by Avril Sabine
Kade’s eyes narrowed. “What are you trying to prove?”
“Nothing. Just sending out a message. Think of it as a way to repay me for all the problems you’ve caused me.”
“Then we’re even?”
“Nearly.”
“Even.”
Amber let her hands travel up to lock behind his neck, pulling his head closer. Her eyes closed as their lips met and her heartbeat raced. Time suspended and sounds receded. Kade’s hands came to rest on her hips. Amber struggled to remember her plan. Then the fire in her veins turned to a crackle of energy in the air. She pulled back to stare up at Kade, a question in her eyes.
He didn’t answer. He grasped one of her hands and pulled her through the crowd, headed for the front door. People stumbled out of his way, their eyes falling on Amber. She kept a smile hovering on her lips. She didn’t know what was going on, but she wasn’t about to let anyone else know. This would work out much better. She knew they all assumed he was desperate to get her alone. Let them think that. And if Justin didn’t understand this message then he was blind as a bat.
Outside, Amber noticed Flinn striding down the street. Kade swore and moved quicker. As soon as they were out of earshot, Amber asked, “What’s going on?”
Kade dropped her hand and started to unbutton his shirt. “I need to find somewhere to stash you. Somewhere safe.”
“Why?” The crackle in the air made the hair on her arms sit up. “It’s that Pliethin again, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. I have to get to it before Flinn.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s only one here. I don’t know how long it’ll take to regenerate. Months at least.”
“And then what? You go back to your people?”
Kade shook his head as he slipped his arms out of his shirt. “Take care of this for me.”
Amber automatically took the shirt he pressed against her and then held it away from her when something made her stomach itchy. She brushed a couple of black hairs off her skin. “It’s got cat hair on it.”
“And?”
“It makes me itchy.” She brushed at her clothes and arms, wishing she’d had time to collect her jacket before they’d left.
Kade grabbed it off her and threw it towards the base of a tree. “Guess that’s another one lost.”
Amber noticed several cat hairs on her arm and brushed them off. Luckily she’d left some space between her and Kade when they’d been kissing or it would have ruined her message to Justin. They hurried past the streetlight and back into the shadows. “I’m not staying on my own. You try and leave me and I’ll scream loud enough to hurt your mind.”
“Amber-”
“No. You said you’d protect me. Then the first time that stupid energy thing appears you want to ditch me. Where are Brann and Maira? Why can’t they stay with me?”
“I don’t have time for this.” Kade stopped and faced her, frustration colouring his voice.
“Then stop arguing and take me with you.” She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to ignore the cold night air.
“I can’t fly fast with you on my back. Not without you coming off.”
“A saddle would be good. Can’t you alter your appearance like the way Maira makes jewellery from her scales?”
“I wish,” Kade muttered as he glanced around. He strode down the side of a house and became a dragon long enough to slice the rope from an empty clothesline. He knotted it into a harness, making a large loop at the top to carry it by. “Put your legs through this. And listen when I tell you something. No questions. No matter what I say.”
“Aye, aye captain.” Amber slid her legs through the harness.
“Do you want to be left behind?”
Amber stared at him for a moment, thinking of the wyvern. “Fine. I’ll listen.” Before she had time for any other words, Kade became a dragon and lifted the loop of the harness. She squealed, as they were suddenly airborne, then laughed as she was dragged through the air, the wind rushing at her, causing her to shiver from the cold. Excitement burst through her and she grinned as she clung to each side of the loop that Kade held. She wanted to throw back her head and yell. But she guessed Kade would have something to say about that. Not exactly the way to avoid attention. Roller coasters were going to be extremely tame after this.
The ground rushed towards her. The crackle in the air pressed in on her. Ahead she could see Flinn. Two wyverns flew towards them. Fear mingled with the excitement. Kade slowed as a tree loomed in front of them.
“Stay in the tree.” Kade deposited her in the branches and took off, flying straight towards the wyverns.
