[English] CARRIER OF THE MARK

Carrier of the Mark
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“I’m just not big on making the first move … and he doesn’t seem too hot on it either.”

“Oh, dear Lord. It’s like the Caitlin/Killian fiasco all over again. Just grow a big pair of cojones and ask him out. The Halloween party is the perfect opportunity. Now, come on. We need to do something about that wardrobe of yours.”

I pressed the button at the crosswalk and waited for the little red man to turn green. Then I heard a caw.

I glanced up in disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“What did you say?” Jennifer said.

“Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself.” That crow really was following me! Now that I had noticed him, I saw how he shadowed our movements from shop to shop. This is crazy.

Later, Caitlin texted for us to meet her. She and Killian were standing outside the café waiting for us, and her face relaxed when she saw us walking toward her.

“Finally!” she exclaimed.

I noticed Caitlin and Killian had their fingers linked casually. I made no comment, but winked at Caitlin when I knew Killian wasn’t looking.

“Are you ready to go?” she asked.

I nodded and she turned to Killian. “So, I’ll see you Monday?”

“It’s a date,” he replied. “I’d better check in with Darren.”

“I’ll go with you,” Jennifer said, linking her arm through his. “See you guys later.”

Once they were out of earshot, I spun around to Caitlin.

“Tell me everything! What happened?”

“Oh, Meg,” she said breathlessly. “Wait until I tell you! He is mad about me, has been for ages. He’s taking me to the Halloween party.”

“I’m so excited for you!”

She gazed dreamily ahead and sighed. “And, my God, that guy can snog.”

“You kissed him?”

“Oh, it was so yummy. My lips are still tingling.” She giggled. “Would you listen to me? I sound like such a pleb.”

“I’m not sure what a pleb is, but I’m sure you don’t sound like one. It’s sweet.”

Up ahead our bus was pulling into the stop. Laughing, we ran the last couple of yards, jumped on, and made for the backseats.

Once we sat down, I noticed Caitlin looked a little sheepish. I nudged her. “What’s up?”

“So, the Halloween party next Saturday, it starts at eight thirty. Would you mind terribly if, instead of walking together, I meet you there? It’s just that … well, Killian wants a little rendezvous beforehand. I don’t have to meet with him, but I’d love to. Don’t hate me,” she added.

“Why would I hate you?” I laughed. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? It’ll be dark.”

“It’s Kinsale, not the Wild West. Here, lemme show you what I bought to wear.”

“Oh, that’s divine,” Caitlin said, holding my new top out in front of her. “You’ll have him walking into trees wearing this.”

“Who?”

“Oh, don’t play innocent. You know very well who.”

“Do you think he’ll be there?”

“Of course he’ll be there. He’s always lurking somewhere when you’re around.”

My stomach fluttered a little. Saturday night couldn’t come quickly enough.

My stomach was in knots as I opened the door to my house. I’d been playing out different scenarios in my head on the walk up from the bus. I wasn’t sure how I was going to do it, but I had decided I was going to make a move on Adam.

I took some frozen chicken pies from the freezer, threw them in the oven, and set the timer. Then I ran up to my room, surrendered myself to the comfort of my bed, and dozed off.

The oven’s beeping woke me up. Still disoriented, I jumped up and ran down to rescue dinner. I was halfway down the stairs when a memory came flooding back. Full and detailed. It smacked me in the face with such force that I slumped down onto the step.

The monk with the long beard had been standing behind my dad in my room in the hospital, after my mom died. As I saw the scene once more, I knew it wasn’t a dream. It happened.

Who … no … what the hell was he? And why was he here?

My eyes began to sting and I coughed. The high-pitched beeping of the smoke alarm eventually snapped me out of my daze. Still a bit wobbly on my feet, I went into the kitchen, opened the windows, and dumped the contents of the oven into the sink. I ran the water over the charred remains. The burned pies hissed and then fell silent.

“Megan? Is everything all right in here?” Dad said, walking cautiously into the kitchen.

“Just a disastrous attempt at dinner, Dad. Sorry, but it looks like takeout again tonight.”

“I have a better idea! Let’s go down to the Lobster Pot.” He looked delighted with himself.

“Sure, why not,” I replied, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. Now I’d have to watch Dad mooning over Petra for the evening. I was happy for him, but I needed to think, not make small talk over dinner with Dad’s girlfriend. “Dad, this is going to sound a bit weird, but … do you know any monks?”

“Monks … like the Friar Tuck variety?”

“Sort of. I just thought I remembered one from the day in the hospital, you know, when I woke up after Mom…”

“What has you thinking about that, Meg? Is everything all right?”

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“Yeah, Dad, I’m fine. It’s just that I saw a monk the other day and it sparked a memory, and I was just wondering.”

“I’d remember a monk in your room, Meg. I’m sure it was just you and me.” He furrowed his brow. “Look, we can stay in and talk if you want to.”

“No, no, I’m fine. I must have gotten it wrong,” I said, pasting on a cheery smile and hooking my arm through his. “Dinner at the Lobster Pot sounds great.”

Eight

HALLOWEEN

My dad was all dressed up and ready to go to the big Halloween bash in the yacht club. It had a royalty theme, and my dad was going as King Henry VIII. He looked hilarious in his pantaloons and smock outfit, but Petra, dressed as Anne Boleyn, seemed to think he looked dashing.

We had been seeing more of Petra this week. My dad never mentioned it to make it official, but it was fairly obvious what was going on. It was weird, my dad dating. It had just been me and him since my mom died. Even so, I was feeling pretty okay about the situation. Maybe it was easier to deal with because he wasn’t making it into a big issue.

