by Avril Sabine
Amber smiled. “I never thought I’d hear a comment like that from you.”
“Shut up,” Ronan growled.
“What happened to everyone else?”
Ronan rose to his feet. “I don’t know.”
“We need to get out of here.”
He stared down at her, disbelief evident. “Haven’t I been saying that all night?”
Amber tried to get to her feet, but the room spun around so she lay down instead. “Right after I have a rest.” She closed her eyes.
Ronan dragged her roughly to her feet. “Get up. We can’t stay here forever.”
Amber tried to pull away, but she had no energy. “Another five minutes. Please.”
“That might work on your mother, but not me. Now heat these bars up so I can get you through them.” Ronan pushed her up towards a barred window.
“I can’t. I don’t have enough energy.”
“Then I’ll slit a wrist and feed you blood. People have been known to survive on it for ages.”
Amber knew Ronan wasn’t joking. She forced herself to heat the bars until they buckled and bent. She huddled against the wall when Ronan lowered her to the floor so he could finish off the job.
“Get up.”
Amber looked at the arm Ronan held down to her, the rest of his body on the other side of the window. It seemed a long way up. She closed her eyes. “In a minute.”
“Now!”
Amber muttered under her breath as she struggled to her feet. “Why did I think it was a good idea to save you?” She held out her hand and Ronan grabbed her by the wrist, hauling her up the wall. “Hey!” The rough wall scrapped against her body, removing skin in several places.
“Quit whining. You’re starting to annoy me.” He hoisted her over his shoulder and slid through the Void. Ronan dumped her against the wall of a dark alley, the sound of their chains echoing around them. “Stay here.”
“Can I sleep now?”
“No.”
Amber sighed, trying to keep her eyes open. It was impossible. Then she was being roughly lifted off the ground.
“Be careful,” Ronan ordered.
Amber relaxed again.
“One minute we’re kidnapping her, the next we’ve got to treat her like glass,” Hound muttered.
Amber’s eyes flew open. “Hound?”
“What?”
“Just shut up and get her in the car. I need to get out of here,” Ronan ordered.
Hound dumped Amber in the back seat of a four-wheel-drive and Ronan climbed in beside her. The sound of the engine lulled Amber back to sleep so the next time she woke it was to find someone putting a drip in her arm.
“Hold still.” The man was going bald, had an excess of weight and faded brown eyes behind his wire-rimmed glasses. “There we go. You’ll be as good as new in no time.”
Amber eyed the drip. “I’d rather chocolate.”
Ronan chuckled from an armchair beside her bed. “Behave and I’ll have them bring you some.”
Amber struggled to sit up. “Crystal-”
“Rest. I’ve sent Hound and Tory to see what happened.”
Amber relaxed, yawning. “So tired.”
“That’s the problem with exhaustion. You sometimes hallucinate.” Ronan stood, leaning over her as the man left the room. The door closed softly behind him.
Amber met Ronan’s pale blue eyes. There were no flecks of gold in them now. She smiled. “I’m not an idiot. But I also know when to shut up.”
“You could have fooled me. I could have sworn I had to tell you several times.”
“I’m not your enemy,” Amber said quietly.
“I’m not your friend.”
She grinned. “I know. You don’t have friends. That’s why you’re my uncle. Family’s more important than friends anyway.”
“You can’t just adopt people.”
“Yeah, you can. Crystal, she’s family too.” Amber yawned. “I can’t believe how tired I am.”
“Go to sleep. But we’re still not friends.”
“That’s okay, Uncle Ronan.”
* * *
Amber was woken by a whispered argument. She struggled to sit up, smiling when she saw Rian.
Rian turned on Ronan. “Now you have woken her.” He strode to Amber’s side and helped her sit up, rearranging her pillows so she could lean back into them. “Do you need anything?”
Amber shook her head and looked from Ronan to Rian. “What were you arguing about?”
