[English] CARRIER OF THE MARK

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“I’d love to, Dad, but I have a lot of homework to do.”

“Okay. It’s good to see you so focused; we should start checking out what the colleges have to offer here.”

Thanks for the segue, Dad. “Funny you should say that. Adam and I were just discussing Trinity College in Dublin.”

“Wow, Trinity. That’s like the Harvard of Ireland.”

“I know how to pick ’em.” I smiled.

As I made my way up the stairs, I thought about what my future could hold. I hadn’t really thought much about college before, but with the Dublin Order based in Trinity, it seemed like a logical place to set my sights on. I could learn about my heritage while studying for my future. I broke into a grin. The future looked exciting.

Thirteen

TRAINING BEGINS

The next day after school, Adam and I headed over to his car, where Áine was waiting, leaning against the door with her arms crossed, rubbing the tops of her sleeves.

“Come on, guys,” she called. “It’s freezing.”

“We’re coming!” Adam answered. He opened the doors with a click, and we all jumped in.

“Well, did you tell her yet?”

Adam stiffened. “Áine when we get home, will you remind me to kill you, please?”

“Tell me what?” I looked from Adam’s face to hers.

“It’s nothing,” he said quietly, pulling out of the parking space. “Well, I guess it’s not nothing. It looks like we might be going to Dublin sooner rather than later. The Dublin guys are eager to set a date for a trial evocation.”

“Isn’t that great?” Áine declared from the backseat. “I haven’t seen the lads in ages, and think about all the major shopping I’ll be able to do!”

“Áine, don’t be stupid. This is a big deal for Megan. Actually, it’s a big deal for all of us.”

“Fionn never lets us into the cities; I’m finding a way to make good use of this trip.” She folded her arms and looked out the side window with a pout on her face.

Adam rolled his eyes and gave me his full attention. “Fionn wants to talk to you about the Order, and the setup in Dublin.”

“This is awesome!” I exclaimed. “I can’t wait to meet the Order. And I don’t even mind that you didn’t tell me right when you found out,” I teased, jabbing him with my finger. “But what’s with the trial?”

“It’s just a test to see how far you can take the power. It will give them a rough idea of when to schedule the actual evocation. And there’s something else you need to know,” Adam said, pulling into the yard.

“Oh, yeah,” Áine said. “You’re starting your training today.” She jumped out of the car and ran to the back door.

Adam rolled his eyes again.

“Today? I thought we were still on day two of induction?”

“Yes, but you need to start training immediately. Rían will be starting slow. Don’t worry; you’ll knock ’em dead.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

He gave me a wry smile. “Do you think I would hand you over for training if I didn’t think you were up to it?”

I gave him what I hoped was a confident smile in return. “Of course not.”

“Megan, hello,” Fionn’s voice called from the hall as Adam and I walked into the house. “I’ll be with you in just a second.”

“Okay.”

Adam turned to me. “Hungry?”

“Um, sure.”

Áine was already in the kitchen, making some crackers and cheese. She smiled at us as we walked in. “Want some?”

“That would be nice,” Adam said. He put the kettle on and took down some cups from a cupboard.

“I’ll have one of those if you’re making it,” Rían said, as he sauntered in and sat down on the bench at the other side of the table.

“Hi, Rían,” I mumbled, sitting down opposite him. I stared at the back of Adam’s head, willing him to turn around and rescue me. As if on cue, he brought four cups over.

Rían took his cup and started drinking. Why on earth was he sitting here? Was this his idea of making an effort?

Thankfully Randel flew in, distracting me from Rían. He landed on the table and started pecking up the cracker crumbs. “Randel! How are you?” The big black rook looked up at me. “Have you given up on spying on me in the shower?”

Áine laughed. “I had a word with him—told him it was a tad inappropriate.”

I put out my hand to stroke the bird. “May I?”

“Go right ahead.” She scratched his head. “He loves the attention.”

I ran my fingers over his glossy black feathers. “Well, aren’t you a gorgeous boy?” I asked as he eyed me appreciatively.

“Watch it, Randel; she’s mine,” Adam warned the bird. “Don’t go getting any ideas.”

Randel stretched out his wings and cawed at Adam. We all burst out laughing, easing the atmosphere.

“Right.” Fionn walked into the kitchen. “All of you. Come with me.”

We followed him into the sitting room. I sat down on one of the couches and Adam joined me. Áine curled herself into an armchair. Rían flopped on the other large couch opposite me, beside Fionn. As soon as we were all settled, Fionn cleared his throat and began talking.

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“Megan, the visit to Dublin has been moved up and we’re going to begin your training today. I need you to understand that this will be an exhausting and potentially dangerous process.”

I squeezed Adam’s hand. “I understand.”

“I will also have to make arrangements with your father so you’ll be able to travel with us to Dublin next week. Do you see any problems there?”

“It should be fine. I’ve been talking about colleges with him, so I’m sure I can work something out.”

Fionn’s tone turned even more serious. “Megan. Please understand that you cannot tell your father anything about the Mark. The situation is still very fragile, and we can’t risk anyone knowing of our whereabouts or your existence. It is absolutely imperative that we stay hidden. The Dublin Order is not even going to tell the council about you, not until we discover whether you are able to evoke your power. There is no point in drawing attention to ourselves before we need to.”

“The council? What’s that?” I couldn’t believe there was yet another group of people involved in this.

“It’s basically the ‘voice’ of the Order. The council is made up of senior Order members from around the world. But you don’t need to worry about them for now.”

I took a deep breath. I could not, and would not, let Adam and his family down.

“We will start training immediately,” Fionn continued, “and then travel to Dublin this Saturday.”

I looked over at Áine, who was nearly jumping up and down in her chair in excitement.