My clothes were picked out and laid over my desk chair. Nothing fancy, but flattering all the same. Our party was going to be in a mucky field, which hardly called for a skirt and heels. I picked out my favorite jeans and my red Converse and the new top that I’d bought in the city. It was a purple V-necked sweater that enhanced my skin tone and made my hair seem rich and glowy. It was clingy, and the vee was a little more plunging than what I’d usually wear, but Caitlin and Jennifer had both told me that I had to use every weapon in my arsenal.

I’d decided to leave my hair down, wavy and natural. I dusted a little bronzer over my pale cheeks and nose, just to highlight my face, and carefully applied lots of black mascara to my eyelashes, curling them upward. I took one last look at the mirror. Well, I thought, that’s as good as it gets. I smacked my lips at my reflection, then jumped back from the mirror and whirled around.

I could have sworn I’d seen the monk’s face behind mine. I shivered and glanced around the room. No one was there, of course.

Since that conversation with my dad, I’d tried to block the creepy old man from my thoughts, and I had been doing pretty well. Until tonight. Oh, well. Maybe it’s just because I’m nervous about seeing Adam.

I set off, wrapping my arms around myself. It was definitely colder tonight. And my raincoat was only that, a raincoat. It held no heat, but I didn’t have time to go back for a warmer jacket. I continued on, wrapping my arms tighter.

A snapping sound made me look up. I knew it was my crow even before I saw him. I smiled up at him, welcoming his presence. Whatever his reasons for becoming my shadow, I felt no menace from him. In fact, I had kind of gotten used to having him around. And on a cold night like tonight, he felt like a real comfort.

I walked past the school and turned up the lane that led to where the party was being held. I could hear the whoops of laughter in the distance. The smell of bonfire hung heavy in the air.

With each step, I could feel my courage fade. I had no idea what I was going to say to Adam, or even how I’d approach him. I had just reached the turnoff when I noticed my crow was gone. A new noise replaced his familiar caw. Laughter.

I looked behind me and saw two boys approaching quickly. They seemed a little unsteady and they were talking loudly. I ignored them and kept walking, but they came nearer, laughing uproariously. Something cracked at my foot and I glanced down, startled. It was an egg.

“Idiots,” I muttered under my breath, but quickened my pace.

Another egg sailed through the air, landing on my jacket. Now they were cheering.

“Hey, Miss U.S.A., where are you going in such a hurry?”

The voice sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t see their faces in the dark.

“Hey, I’m talking to you; don’t ignore me!” One of them grabbed the back of my jacket.

His speech was slurred, and his eyes looked like they weren’t focusing. I struggled to get out of his grasp as his friend pulled on his arm.

“Tom, give it a rest,” his friend warned.

“No.” He smiled menacingly. “It’s Halloween. Let’s have fun.”

I felt my legs tremble and willed myself not to look as scared as I felt. His friend lowered his voice and bent in toward Tom.

“That’s Caleb Rosenberg’s daughter. If my mom finds out I messed with her, I’ll be killed. Let’s get out of here.” He pulled on Tom’s jacket. “Come on, Blánnaid is waiting for you.”

“Just a little fun,” Tom said, shaking off his friend. “Blán can wait.”

The smell of alcohol on his breath made me feel queasy. He dug into his pockets and staggered forward. I saw an opportunity to escape and I slammed my foot down on his boot.

He yelped in pain, and glared at me.

I didn’t know what to do. He looked like he was thinking about hitting me, and his friend didn’t seem like he was going to be able to stop him. I began to panic. Should I run? Should I scream? Suddenly, a freezing-cold gust of wind flew past us. It whooshed by my legs and swirled up around me, taking my hair with it. A chill ran through my body, from my toes right up to my head.

I screamed and tried to grab at the hair that was obscuring my vision. Finally, I pushed it out of my face in time to see the guys being picked up by the wind and tossed into the briars behind them.

“Jesus Christ! What the hell?” Tom yelled. I could hear the other guy moaning from the undergrowth, calling for help.

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“Tom. Help me, I can’t move,” his friend called from the bushes. “Someone help me!”

Suddenly a voice spoke directly into my ear. “Megan, are you all right?” Startled, I spun around to see Adam standing right behind me. Instantly the wind stopped.

“Did you see that?” I gasped. “It was like a tornado or something.”

“Hey, are you two okay?” Adam called to Tom and his friend as their pale faces emerged from the briars.

“What the hell?” Tom shouted at Adam. “You’d better not have been doing any of your voodoo ****e on me, DeRís.” He stumbled onto the lane and rubbed his hand over his face where the thorns had snagged his skin. The blood smeared down his cheek and neck.

“Don’t talk crap, Tom. Anyway, I only just got here,” Adam said. “You should cut out the booze; it plays havoc with the mind.”

Tom’s friend tried to climb out after him, but snagged his foot in the undergrowth and fell flat on his face, right onto one of the broken eggs. He hastily jumped up, wiping the blood and egg across his forehead with his sleeve.

“Tom, let’s get out of here,” he whispered, and stumbled away.

“Wait for me,” Tom called, hobbling after him.

I watched them leave. My limbs ached, though the pins and needles were beginning to wear off.

“Hey, guys. What’s going on? What’s up with those two wasters?” Áine came into sight.

“I don’t know. Something really weird just happened. Actually, I think I might puke,” I said, lowering myself to the ground and putting my head between my knees.

“Is she all right?” Áine called to Adam, and I heard her footsteps speed up.

“She’ll be fine.” Adam put a reassuring hand on the back of my neck and rubbed his thumb along my hairline. The heat from his hand sent a spine-tingling pleasure through me. It worked its way down my back and limbs until even my fingers and toes relaxed. As the last of the tingling wore off I got such a rush of elation that I gasped.

Wow. Feeling amazing, I raised my head and looked into his eyes. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” he said, stretching out his hand to help me up.

“Are you guys going to the party?” I asked, looking from Áine to Adam.

“We thought we’d check it out,” Áine replied.

“Do you think it will still be going on? That wind was crazy,” I said, surveying the damage around us.

