by Avril Sabine
“You’re missing an amazing day. Come on.” Crystal shook Amber.
“Ronan’s coming to my party.”
Crystal stopped shaking her. “What! Why?”
“Because I invited him.”
“Get up and tell me what you’re going on about. Are you sure you didn’t dream that?”
Amber rolled back over and smiled at Crystal. “Nope.”
“Doesn’t he have enough people watching you without needing to do the job himself? He’s got two in your bedroom right now.”
Amber glanced around her room and saw only Rian. And he wasn’t Ronan’s anymore. “Rian is my warrior.”
“Okay. Fine. But the other one is his.” Crystal gestured towards the window.
Amber’s bedroom door burst open again and Flinn strode in. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Why didn’t you answer me when I called?”
Crystal gestured over her shoulder for him to wait a moment as she addressed the window. “Of course I can see you. You’re standing right there near the window.” She turned to face Flinn. “And I didn’t answer because I’m not a dog. Don’t call me like I’m one.”
Amber slid out of bed and walked towards her window. No one was there. She turned to face Crystal. “Forget about Flinn for a minute. What do you mean someone’s at the window?” Amber half screamed as a man appeared at her window. She jumped back from him, Rian immediately as her side, steadying her.
“You are safe. This is Chait, one of Ronan’s Golds,” Rian assured her.
“But he’s been there the entire time.” Crystal looked around at everyone with bewilderment in her eyes.
“You can see into the Void?” Chait took a step towards Crystal.
“I can?” Crystal looked towards Amber.
She shrugged. “I didn’t see him until just a moment ago.”
“About time you finally figured out what else you can do,” Flinn said.
Crystal grinned and grabbed hold of Amber’s hands. “I can see into the Void.”
Amber returned her best friend’s grin. “It looks that way.”
Crystal squealed and spun Amber around in a half dance, half excited bounce. “I can see into the Void!”
“In that case you can come and check my room. I could have sworn there was someone in there earlier,” Flinn said. “And you also need to do some practice. This isn’t a holiday you know.”
Amber and Crystal glanced at Flinn, then at each other before bursting into laughter. They ignored his growl as they spun around one more time.
“This is so exciting.” Crystal turned to Chait, who was still near the window. “Can you go back into the Void again?” She waited a moment then added, “Please?”
“He already has,” Amber said.
Crystal giggled. “Not for me he hasn’t.” She frowned. “You know this is going to be difficult. How am I going to figure out if a person is here or in the Void? There has to be some way of telling the difference.” Crystal looked towards the window again. “Can I borrow you to practice on?” She frowned. “Why not?” She glanced towards Amber. “Oh, of course.” She turned to Flinn. “Why can’t you enter the Void yet? Can you find me someone who can?”
Flinn looked like he was ready to explode. “Practice first and then you can play with your new ability.”
Crystal poked her tongue out at Flinn as she danced across the room. “Spoil sport.” She linked her arm through his and Flinn started to pull away. “You’re not frightened of me are you?” She grinned up at him as he froze in mid motion. “Come on. Let’s go and practice so I can get to the fun stuff.” She started for the door, Flinn forced into step beside her. “But I need to grab something to eat on the way or I might pass out from hunger.”
Amber smiled slightly as she watched her friend disappear. So much for breakfast together. The smile widened into a grin. But at least Crystal now had another ability. They needed to find out what else Jay could do other than throw balls of fire. Amber wondered if he’d have her ability to heal too.
She grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom, wishing she’d asked Crystal to check it was clear before she went in. Although Ronan had agreed the Gold Dragons wouldn’t follow her in there, she didn’t completely trust him. No one did. She wondered if his Gold was ringing him right now to let him know about Crystal’s new ability. She guessed he probably was, but she couldn’t be sure. Although, she was certain of one thing. The information would be better if it came from her.
After a hurried shower, Amber returned to the bedroom to ring Ronan. He answered almost immediately.
“I’ve heard from you two days in a row. Should I feel privileged?”
“Of course you should,” Amber said with a laugh, refusing to let his caustic words bother her.
“You’re probably wasting your time with this call. We’re never going to be friends.”
“Didn’t you once tell me we’d be friends before your lands were captured?”
“I only meant that you would be my friend, not that I’d be yours. But that was before you stole my son.”
“Nah, I took a burden from you. Isn’t that what friends are for?” She had to figure out a way to make him okay with that. She didn’t regret saving Rian, but she was worried about the problems it was going to cause her with Ronan.
“Is there a point to this conversation, Amber?”
“Yeah. I wanted to tell you Crystal discovered a new ability.”
“I already know.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Did he ring you while it was being discovered?”
“No. While you were taking a shower.”
“Huh. I was barely five minutes.”
“Then I guess you need to be a little faster in future.”
“Or not bother since you’ve got so many people reporting to you.” That comment should help her out next time she didn’t tell him something. It was the perfect excuse to fall back on.