Rían, on the other hand, sat quietly with his head slightly drooped. He leaned his elbows on his knees with his hands under his chin, apparently lost in thought.

“Megan,” Fionn said, pulling my attention back to him. “We will all be helping with your training, but Rían will be your main teacher. He has had to employ specific measures to channel his excesses, and we feel we can use this knowledge to help you find your trigger.”

“Where will we do the training?” I asked.

“Here. It’s isolated enough not to bring attention to ourselves and, more important, it’s safe. If need be, we can move to a more remote location.”

I nodded. “So what do we do first?”

“I was thinking we could start out gently,” Fionn replied. “Maybe Adam, Áine, and Rían can give you a little demonstration and see if you pick up on anything.” He smiled at me encouragingly as Adam pulled me up and kissed the top of my head. The five of us walked to the yard and continued down past an ancient turret and out a small gate into the fields beyond.

“Go on, Áine; show us your stuff,” Adam said.

Áine dropped to the ground, digging her nails into the earth. “Watch this,” she said.

The sun had just about set. The last glow of its fading light illuminated the turned earth of the field that stretched out before us. A cold, gentle breeze blew down the valley, catching Áine’s hair and lifting it slightly from her face. She closed her eyes and started humming a little tune. At first nothing happened. I looked around from face to face, to see if they were seeing something I didn’t, but they just kept looking at her. Then I felt a vibration under my feet and nearly lost my balance.

“What was that?” I asked, righting myself.

“It’s okay. Look.” Adam put his arm around my waist to keep me steady while the earth shook beneath our feet. The rich brown soil that stretched out before us seemed to quiver. Suddenly, a haze of green moved up the valley, like a swarm of locusts charging toward us. I took a step back.

“Keep watching,” Adam whispered.

The green haze crept closer. It wasn’t insects. It was seedlings, millions of them, popping out of the ground at amazing speed. They moved past us and back toward the house. I looked over at Áine again. The seedlings were curling their way around her, entwining themselves in her hair; they seemed to caress her entire body.

“That tickles! Stop that.” She laughed, opening one eye and untangling a sprout that had worked its way up to her ear. She looked up at me. “Well, what do you think?”

I looked at the field of lush growth in amazement.

“You did that?”

She nodded and gently removed the sprouts that were still hugging her. Then she stood up and came back over to us.

Adam smiled at me. “She’s quite something, isn’t she?”

I was awestruck. “That was seriously cool. How did you do it?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I feel warmth in my chest and in my head; then it gets warmer and it just sort of flows from me. I let my energy know what I want, and … well, it does it.” She put her arms out and swept them from side to side, then dropped down onto her knees again. She pushed her hands with the palms facing down into the earth. As she did, the entire field of seedlings retracted and disappeared under the soil.

“What did you do?” I asked as the green field turned back to brown in a wave flowing off into the distance.

“It’s not their time. They need to sleep until spring,” she said, smiling fondly over the field before returning to her feet.

I looked at this girl; she had such a strange and awesome power. How could I ever come close to that kind of beauty and effortless control?

Fionn looked to me. “Did you feel anything? Any strange sensations?”

“I don’t think so. But I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling or even what to expect.”

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Adam rubbed my arm. “Don’t worry. It will probably come to you when you least expect it.” He looked over at Rían. “You want to give Megan a demo?”

Rían shrugged. “Sure.” He closed his eyes and held out his hands to the sides, his fingers splayed and curling upward, as if he were holding something in each of them, gripping it tight. Suddenly his eyes flashed open. They glowed an unusual color, like the green had been tainted with orange. Then twin balls of a strange blue-and-green flame ignited in his hands.

Frightened, I took a step back. He strained out his hands and pushed them up into the air like he was lifting a heavy weight. The fire shot up and out of his hands, then danced in the air in an erratic pattern around him, leaving glowing trails in its wake. His strange burning eyes followed the flames’ every move. They worked their way around us, then filled out until we were surrounded by a roaring, crackling circle of fire. I could feel the sweat running down my skin.

“Rían, that’s enough,” Fionn shouted.

Rían scowled and pulled his arms in toward him. The flames condensed into balls and shot back into his palms. Then he squeezed his fists shut over the flames, and they were extinguished with a hissing sound.

I couldn’t look away. The danger and the strength of Rían’s power had me trembling. Áine’s power was awesome, magical—pretty, even—but Rían’s felt darker somehow.

Rían slowly opened his eyes. They had returned to their normal green color, dark and distant.

Áine walked over to her brother with her hands on her hips. “Impressive, Rían. You’ve been practicing, haven’t you? Are you trying to outdo me?”

He smirked. “Shut up, little sis, or I’ll incinerate your precious sprouts.”

It was a joke, I knew, but I still shivered a little at his threat. If he wanted to, he could destroy everything that Áine brought to life.

Fionn walked closer to us. “Did you feel anything this time, Megan?”

I shook my head. “Sorry. I don’t think so.”

Adam, still holding my hand, took a step forward. “I guess it’s my turn then. Just something small, to see if we can get your magical juices flowing.” He smiled at me. “Try to feel what I feel. Focus on the connection in our fingers.”

I tried to home in on the feeling of Adam’s hand in mine. He lifted his left hand, held it out to the trees, and closed his eyes. Then he grasped at the air like he had just caught something. In that instant, all the individual droplets of rain that were hanging on the leaves and branches around us flew into the air. There were thousands of them, maybe millions. The delicate evening light reflected off them, making each one sparkle like a diamond. They hung in the air totally motionless. Then Adam moved his hand gently and the droplets danced. They stopped directly in front of me. I reached out my free hand to touch them.

I definitely felt something moving through me from Adam, but I couldn’t identify it. Each droplet I touched was wet, but had form. It didn’t burst or break ranks. It just bounced back into position.