“I’d say it was pretty localized, by the looks of it,” Adam said with a smile. “Do you still feel up to going?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I’m okay,” I said, still buzzing.

“You might want to, uh, check out your hair.” Adam smirked.

“Here, allow me.” Áine reached over and started pulling leaves and other debris from my hair.

So much for my full arsenal, I thought, cringing.

“There, you’re as gorgeous as ever,” Áine said, smoothing out the last stray hairs.

“Thanks,” I muttered.

When we got to the party, most people were hanging out around the huge, blazing bonfire. Caitlin and Killian were snuggling on some straw bales, and Jennifer was standing behind them talking to Darren. As soon as she saw us, she nudged Caitlin and pointed at me. Caitlin’s eyes opened wide and her mouth dropped slightly. I gave her a quick wave and a smile.

“I’ll be back in a while,” Áine called excitedly over her shoulder, as she walked toward the bonfire. I started to head toward Caitlin and Jennifer, but Adam put one hand under my elbow and directed me over to a log in the shadow of a big tree.

“We need to talk,” he said.

I looked up at him. It was a mistake. His eyes smoldered down at me. They were brighter than ever, as the light from the distant bonfire flickered up into his face. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as my breath caught in my throat.

It seemed like he was fighting some sort of inner conflict. I had seen the look before, but this time he softened. Whatever the battle was, I think he had just won it.

“I apologize in advance for what I’m about to say. I don’t want to scare you off, but I need to be honest with you.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

“This is going to sound crazy, but … from the moment I first set eyes on you I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

I was stunned. I remained silent and let him continue.

“Since you arrived here I’ve been going crazy. I can’t get you out of my mind. The more I try to distance myself, the more I find myself drawn to you. You might find that hard to believe, considering what an idiot I’ve been.”

The honey-smooth tones of his voice caressed my face, as if it were his hands that had touched me and not his words. I opened my mouth, still not sure what to say, and he put his finger on my lips.

“I was warned to stay away from you. They told me from the very beginning that it wasn’t safe to ‘consort,’” he said, slightly wincing at the word, “with you. But I’m not strong enough to stay away. I think our destinies are too closely linked to be diverted to a different course.”

He glared back toward the gate we’d come through and I followed his gaze. Rían was standing there, leaning against his motorcycle. Watching us.

“You feel it too. I can tell. It’s more than just attraction.” His finger that was caressing my lips moved slowly to my cheek. He let it slide gently up my jawbone toward my ear, stopping there to twirl a lock of my hair in between his finger and thumb. I lifted my hand to where his rested on the side of my face and I leaned into it. I rubbed my cheek slowly back and forth over his palm as I managed to get my breathing under control. I looked right at him, staring deep into his eyes.

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“Yes. I feel it too,” I admitted, barely able to breathe. “Since the first day I saw you I’ve felt it.”

He brought his other hand up to the other side of my face and held it there, as if memorizing it. Slowly he bent toward me and kissed my left cheek, then my right. His breath was so warm it sent tingles down my spine. I sat perfectly still, delighting in every sensation. He moved up to my forehead and kissed it gently. His neck was tantalizingly close to my lips. He smelled warm, spicy even. My whole body tingled with pleasure.

He moved back down toward my nose and paused there for a little kiss before reaching my lips, where he stopped and pulled away slightly. Was he waiting for my permission? I moved into him, pressing my face into his hands, leaving him with no doubt as to what I wanted.

He bent in again and pressed his lips against mine. They were soft and full and everything I had imagined them to be. The kiss became deeper and more meaningful. The flow of electricity, of power, of passion between us was hard to contain. It was as if nobody else existed.

I put one arm around his back and left the other holding his palm against my face. His free hand raked through my hair. He pulled back gently.

“Wow,” he said.

“Wow,” I agreed.

“That was…”

“I know. What now?”

“Now things get very interesting.” He looked back toward Rían, who climbed onto his bike and sped off back down the lane.

I put my hand on Adam’s face and felt along his cheek and down along his jaw, reveling in the softness of his skin in comparison to the light stubble. He closed his eyes.

“You have no idea how good that feels,” he murmured.

“Oh, I think I do,” I replied with a smile. I felt slow, like I was moving through syrup. Everything around me seemed to glow.

“Megan,” Caitlin called from the direction of the bonfire.

I looked away from him reluctantly. “Over here.” A little embarrassed by my intense feelings, I pulled my hand away, but Adam held it to his lips, letting his tongue lightly caress my palm. My eyes closed in pleasure.

“There you are,” Caitlin said, ducking under the boughs of the tree that were half hiding us from view. She stopped short, catching sight of the two of us.

“I, uh, I just wanted to check and make sure you were all right.” She was already backing away. “So … you’re okay?”

“I’m fine,” I reassured her.

“It’s all right, Caitlin,” Adam said. “We were just coming to look for you.” To my surprise he stood up and pulled me up from the log. “Let’s go join the fun.”

Caitlin glanced at me, wide-eyed. I just smiled. I would tell her some e***ed details later, but not everything. There was something entirely private about our moment.

As we approached the bonfire, a figure caught my attention. Standing by the hedge, just visible through the flickering flames, was the monk. I stopped walking and stared at him. His watery gray eyes smiled back at me, and then he just dissolved.

Adam tugged on my arm. “Are you all right?” He followed my gaze through the bonfire, squinting off into the distance. “What are you looking at?”

“Nothing,” I said, moving toward the fire.

“Are you sure?” He looked back over his shoulder.

“I’m sure. Come on; let’s join the others.” We made our way over to Caitlin and the gang. When we sat down he whispered something to Áine, who jumped up and ran off into the darkness. She returned a few minutes later, shaking her head, and sat back down beside us.

