Heads or Tails (56 page)

‘You already have,’ she whispered and then fizzled to sea foam as Tristan found her once more.

Epilogue

They were married on Pololu Beach, a private ceremony but certainly not a small one. The mers who could make it on such short notice-which was a considerable amount given the anticipation of the fourth generation Court wedding, gathered in the shallows, some in their true form wading the water, some standing on their two legs in order to get a better view. They formed a circle around the bride and groom, and although none of them were strangers to beauty or eternal love, the tears ran freely from the eyes of the gathered as they tossed their flower offerings into the water and whispered their wishes for happiness and fertility and longevity, as was tradition. Though no one could hold any doubt in their heart that such things were destined for the glorious couple, who instead of holding hands, held each other tightly as though they dared the smallest wave to break between them.

The bride wore the traditional headdress her grandmother had worn when she married the patriarch of the Zara line, a circlet of pearls threaded onto a gold chain. It sat atop her mane of flaxen curls, and fell like a waterfall down her back, string after string of draping pearls gleaming in the sun. Ivyanne’s crown was perched on top of it, freshly polished and gleaming, just as the groom’s did. She lifted it to Tristan’s head and announced him as the only man she would swim with and her king (as the royal joining ceremony was a combination of wedlock and coronation), and although it was not
that
part of the ritual yet, Tristan pulled her in more tightly and kissed her with renewed passion as the crowd tittered in appreciation. When he pulled back, they were both laughing and crying.

‘I do I do I do!’ Tristan half laughed-half sobbed. ‘Can we go now?’

Ivyanne laughed. They had not made love since the night before and she was just as impatient as he to be alone with him again. If she’d needed more proof that she had made the right decision, then the ability to breathe again now that she was in his arms was indicative of that.

As was Garridan’s black eye, which he’d received while wrestling Tristan back into his own room in the early hours of the morning.

‘In a few minutes, my love,’ she whispered, accepting the handful of flowers from Garridan, who hadn’t stopped grinning proudly since he’d arrived. She handed half to Tristan and smiled. ‘First, our wishes.’

Tristan smiled, taking his and pressing it to his lips as tradition stated. ‘A big, healthy family.’

Ivyanne smiled, then took her own, biting her lip. Tristan knew what she did now, and he was as determined as her to clear up the mystery. ‘A happy fate, for every mer.’ She kissed it and flung it. ‘Especially for Lincoln Grey.’

They watched the flower join the others. The sea around them was a churning carpet of blooms, so that the royal couple were literally soaking in the well wishes of the kingdom. Ivyanne tilted her face up to Tristan’s as everyone began to applaud and hoot happily.

‘You’re a king!’ She exclaimed, feeling her legs begin to fuse together as they began the final step of their joining process-transitioning within the blooms. ‘How does it feel?’

Tristan pulled her tightly against him. ‘Not half as good as being your husband does,’ he whispered, and then his lips found hers and they, and the sun sank together into the sea.

*

Lincoln watched the colorful and private spectacle from the top of the bluff, wiping away the tears streaming down his cheeks as the wind whipped off the pacific and buffeted him. He was cold but he was grateful for having something else to draw focus from what he was witnessing.

Ivyanne and Tristan had disappeared from sight and now the early evening air was full of the sounds and scents of celebration-bonfires raged on the beach and the flames from tiki torches flickered in the wind. The scent of roasting pig and freshly cooked fish wafted up his nostrils and the sole drumbeat made his pulse quicken. He could see them-tiny shadows, dancing and toasting and laughing and swimming, all of them overjoyed to be alive and present on such a magnanimous day.

All except Lincoln. He felt as desolate as he would if Ivyanne had died.

‘I thought you weren’t coming.’

Lincoln flinched and looked behind him. Grace, looking lovely in in a peach sheath dress was picking her way delicately across the top of the bluff, her eyes betraying a myriad of emotions. Primarily, her lips were curved in a knowing smirk-she was beautiful and had taken him by surprise and as a result-felt smug. But there was also a trace of apprehension, and a lot of empathy in those deep eyes.

‘How did you know I was here?’ Lincoln asked. The news of the wedding had been circulating since early Sunday morning and he’d promptly left for the Seaview then, but hadn’t decided to follow his friends across the pacific until daybreak on Tuesday. Then he’d made his way from Oahu to the big island alone, second guessing himself the whole time but knowing he’d never believe she was someone else’s wife until he saw it with his own eyes.

‘A few people spotted you at their motel. They were sort of on the look out, in case you decided to storm the ceremony and carry the queen away.’

Lincoln snorted slightly, as though the thought had never crossed his mind. Though of course, it had. ‘I’m not
that
pathetic,’ he finally managed as he felt her sit beside him.

‘You’re not pathetic at all.’ Grace said softly, her skin carrying a trace of jasmine scent. One of her hands delicately stroked the back of his. He looked down to see that his knuckles were white, his fingertips pressing into his jeans. He was certain that tension was all over his face. ‘Why
did
you come?’

Lincoln swallowed hard. ‘To say good-bye.’

‘Do you mean it?’

Lincoln had to look away from the hopeful light both in her eyes and tone. He didn’t respond. ‘I will. In time.’ He pulled his hand out from under hers. ‘But if she can still pull me across the ocean without saying a word or even wanting me around then it’s going to be a long time coming.’

‘I can wait.’

‘Don’t.’ Lincoln rested his chin on his clenched fists, gazing moodily down at the bonfire. The very idea of her re-declaring her love sent a shiver of horror through him. ‘Look where waiting got me.’