“Now watch this,” he said with a grin.

He snatched at the air with his hand. A wall of water shot up from the bottom of the valley. The water floated high above our heads, until it formed a dark and heavy cloud that made a low rumbling sound.

Adam grasped at the air again. This time a shimmering mist of water rose above the fields and trees. It looked like fog as it climbed steadily up to join the now loudly rumbling cloud high above us. Adam winked at me and snapped his fingers. The cloud shuddered a little and collapsed into a downpour.

“Adam, for Christ’s sake,” Rían shouted, before making a run for the yard.

Áine pulled a tiny umbrella from her purse, and with a quick click, her shelter was complete. She shrugged. “You live and learn,” she said, walking over to Fionn.

I turned to Adam with my hair drenched and stuck to the sides of my face. “That was so awesome.” Forgetting that we had an audience, I stood on tiptoe and kissed him while the rain poured down on us. “I think I felt something that time,” I whispered.

The rain stopped. Adam held my face in his hands; then he ran them over my hair and down my arms. With his touch every drop of moisture evaporated, leaving me as dry as I had been before the downpour.

Fionn coughed. “Adam?”

Áine made a puking sound. “Yeah, if you could pass the bucket, we’re trying to get her to evoke air here, and not our last meal.”

I pulled away and looked at them excitedly. “I felt something that time, with Adam. There was definitely a sensation: a coolness that ran through me, like a chill deep inside. I don’t know how to describe it.”

Fionn moved toward us. “You’re onto something. You need to focus on that feeling. Try to harness the sensation, learn to identify it. It will eventually become more obvious.” He bent down and picked up a small leaf and placed it on my hand. “See if you can move this with your mind. Focus on the coolness you felt. Clear your head of everything except that feeling and the leaf in your hand. Try to remember how you felt at Halloween. Try to recapture the sensations you had that night.”

I looked down at the small leaf, willing myself to believe I could do it. Adam squeezed my other hand.

I closed my eyes and tried to feel the chilling coolness from before, to harness it. I visualized the leaf moving, blowing delicately off my hand. I pictured the leaf gone from my palm. Then I opened my eyes.

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The leaf was still there. It hadn’t moved at all.

“Damn,” I muttered.

Rían jogged back over to us and stood right in front of me. He held out his hands for me to take them. I swallowed hard. I had seen what they could do.

He smiled. “Are you chicken?” He ****ed his head to the side. “Trust me; take my hands. Let me show you.”

I looked up at Adam and gave my hands to Rían. They were warm, but not scorching, the way I’d expected.

His face turned serious. “Close your eyes and feel the heat. Take a deep breath and hold it. Now let the coolness trickle down to your arms, to the heat you feel in my hands.”

His voice was so calm and reassuring, hypnotic almost. I did as he suggested. I felt my hands getting hot and found the coolness inside me. I willed it to move to my hands and push the heat away.

“Now, breathe out, and with the air you expel, move the cool energy through your fingers.”

I did exactly as he instructed. I felt the cool air move through me, and as I did Rían slowly let go of me. I felt like I was in a trance. I heard a gasp and I forced my eyes open. Rían had a small ball of fire in each of my hands and they were being gently pushed away from my palms. He held his arms out and the flames shot back to him. He gave me a huge smile and stepped aside.

“You did it!” Adam picked me up and spun me around. “You repelled fire.” He kissed me passionately.

“Again, we’re right here,” Áine said beside us.

Adam smirked. “Go away, then.”

Fionn started walking toward the house. “Áine, Rían, let’s go dry off and get dinner ready.”

Adam smiled at me. “You repelled fire on your first go. You are going to be one powerful girl.”

“Let’s do it again.”

He put his arms around me and laughed. “No, no more magic for you today.”

I laid my head on his chest. “Speaking of magic, what you did before was amazing.”

“Ah, that was nothing. I’ll show you what I can really do, another day.”

“I’ll look forward to that. Come on; let’s go for a walk until dinner is ready.”

He put his arm over my shoulders and we headed off into the trees on one side of the field.

I looked up at him. “Rían was amazing too. Scary, but amazing.”

Adam looked back down at me. “I told you. He has a talent. He’ll really help you. But just remember whose girlfriend you are.” He stopped and turned to me with an expression of mock horror.

I fluttered my hands to my chest. “Well, Rían is devastatingly handsome, with that whole smoldering, brooding-eyes thing he’s got going on. Maybe I picked the wrong brother.”

He grabbed me and pushed me up against a tree. “Oh, I have ways of convincing you that you chose right.” He kissed me with such passion it left me breathless. I felt my legs starting to give way under me.

“Yeah, that could do it.” I gasped, breaking away and smiling coyly at him. “Could you convince me some more?”

He leaned his body in closer and put his hands around the tree, holding me. He slowly kissed my throat, then up my neck to my ear and back to my mouth. I melted into him. I never wanted this moment to end.

“Megan, Adam…” Áine came into sight and she looked at us in disgust. “Guys, Fionn says dinner is ready, but it looks like you two have already eaten.” She started back through the trees toward the house, giggling.

I flushed with embarrassment, but Adam just laughed. “Come on; let’s go get some dinner.” He held out his hand in front of him, then grasped the air and closed his eyes for a moment. I heard Áine screaming off in the distance.

I looked up to him. “What did you do?”

He grinned. “You’ll see.” As we walked toward the house I could see Áine standing in the yard, soaking wet and glaring.

“You know the rules! We’re not allowed to use our powers on one another. You’re an absolute git!”

I tried hard to keep a straight face, but she looked so funny standing there in a pool of water, with her hair stuck to her face. Beside me, Adam had tears streaming down his cheeks, he was laughing so hard.

“Fine! An eye for an eye.” She closed her eyes and waved her arms. Randel appeared from the house. He landed on her hand and she whispered something to him. He launched himself into the air.