The rest of the night passed in a blur. I sat by the fire with the most exquisite arm in the universe securely around me for all to see. I could tell people were whispering about us, but I didn’t care. The bonfire was just a heap of softly glowing embers when we got up to leave. Killian was going to walk Caitlin home, so we said our good-byes.

“I’m just going to drop Áine off first and then I’ll get you home. You all right with that?” Adam asked.

“That’s fine.” The more time I got to spend with him, the better. I didn’t want this night to end.

Áine sank into the back of the car. “That was brilliant! We should try to do fun stuff like that more often,” she said. I smiled in the darkness. I couldn’t agree more. We stopped at an entrance to a house with large iron gates and Áine jumped out and waved to us.

“You’re not going to drive her to the door?” I asked. I couldn’t see the house up the long, dark driveway.

“Áine takes care of herself,” Adam replied, turning the car.

We set off back in the direction of town. “You okay?” he said, looking over at me and taking my hand.

“I’m great. Perfect,” I answered, gazing at our entwined fingers.

We pulled up outside my house. Dad was still out. My hand felt so right in his, like it belonged there. I didn’t want to let it go.

He bent his head down to me, breathing in my breath, before he gently kissed my lips again. Slowly and reluctantly he pulled away. “Can I see you tomorrow?”

“I’d like that,” I said.

“Can I pick you up in the morning?”

“Sure,” I murmured.

“I’ll need your number,” he said, handing me his phone.

Feeling light-headed, I typed my cell number into his phone and gave it back to him.

“Thanks.” He lowered his head for one last kiss.

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Finally, I got out of the car and waved him off, still reveling in the memory of his touch. As I made it to my room, tiredness overwhelmed me. I flopped down onto the bed and fell right to sleep.

Nine

INTRODUCTIONS

When I woke up, my head felt fuzzy. I didn’t know what time it was, but I knew it was Sunday and I was sure it was early. I opened one eye and moved the quilt just a little to look at the clock on my bedside table.

Ten thirteen. “Ugh,” I groaned. Not nearly as early as I had hoped.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at the ceiling. Then, very slowly, last night started to play out in my head. I felt warmth radiate through my body, and I lay there luxuriating in the sensations that tingled at my fingers and toes.

“Megan, are you getting up at some point today?” My dad’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

I had to break the beautiful spell to answer him.

“Yeah, Dad, I’m awake,” I said with a grunt.

“Want some breakfast? I’m making pancakes.”

“Sounds great.” I stifled a groan. “I’m just going to take a shower; I’ll be down in a little while, okay?”

“Sure,” he said, and whistled his way down the stairs.

I crawled out of bed and walked to the window. It was another gray, damp day, with the clouds hanging low in the sky. My phone vibrated on my desk. I walked over to it. Five text messages and two voice mails.

Caitlin, I thought to myself, shaking my head. I scanned through the texts.

Hi! Tell all, what happened?

Stop holding out! Text me all the gossip.

Hello! I’m still waiting.

Good morning, beautiful, call me when you’re awake. xx Adam

I did a double take and read the last one again. Oh, my God. I saved his number to my phone. Then I scanned to the next message.

Friendship on the line here!

The two voice mails were from Caitlin too. I rolled my eyes and hit the redial key. It rang once and she picked up.

“Megan!” she exclaimed. “Where have you been? You know the rules! You should have let me know when you got home safely! Not to mention spill all the details on what all that was about last night! What happened?”

I didn’t feel like telling her even an e***ed version at the moment. I needed to clear my head first. “It’s a long story,” I hedged. “Sorry I didn’t call; I literally fell asleep the second I got home. Look, I’m hanging out with Adam today. Can we get together tonight for coffee? I promise I’ll spill my guts. Deal?”

“Oh, you dirty hussy, you’re holding out on me,” she exclaimed.

“No, no, it’s not that! Anyway, I’m sure you also have a lot to tell me about your night with Killian,” I prompted.

“Oh, I do,” she replied. “Okay, text me when you get back and we’ll meet up in town. I can’t wait. Just tell me one thing: Did you snog him?”

“Yes!”

“Oh my God,” she shouted into the phone. “This is amazing! I can’t wait to talk later.”

“Neither can I. Bye.”

I read the text from Adam one more time. I had spent so long daydreaming about this moment. My finger hovered over the call button. I took a deep breath and pressed it. He picked up immediately.

“Megan.” Just hearing him say my name sent shivers down my spine. “I’d hoped you would call. How are you?”

“I’m fine,” I said, trying to sound relaxed.

“You slept well. Are we still on for today?”

“Yes, definitely.” How did he know I had slept well?

“Great.” I could hear the smile in his voice. I imagined the way he would look, how his eyes would crease up and crinkle at the sides. It scared me a little to realize how well I knew his face and his expressions, when I knew so little about the person behind them. “I’ll pick you up at eleven thirty.”

“Great, I’ll see you then.”

“Oh, and…” He paused. “I meant everything I said last night.”

I flushed. “Me too,” I breathed. “See you soon.”

I sat down heavily on the bed. Shoot. Now I had to somehow work out how to tell my dad about Adam. And fast, since Adam was coming in less than an hour. I also had to find something to wear; my favorite jeans from last night were totally dirty.

First things first, I said to myself, and headed for the shower. I let the hot water flow over my body and put both hands on the tiles in front of me, leaning forward and allowing the water to power down on my neck and back. It felt so good, so relaxing.

My dad would just have to deal with this. He was lucky enough to have avoided me dating for this long. Besides, my dad already knew and liked Adam. So that was one hurdle over with, at least.

When I was finished, I stepped out of the tub and reached over to grab a big fluffy towel. I wrapped it around me, tucking it in firmly under my arm, and brushed my teeth meticulously, followed by a round of flossing and mouthwash. This mouth would hopefully be seeing some action today. Nothing but pristine con***ion would do. I leaned into the mirror to get a closer look at my front teeth and caught the reflection of the window in the mirror.

