth year students took a big exam that sounded like the SATs. It was called the Leaving Certificate, and what you got on the exam determined what you could study in college. True, I wasn’t set on going to college in Ireland, but I didn’t want to bomb any major tests either. I was ahead in some subjects, but way behind in others. Caitlin said she would help me out if I needed it, but Saturdays were busy for her, as she helped her mom out in their B and B.

  My torture was somewhat alleviated on Saturday night, when my dad arrived home and handed me a brand-new cell phone. Caitlin and I texted each other all night, plotting our visit to the Kinsale Equestrian Center the next day. Finally, Sunday arrived.

  Before we headed over, Caitlin swung by to pick me up. I was eager to show her around my new house, which I loved. It was set high up above the multicolored houses that crept along the sides of the roads in town. The harbor below us was banked on all sides by houses, shops, and restaurants, all stepped up on the surrounding slopes.

  From our porch, you could see the water from the harbor snaking its way out to sea and blending with the horizon. Our house was up a very narrow, steep road, through iron gates set into piers that were made of a red and sandy-colored stone. The driveway curved around in a big circle with a green in the middle of it. Dotted along the curving road were eight large, slightly elevated houses. They were all painted different colors. Ours was apple green.

  Caitlin had a quick look around the house and my room, but she seemed anxious to get moving. The call of the equestrian center was obviously too strong to ignore.

  “Come on, Megan, you’re going to love this,” she urged.

  I smirked. She would love it, but I imagined my role would be more of a supporting one. I didn’t mind, though. Caitlin had informed me that Killian was teaching the lessons in the afternoon, and this was too good an opportunity to miss. We would get to gawk at him for a couple of hours. Lucky us.

  It was another lovely day. The weather had been really nice since we arrived. Apparently it wasn’t normally like this; any day now the clouds would come and it would probably rain for six months solid. I planned to enjoy the sun while it lasted.

  We walked down past the school in the direction of the Bandon estuary, which swept its way into the harbor. When we came to the water’s edge, we turned right.

  The water was still, just a few small boats bobbing gently at their moorings. The reflected sun sent out sparkles in all directions. They were hypnotic. It took me a moment to tune back in to what Caitlin was saying.

  “I was thinking of getting a fringe; what do you think?” she asked, holding her hair across her forehead.

  “A fringe?”

  “Oh, yeah, what do you call them again? Bangs.” She rolled her eyes. “Never mind. Did you see Jennifer in geography on Friday? I love that girl, but what was she thinking? That skirt could not go any higher! Mr. Murphy nearly had a hernia; he couldn’t take his eyes off her legs for the whole class.”

  “Poor Mr. Murphy, it wasn’t really his fault. How could you not look?” I replied, sticking up for the unfortunate geography teacher. “Anyhow, Sister Basil sorted her out. I don’t think we’ll be seeing that skirt return to such dizzying heights anytime soon.”

  I laughed, but realized I had lost my audience. Caitlin had stopped and was staring into the field at the side of the road. She leaned against the fence, and I followed her gaze. There was a large horse being put through his paces in the paddock. He was a beautiful chestnut color; his coat gleamed and his well-toned muscles rippled as he cantered by. The rider put the horse over a series of cross poles, jumping each one perfectly.

  “Gorgeous, isn’t he?” Caitlin said, letting out a sigh.

  “Yes, he is. He has great form.”

  “The rider, Meg, not the horse.”

  I peered closer, taking in the face under the riding helmet. It was Killian Clarke, of course. He wore black jodhpurs, knee-high black leather boots, and a purple-and-white-striped polo shirt. His blond curls were darkened with perspiration. I had to admit, he really did look amazing up there. I definitely understood what Caitlin saw in him.

  Just then he looked up and a huge smile spread across his face when he spotted us. He steered the horse in our direction. “Caitlin, Megan, what are you doing here?”

  Caitlin looked at me and flushed. “Megan was thinking of taking some lessons. I thought maybe you could give her the tour.”

  “Excellent,” he said. “You’ll be looking for a commission soon, Caitlin; you’re great at generating business for us.”

  Her cheeks grew a darker red.

  “I’m nearly finished here, and I’ll meet you in the yard for the grand tour in a few minutes.” He winked down at us and cantered away.