Adam grabbed my hand and started running toward the house. “You didn’t!” he roared.

“What? What did she do?”

“Just run!”

Something hit him on the head with a loud splat. Adam stopped dead. He had a load of bird poo dripping off his hair onto his face. I burst out laughing. I couldn’t help it.

“You think this is funny?” He grabbed me around the waist and tried to rub his head on me.

“No, no!” I finally broke his hold and ran for the protection of the house, making it inside just in front of Áine and Adam. They both headed upstairs to clean up, heckling each other as they went. I walked into the kitchen to help Fionn and Rían set the table. We worked in silence for a few minutes; then Rían looked at me.

“You were quite good, you know. You’re very strong. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

I hadn’t been expecting such a nice compliment from Rían, and at first I didn’t even know what to say. Finally, I just mumbled, “Yeah, me too.”

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He handed me the glasses to put on the table. “I’m sorry about how I acted when you first got here. I was obnoxious.”

“It’s okay; I think I understand. I’d probably have acted the same way.”

Rían gave me a small smile and I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Maybe working with him would turn out all right after all.

Fourteen

TRAINING WITH RÍAN

It had been decided at dinner that Rían and I would train every day after school, to get as much practice as possible in before our trip to Dublin the following weekend.

I ran the trip by my dad when I got home, telling him that we were going to check out Trinity, since it was Adam’s college of choice and Rían would be going there next fall. Luckily, he thought it was a great idea for me to check out the school, and only asked that the DeRíses pick me up at our house so that he could meet Fionn.

During the week, I spent every moment that I could working on my power. Caitlin and I covered for each other. We had more free rein when our parents thought that we were hanging out with each other instead of with the boys. She told her mom and I told my dad that we were spending time in the stables helping out Killian. For her it wasn’t stretching the truth too much—she really was spending her evenings with Killian, but very little cleaning was going on. I, of course, was spending my time with Adam and Rían. Caitlin could never know what I was really up to, but she thought she was in on the big plan, so she was happy. I still hated lying to her, but it had to be done.

My relationship with Rían had altered dramatically in just a few days. While he was still a dark character, and I knew it would take a long time for him to really let me in, he was making a tremendous effort and I appreciated it. We mostly focused on working together with fire. It seemed to be the one power that helped me recognize where my element was and what it felt like.

Adam would always sit on the scullery steps, out of the way, watching, but not getting involved. I would gaze up at him every now and again, my mind wandering, imagining how much nicer it would be to run my hand down his gorgeous face, how his tall, lean body would feel under my fingers. I had to pinch myself constantly to remind myself that this wasn’t just a dream. Adam was mine.

At the same time, I was constantly stressed about my power. I still hadn’t been able to accomplish anything notable, and I needed to evoke as soon as possible. Fionn told me about previous air Marked and the power they possessed. Some even had the ability to manipulate the air around them so that they appeared to be able to fly. I had gotten a taste of my power on Halloween and I was hungry for more.

By the time Friday night rolled around I was starting to feel exhausted from exerting myself. I glanced back up to Adam, sitting as always on the steps, patiently observing from a distance.

Rían followed my gaze and rolled his eyes. “Adam, any chance you would sod off for a while? Megan can’t keep her eyes off you for less than ten minutes, and it’s interfering with her training. It’s also making me feel like I’m going to puke.”

Adam said nothing and quietly went inside. I was mortified. I had no idea I had been looking at Adam so often, or so obviously.

Rían looked at me sternly. “Look, I’m sorry, but I need you to focus. This is our last training session before we meet the Dublin Order tomorrow.”

It suddenly occurred to me that this was as important to him as it was to me. Maybe even more. He had been picked to train me and apparently had a lot to prove. I tried to refocus. “Adam mentioned you’re really good at control because of years of training with Fionn and me***ation techniques.”

“Did Adam mention why I had to become so good at control?”

I looked into his pained eyes. “No … well, not really. He said you had some problems with control when you were younger, but he didn’t say too much.”

Rían was quiet for a while as he looked out into the fields. “I assumed he would have told you. I owe him my life; we all do.”

I didn’t know what to say. This was obviously very hard for him to talk about. I sat there in silence, giving him time to continue when he was ready. He eventually took a deep breath and went on.

“I was eight when my mum and dad were killed.” His eyes darkened. “I loved them both so much. And … I never got a chance to say good-bye. I wasn’t even allowed to go to their funeral. I got angrier and angrier about what had happened, and the more bitter I became, the stronger my power got. I couldn’t control my emotions, and as a result, my power became more erratic and difficult to manage. I’d wake up at night having a nightmare, only to realize my bed was on fire. I’d scream and scream until Fionn came in and extinguished it. It got so bad that Fionn had to sleep in the room with me, so he was on hand to put out the fire before it took hold. We had to move constantly, since I kept damaging the houses and that would make people start asking questions. But the more we moved the more unsettled I became. It got so bad that if I was in a crap mood, things would just burst into flames around me.”

He shook his head slowly. “One time, I was just outside my school and I was in a really foul mood, and I lost it. There were kids everywhere and parents and teachers and I burst into flames. I was endangering their lives and exposing us, but I couldn’t control it. Fionn grabbed me and wrapped his body around mine, trying to extinguish the fire. He clung to me, burning, without so much as crying out. I eventually calmed down when I realized what was happening, but by then Fionn was badly burned. He has horrible scars all over his chest, but he has never complained, not once.”

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I cringed. I couldn’t believe all that Rían had been through. He caught my expression and sighed.

“That isn’t the worst of it. When I was fifteen, I was a little git. I was sick of all the restrictions forced on me and I tried to rebel. Fionn once caught me lighting a cigarette, you know, with my hand, without a lighter or anything, where people could see. He dragged me home and freaked out on me, told me I was risking exposing us. I just saw red; I didn’t even feel it coming.”