“Are you a peeping Tom now?” I said to the crow, who was peering in at me. Oh, man. I was definitely certifiable. As if talking to animals wasn’t bad enough, now I was expecting them to answer.

“Megan! The pancakes are ready. Come on down.”

“Coming!” I threw on a clean pair of jeans, a navy shirt, and the red Converse I had worn last night. I gave my hair a good rub with a towel, then ran my brush through it, praying to the hair gods for a good hair day.

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“There you are,” Dad declared as I walked into the kitchen.

“What’s the big occasion?” I asked, taking in the kitchen table set with knives, forks, cups and plates, and—oh, my God, were those napkins? I sat down at my seat and helped myself to a warm pancake.

“I need to talk to you,” he said nervously, clearing his throat.

I looked up from my pancake into his red face.

“I noticed you have settled in very well here, Megan. I’ve settled in myself and, well, there might be some changes in the future…”

I looked up at him, panic-stricken. “Oh, Dad, no, please tell me we’re not leaving…”

“No, no,” he said, putting his hand up. “It’s nothing like that. You know Petra, from the Lobster Pot.” He sat down and poured us each a cup of tea. “She and I are sort of…” He cleared his throat. “Well, dating.”

I looked at him in mock surprise. “Wow, Dad, I never would have guessed.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Mad? Why on earth would I be mad?” I asked, putting a forkful of syrupy pancake into my mouth.

“Well, there hasn’t been anyone since your mom. I wasn’t sure how you would react,” he said, relaxing a bit.

“Dad, I think it’s great.” I put a spoonful of sugar into my tea and stirred it.

“Oh. I was ready for arguments. I even had a whole speech prepared.”

“Give me some cre***, would you? I’m seventeen, not nine.” I paused. “And … while we’re on the subject, I have a date myself today.” I took another bite of my pancake, then slowly sipped my tea, giving him time to digest the news. There was a range of emotions running across his face.

“Well, I guess I should afford you the same level of maturity you gave me,” he said with a reluctant smile. “So who is he? Is he in your class?” I could tell he was making an effort to sound calm and cool.

I smiled into my tea. “Actually, yes. In fact, you know him.”

“I do?” He raised his eyebrows, his fork pausing on the way to his mouth.

“It’s Adam DeRís.” I tried to sound totally casual, but failed. Anytime I said his name, I couldn’t help a tone of reverence from sneaking in.

My dad looked at me thoughtfully. “Really? Is it serious? He seems very mature for his age.”

“He is mature, but isn’t that a good thing? He’s very responsible. Anyway, don’t worry; it’s early days.”

“So where are you going on your date?” he asked, clearly trying to go back into Casual Dad mode.

“I’m not sure. He mentioned bringing me to his house to meet his family. He’s picking me up in”—I looked at my watch—“ten minutes.” I stood up and shoved the last of my pancake into my mouth. “Thanks for breakfast, Dad. It was nice. And I am totally happy for you and Petra. I have to run upstairs and finish getting ready, though.”

“Okay. I’ll let him in when he gets here.”

I stopped walking. “Dad, please don’t give him the third degree.”

“Would I?” He raised his hands, the picture of innocence.

“I mean it,” I said, and ran up the stairs.

My hair, unfortunately, was not behaving itself. I was tying it back into a shiny ponytail when I heard the doorbell ring downstairs.

“Let’s do this,” I said to my reflection.

I walked down the stairs and there he was, in all his stunning glory. My memories of his face did not do him justice. He was even more gorgeous in reality. He was dressed in jeans and a black sweater, the sleeves of which were pushed slightly up, revealing his tanned, muscular forearms. Everything about him screamed effortlessly beautiful, even his clothes and his slightly messy dark hair. He was talking to my dad like they were old friends. He smiled and they shook hands.

“Thanks for that, Mr. Rosenberg.”

“Call me Caleb,” my dad replied warmly.

“Thanks, Caleb,” he repeated, then allowed his gaze to shift toward me. “Megan,” he breathed, looking delighted to see me.

“Bye, Dad! I’ll see you later. I won’t be late.” I turned to Adam. “Will I?”

“No, of course not, we’re staying local. I thought we might have dinner with my family at my house. I’ll get you home, safe and sound, straight after.” He looked toward me for approval, and I nodded enthusiastically. There was a small awkward moment as we stood there; then I directed Adam to the door and gave my dad a reassuring smile.

Adam stood by the passenger door, holding it open for me. I took another deep breath as I walked toward him. I sank into the car and he closed the door firmly behind me. Adam slid into the seat beside me and smiled. My stomach fluttered in response. He pulled away from the curb slowly.

“Sorry about my dad. He can be a little overprotective.”

“I can understand that,” he said, looking at me. “But I thought he was quite cool about us. He just told me to be extra careful with you, as you were precious to him. I told him you’re precious to me too. Anyway, you haven’t witnessed my family in action. Wait until you see them in all their protective glory.”

I looked over to see if he was joking, but there was no hint of a laugh on his face. “Now I’m worried.”

“Oh, you just haven’t met Fionn yet. He can be a bit … unsettling.”

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“Your guardian?”

“Yeah. Now, he is the epitome of overprotective.” He put his hand down and took mine. “Look, don’t worry about it. They’re going to love you.”

Doubtful. I believed Áine liked me and that we could be friends, but I wasn’t sure about Rían. My only interactions with him thus far had been the tense stare-downs across the school. And this Fionn character sounded weird.

Adam drove along the Bandon estuary, over the low bridge, and around the bend, following the road up the river. We turned right over a tiny humpback bridge and then up through a wooded area where the road got very narrow. I vaguely remembered it from last night. He turned in through an entrance with big, heavy iron gates that looked like they had frozen in their current position years ago, and we traveled slowly up a long gravel lane that had grass growing up the middle of it. Farmland stretched out toward the horizon on either side. We finally drove under a huge stone arch in a wall and pulled into a farm yard that was walled on all four sides. “Are you ready?” He looked a little nervous, and that scared me.