“You’re starting to annoy me, Amber.”
“My mum says that to me a lot. I guess you’re rethinking your views on humans and how fascinating we are too, but I finally figured something out while I was trying to sleep last night.”
After a moment of silence, Ronan asked, “Are you planning to tell me or are you going to hang up and let me get on with my day?”
She considered hanging up, but decided she would tell him after all. “In some ways we’re a lot alike. You don’t like change either. And yet when things stay the same they bore you. You also put people in boxes and you don’t like it when they change boxes. But most of all, you like to be in control.”
“I am nothing like you.” Ronan disconnected.
Amber sighed. Maybe she’d gone too far this time. She looked over to see Rian watched her. Glancing around the room she wondered where the Gold Dragon was. Maybe it was time for breakfast. Unless of course she’d upset Ronan so much he’d finally break one of his promises and help the assassins that were after her. Amber pushed her phone into a pocket of her jacket and stepped out of Kade’s room. How the hell was she going to fix the mess she’d just made? And fix it without seeming to back pedal. She should’ve waited until she was a lot more awake. And had slept properly. He might not go against his word and harm her, but he could make life difficult and she had enough problems without adding more. There had to be some way to fix the problems that had been increasing between them since she’d taken Rian from him.
“Do you need me to show you where to find something?”
Amber looked over her shoulder to where Rian stood, waiting for her to step out of the doorway. “Yeah. I’d probably get lost trying to find the dining room.”
She quietly followed Rian, her mind turning over what she could do next, but she knew her words were true. Ronan hated change too. And he always wanted to be in control. Always.
* * *
Amber found out just how mad she’d made Ronan when she went for a walk with Rian later. Ronan appeared on the path in front of her, sitting on a bould
er. One leg was drawn up in front of him and his hand rested on his knee, a gun held loosely.
“Did you miss me that much?” She waved Rian back when he stepped between her and his father. “He won’t hurt me. We still have a lot to do together.”
“You heard her, boy. Get out of the way.”
Rian hesitated and Amber grew worried Ronan might actually break his word and harm his son. After all, Rian was of no use to him now he was no longer his. “Give us space. We need to talk.” Rian nodded once and moved away. He kept her in sight but gave her plenty of privacy.
“Do I take it you’ve chased away your Gold as well?” Amber asked.
Ronan rose to his feet and tucked his gun in the back of his dragon-leather pants. “That’s none of your concern.”
Amber smiled, determined to keep him off balance while she figured out a way to repair the damage she’d caused not only earlier today, but also when she’d accepted Rian as her warrior. Without taking back anything she’d said or done. “I’m such a fearsome creature I guess you should keep him nearby.”
“You’re going to get yourself killed one day by saying the wrong thing.” Ronan turned away from her and started to walk along the path she’d been following.
Amber fell into step beside him. “Probably. It seems to be one of my failings.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
Looking up at him, she smiled. “Does it bother you?” She wasn’t about to go back on what she’d said.
Ronan stopped and stared down at her. “Does what bother me?”
“That you tend to do the same thing. Do you do it for the same reason I do, or has it just become a habit over the centuries?”
“Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?”
Amber shook her head. “No. I’ve decided I might as well be honest with you. I’m shadowed by so many of your people it isn’t worth the effort even trying to lie. I’d end up tripping over a lie somewhere along the way. And do you know I actually like not having to watch what I say to you.” She grinned, reminding herself to breath as she waited to see how he took her words. “It’s kind of fun.”
“Fun.”
She chuckled when she heard the tone of disgust in his voice. But at least he wasn’t angry and there was an expression in his eyes that she thought might even be curiosity. “Yeah. You should try it sometime. It might be a nice change from all the layers of lies and plots you usually wallow in. Oops, but I forgot. You don’t like change.”
“You seriously expect me to believe you plan only to tell me the truth.”
“Of course I don’t think you’re going to believe me.” Amber laughed, trying to keep her tone light. She could do this. She had no choice. Somehow she had to prevent Ronan from becoming her enemy. “That’s actually half the fun.” She was again tempted to tell him that their agreement meant he was the only ally she could really trust, but she still didn’t think it was the right time. Maybe it never would be.
Ronan reached out and grabbed hold of her chin to tilt her head back further. “Are you telling me you’re making a vow to only tell me the truth?”
“No. I’m telling you I don’t plan to lie to you. You’d find out anyway.”
“Are you saying you’ve never lied to me?”
Amber couldn’t resist smiling. “Of course not.”
“What have you lied about?”
“I’m not sure. But I know there must have been a few things. Like when you asked me to heal Rian when you kidnapped me.”
Ronan let her go. “You could have healed him.”
She nodded.
“What else?”
“I don’t know. Ask me a question.”
“Will you kill when you help take my lands?”
“I don’t think I’ll be able to, but then who knows what will happen when everything is going crazy during battle?”
“You will keep your speculations about me to yourself.”