He was talking so low now I had to strain to hear.

“Áine was in her room listening to music; Adam was outside in the garden mucking about. I just exploded in anger and the element took over. I completely engulfed the house in flames. It was like nothing we had seen before. They radiated out of me with such force, I had no time to try to control them. Fionn couldn’t get to me and neither of us could get to the stairs. We could hear Áine screaming for someone to help her. We were all trapped. Then Adam saw what was happening. He managed to evoke his full strength there and then. He was amazing. He used power I had never seen before, and somehow he was able to pull water from the pools, the ponds, the rivers, and the clouds themselves. Everything that he could get. The house was doused inside and out in a deluge that put out every flicker of fire. Then he ran to get Áine.”

Rían dropped his head down into his hands, reliving the agony of that day.

“The Knox found us within hours—they don’t miss ‘phenomena’ like that. So that was my fault too. That’s when we came back to Kinsale, and when I started my me***ation and control training with Fionn. It’s been hard, but I’ve managed to contain my element since then. My family will never suffer from my hands again.” He balled his fists up tight. “I guess when you arrived I was worried that the power of the fourth being here might trigger the instability again. But so far, so good.” He smiled at me, holding out his hands and inspecting them.

“So does my element being here affect you at all?”

“Well, since you’ve arrived all of our powers have intensified. It’s been harder to keep them suppressed. Adam mentioned that you noticed how the water reacted around him at the marina.”

“That was because of me?”

“Yes. We had our powers well under wraps until you showed up. Áine delights in the new strength, but for me and Adam it’s a little bit harder to hide it in public. Why do you think I’m loitering around Kinsale and not in Dublin at Trinity? I was due to start the week you arrived.”

“Oh, no. Rían, I’m so sorry.”

“Forget it. It’s not your fault.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “You know, our powers, they’re triggered by emotions as well as a conscious action. Maybe focusing on that will help?”

“I’ll try anything at this point.”

He smiled. “You were pissed off at those guys on Halloween, right? Let’s get really pissed off and see if that does anything. So, Meg, what really pisses you off? Think about it.”

“I guess I’m pissed off that my mom died.”

He stood opposite me. “Okay. Focus on the sadness, the pain of her loss. Then grasp the chill you feel.”

I put everything into it—but there was nothing.

Rían was getting impatient. “Try harder.”

I focused on my mom’s face, but Rían started shouting at me, telling me to focus, to feel something. I knew he was trying to get me angry, but the shouting just wasn’t helping.

“Megan, you’re holding back—let it out. She was your mother! Don’t you feel anything?” He threw his arms up in the air. “You’re not trying hard enough, for Christ’s sake! Megan, push yourself. Just do it; you’re wasting my time!”

Then Rían put his face close to mine. “Megan. She’s dead. You’ll never see her again.”

Tears ran down my face, but my power just wasn’t reacting.

“I can’t.” I sobbed.

“Yes, you can!”

He was shouting so loud that Adam came outside to find out what was going on. When he saw Rían shouting at me, he started running toward us.

“Rían, shut the hell up and lay off her before I make you.”

I started to tell Adam what Rían was doing, but Adam stopped me. He stood in front of Rían, squaring up to him.

“If you so much as raise your voice to her again, I’ll smash your face in.” Adam stood protectively in front of me. “I agreed to this as long as I could keep an eye on things, and I said it would stop if it seemed like she was in any danger. I will not have you within a million miles of her if you go supernova on us.”

Rían lost the amused look on his face. “You might want to rein it in and shut your face, Adam; I was only trying to help her.”

Adam gritted his teeth. “Don’t you tell me to shut my face.”

“Or what, little brother—are you going to drench me with a bit of rain?” Rían’s eyes flickered orange.

Adam looked furious. “Don’t push me,” he growled, as a swirling mass of clouds started to form overhead.

I could see the fight brewing and felt powerless to stop it. “Enough!” I cried, pushing my arms out to separate them.

I felt a strange surge of power run though me. The cool feeling ripped through me like electricity, and Rían and Adam were flung through the air. They landed on their backs twenty feet apart.

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I stood there in complete shock. What had I done? They both scrambled to their feet.

Adam stared at me. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know. I just wanted you both to stop fighting. I didn’t want you to get hurt and … I panicked.” I looked down at my hands in awe.

Rían brushed off his clothes and walked toward me, laughing. “Well, I guess we’ve figured out what pisses you off real good. I’ll have to remember that for the next time.”

Adam looked confused. “Next time? You mean you were doing that on purpose? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Rían laughed into Adam’s astonished face. “We tried, but you weren’t listening, little brother. Anyway, who cares? It worked.” Rían had a satisfied smile on his face.

Adam put his hands up and approached me slowly. “Are you okay?”

I rolled my eyes. “Enough of the drama, Adam. I won’t hurt you. I don’t even know if I could do that again.”

He looked at me, awestruck. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You are going to be one hell of a powerful girl.” He put his arms around me and leaned in for a kiss.

Rían had already turned to walk back to the house. “Guys, at least give me a chance to get into the yard before you go getting all pukealicious,” he called. His chuckle floated back to us. “Wait until I tell Fionn what just happened.”

Fifteen

TRINITY

At exactly six thirty a.m. on Saturday morning, Fionn’s Land Rover pulled into our driveway. He got out of the car and walked up to the house. I opened the door before he knocked and led him into the kitchen, where my dad was having coffee.

“Dad, this is Fionn Christenson.”

Dad stood up and reached out his hand to Fionn. “Nice to meet you, Fionn. You’re Adam’s guardian?”