Amber tried to get comfortable, wrapping the loop around her waist so it didn’t get caught on the branches. She was glad she’d chosen to wear long black pants with her short-sleeved shirt that left a few centimetres of skin showing at her waist. She wore her usual boots and guessed they’d make it near impossible to get out of the tree if she needed to.
She peered into the night and tried to see what was happening. Every now and then she saw a gleam as something caught the moonlight that peeked through streaky clouds. Every sound had her turning her head. Then a wyvern flew towards her with a dragon close behind it. For a moment she thought it was Kade, but the scales were dark blue rather than a golden brown. Flinn came in fast, flying above the wyvern. He headed straight for her. So did the wyvern. Neither seemed interested in her.
Amber looked up and saw a ball of light above her head. It seemed to be caught in the branches. She reached out to touch it.
“No!” She recognised Flinn’s mental voice. It was the same as his verbal one.
“What’s happening?” Kade came towards her from the right, having dealt with the other wyvern. “Don’t touch!”
He was too late. Amber’s hand closed over the Pliethin. A jolt of energy made her cry out. Losing her balance, she tumbled from the tree. Kade scooped her from mid air, his claws wrapped around her arm that held the Pliethin, causing pain to shoot through her shoulder. He slowed quickly as her feet hit the ground. Amber’s knees buckled and Kade closed his arms around her as they sprawled across the ground, Kade human again. A jolt went through her and she screamed, continuing to lie dazed on the earth when he let go of her. She watched as Kade held the Pliethin while he transformed into a dragon.
She stared up at him as he blazed gold above her, his head thrown back. Flinn had vanished. The last wyvern came in from behind Kade. She didn’t know why he hadn’t already reached them.
Forcing herself to her feet, she tried to run, throwing one hand up protectively. “No!” A ball of flame flew from her hand towards the wyvern, barely missing Kade. Amber’s knees gave out on her again and she kneeled on the ground, staring at her hand, fear exploding through her like the fireball had exploded against the wyvern. She looked at Kade who seemed oblivious to his surroundings, still a dragon and bathed in gold light from the Pliethin.
Amber struggled to her feet as the wyvern picked itself up off the ground. Its clawed wings flapped and its mouth opened. A screech tore through the air and Amber winced at the sound. She started to cover her ears with her hands then recalled the fireball she’d flung at the wyvern. She immediately dropped them.
The wyvern screeched again, streaking forward. Amber held her hand up in the hope another fireball would erupt. Nothing. Panic rushed through her. She cursed Flinn for leaving. Kade, still a golden glow, had his head flung back, arms… claws… outstretched and his eyes closed. He gripped the Pliethin tight. No help there. And the wyvern wasn’t interested in him anymore. Its red eyes gleamed as they focused on her. Amber turned and ran. She didn’t know if the fireball was a one off, a fluke or even a hallucination. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t do it at will and she didn’t have the time to stand there and figure out how. Dodging behind a tree, she considered calling out mentally to Kade, but didn’t know if he should be interrupted. Would that harm him? Harm her?
She dodged to the other side
of the tree as the wyvern came around, its serpent like tail flicking like an irate cat. It ended in a barb and Amber forced her eyes away from it. Focusing on the damage that tail could cause wouldn’t help her think clearly.
When the wyvern came around the tree again, Amber sprinted into the open, forcing her legs to go faster. She tried to see the ground she ran across, but it was full of shadows. Stumbling in a hole, she sprawled face first onto the ground, rolling to her back before she came to a stop. The wyvern, claws outstretched, came straight at her.
Fear exploded in her as she threw up her hands in an automatic gesture of protection. Fire rushed at the wyvern. A smell like burnt hair filled the air. Amber coughed. The wyvern screeched. Its wings pumped strongly, causing a downdraft that swirled the dirt around Amber and made her close her eyes, coughing as the dust irritated her throat. She sat up as the air settled and watched the wyvern fly away.