“Were they too accurate?” It was an effort, but Amber managed to prevent herself from smiling. That wouldn’t have helped her repair the damage she’d caused.
“No.”
“Okay.” Her tone said she felt anything but belief in his protest.
“I mean it, Amber.”
“I know. But then I never know when I’m alone or not. You’ve always got people hiding in the Void as they watch me.”
“None of my people will hear you in the bathroom. If you have water running, and you need their help, you better scream loud as it interferes with a dragon’s sense of hearing.” Ronan stared intently at her. “What is your game?”
Maybe it was time to tell him after all. “It’s pointless to stay enemies with you. You’re probably one of the few people I can actually trust.”
“And how did you arrive at that conclusion?”
“Because everyone says you never break your word and that’s why you rarely give it. That it’s more than just a law to you.”
“And what is your word worth?”
“I really like the idea of people’s words having value. It’s kind of old fashioned to my world, but I like it anyway.”
“Breaking one’s word is a killing offence in my world. That’s one reason why you must word things very carefully and make sure you abide by them.”
Amber nodded. “And yet you gave us a lot of power over you with your vow.”
Ronan shrugged. “I only gave the power to you. It ends at your death. You will gain enemies. You already have.”
“All I’ll have to do is run to you and your vow means you’ll have to protect me. Because to do otherwise would be to let me come to harm.”
“If you made it to me in time.”
“It’s kind of like having an uncle to watch out for me. I won’t say like having another father because that role has never suited you. Let’s hope you make a better uncle.”
Ronan stared at her intently. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re very odd?”
“Quite a few times.” Amber smiled fleetingly, a little more easy about Ronan’s intentions. It was probably past time to change the subject before she ruined all the progress she’d made. “Have you learned anything from your captives?”
“Only that they must enjoy pain.”
Amber screwed up her face. “Please. I don’t want to hear the gory stuff.” She bit back the words she really wanted to say, knowing that no matter what she said, he’d continue to treat his captives however he wanted.
“See, we’re nothing alike.”
Amber met his ancient, pale blue eyes. “Did you like hearing about torture when you were nearly seventeen?”
“That was centuries ago. As if I’d remember.”
“I think you do.” She had probably pushed him far enough for one day. Smiling, she linked her arm through Ronan’s, ignoring his fleeting look of surprise. “Enough with stress and drama. I was taking a walk to leave all that behind. Since you chased Rian away, how about you tell me the names of the plants I point out to you. Everything is so different here.” She was amazed when Ronan fell into step beside her, but she made sure she didn’t show it. “That one. What is it? I love the colour of its flowers.”
Chapter Eight
Amber pushed away from Kade as she tried to answer her phone. She swatted his hands out of the way while she looked at the display.
“Hello, Ronan.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Making out with Kade.”
“Do you really think I want to hear that?”
“Then why did you ask me what I was doing?”
Ronan sighed. “Are you busy?”
Amber laughed. “Didn’t I just say I was?”
“Amber! You’re trying my patience.”
“Then why don’t you ask me what you really want to know?”
“The assassin that is still alive says he’ll only talk to you.”
Amber frowned. “Still alive?”
“The other one died. When can you get here?”
“Then you better get over here tonight.”
Amber stifled a yawn. “I’m already in bed.”
“Do you really think that matters to me?”
Amber sighed. “Okay. I’ll be there as soon as possible. But if I fall off Kade mid-flight tomorrow morning due to lack of sleep it’s your fault.”
“Strap yourself in properly and it won’t be an issue. And bring Crystal with you. I don’t know if this is a trap. I won’t have anyone in the Void. If she sees anyone in it, they aren’t mine. As far as I know, no one knows about the location of this house, but complacency leads to death.” Ronan hung up before Amber could reply.
She sighed as she dropped back on the bed to stare up at the canopy of Kade’s bed. “So much for an early night.”
“Don’t complain to me. I tried to stop you from answering the phone.”
Amber ignored Kade and rolled out of bed, taking the leather pants and jacket Rian held out for her. “Thanks.”
“I have contacted Orin so he can inform Flinn and Crystal,” Rian said.
“Why didn’t you just let Crystal know?” Amber asked.
“As I am your first warrior, I notify Flinn’s first warrior. It is inappropriate for me to directly contact Flinn or Crystal except in extreme circumstances.”
Amber grinned. “You’re my only warrior. And I’m sure it would have been much more fun to horrify Flinn by contacting Crystal.”
“You will have to learn the proper way to do things eventually. People have died from giving smaller insults.”
“That would be an insult?” Amber stared at Rian. “Seriously?” She shook her head when he nodded. “You people are warped.”
Kade grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. “Extremely warped. Now stop trying to stir everyone. For someone who says they like peace you certainly stir up a lot of trouble.”
“I’m just joking around. Doesn’t anyone have a sense of humour these days?” She turned in his arms to look up at him.