“Your warrior wanted to know how I could let you get in such bad shape and not have a scratch on myself. He thinks you wore yourself out healing me.”
“You owe her a life. I saw the state you were in when they took you from the ballroom,” Rian argued.
Amber put a hand on his arm. “We saved each other. I healed him so he could get us out of there.” Her eyes met Ronan’s. “We’re even. No debt on either side.”
Ronan’s eyes narrowed. “Are you sure?”
It had to be that way. Ronan was too proud to accept any other option and she needed things to stay the same. An ally she could trust, not one resenting her. Amber nodded. “Even.”
Ronan turned his gaze to Rian. “You heard her, boy. We saved each other.”
The door burst open and Crystal flung herself at the bed. “Amber!” She swiped at tears with the back of her hand. “I thought they’d killed you.”
Jasper and Kade followed Crystal into the room. Jasper went to his sister’s side, while Kade turned to Ronan.
“Who was it?”
“I never saw her, but we were held at one of Paili’s smaller castles.”
“She has to die,” Kade stated.
Ronan nodded. He turned to the doorway where Tory stood. “You can leave if you wish.”
Tory shook his head. “I chose sides long ago.”
Amber frowned. “Sides?”
“Paili is my mother.”
Amber stared at Tory. “That’s why she hates Ronan.”
Tory nodded. “She didn’t want me. I wasn’t Gold. But she didn’t want Ronan to have me either.”
“Why?” Crystal now sat beside Amber on the bed.
“Because she’s very possessive of what she sees as hers,” Tory said.
Rian glanced towards Ronan. “It is a common dragon trait.”
“If it’s mine, no one is welcome to it unless I give it to them. Even if I have no use for it,” Ronan said.
“What about Rian and Hound? Is she their mother too?” Amber asked.
“No.” Ronan looked towards Amber who yawned. “Everyone out. You’re tiring Amber.”
“It’s okay,” she yawned again. “I’m not that tired.”
“We’ll be back later.” Crystal slid off the bed.
Jasper patted her on the shoulder. “Rest.”
Ignoring Amber’s protests, everyone started to leave. Her eyes met Kade’s. “You’re not going to leave too, are you?”
He smiled, moving closer so he could sit on the edge of her bed. “Never.” He took her hand.
Relieved, Amber’s eyes drifted shut. “Good.”
Chapter Fourteen
When Amber woke the next time she found Rian standing at her door and Kade dozing in the armchair by her bed. Even though his eyes were closed, he was still human so he couldn’t be properly asleep. She stretched, finally feeling like she’d live. Kade sat up at her movement.
“How do you feel?”
“Good.” She glanced at the drip. “Good enough to get this thing out.”
Rian moved to her side and lightly pinched her skin. He nodded and started to remove the drip.
“Why’d you pinch me?” Amber asked.
“You were extremely dehydrated when the doctor hooked you up earlier.” Rian held a cotton wool ball against her arm as he removed the drip and then taped the cotton wool down with a band-aid. “A light meal will be here in a minute.”
“Thank you.” She turned to Kade. “Did anyone else get hurt at
my party?”
“No one was killed. They took off as soon as they had you and Ronan. They escaped through the Void, all headed in different directions.” Kade rose to stand by the bed, taking her hand. “She will pay for this.”
“Don’t get mad, get even?”
Kade smiled, but it was not a friendly smile. “Precisely.”
“Kade, I don’t know-”
“If we let her get away with this everyone will think they can do the same. Survival of the fittest.”
“Stupid rule,” Amber muttered.
“But it is a rule and not one that any dragon who wishes to live would ignore.”
“If you seriously want peace, then give me your funeral plan,” Rian said.
“I don’t want a war.”
Kade shook his head. “Do you understand anything we’ve told you?”
“Yes. But we don’t need a war. We just need to get rid of Paili,” Amber said.
“Kill her,” Kade corrected.
Amber winced, wanting to protest.
Ronan entered the room. “What do you suggest other than war, Amber?”
