Authors: S. K. Munt
A tower for a princess.
He thought, smiling. Ardhi scrambled forward on all fours, the powdery roof oven-hot under the relentless Queensland sun, until he reached the other pitched area. He came to a halt there, his ears straining to hear a cry of discovery-but there was none-only the chirping of birds, and the light slap of the water breaking against the dock in the distance.
When he was on top of the eave he desired-he hid behind it, peering over the top, looking for the Perfects. He could see them from there-about forty meters out, slowly moving across the water, then past each other, then turning around and going back like a mystical forcefield. He couldn’t see them well due to the glare on the water from there, but he recognized the way their rear fins flicked gently, causing ripples.
Ardhi decided that now was the time to act-while they were submerged. He snaked his way around the front of the pitch of the roof, flattening himself against an inset section of wall. To his delight, it consisted of three, frosted panels of glass, and the centre was opened inwardly at a sharp angle. One peek inside confirmed a white tile floor behind a long white curtain.
A
bathroom.
Ardhi wet his lips and pushed the glass inwards, almost knocking over what ended up being a small yucca palm in a planter beneath. The glass was thicker than most, possibly shatter proof, and a large lock was fitted into the edge-a lock that was pretty useless when unfastened. Ivyanne’s ‘don’t fence me in’ policy was going to make her a mother.
Trying to be the embodiment of silence, Ardhi eased his leg through, which only just touched the ground. He let the rest of his body follow, ducking so his backpack wouldn’t get snagged and grinned when his second leg made it in. When he straightened he was staring down a long, narrow and airy space that was mostly white broken by silver, black and violet. There was an oval spa beside him, white porcelain set into a rectangular, black tiled base, flush against a purple feature wall that was covered with a gigantic, black framed mirror. Above the spa dangled a pure white chandelier. It was a decadent space, created to make bathing an experience, and he rolled his eyes, wondering if the indulgence was Tristan’s influence.
Ardhi went to her toilet, relieved himself and flushed gently, then broke off some paper, wet it and went back to the window he’d entered through, wiping off his dusty red handprints then checking the room for others. Thinking quickly, he went to the shower and turned it on, washing his hands and feet and then drying them on one of many rolled grey towels beside it, shoving it into a hamper after, which luckily, contained several others amongst soiled clothes. Then, satisfied that he’d left the space exactly as he’d found it, Ardhi inched towards the bedroom door, inhaling Ivyanne’s scent hungrily from the soap on his hands-lilac-a fragrance she’d been partial to a few years before. It made him giddy, reminding him of when they’d been an ‘us,’ monogamous in their own unique way.
A commitment she’d not only broken, but shattered. His resolve hardened like drying cement.
Ivyanne’s room was so splendiferous that he almost couldn’t stand it-the silver and gold reminded him of her hair, the indigocoverlet of her scent. He investigated it quickly, opening drawers and rifling through them, making sure to leave everything as he had found it. To his utter delight, he spotted the king’s crown almost straight away on the bureau. He waltzed towards it and went to lift it to his head, but paused at the last minute, frowning. It was an obvious spot-she’d notice if he moved it prematurely. He’d have to wait. Reluctantly, he sat it back down in the open box.
‘Got it Luca,’ he said out loud. The Court family treasure would soon be his! He ignored the twinge in his chest when he imagined handing the crown over-something he’d coveted since childhood, even
before
he’d fallen for the princess. But it was no more his than it had been Ash’s, or any of the men before them. Besides, Ardhi had a much more valuable prize in mind. Luca could have his birthright, and Ardhi would claim his own, between Ivyanne’s perfect, provocative thighs.
He turned turned to the bed then, running his hand across the silky comforter, trying to remember the last time he’d slept in something so comfortable. He’d love to stay the night there, to trap her body with his own until the sun rose, but minutes was all he’d get.
Unless…
Ardhi wet his lips, excited. Why
did
he have to leave and come back? Why not stay and hide right there, in her inner sanctum? The plan would go ahead regardless, and he’d have hours to observe her, if not to touch her. She liked naps, after all. He might get the chance to explore her in the daylight!
Body humming in anticipation, he looked around the room. He told himself that he needed to find an ideal hiding place first but it was a pointless self-command. His mind had been made up since he’d caught the scent of Lilacs.