She forced her shaking limbs to obey her and stood, staggering over to Kade to drop on the ground in front of him. Feeling tears burn her eyes, she forced them away. She hated weepy people. No matter the circumstances. As she watched, the glow around Kade faded and he dropped to the ground, human again. He looked as exhausted as she felt. Exhausted and dazed.
Kade stared at the Pliethin in his hand. It no longer seemed like a ball of energy. It was dull, grey, misshapen. “Thank you. I’m sorry it was necessary.” He opened his hand and the creature hovered above his palm and then faded.
“Is it dead?”
Kade slowly shook his head. His voice was equally slow. “When it’s not in physical contact with this world it can fade to another.”
“Another world?”
Kade looked around. “Where’s Flinn?”
“He flew off. I’m guessing it was the moment you had the Pliethin, but I’m not entirely sure since I’d just hit the ground.”
“The wyvern?”
“He left it here.”
Kade swore, reaching for her. Still sitting in the dirt, Amber pulled back out of his reach. “He flew off and left the wyvern here?”
She nodded.
“He didn’t deal with it first?”
Amber shook her head. She dreaded the question she knew would come.
“What happened to the wyvern?”
Answers floated around in Amber’s mind. I’m as much a freak as you now. I tried to barbeque it. It didn’t like the taste of me so it took off. She discarded all of them and shrugged.
“What are you hiding?” Kade grabbed her wrist when she tried to move away from him again. His grip tightened when she pulled back. Kade closed his eyes.
Amber felt the invasion of her mind immediately. She resisted, angry that he would force her to tell him what had happened. She focused on him. Filled her mind with the image of him sitting in front of her, eyes closed, arm stretched out. She raised her hand so she could add that to the image.
He retreated. “Amber, you have to tell me.”
She chose option B. “I tried to barbeque him.”
“You did what?”
Amber opened her fist, palm up, and held her other hand near it. “Fire.” She stared at her palms. “I threw fire at it.”
Chapter Eight
Kade’s grip loosened and he placed his free hand against her other palm. “Fire?” His word was a whisper.
Amber didn’t answer. Instead she watched their two hands that were pressed together. Heat generated between them. She gasped when fire bloomed in her hand as Kade took his away. Fire clung to his palm. She could feel the heat against her own palm, but her hand remained unchanged. A flickering ball of fire rested in her palm and it didn’t even raise the slightest blister on her skin.
Kade swore and snapped his hand closed. The fire went out. Amber mimicked him, dousing the fire in her own palm.
“The Pliethin.” Kade stared at her hands.
“Is that it? Is that all it did?” When Kade watched her cautiously, Amber rose to her knees and slammed her hands against his chest, breaking from his grip in the process. “Tell me that’s all it did. The last thing I want to be is a freak like you and your warriors.” Option A after all. Amber shut her eyes at the flicker of hurt that crossed Kade’s face. She opened her eyes again. His expression was closed. “Okay, so I thought it was kind of cool when it wasn’t me. I don’t want this. I’m an ordinary person, with an ordinary life. I like that. You start being extraordinary and people expect more of you.”
“No one will know of this. Do you hear me? No one.”
“I don’t want it. Tell me how to get rid of it. Will it wear off with your blood?” Kade’s sudden inability to meet her eyes alarmed her. “This is because of your blood, isn’t it?”
Kade nodded. “I think so. Amber…” he cleared his throat. “I haven’t heard of this happening before.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Pliethin. They affect only Gold Warriors. They don’t cause any change in other dragons. Many have tried. Nothing has happened. Only Gold Warriors, and the effects on them are permanent.”
“Have they tried when they have the blood of a Gold Warrior in them?”
Kade nodded. “It doesn’t work on those that aren’t Gold.”
“So you don’t know if this is permanent?” Silence met her question. “Answer me!”
“I’m sorry, Amber. I screwed up in a major way.”
“No!”
“Amber-”
“No!” She struggled to her feet. Anger burned away exhaustion.
Kade was beside her in seconds. “Let me take you to my house before you collapse.”
She turned to face him. “My grandmother’s.”
“You don’t want that.”