I squeezed his hand. “If you are.” I smiled up into his face.

“With you here, I’m ready for anything,” he said quietly, and kissed me softly on my mouth.

I reeled from the sensuous touch. Closing my eyes, I leaned into him.

He pulled away, looking a little flushed. “Best to keep a clear head. Come on. Let’s get this over with.”

I felt a new confidence building. I could take on the world with him by my side. Taking care on the cobblestones, we made our way to the back of the house, which had a stable door with the top half open. Adam reached inside and unlatched the bottom section.

“Ladies first,” he said, swinging the door out and stepping to the side.

I stepped into the gloom of a back porch with low beamed ceilings and a dark flagstone floor.

“This is just the scullery,” Adam said, following me in. He pushed another door, which opened into a huge kitchen. All the stone walls had been painted white, and the kitchen was filled with various freestanding counters and tables. In the middle of the room was the biggest kitchen table I’d ever seen. It had massive carved legs that looked like they’d remained on the same patch of flagstone for centuries. There, sitting on one of the benches that ran along each side of the table, was Áine.

“You came!” she exclaimed, and pushed her cereal bowl to the side.

At that moment something flew over my shoulder. Startled, I ducked and watched incredulously as a crow—my crow—landed on the table by Áine. He tottered over to the discarded cereal bowl and started helping himself.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” I blurted out, addressing the bird. Then I caught the mood in the room. Adam had turned a little pink, and Áine didn’t quite meet my eyes. “Hang on a second,” I said, catching on. “Is he your bird?”

“Well, technically he’s Fionn’s, but he loves me the best. Don’t you, baby?” Áine replied, turning to the big black bird. She started making cooing noises at him as she rubbed his head and neck. I swear he smiled as he leaned into her.

I looked at Adam suspiciously. “That bird has been following me around since I got here. He’s always peering in at me.”

“I didn’t think you’d notice,” Adam said, his voice heavy with guilt.

“What do you mean, ‘notice’? What’s going on?”

Adam looked at Áine, but she stood up and edged backward. “Don’t you dare pin this one on me!” She turned to me with a smile. “I’ll see you later, Megan,” she said, and the crow flew after her and perched on her shoulder as she stepped out into the yard.

“What’s up with the bird?” I asked, turning back to Adam.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to tell that story yet,” he said, not meeting my eye.

“Well, I’m ready for you to,” I continued, a little bit irritated. “That bird has been spying on me in the shower!”

“The dirty dog! He never told us that.”

“What do you mean the bird never told you that?”

“Look, can I give you the details about the bird later? I promise I will tell you everything. Let me show you around first. Please?” He looked at me with pleading eyes.

“Okay, fine. But don’t think for one second I’m letting this go. You have a lot of explaining to do,” I said, thinking suddenly of last night’s mini-tornado.

“I know.” His face turned serious. “More than you can possibly imagine.”

The floorboards creaked underfoot as we made our way into the beautiful front hall.

“This house is amazing,” I said, looking up at the high ceilings and dusty chandelier. There was a withered decadence to the faded wallpaper and chipped moldings.

“It once was, but it’s fairly moth-eaten now,” Adam said, picking up a bit of the heavy drapes that hung over a window and pointing out a big hole. “It’s such a shame.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“Someday I’ll fix this place up and return it to its former glory,” he said, smiling at the wall and giving it a gentle pat. “Come on; I’ll show you my room.”

He took my hand and led me up a creaky staircase. Halfway up, on a landing where the stairs changed direction, there was an arched blue stained-glass window. The beautiful leaded pattern cast shimmering reflections on the walls and across Adam’s face as he turned to smile at me.

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“Pretty, isn’t it?” he said, taking in my enraptured expression.

I watched the magical reflections flicker on Adam’s face. “Yes, very pretty,” I murmured, feeling my heart flutter.

At the top of the stairs, Adam led me into his room. After the elegant hall downstairs, his room was a bit of a shock.

Adam laughed, stretching his arms out to the gaudy orange floral wallpaper. “I know what you’re thinking. It’s horrible. Back in the sixties some bright spark ‘updated’ the bedrooms. So now we have dilapidated retro land up here.”

“It’s not too bad. It’s just … not what I was expecting,” I hedged, looking around. “I never put you down as the floral type.”

“Hey, if you think this is bad, you should see Rían’s room.”

I sat down on the edge of the sleigh bed in the middle of the room, my heart pounding. I’m sitting on Adam’s bed! Not knowing where to look, I picked a knot in the floorboards and stared at it.

He walked over to me. “If you’re uncomfortable, we can go back downstairs.”

Drawing in a deep breath, I allowed my eyes to move up from the floor to his legs, pausing at his chest before glancing at his face.

“I want to be here.”

“Good,” he said, bending down and dropping a gentle kiss on my lips.

He sat beside me and placed a cushion behind me. Then he pushed me gently down onto it, until my back came to rest on the quilt. “You take my breath away.”

“As much as I love hearing you say things like that to me, it does make me wonder about your mental stability,” I joked.

“Don’t you believe me?” He sounded offended.

“I’m just not good at taking compliments.”

“Well, I think you’re beautiful, and I think I’m mentally stable.” He laughed, then made a crazy face.

“Oh, very nice.”

“So, why can’t you take a compliment?” he asked, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear.

I shrugged. “I guess I’m just not used to it.”

“Surely other boyfriends have told you.”

“That would be hard, considering there haven’t been any other boyfriends.”

He looked shocked. “Why not?”

“I don’t know. We moved around a lot. Anyway, I never wanted to date just for the sake of dating. I thought that when I met the right guy, I would know, so there was no point in wasting my time until then.”