  I elbowed Caitlin in the ribs as we started walking. “How many times have you been down here gawking at him? Caitlin, you seriously have to make a move; this isn’t healthy.”

  “I know, I know. But I’m not good at, you know, making moves. I’m hoping he’ll make his move during the sailing course. If he doesn’t we’ll need to strategize.”

  It wasn’t long before we heard Killian coming up the concrete path into the large barn. He pulled the horse up and swung his leg over its back, slid down the leather saddle, and landed solidly on the ground. One of the young stable hands, eager to help, ran over, fluttered her eyelashes at Killian, and took the reins from him.

  “So, Megan, you want to learn how to ride?”

  “Well, sort of,” I replied. “I’ve actually been riding off and on for the past ten years, but I’m a little rusty at the moment.”

  “Great! We have some excellent classes and hacks for the more experienced rider,” Killian said, leading us through a barn lined with stalls full of sleepy-looking ponies.

  He then directed us to a huge indoor arena and a spectator area. We sat down and listened as Killian gave us the lowdown on some member of the center who’d been caught red-handed with the wife of the local farrier in one of the stalls. Caitlin was hanging on his every word. I gave up trying to follow along and watched a girl on the other end of the arena instead.

  She was on a huge white horse that must have been at least seventeen hands high. The horse’s neck curved in with her head tucked neatly toward her powerful chest. She moved so gracefully.

  The rider was wearing white jodhpurs and long black leather riding boots. She was completely in control, barely touching the reins. I squinted, trying to see who she was.

  “She’s really beautiful, isn’t she?” Killian said, interrupting my thoughts.

  Caitlin gave the rider a murderous glare.

  “She’s an Andalusian purebred mare. There aren’t many of them in this country.” At this, Caitlin’s face relaxed. “She’s a complete bugger to work with, though, and extremely difficult to ride.”

  I found that hard to believe, watching the horse and rider move with such grace.

  “She’s vicious in the stables too, damn near killed my old Labrador the other day,” he continued. “I think we’d have sold her if it weren’t for Áine. She has a way with the mare. It’s almost as if they can speak to each other. That, and Áine works for free in return for ring time and use of the horses.”

  “Áine,” I repeated, startled. “Isn’t that Adam’s sister?”

  “The very one. She’s like a horse whisperer or something. Our vet bills have plummeted since she’s been working here. My parents will do ju
st about anything to keep Áine happy.”

  At that, Killian got up and told us he had to give another lesson, so Caitlin and I got ourselves a couple of Cokes from the vending machine and settled in for a marathon session of gawking at Killian. Well, Caitlin gawked. I couldn’t stop myself from focusing on Áine. The way she moved on the horse was breathtaking. I couldn’t help but wonder: Did Adam have the same gift as his sister?

  The afternoon crept by and finally Caitlin looked at her watch. “We’d better go,” she muttered, sneaking another glance at Killian. “My mum will have dinner ready, and if we stay here any longer we could be accused of loitering, or stalking, or both, for that matter.”

  We got up and made our way out of the barn to the driveway.

  “Oh, crap, I forgot my jacket,” Caitlin announced.

  “Yeah, right. You just want to get one last glimpse,” I teased.

  Caitlin blushed. “I’ll be back in just a sec. Wait for me!”

  Dusk had cast a gloom over the parking lot. I was just approaching the gate when I noticed Áine standing under a canopy of trees. She was dimly lit by the orange light of a street lamp that had just flickered to life, and she was laughing quietly to herself while gently waving her arms around. I slowed, stepping back into the shadows, and watched her delighted face as a cloud of white moths began to gather above her head. Where had they all come from? She swayed her arms to one side and the fluttering white cloud of moths danced to her command. It was a strangely beautiful sight. Then she held out her arms to each side and the hovering mass of insects descended on her, smothering every inch of her silhouette in the delicate beatings of white wings.

  Stunned into stillness, I stayed where I was. The crack of a branch above my head made Áine flick her eyes in my direction. As quickly as the moths had arrived, they disappeared like a wisp into the darkness. Áine looked right at me, then above my head.

  Caw! A crow swooped out of the tree and flew to the lamppost beside Áine. They both stared at me. Then the bird winked. No, he wasn’t winking. It was the crow with the ringed eye. He cawed again and took flight, disappearing into the distance.