*
‘The sky is literally falling in.’ Tristan said, squinting out the window. He glanced at his watch. ‘Five thirty and it’s pitch black out there. I hate knowing he’s so close and yet untouchable. We should be hunting
him
-not waiting on his terms.’
‘You thought it was a fine plan last night.’ Garridan grumbled from his position in front of the monitors. Joyce was having a rest, and they were using the opportunity to double check that every signal was coming through clearly.
‘Yeah well that was last night. The time is nigh and I’m out for blood. I can’t take this waiting.’ Tristan felt like there were sea lice under his skin. ‘Just the idea of him touching one of his webbed feet to her bedroom floor makes me want to cut throats. And what if he spots Ivyanne early and decides to jump the mark?’
‘That’s exactly why I’m taking her upstairs for a rest soon. She can stay in there until nine. I’ll post Price out at the pool watching her window until then and I’ll stay by her door. He won’t get in, Tristan. This place is like Fort Knox.’ He paused. ‘But I understand your distress. I’ll feel much better when she’s locked down.’
‘I know, I know,’ Ivyanne muttered, appearing suddenly. ‘I was just coming to tell you that I’m going up now where I will stay put until you send for me. And to give you this.’ She held out the king’s crown to Garridan and Tristan had to catch his lip between his teeth to stop a sound leaving his throat.
Mine!
he thought, swallowing rapidly.
That’s for me!
‘I even polished it for you, but moved the box into my bedside table. When he opens it, you’ll hear it. That might give you a chance to shoot him in the back.’
Garridan took the crown that had been passed over his head with shaking hands, staring down at it with reverence. ‘Thank you your majesty. That’s a very good idea.’
‘I was due one.’ Ivyanne wrapped her arms around herself. ‘Anyway like I said, I’m going up now. You’re not going to stick someone on the roof though are you in this miserable weather?’
‘No. Price will be on the boat, watching your floor all night at his own insistence. He’s itching for a shot at Ardhi, so I’m giving him one from a dryer vantage point. But the rest of the guards are about to be forced to sleep in the theatre room. I’d like you to try and get some shut eye too.’
Ivyanne nodded. ‘Good for him. I have some things to do first... but yeah, I’ll eventually try and shower and get some sleep.’ She motioned to the cameras. ‘You got those on in every room?’
Garridan patted the monitor in front of him. ‘Yes-except the bathrooms. I was just about to send out a text to warn you guys to cover it up when you’re outside of the water closets.’
Ivyanne frowned. ‘Do you have timers on them?’
Garridan shrugged. ‘They can-why?’
Ivyanne was staring at the reflection of her own room. ‘Turn mine off for a few hours, okay?’
Tristan immediately rose to attention. She noticed, and shot him a withering glare.
‘
Please
. No-I just have some things to do and I don’t want to be
spied
on while I’m doing them.’
Tristan couldn’t fight back his broad grin. ‘Need me to call, honey?’
‘I’m
not
hearing this…’ Garridan muttered.
Ivyanne looked at Garridan quickly then back at him, clearly mortified. ‘
No
. And if you do, I
won’t
be answering.’
Tristan exhaled heavily, trying to look dispirited. But truthfully-he didn’t really care what she said. He was getting into her room that night. He didn’t care if he had to knock her guard unconscious-he
would
be claiming her before the sun rose or die trying.
‘I’ll set it until nine.’ Garridan said. ‘But I want you to keep your blinds drawn behind the curtains and your lights
off,
just in case he sees you and gets ideas about striking early. I’m about to go set myself up in the hallway.’
Ivyanne frowned. ‘But you need sleep too.’
‘I know,’ he said with a smile. ‘And that’s what I’ll be doing-
all
day tomorrow.’
Ivyanne smiled. ‘I can’t believe this could be over tonight.’ She said softly. ‘What will you do then?’
‘I guess it depends.’ Garridan said. ‘I did promise your mother that I’d stay until your first child was born, but I suppose I can relax that rule once Ardhi has been held accountable. But I dare say I’ll stay until you’re at least
married
.’
Ivyanne’s face softened. ‘Good.’
‘Good?’ Garridan laughed. ‘I thought you
wanted
me gone?’
Ivyanne walked over and kissed him on the forehead, then bent over so she was looking into his eyes. ‘But if you go straight away-who will give me away on my wedding day?’
Tristan sucked in a breath.