‘Beside me,’ her voice was a sigh, ‘where I intend you to stay.’

‘Let’s not anyone of us pretend to know where I belong.’ He said gruffly. ‘Why fate would draw me here just to dump me from such a height is beyond me. I would have been perfectly fine as a human if I’d never met her.’

‘Maybe. But
I
wouldn’t have been….’ Grace tucked his hair behind his ear. ‘Neither would Michael. You being here has opened millions of doors for our kind.’

And closed the only door that mattered to me.
He thought grimly. ‘That’s a nice theory for everyone,’ he said softly. ‘Except me.’

‘You think that now, but in time, your heart will heal. Sooner than you think. And when you’re ready to open a door for yourself, you’re going to find what you always wanted, waiting for you on the other side.’ Lips were against his neck. ‘A girl who could only ever love you, saving herself for the day you finally see that happiness is just one kiss away.’

‘Saving yourself for a man you pimped your girlfriend’s out to the other night? He asked sharply.

He felt Grace shrug beside him. ‘You needed what I couldn’t give you. Watching you with them...it was easier than watching you fall all over Ivyanne.’ She kissed his collarbone. ‘Though I can’t wait until you’ve got your shit together enough to take what you need from me, and me alone.’

Her breath on his ear did funny things to his head, like warm hope raking through cold coals.

I could have her right now.
He thought as the flames of desire licked their way from his lower abdomen down and up, taking complete possession of him as her lips moved to the back of his neck.
Or Pintang, Saraya….I am mer.
I have three duties-to breed, to protect my environment, and to keep our secret.
I could marry Grace or I could play the field. I could turn a human woman for myself, or I could impregnate one of the Marked girls and join those branches. There’s nothing I have to do but live, and no rush to make a choice. Tristan may have what is mine, but now I can take what was his-everything. I can be legendary too. And I can make Ivyanne Court rue the day she let me slip through her fingers like wet sand!

The promise of such vindication made him smile, and he was eager to see just how much of a siren he could be. He turned to kiss Grace, but she was already walking away, humming prettily to herself, encouraging him to follow with a free will-an option Ivyanne had never given him. He could almost see the door Grace had left open behind her- the exit from the man he had always been, and the entry to who he was destined to become.

Yet Lincoln stayed where he was, smiling at last, embracing hope. He had time to conquer the world. And if he was going to lay a hand on someone like Grace, it wouldn’t be until he had cleared his heart of every other mermaid obstruction. She deserved that much, and if he could never love her the way she needed, she deserved his restraint.

For now, all he really needed was the ocean.

End.

Afterword

I just wanted to steal a few more seconds of your time, because clearly, I like to ramble on. But my intention is to thank those who have thrown themselves into and behind this little tale of mine. I’ve always been an avid reader, worshipping my favorite authors, and yet strangely only ever wrote to a few. I figured they were too busy to pay my fan-girling any mind.

Now that I’ve been on the creative side of the book, I’ve learned how much it means to an author to hear from fans, and I have screen shot every sweet comment, letter and review I’ve found, and each of them has made me cry. Being self-published isn’t an easy task and I know this story isn’t for everyone, nor is my style, hair-cut or the fact that I tend to vacuum a lot when the T.V is on, but every great review is worth one hundred negative ones, and keeps writer’s going when nothing else is.

I was pregnant when I started writing The Marked Ones, had my baby just as I passed Heads Or Tails around to my loved ones for feedback, and she will turn one two days after I publish it. They’ve grown together and my universe has been turned upside down by both in the very best ways. But I haven’t slept, barely eaten and have logged hundreds of hours at my desk a week for almost two years, hoping that I could make at least one person out there somewhere, turn the page.

So...thank you for turning the page. For forgiving my poor editing and for taking a chance on an unknown writer. When I hit the final chapter of this last night, I began to sob. It could be a sign of insomnia, but that aside-this has been the best experience of my life, even when it was the worst.

A big thank you to the people of Mackay who have shown their support by spreading the word. To my Facebook friends for sharing, to Beki, Hayley, Terri-Lee, Jess, Amanda, Alison, Kristyn, Kali, Courtney, Kylie and countless others who have been nagging me non-stop for the next book and reinforcing my belief that I might have something. To my husband James, three daughters and family, for agreeing not to speak to me for several hours a day or months on end because I was always ‘just about finished this page.’ To the mermaids I’ve met via the internet who have been eagerly spreading the word, to the brilliant writers, Anita Heiss and L.A Larkin for their encouragement this year, and the mermaid authors who have been showing their support, Tracey Lane and Emm Cole and lastly, to the wonderful new friends I’ve made via Goodreads who thrill me by never actually ceasing to talk about Tristan (and sometimes the others) Howard, Marie, Jen, Amie, Abby, Andrea, Mermaid Summer and Emm. You guys have made me giggle non-stop! I hope you find some peace with the ending ;)

Special mention goes to my cover artist, Natalie Rose Spasic, who was just brilliant to work with and actually worked through the night a few weeks ago, trying to perfect Heads Or Tails, and my web-designer Chris De Vincenzo. Every self-published writer needs a team like that!

And lastly...kisses to the new generation of ‘Marked’ children who I’m fairly certain were conceived, in large part, thanks to Tristan! Sonny, Sadie (who’s due any day!) And my own little Quinn-cess.

And in case you were wondering...no it’s not over. But I need to drag my board back down to the ocean before I write another word-THIS mermaid is suffering from some serious withdrawals.

Aloha!

S.K Munt.