“I don’t know. But there has to be something. Crystal can see through the Void, you can enter it. There’s got to be something we can do.” Amber frowned as she tried to figure out a plan.
“I’m sure we can come up with something in the next couple of days,” Ronan said.
“Amber needs to go home to her family tomorrow,” Rian said.
“It’s Saturday?” Amber looked from Rian to Kade who both nodded. “What about my ordinary party? And where is Brann? I haven’t wished him a happy birthday.”
Kade grinned. “You just escaped death and you want to party?”
“Can you think of a better reason to celebrate?” Amber demanded.
Kade took hold of her hand. “No.”
Amber met Kade’s eyes and wished they didn’t have an audience. She ignored that thought and turned to Ronan. “So what do we do about Paili?”
“Give me a week or so to come up with a plan.”
Amber nodded. She hesitated. He was her ally, even if it was reluctantly. “As long as they’re not in the Void, I can tell you how many people are in a residence from outside the building.”
Ronan continued to meet her eyes, finally nodding. “That will help.” He started to leave the room, then turned back. “Try not to get yourself killed or captured. I really hate having to replan once I settle on one.”
Amber grinned. He’d never admit it, but maybe he was becoming her friend. “I wouldn’t dream of inconveniencing you.” The moment the door was closed, she turned to Kade. “Now, about my party.”
“It’s very short notice.”
“And?”
“Open party or limited invite?”
Amber tugged Kade closer. “Open party. Did you forget something earlier?”
His lips were a breath away from hers. “I can’t imagine what it might be.” His lips brushed hers before he kissed her.
Amber wrapped her arms around Kade. When he pulled back she smiled. “Much better.” She pushed him away slightly. “But now I’m starved. Go and find out what’s taking my breakfast so long.”
“I will get it. It is waiting in the hall for you. They did not want to interrupt when Ronan was in here.” Rian strode across the room and opened the door. He returned seconds later with a tray.
* * *
Amber sat quietly beside Kade, Rian on the other side of her. Maira drove while Brann sat passenger. Amber held onto Kade’s hand, every kilometre closer to home made her grip tighten. The party last night had been a great finale to a pretty good holiday. Well, apart from being kidnapped. Flinn had convinced Jessica to have it at her home so Kade’s place wasn’t trashed. But Amber thought that was only because he and Crystal had stayed at Kade’s place last night and he hadn’t wanted to have to kick everyone out once he’d had enough of the party. Considering how popular he was, socializing was not something he liked to do. Amber could sympathise with him. Ever since everyone had thought she and Kade were together, she’d gained a lot of friends she didn’t need. Not a single one of them sincere.
Kade reached over with his other hand, loosening her grip. He grinned when she looked up at him. Amber looked away. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. Or see anyone. In particular her grandmother. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she’d had enough sleep. Even getting to bed not long after midnight hadn’t helped. It was the dreams that had disturbed her sleep.
Each one had been the same. Trying to stay afloat in a large lake. No matter which direction she looked, she couldn’t see the shore. And no matter how long she swam in any direction, it still didn’t appear. Worst of all, the lake had been filled with blood. She didn’t need to be a genius to figure out why she was having nightmares. She probably would’ve been more worried if she didn’t have at least a few bad nights. A few more nights and she should be fine. She hoped.
Maira pulled up in front of Helen’s house. Rian held the door open for Amber, who reluctantly slid out of the car, looking around. It all seemed far too ordinary. She crossed her arms, glad of the jacket she wore. It wasn’t just the cold of the late afternoon that seeped into her. This would never be home. A shiver went through her. Was anywhere home?
Kade slipped an arm around her shoulders. “What do you want to do?”
Amber shook her head. How could she tell him when she didn’t have a clue? She took a deep breath. For now, she had to go inside. She shrugged off Kade’s arm. It was best they kept things platonic in front of her family for now.