Fionn took his hand and shook it firmly. “Yes, I’m Adam, Áine, and Rían’s guardian. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Rosenberg.”

“Call me Caleb.”

Fionn let go of his hand. “Caleb it is. I’ll take good care of Megan this weekend. I won’t let her out of my sight.”

I could see from my dad’s face, as he eyed how lean and muscular Fionn was, that he didn’t doubt that for a second. “Thank you, Fionn.” Then Dad looked at me. “Be good and listen to Fionn, and make sure you bring back a copy of Trinity’s brochure for me.”

I gave him a hug, grabbed my bag, and ran outside to the Land Rover. As soon as I got into the backseat, Adam picked up my hand and raised it to his lips.

Oh, yeah. This is going to be a nice weekend.

When Fionn finished talking with my dad, he came out to the car and climbed in.

“So, how long is it to Dublin?”

Fionn looked at me in his rearview mirror. “It’s about three hours, longer if we stop.”

It was a warm and bouncy ride. Áine was listening to her iPod on headphones, and Fionn and Rían were in front, guessing at what might come of our visit. That meant I was free to snuggle into Adam’s shoulder and relax. I had been stressing about this trip and all I had to learn, but here in Adam’s arms I felt safe and sure and very sleepy. I put my arm across his chest and fell fast asleep.

When I woke up he was tracing patterns across my face.

“Morning, beautiful.”

I started to sit up and looked out the window. “How long have I been out?”

He stretched, raising his arms above his head. “About two hours.”

I moved away to give him more room. “I’m so sorry! You must have been so uncomfortable.”

He chuckled at me. “I was more comfortable than you could possibly imagine.”

Áine leaned over him. “You were snoring like a rhino; I could hardly hear my music.” She shook her iPod at me in annoyance.

I blushed. “I was?”

Adam started laughing. “Don’t mind her; it wasn’t that bad, and it only lasted for a few minutes.”

I was absolutely mortified.

Rían turned around and looked at me with a grin. “Remind me to talk about this during our next session; it’s bound to get you ticked off. We could see some serious stuff—maybe even a tornado!”

Everyone burst out laughing. I made a face. “I’ll get you all back someday.”

When everyone had calmed down, Fionn told us what he was planning for the day. “We will go straight to Trinity and meet up with Hugh, Will, and M.J. We can have lunch with them and then we’ll go check into the hotel.”

Áine eyed him suspiciously. “And my shopping?”

Fionn tried to look stern. “Shopping can wait until Sunday. We have far too much to focus on today.” He stared pointedly at her in his rearview mirror.

She smiled sweetly at him. “Righty-o.”

When we pulled into Trinity, Fionn had to give his name to the security guard at the gate. The barrier was lifted and we were waved through. We parked, and I was happy to get out and stretch my legs.

Fionn led us purposefully across the cobbled drive and through the campus. It was beautiful, but the others, who’d all seen it before, continued without a glance. We turned down a little road into a vast square of grass and trees with what looked like a bell tower at the center. The square was surrounded on all sides by impressive stone buildings. Fionn made his way to one of them and approached a door tucked away in a corner. As we got near, a small man with white hair and a beaming smile walked toward us, his arms outstretched.

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“Welcome, old friend. It is so good to see you again,” he said, hugging Fionn and straining the seams of his brown tweed suit.

Fionn smiled. “Hugh, it’s good to see you too. Where are Will and M.J.?”

“In the crypt, buried in books. I haven’t been able to get them out of it since we heard the news.”

Hugh turned to us. “You’re all looking so well. And this must be the elusive Megan. My, aren’t you the rare find.” He tipped his head to me. “It’s an honor and a privilege. Welcome.” He took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and dabbed at his shiny pink face as he turned toward the door. “Come, let’s go to the crypt and see if we can prize the others out of there, so we can get some lunch.”

We followed him through the ornate wooden door and into a grand office. He closed the door behind us and locked it. We made our way to the back of the room where Hugh unlocked a small door and held it open for us. Inside, a rickety staircase led down into a storeroom full of old books and broken equipment. Hugh came in behind us and went over to a bookshelf. He pulled back a panel, and turned something. Suddenly one of the old flagstones shifted and revealed a wooden hatch in the floor. Hugh pulled it open and stood back.

“After you.” He indicated the hole in the ground.

He had to be kidding. I wasn’t going down there. But the others started off without hesitating. Adam, sensing my reluctance, went before me, stepping down onto old stone stairs that were very narrow and curved around, so that you couldn’t see the bottom of them. They were lit only with very dim wall lights. Adam was already nearly out of sight, so I scurried to catch up with him and grabbed his hand. There was no way I was letting go of it down here.

Hugh, who was behind me, gasped. I glanced over my shoulder at him and saw his smile had disappeared and his brow was furrowed. Weird.

The farther down we went, the smaller the steps got. They eventually led into a tunnel with an arched stone ceiling. At the end of this tunnel was a big wooden door. Hugh walked past us and knocked on it twice. We heard the sound of a huge metal bolt being pulled back, and the door swung open. It was bright inside and my eyes struggled to adjust to the light.

“Welcome, welcome! Come in,” a voice from inside called to us.

Adam turned and smiled at me. “You ready?”

I was still a bit dubious, but I squeezed his hand. “I think so.”

A tall man with a gray beard walked toward us.

“Fionn, good to see you again so soon.” He shook his hand firmly. “How is my favorite family?”

He smiled around at Adam, Áine, and Rían. He hugged them all individually, stopping to talk briefly with Áine. I looked over for Hugh and noticed that he was standing behind a desk speaking in hushed tones to a rotund man. They each looked from me to Adam. I held Adam’s hand tighter and tried to tuck myself in behind him.

Adam looked at me. “What’s up?”

I pulled him closer so I could speak into his ear. “That Hugh guy keeps looking at me weird.”