“And now?” he prodded. “Me?”

I flushed a little. “Well, I guess this is ‘then.’”

He beamed down at me. “I can accept that.”

“And what about you? Any gorgeous exes I should be aware of?”

He let out a little laugh. “Not really. We moved around a lot too, and our lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to forming relationships. I’m sure you’ve heard what the locals have to say about us.”

“I have. Is there any truth in the stories?”

He rolled to one side, lay down on his back, and laughed again. “Why, are you scared?”

I threw a pillow at him. “No, but I’m curious.”

“Don’t worry; the stories are nonsense.”

“Oh,” I said, a little disappointed.

Adam let out a contented sigh. He took my hand and raised it to his mouth to plant a kiss on it and then left it resting there. I lay quietly by his side.

This felt so real. It seemed like my future was suddenly very clear. I had a whole new purpose—and it all revolved around this boy by my side.

A hard rapping on the door snapped me out of my reverie.

“Heads up, Adam.” Áine popped her head in the door. “Fionn’s home.”

I felt Adam’s body stiffen slightly.

“Time to face the music,” he said with a groan.

“Oh, come on; how bad can it be?” I said.

Adam and Áine looked at each other, strained. Crap. I guess it could be very bad.

The three of us headed down the stairs together, Adam walking in front of me as if shielding me from what was to come. Even in the face of Adam’s discomfort, I couldn’t help feeling like this was a bit ridiculous. Fionn wasn’t even Adam’s dad.

“Fionn.” Adam’s voice rang out against the silence of the kitchen. “This is Megan Rosenberg.”

“Yes, Adam, I know who she is.”

Adam’s guardian had his back to us. He seemed reluctant to turn around and he was rubbing his hair in irritation, his hand running up and down over the back of his head. He was a very big man, strong and lean, with a broad, defined back. His hair was cropped very short; he looked more like a bodyguard than a father.

“Fionn.” Adam’s voice broke through my thoughts. “You’re going to have to get over it. She’s here now, just as she should be. You know that as well as I do. You’re in denial,” he said, raising his voice.

Huh. This seemed kind of intense for a first-time introduction of a girlfriend. I was no expert, but I was pretty sure these things should be a little more relaxed.

“You’re endangering her as well as yourself,” Fionn snapped as he spun around.

Endangering! What? I looked up nervously at Adam, but he was glaring at Fionn, his jaw rigid.

“I specifically told you to keep your distance and not to engage with her,” Fionn said.

Well, I reflected, at least now I know who warned Adam not to “consort” with me.

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“Your judgment is impaired, Adam. You should have listened to me,” he growled.

“I tried to keep away, but I couldn’t,” Adam said. “I explained this to you; you just wouldn’t listen. And you of all people should understand what I’m going through.”

“The forces drawing you together are more powerful than attraction, Adam. You know that. And we decided as a family not to involve her,” Fionn said through gritted teeth.

I stood there, red faced. “Adam, what’s going on?”

“Megan, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here,” he said gently, still staring at Fionn.

“Forces? Is this about … magic?”

Fionn turned to me with a stunned expression. My scar was burning, hotter and more intense than ever before. I began to feel sick.

“What does she know about the powers?” Fionn snapped.

“I swear I told her nothing,” Adam shot back, looking from me to Fionn.

The atmosphere in the room was smothering me. I could hardly breathe. I needed to get out. I stumbled toward the door leading to the yard, but it was too late. I slumped to the ground.

“Megan!” Adam called out, but I couldn’t respond. Everything seemed muffled, many voices rolled into one dull roar. As I started to come around the voices got a little clearer. Adam and Rían were standing over me, shouting at each other.

“You idiot! What the hell were you thinking?” Rían yelled.

“Rían, shut up. Just get out of here.” Adam’s voice was sharp, and I heard footsteps pounding out of the room.

“Is she going to be okay, Fionn?” Áine asked. “She’s as white as a sheet.”

Something cold and wet dabbed at my forehead. My fingers and toes had pins and needles. They stabbed at me, my limbs numb and aching. I could feel the blood start to flow back into them. I groaned aloud and tried to sit up.

“Whoa, there,” Fionn said. “Now just lie down for a few minutes. It will pass.”

Adam started rubbing my hand and turned nervously to Fionn. “Is she going to be all right? I’m so sorry. I know I shouldn’t have let this happen. I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Stop blaming yourself, Adam. I would have done the same thing,” Áine said, rubbing Adam’s hunched shoulders.

“It’s nothing. She’s just had a growth spurt. Having you all here together must have triggered it.” Fionn sighed. “I guess we were going to have to face this sooner or later; I would have liked some warning, though!”

“You knew how I felt,” Adam replied, his eyes downcast.

I still had no idea what was going on—and what was all this about growth spurts? It was time to muster whatever dignity I had left and peel myself up off the floor.

“I’m okay now,” I said, grabbing Adam’s hand. “All that’s been bruised is my ego … and maybe my neck. Ouch.” I rubbed my stinging scar.

“Megan, I’m sorry about this,” Fionn said. “But you must tell me: How do you know about the powers?” He indicated that I should go sit on the bench beside him.

Áine looked a little sheepish. “Um, I think that might have been me,” she muttered, and put her hands up. “It was an accident, I swear. I didn’t know she was there.”

“It wasn’t just you, Áine,” I said, glancing up at Adam apologetically. “I saw what Adam did to the water, and with the wind on Halloween.”

“That wasn’t me,” Adam said, smiling softly. “Wind isn’t my thing.”

“But I saw it with my own eyes. You were standing right behind me.”

They stayed silent, looking at me sympathetically.

“If Adam didn’t make that wind, then who did?”

Fionn looked me square in the eye. “You did.”

Ten

ORIGINS

What? That’s not…” I gave Fionn an uncertain grin. “Ha, ha. Very funny.”