Amber took her bags from Brann. “I want to do this alone.” Well, as alone as one could be with a Gold Dragon shadowing her from the Void.
“Rian will wait in your room for you. I’ll return after dark,” Kade said.
It was almost an anticlimax to find only her mother in the kitchen. “Hi, Mum.”
Donna stared at Amber. “Are you all right?”
Amber forced a smile. “Yeah. Tired. We stayed up late last night. It was the last night after all.”
Donna moved forward to give her a hug.
She returned it, feeling awkward.
Donna held her at arms length. “Are you sure you’re fine?”
Amber nodded. She searched for a way to change the topic. “See what everyone gave me for my birthday?” She held up the topaz that hung at her neck. She’d been glad to find she still wore it after being kidnapped.
“That looks very expensive, Amber.”
She shrugged. “Maybe that’s why I only got the one present.” She searched the house with her mind, finding only Rian in her room. The rest of the place was empty. She frowned. “Where’s Grandma?”
“Visiting friends.”
That was a surprise. She had no idea who’d want to be friends with her grandmother. “I’m going up to my room.” She lifted her bags a little. “To unpack.”
“Did you take any photos?”
“Crystal has them. I’ll get her to email you some of the best ones.” After she’d checked to see there was nothing inappropriate in them. Like a dragon or two. Amber gestured towards the door that led out of the kitchen. “I’ll unpack.”
Donna nodded and Amber felt her mother’s eyes on her as she hurried upstairs. Dropping her bags, she locked the bedroom door behind her and fell onto her bed to stare up at the ceiling. “I don’t belong here,” she muttered.
Rian lifted one of her bags and gestured towards the ensuite with his free hand. “There’s a gift sitting on the vanity for you.”
Amber sat up, looking through the open door to a small black drawstring bag. It seemed like a long way to walk when all she wanted to do was crawl under the blankets and forget about the past few days. Curiosity finally dragged her from her bed and she pulled the bag open to tip a rainbow of jewels across her vanity. Her shower being turned on made her look up in surprise.
Ronan pointed at the door. “Close it.”
Amber looked towards Rian who metho
dically unpacked her bags. He glanced up and gave her a small nod. Once the door was closed, Amber pushed the jewels to the side and perched on the edge of the vanity. She watched Ronan, too tired to care about games.
Ronan crossed the small room, grasping her chin to tilt her head up. Amber looked away from him, tugging out of his grip. She pushed at his chest until he took a step back.
“What do you want, Ronan?” She gestured towards the jewels. “And what’s with them?”
“Are you already regretting you saved me?”
“No.”
“Then what’s wrong?”
“Haven’t you heard? I was at a party last night. Sleeplessness tends to make me irritable.”
“I thought you weren’t going to bother lying to me.”
Amber stared at him. Surely he couldn’t know about her nightmares.
Ronan grinned suddenly. “I haven’t learned to read blocked minds yet.” The grin vanished. “You didn’t sleep more than half an hour at a stretch last night. So let’s try this again. What’s wrong?”
“Bad dreams.” Amber shrugged. “Nothing important.”
“Don’t you humans rave about the importance of talking about these things?” Ronan held up a hand when Amber started to speak. “And not to me. First an uncle and now you’re going to try and turn me into an agony aunt?”
Amber smiled weakly. She picked up a dark blue jewel, holding it up to Ronan. “And these? I hope they weren’t to cheer me up. I’m not so easily distracted.”
Ronan shook his head. “Homework.”
Amber frowned at the jewel in the palm of her hand. “That doesn’t look like any homework I’ve ever done before.”
“This is between you and me, Amber. No one else. Understand?”
Amber met Ronan’s pale blue eyes, noting the hardness. “How can I? You haven’t explained a single thing.”
Ronan took the jewel from her and tossed it amongst the others. “You could have gotten out of that dungeon without my help. Why didn’t you?”
“We saved each other. Are you still worried about the debt? There’s none. We already sorted this out yesterday.”