Adam glanced over to where Hugh stood, but just then the tall man approached me from the other side.

“And you must be Megan. It is wonderful to meet you. I have so much to ask you.”

Fionn came over. “M.J., I think Megan is a little overwhelmed. You can ask her all the questions you like, but let’s have lunch first and give her a chance to get to know you.”

M.J. was obviously reluctant to wait until after lunch. “I’m sorry, Megan; it’s just that we have so much to learn from you.” M.J. looked over to where Hugh was still talking to the other man. “Will, come over here and meet Megan.”

The fat man with the half-moon glasses stood up. “I’m on my way.” He shuffled over, eyeing Adam’s hand in mine before greeting us. He led us to a huge mahogany table in the center of the room. “Why don’t you all make yourselves comfortable here. We will be ready to go in a few minutes.” With that, he rushed back to Hugh.

The table had ten high-backed chairs around it, made of the same shiny dark wood. We all sat down and M.J. immediately started talking with Fionn. I looked around, drinking in the room.

It was like nothing I had seen before. The arched ceilings were supported by vast stone pillars. The walls on all four sides had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves made of the same dark, glossy wood with ornate carvings. Some of the shelves were behind locked metal grilles. There were six huge chandeliers hanging from the central point of each of the arches. In the back of the room two large desks with green leather tops had been pushed together. Brass lamps with green glass shades illuminated piles of books.

“What is this place?” I whispered to Adam.

“This is the crypt,” he answered.

I looked around nervously. “Does that mean there are bodies buried here?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” he assured me. “It was built as a storage facility and meeting place for the Order of the Mark. This used to be a monastery called All Hallows. It was built on echoed land given by the Order to the All Hallows monks. They protected the crypt and its contents until the monastery fell into disrepair. Then in 1592, when Trinity was founded, the monastery lands were given to the college, but All Hallows ensured that the crypt would be secure. When building commenced on the site, the crypt and sections of the old monastery were hidden beneath the college foundations. The crypt’s existence was wiped from all records. Over the centuries there have been many different keepers of the crypt, all working here in Trinity. Very few people know of its existence, so now you’re part of a privileged group.” He beamed down at me. “Welcome to the club.”

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Will and Hugh were leafing through their books on the big desks. Hugh glanced up at me nervously again, but looked away quickly when he saw I was looking at him. He and Will were still in the middle of a heated discussion under their breath.

I leaned into Adam. “Adam, I get the distinct impression that Hugh doesn’t like me.”

He looked up at them suspiciously. “M.J.,” Adam interrupted M.J. and Fionn’s conversation. “What’s up with Will and Hugh? Is there a problem or something?”

M.J. looked over to the two men at the desk. “What are you two fussing about over there? Everyone’s hungry. Let’s go have lunch. We have reservations,” he reminded them.

I couldn’t just sit at the table any longer, so I got up and walked over to a bronze statue that was mounted on a marble pedestal. It was a nude of a rather voluptuous woman.

Adam came up behind me. “It’s funny that you’re drawn to her.” I turned to face him. “That’s Danu, mother of the original Tuatha de Danann.”

I looked back at the bronze and studied her features. “She’s very beautiful. What an amazing history your family has.”

He put his arms around my waist and kissed the top of my head. He leaned his chin on my hair and rested it there. “It’s your history now too.”

“Can we get out of here?”

“Sure. The others can follow us.” Adam took my hand and we started toward the door we had come in through.

Hugh, Will, and M.J. were standing in our way, staring at us.

Adam half smiled at them. “What’s going on?”

Hugh walked to the door and locked it. He turned to face us. “Adam. We need to talk.”

Sixteen

REVELATIONS

Fionn stepped up beside us. “Is there a problem?” The three men looked uncomfortable. Hugh’s pink face was now a bright red. He took a step forward with his hands in the air. “We just noticed, er, that Adam seems to have developed a personal interest in Megan.” He cleared his throat and pulled at the collar of his shirt. “And it appears the feelings are reciprocated.”

“And?” Fionn inquired impatiently.

Hugh trembled a little. “I’m so sorry, but this cannot be allowed to continue.”

Adam snorted incredulously. “What! What does my relationship with Megan have to do with any of you?”

Will moved beside Hugh, his skin visibly paling. “How long has it been going on?”

Adam laughed. “That is none of your business.”

Hugh peered at Fionn. “Have they been intimate?”

“How would I know?” Fionn said. “What is all this about, M.J.? You had better explain yourself before I take my family and drive out of your lives forever.”

M.J. pointed at Adam and me. “They cannot be together. A physical union between two Marked Ones is completely forbidden. The result of it could be apocalyptic.”

Fionn looked at him scathingly. “So you’re telling me Megan and Adam can’t be together, ever?”

Hugh was visibly worked up. “Don’t underestimate this, Fionn! A physical union between two Marked Ones is unforgivable—the results of such a union are terrifying. Who knows what events—or creatures, for that matter—would follow?”

“Creatures?” Áine’s voice piped up from behind us.

“Yes, creatures. If Adam and Megan were to produce a child, it could spell the end of the world. The strength and power of two such parents would produce something of immense force that could not be controlled.”

A flush of embarrassment passed through me. I couldn’t believe that three strange old men were talking openly about my nonexistent *** life. I’d only known Adam for six weeks—we’d only been together for two! And they were talking about some monster baby that I was destined to produce. Wanting the shadows to swallow me, I tried to hide myself behind Adam.

“I can’t believe you’re spouting this crap!” Adam snorted. “We’re seventeen, for Christ’s sake! Even if any of this rubbish turned out to be true, children aren’t exactly on the agenda right now.”

“Adam, just you two being together when fully evoked will trigger the imbalance,” M.J. said.

“How do you know that?” Adam asked.