Fionn sat down across from me. “I wish I were joking. Listen, Megan, before we go any further, you need to know the story that has brought you to us.” I suddenly saw that behind his tough exterior there was a deep sadness. What could have happened to him to leave such memories in his eyes? I scratched my neck in thought.

“Megan,” he began. “That scar on your neck. It tingles when you’re nervous, scared, or under pressure, right?”

I looked at him, surprised. How did he know about my scar?

“How did you get it?” He held my gaze.

Tears sprang into my eyes. “In a car accident, eleven years ago,” I whispered. Adam moved to stand behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders reassuringly, but stayed silent.

“The twenty-sixth of June?” Fionn asked.

“How do you know that?” I gasped.

“That was the day Adam, Áine, and Rían lost their parents and their unborn baby sister.” Fionn faltered over the word “baby.”

“That was also the day my mom died,” I said.

Fionn nodded. “Áine, come over here, will you?” he said, still looking at me.

Áine walked obediently to his side and turned her back to me. With her right hand she lifted her hair off the back of her head, revealing her neck. “Look at this.” Fionn indicated a spot on Áine’s neck.

I peered closer. Then I saw it. A mark—it looked almost like a birthmark, but it was made up of three interlocking circles, with an arc to one side that looked like the beginning of another circle.

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“Rían,” Fionn called into the hall, where Rían had retreated.

Rían didn’t look at me as he strode into the room and walked over to Fionn. He turned to the side, pulled down the collar of his jacket, and pushed back some of his dark, wavy hair from his neck. The birthmark on his hairline was plain to see. It looked just like Áine’s.

I looked at Adam. He turned his head to the side and pointed to the mark in exactly the same spot as the others. I knew I still must be missing something. “What does this have to do with me?”

Rían stalked back to the hall and leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed. Áine perched herself on the end of a bench, curling her long legs in under her.

“Megan, like Adam, Áine, and Rían, you are Marked,” Fionn told me. “You are intrinsically linked to this family and have been since the day you received your Mark. The day your mother died. The day their mother died.”

My eyes flicked from one to another, trying to grasp what Fionn was saying. “But I just have a scar.”

“Look again,” Fionn said, pointing to a mirror above the fireplace.

I got up slowly and stood on the tips of my toes to see into the mirror above the giant fireplace. I craned my neck around and pulled at my skin to look at my scar. There it was, the slightly raised semicircle. But then I did a double take. Surrounding it and interlocking through it was a very pale mark, just like the one on Adam’s neck.

“That was never there before, I swear.”

Fionn rubbed his hand down the side of his face. “You didn’t get your scar in an accident; it’s the scar of an activated Mark. The remainder of your Mark only started growing when you came into contact with the other Marked. These guys.” Fionn pointed at Adam, Áine, and Rian. “When the fourth arc of their Marks started growing we had no idea what was going on. We just knew that it was a reaction to you. We thought you might be a threat, and I made these guys promise to keep a safe distance until we could be sure. And I admit, I wanted to stop the growth. But nothing I did could stop it. Once it takes hold, there is no going back.”

Shaking my head, I turned back to them. “… I’m Marked? But what does that even mean?”

Fionn exhaled heavily. “The Marked Ones are vessels for the four elements that create equilibrium and balance on Earth. The four elements have existed in human form for thousands of years, passed down from generation to generation through a royal bloodline.”

I couldn’t help laughing out loud. “Wait, what? This makes no sense. First of all, trust me: I’m not royal.”

“I’m sorry, Megan; I know this is a lot to take in, but let me try to explain. Have you ever heard of the Celtic goddess Danu?”

I shook my head and leaned forward on the bench.

“She predates all histories. She was the divine creator, and she embodied all the main elements: air, earth, fire, and water. She managed the elements, keeping them aligned to maintain the perfect balance. Now, Danu loved humans above all things on Earth, so she created her Tuatha de Danann, her children of human form, and gifted each with one of her powers—”

“One of her powers meaning each child got one of the elements?” I interrupted.

“Yes, exactly.” Fionn smiled at me and continued. “Danu raised her children carefully, training them in the ways of their powers and making sure they understood the importance of balance and the delicate nature of the earth. Then in their eighteenth year, she completed the transfer of power to them during the summer solstice.

“But what Danu had not accounted for was the weakness of the human mind. Surrounded by corruption, greed, and jealousy, the Tuatha de Danann started misusing their powers.”

Fionn’s deep voice had a hypnotic effect on me. I wondered what exactly they did to misuse their powers, but it was much easier to sit and let Fionn tell the story in his own way. And I figured I’d have plenty of time to ask him questions later.

“Danu was angry at her children for succumbing to the weakness of the human mind, and she left the earth and returned to the realm of the gods, vowing not to return until her children could learn to live in harmony. Until they learned to set aside their differences and come together, the four elements would not be united, and Earth would remain imbalanced. However, even though they had disappointed her so gravely, Danu didn’t want to abandon her children entirely. So she gave them a Sidhe—a spirit guide of human form—who would help them on their path to the elemental alignment.”

Fionn paused and looked up at me with sadness in his eyes. “But that never happened. The Tuatha de Danann fought endlessly with one another, and the more they exposed their power, the more others hungered for it. Battles were fought; many died. Only one Tuatha de Danann survived the first wave of aggression. She became known as the Carrier of the Mark.”

“So let me get this straight. You’re telling me that you’re descendants of one of Danu’s children?” I stared at Fionn in disbelief. “How is that even possible? And what does my mom’s dying have to do with any of this? And … hang on, we’re not related, are we?” I turned to Adam, alarmed.

“No, no, the bloodline is complicated,” Fionn reassured me. “Thousands of years separate you all from the original bloodline. Megan, what you have to understand for now is that you are a Marked One. We had three before. Earth in Áine…”