If she’s chosen who she wants to give her away does that mean…?
Garridan looked just as shocked. His face was slowly turning pink. ‘You mean...
me
?’
Ivyanne stood up and ruffled his hair. ‘Of course silly.’
Tristan’s uncle’s entire face lit up. For a moment, Tristan was afforded a glimpse of the young, joyful man Garridan had been once. ‘I’d be honored, your majesty.’
She wagged a finger at him, avoiding Tristan’s eyes. ‘Will you be just as honored regardless of
who
the groom is?’
Tristan winced, thinking that was a shitty thing to say right in front of him. But he supposed she couldn’t help it-when
wasn’t
he around? Besides, if Tristan ended up alone after all of this, he would be too devastated over losing her to give a shit about
who
participated in the wedding.
‘I will.’ His uncle said, kissing one of Ivyanne’s hands. ‘Given the trials these boys have gone through, I don’t doubt that you’ll choose the best partner for yourself-and I
will
trust that judgement.’ He glanced at Tristan apologetically. ‘Even if I am biased emotionally on the matter.’
‘Thank you.’ Ivyanne said. ‘Anyway I’m going upstairs….’ she glanced at Tristan pointedly. ‘I need to double check everything I locked earlier.’
Tristan winced and looked away. Stab after stab to the heart. Suddenly-he very much needed a lie down. When he looked back, Ivyanne was gone.
‘That was... sweet of her to ask me.’ Garridan said, his face still a shade of rose.
Tristan nodded, but said nothing, staring at the empty space Ivyanne had been, his heart no longer racing but thudding slowly, purposefully, like it was running out of beats and was trying to conserve the last ones.
Heads Or Tails Book #3 in The Fairytail Saga S.K Munt
23.
When Lachlan, Price, Camus, Dalton and Sahori all filed into the theatre room to put on a boring movie and try to get some rest, Lincoln announced that he was going to have a shower and sleep in his own room-claiming that he couldn’t sleep when there was a light on. That was true-but that wasn’t his only motivation for declining the slumber party.
He waited until the door was shut before heading up the hallway, passing Garridan, who was explaining something to Saraya on the landing.
‘My alarm is set for nine thirty,’ he said. ‘I’m going to rest in my own room and join every one downstairs then, okay? I need to call dad. You know, just in case something bad happens.’
‘Suit yourself.’
‘Um do you know where Tristan is?’
Garridan frowned. ‘Showering, why?’
Lincoln bit back a smile. So he had a head start. ‘He wasn’t down with the others.’
‘It’s okay. I’m keeping tabs on where
every
one is.’ He raised his eyebrows pointedly. ‘
Everyone
, got that? I’ll be in the hallway in a few minutes.’
Lincoln smiled. ‘Of course.’ Lincoln casually sauntered up the stairs, letting Garridan’s thinly veiled threat slide off his back. He was going to need less than a few minutes to get to where he needed to be-he just needed
one
to splash on some cologne, brush his teeth and get the ring, and then he’d be behind closed doors, which he would lock after him-keeping Tristan Loveridge out for
good
.
*
Ardhi could barely contain his excitement when he heard one of the outer doors open, followed by the kind of soft footfalls that could only be made by someone accustomed to treading lightly.’
Ardhi tittered to himself when he heard the sweet voice chirping a Doris day song through the wall between himself and the bathroom. He pressed his ear against it to hear more, then flinched when he heard the sound of a door much closer being opened.
‘...
I’m acting like a stupid fool...
’ Ivyanne ad-libbed, her voice was so close that Ardhi’s insides seized. He heard the window slide open, then slam shut, followed by a click. Then another.
Oh my god!
He thought.
She’s checking the locks!
Ardhi wanted to reach for his gun so he’d be prepared for her to stumble upon him, but he couldn’t risk making the slightest sound. As it was, he was afraid she’d hear his heart beating in the empty spare room.
And then the door to the cupboard began to roll open and Ardhi almost had a heart attack. He froze, staring at the rectangle of widening light at the opposite end to where he was, flattening himself against the wall. So much for hiding in the box! Her hand was already digging
through
it! And he was too fatigued from his shenanigans with the weather to think clearly.
‘Hey Saraya? Are you alone?’ A long pause. ‘Okay good. Look I’ve come up to my room to get some things sorted out... and I just needed to ask you a question or two-regarding, um weddings.