“Don’t tell me what I want!” She stopped abruptly as an image of her appeared in her mind. Someone wild, hair tangled, eyes blazing, teeth bared as she yelled. Dust coated her, leaves and twigs caught in the knots her hair had become. “I don’t look like that.”
“Let me take you to my home. Get cleaned up and we’ll talk about you going to your home.”
“It’s my grandmother’s home,” Amber muttered. She stubbornly stared at Kade who only shrugged. “Fine. I’ll get cleaned up and then you take me home.” She unwrapped the loop of the harness from her waist. “You didn’t tell me where Brann and Maira are.”
“No. I didn’t.” He shimmered into dragon form, grabbed the loop and pulled her into the air with him.
Amber was too agitated to enjoy the flight to Kade’s home. She had a glimpse of open paddocks a moment before they landed in front of an old house with a verandah wrapped around two sides. They stepped in the front door and Amber paused to look around the lounge room, lit by the soft light of a floor lamp in the corner.
A lounge suite dominated the room, its floral fabric faded and worn in places. A television sat on one wall, DVDs and CDs scattered on the low cabinet it sat on. The floors were worn timber, no shine like those in her grandmother’s house, and a rug lay on the floor in front of the lounge suite.
“Maira brought your bag over earlier.” Kade gestured towards the overnight bag Amber had packed that afternoon.
She stared at it by the door. A lot had happened since then. Her whole life had been shattered. And to think she’d been upset about moving and starting a new school. At least she’d known what to expect. Now… now she didn’t have a clue.
“Amber?”
“Where’s the bathroom?” She picked up her bag.
Kade stared at her for a moment before he headed for the only other door in the room. They stepped through a dark hallway and straight into a kitchen. Kade turned the light on and strode past the table that sat in the middle of the room, eight chairs around it, and to another doorway opposite the one they’d entered. A laundry ran along the back of the house. He gestured to the door on his left. She caught glimpses of shadowy trees and stars through the timber-framed windows that marched along the rear wall of the laundry.
“Towels are in the linen c
upboard in the bathroom. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’re finished.”
Amber didn’t bother to answer him. She stepped inside the bathroom and carefully shut and locked the door, resisting the urge to slam it. She dropped her bag on the floor, grabbed a towel from the cupboard, shoved the towels that were already on the rack to the side and hung hers over the rack. Stripping off her clothes, she grimaced at the dust that floated around her and to the ground, frowning when she noticed a couple of cat hairs where the top of her pants had ended. Normally a red rash would have appeared with how long they’d been there. Maybe she was growing out of her allergy.
Another thought occurred to her as she stepped under the warm water of the showerhead which was set over a claw foot bathtub. Maybe the Pliethin had cured her of her cat allergy. Yet another thing she could have lived without in favour of her life staying the same. She hated change. She knew people who thrived on it. She wasn’t one of them.
Grabbing a bottle of shampoo that hung in a metal rack from the showerhead, she wrinkled her nose. Orange blossoms. Now she’d smell like a garden. Just great. She guessed Maira owned it. The only other bottle was conditioner. Amber wondered what Brann and Kade used. Surely not orange blossoms. Her only other choice was a cake of soap. Orange blossoms would have to do. She preferred berries.
By the time she finished in the bathroom, Amber felt more human. Or as human as it was possible to be when you could hold fire in your hands. Shuddering as she recalled the sensation, she wiped her hands against the long sleeved, short cotton dress she planned to wear to bed. She could still feel the heat in her hands.
As she stepped out of the bathroom, Kade came to the kitchen doorway. “You might as well throw your clothes in the washing machine.”
Amber gathered up her dirty clothes, holding them away from her body, taking her phone from her pocket before she dumped them in the machine. While she washed her hands at the laundry tub, Kade added washing powder and softener before he turned it on. Still remaining silent, Amber moved away from him to the back door. She opened it, surprised it wasn’t locked, then remembered the front door hadn’t been either. Dialling her mother’s mobile number, she waited for her to answer.