“It’s in the Druid Scribes. Transcriptions tell clearly of a fire element and a water element who ignored—”

“Stop right there.” Anger seemed to flare up in Adam. “This is rubbish. Everyone knows the Druid Scribes are full of crap; they’re all fairy stories and folklore.”

“What are the Druid Scribes?” I asked. As mortified as I was, if there was something that held information about my relationship with Adam, I wanted to see it.

“It’s a testament of the Marked history. It’s been passed down through the generations of the Order, with each one adding entries of significance. It’s here, in the crypt,” M.J. said.

“Can I read it?”

“Most of it is written in a druid script, which can only be deciphered with a key. And even the knowledge of that has been lost. It’s only been partially transcribed,” Adam said.

“How was the knowledge of the key lost?” I gasped.

“Anú. When she wiped out half the Order she took out the senior transcriber,” Adam explained, rolling his eyes impatiently.

“I need to see it.” I looked back at Adam.

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Adam’s eyes narrowed. “You can’t listen to them! This is all rubbish.”

“Adam, even the partially transcribed sections give us enough to know the consequences.” M.J. said, glancing from Adam to me.

“What consequences? What happened?” I asked.

M.J. went to his desk and picked up a vast leather-bound book and flicked through pages until he found what he was looking for. He put the book down on the huge table and tapped wildly at the page. “It was recorded here, in 1303. A male fire element called Áed fell in love with his cousin Bébinn, a water element. The results were dire. Their powers combined—they fed off each other. The Order tried to separate them, but their elements took over. The seas of Northern Europe froze over as the elements played havoc with the climate, and an ice age struck. Áed and Bébinn would not listen—they couldn’t be stopped. The entries recording the phenomenon are difficult to translate, but we’ve been able to capture snapshots.”

I stared at the pages of strange script that looked more like hieroglyphics than any language I’d ever seen.

“In 1315 there was rain that fell for more than one hundred days, and crops failed all over Europe,” M.J. continued. “By 1319 there were epidemics and even reports of cannibalism. Then in 1322 Bébinn became pregnant and Áed died within days. The scribes tell of a twenty-five-year pregnancy, which devoured Bébinn as the creature within absorbed her element and every drop of life she had in her. Then it launched itself on the world in the form of a plague—a plague that wiped out half of Europe.”

“Crap, crap, and more crap,” Adam spat. “Those are your interpretations of the entries. They’re just legends written to explain historical events. What about the entry about the other Marked pair? The one that came after Áed and Bébinn? You can’t pick your tale *****it your agenda.”

“Neither can you, Adam,” Hugh replied, stepping forward. “The record of another couple only proves the point that the elements attract each other so much that serious considerations like consequence and obligation get ignored. The second pairing wasn’t even named, and their relationship hasn’t been translated.”

“Which proves there wasn’t anything worth translating!” Adam shouted in irritation.

“Adam, there’s also the Fifth Prophecy to consider,” Hugh added, putting his hand on Adam’s shoulder. “You know that. The Order revolves around keeping the bloodlines clean to avoid such a situation.”

Adam shrugged Hugh’s hand off. “Of course I’ve considered the Fifth Prophecy. It would be reckless not to! But the Druid Scribes, ugh. Don’t even go there,” Adam warned through gritted teeth.

I wanted to ask about the Fifth Prophecy, but I suddenly realized that Adam was dangerously close to a meltdown. He was shaking, and beads of perspiration had formed around his hairline.

“Megan, step away from Adam,” Fionn urged.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Just come over to me.” Fionn stretched out his arm and stepped forward.

“Adam, what…” I looked up at him, then froze. Adam stared forward. His eyes had darkened into huge blackened pupils surrounded by a swirling vivid blue.

“Megan, listen to Fionn. Come over to us.” Rían beckoned me toward him.

“What’s happening to him? What’s wrong with his eyes?”

Rían slowly moved closer to me. “His element is taking over; you need to—”

Adam pulled me closer and glared at Rían. “I need to get out of here,” he said in a gasp.

“Adam, don’t do this,” M.J. said. “Look at yourself! Your element is overreacting to the potential separation from Megan and her element. The dependence has already begun. I know the elemental pull is strong, but don’t confuse this with real human emotion, because it’s not and it’s dangerous.”

“I’m not talking about this now!” Adam shot M.J. a murderous glare. “I need to think. Now open the door.”

None of them moved.

“If you don’t open the door, I’m sure Rían will,” Adam growled.

“I’m right here for you.” Rían stepped forward with two balls of flames in his hands.

Hugh moved to the door nervously. “Please calm down, everyone; I’m opening the door.”

Adam stalked out, pulling me with him.

Before we could get out, though, Hugh grabbed Adam’s sleeve. “Adam, please think about what you’re doing. This is only going to get worse.”

“Let go of me,” Adam said in a hiss.

We walked back out to the great cobbled square, followed closely by Rían, Áine, and Fionn.

Fionn ran to catch up with Adam and me. “Adam, try to control it. Take deep breaths.”

Adam kept on walking.

“Adam, hold up. You need to listen to me. We have to get back to the hotel and talk.”

Adam spun around to Fionn in a fury. “My relationship with Megan is not open for discussion!”

Fionn looked at him sympathetically. “I’m not saying I agree with them. But for now you need to control yourself.”

“Adam, you’ve got to focus, man. You nearly lost it in there,” Rían added. He put his hands on Adam’s shoulders and steadied him, forcing Adam to meet his eyes. “Bro, are you listening to me? We can work this out, but you need to keep it under control, for Megan’s sake.” He looked at me, then back to Adam. Above us ominous gray clouds were gathering at a ferocious speed, darkening the sky and blocking out the sun. “Quick, talk to him, Megan; he’ll listen to you.”