Royal
ones.’ The hand in the box was sifting around for something, but now it stopped. ‘Okay I practically heard that shriek from up here! Calm down…. yeah…. yeah…..’ another pause. ‘Oh
do
they now? Ask them how much they bet that they’d end up out on their asses in the rain tonight then?’ A chuckle. Ivyanne’s hand gingerly pulled out a foot-long, carved timber box and removed it from sight.
Ardhi swallowed. If she was looking for something specific, there was a chance he’d remain undiscovered. His eyes dropped to the midway point of the closet, where his backpack lay, the handle of the small black gun glinting in the light, wondering if he could reach it in time, or if he’d have to shock her with what little energy he had left.
‘Well I never said I was announcing anything right
now
, did I?
Sheesh
! I just want to know a few things.’ The cupboard door closed, casting Ardhi back into welcome darkness and muffling her voice. ‘Hmmm maybe... the camera
is
disabled for a few hours…’Another low chuckle. ‘No, I’m too damn tense to even contemplate that right now.’
She had a camera in her room?!
Ardhi glanced around the nursery through the crack in the door, but the only hint of a monitoring device was a few wires poking out of the wall.
Well at least there’s nothing in here or I could have cornered myself!
A door shut and the voice got quieter-telling Ardhi that Ivyanne had left the room. Slowly, carefully, he slid the door open and crept over to the entry door, pressing his ear against the cool wood, trying to calm his racing heart. Her camera would be off for a few hours-that was all that mattered.
‘Well... I need a good suggestion for the ceremony…. Huh? No-not The Seaview. We might have fallen in love there but after what Ardhi did to my mother and father there... I just can’t imagine it. Besides, Link just took a bullet there, you know? I can’t get married imagining him kissing Grace!’
Ardhi’s eyes widened.
Lincoln! She is choosing Lincoln!
For a moment, Ardhi was astounded and somehow... happy. Not that she was getting married, because he was still holding out hopes that no one would want her when he was done with her, but that she’d chosen the gentler soul- someone
Ardhi
had sired.
His sister was probably going to end up with the apple of her eye too, as a result, and that thought brought him some more peace.
‘We need somewhere private. I mean, there will be at least twenty mers in the water at-’ Another pause. ‘
Two hundred?!
You can’t be serious! Yeah I know it’s a royal wedding but-’ Ivyanne groaned. ‘Fine... The Londeree's one? No. That’ll be a bit tacky, don’t you think, considering who I might have married instead?’
‘Okay, well that’s all I need to know. …. Yeah I have a bit more work to do yet so I won’t be-
what
?’ Ivyanne giggled. ‘I know right? I’m feeling like a bit of a caged animal myself. Yes well maybe you can go get lucky
tomorrow
night…. okay, no problem. Thanks Saraya!’
Ardhi quickly retreated into the confines of the closet, and rolled the door shut behind him. After staring a the light under the crack of the door, it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust again. But when they did, he reached into his bag and quietly retrieved his revolver.
Hurry up and finish your duties, your majesty,
he thought snidely.
I have one for you, and it’s not going to be postponed much longer.
*
When Ivyanne had dried herself after her shower, she quickly changed into the pale green satin and black lace underwear set she’d been saving since she first moved to Airlie again, trying not to catch her own blushing reflection in the mirror. It was racier than anything she usually wore, but it suited her mood perfectly. She went to the hook and grabbed her black satin boxer shorts up her legs, and then the matching short sleeved, button up satin nightshirt that completed the look.
She lifted her eyes to her reflection and made a face-it was more cutesy than sexy really. She undid the two top buttons, letting her cleavage accessorize it more befittingly, and then swept her towel dried hair up on top of her head, so a few curls drifted around her face.
Much better.
She thought.
More womanly. And he needs to see me as a grown up now. Not as Ivanna
. Ivyanne reached for her perfume and spritzed it over herself, and then rubbed honeycomb scented moisturizer into her legs, thinking about his hands on them, and smiling when she did.
Ivyanne reflected back to the moment she’d made her decision, earlier that day. She’d been polishing her fathers crown, lovingly stroking it with it’s special solution, when she’d realized
who’s
head it belonged on. And now that she knew with such a crystal clarity, she was starting to wonder why she’d ever doubted it to begin with. Only
one
man was her destiny-and the signs had been there her entire life. The choice had been made, and now, she would tell him before the clock struck twelve. Her lips trembled with excitement as she thought of what that moment would be like.
Thunder cracked outside, the noise wiping the smile off her face. Knowing that those booms and flashes of light outside were probably caused by Ardhi made her feel self conscious-like the light in the window glass was the flash of his eyes.
Plus I’m crazy to even be thinking about sex right now!
She thought, sighing reproachfully at her own idiocy. She had an attempted abduction to get through yet, as well as someone’s heart to break, and when she imagined doing
that
, her knees all but broke against one another. But he was a strong, powerful man-he hadn’t gotten this far through his life without a thick skin, and she knew deep down in her aching heart, that he was strong enough to survive her.
But if she could-she would save
that
conversation until the morning. After all, now that she knew who she
wanted
to be with, there was no use wasting a perfectly good full moon. Ivyanne’s lips curved when she imagined inviting him into her bed. It had been far too long since they had lain together-her body throbbed at the mere thought of how thrilled she would be to slip that ring back onto her hand, where it would stay forever. After all of the months of pain and longing and heartbreak...this night would bring some pure happiness. It just
had
to.
But then there was a strange clicking noise that Ivyanne didn’t recognize. She spun quickly-and found herself staring down the barrel of a gun. Everything inside her seemed to splinter, like she’d been snap frozen then shattered.
‘Good evening your majesty.’ Ardhi whispered, his eyes glittering like coals. ‘I’ve come to bring you your wedding gift. But please kindly put your hands up first.’
Ivyanne’s heart seized.
*
Ardhi had been intending to pounce Ivyanne while she was in the shower, but he’d gotten caught up watching her reflection in the mirror from the hall as she sudsed herself, and he had been paralyzed with desire. And now here she was-beautified and at his mercy.
Ardhi trained the gun on the back of her graceful neck. ‘Now... before you scream... I want you to think about the first person who’s going to come rushing through that door, and how badly you want them to have a
head
once all of this is over.’
Ivyanne’s eyes were wide. ‘Ardhi-don’t-’
‘Shut up.’ He snapped. ‘Your bedroom camera-I heard you tell Saraya that it’s off?’
Ivyanne nodded, eyes wide.
He smiled. ‘Good. This is turning out better than I’d expected. Go in there please.’
Ivyanne’s eyes narrowed, but she stepped out of the bathroom, her hands on her head. ‘Ardhi you are-’
Ardhi shot his hand forward an wrapped it around her throat, pushing the gun into her nape. ‘I’ll say when it’s time to talk your majesty. Now get into the bedroom.’
Ivyanne nodded and so Ardhi released her throat and pushed her forward with his bare foot on the back of her calf, following her closely.
‘I’ll warn you not to make any sudden movements,’ he said quietly. The rain on the roof was becoming louder and louder as his agitation increased. Blue flashes penetrated through the curtains. ‘One thing I know about these human hazards is that they go off
very
easily. And I’m
not
here to kill you. Now, kneel on the bed, facing away. And put your hands behind your back.’ He smiled as she complied, shrugging off one strap of his backpack and letting it fall to the floor, watching her twitching lip and nervous eyes in the mirror. In the reflection, he also caught sight of a picture of her mother and father framed on her bureau. ‘I guess I should take this moment to tell you how sorry I am for your parents deaths, hmm?’
‘Really?’ Ivyanne’s voice dripped with sarcasm. ‘How
thoughtful
of you. Ardhi you’ve
always
been
such
a great friend.’
‘I was. You
weren’t
.’ He said tersely. Her eyes were so full of hate that they were like the green of flaming driftwood. It cut him deeply. ‘Your father was trying to pour poison down my throat, Ivyanne. Should I have just accepted death without a
fight
?’
‘If you had a conscience, you would of.’
‘If
you
had a conscience, I would have been chosen the day I declared my feelings for you.’ Ardhi knelt on the bed behind her, and slowly traced his finger down her spine. ‘But you’re about to make things so
very
right so don’t worry-all will be forgiven.’
‘How
noble
of you,’ she said blithely. ‘You’re a bigger person than I.’
Ardhi smiled and gingerly rubbed her shoulder. The satin was slippery both against his hand and off her shoulder. ‘I know.’