Dragon Blood 5: Mage

by Avril Sabine

  Ronan grinned. “Ready, kitten?”

  “Yes.” The fear was increasing by the second. She knew the Hell Hounds were only minutes away.

  The moment two Hell Hounds appeared, Amber raced towards the one that Ronan grabbed. Holding onto its arm, she nodded towards Ronan and they forced it into the Void. It nearly escaped her grip. Through the haze of the Void she saw all the unarmed warriors and Golds press in towards the group that were vanishing into the Void to make it harder for humans to notice what was going on. The other Hell Hound wasn’t visible and Amber guessed that Simon and Jonah were doing their part of the plan. For a moment she wished she had Crystal’s ability to see who was in the Void so she’d know for sure that the other Hell Hound hadn’t escaped.

  “Hurry and shift,” Ronan said.

  Amber waited until she had a better grip on the Hell Hound before she nodded and they took him through the Void to a large shed on a dilapidated farm that Ronan had found west of Brisbane. Jumping back, she drew her sword, attacking the Hell Hound. Around her Golds brought warriors and mages out of the Void.

  Jonah and Simon came out of the Void with the other Hell Hound. She didn’t have time to see how they were doing, she was too busy dodging the claws that came for her.

  The Hell Hound roared, turning on Kade who attacked from behind. Seeing the hound was momentarily distracted, Amber called flames to her blade, stabbing it into him. It went into his side as he’d started to turn towards her. Jasper raced towards them, his own blade flaming. Angela was with him, lightning crackling along her blade.

  Amber dodged to the left, drawing her daggers as she did, calling flames to the blades. They all attacked together. Kade, Ronan and the other Golds with them, while Amber, Jasper and Angela drove their weapons into the hound. He roared, crashing to the ground.

  Checking for Crystal, she found her and Rian attacking the other Hell Hound, along with the Knight Mages. The hound glanced towards his dead companion, roaring and attacking harder. She wanted to join the fight against the last hound, but she’d only get in the way. He was already surrounded. Reaching for his mind, she found it was like reaching for the mind of a wyvern, only more filled with hate. She quickly let go and checked for anyone who might have been wounded in the fight.

  Everyone was fine other than a handful of cuts and bruises. The last hound crashed to the ground and Jonah withdrew his sword from the creature, looking towards Amber. He held her gaze for a moment, then nodded before he disappeared into the Void. The rest of the Knight Mages left, only Simon remaining to stride towards Amber.

  She waited for him, taking her weapons that Kade held out to her. Checking Simon over, she saw only a bruise on his jaw. Nothing worth worrying about. And not anywhere near bad enough to risk weakening him with dragon blood to heal it. “All your people are fine?”

  Simon nodded. “Your plan might work.”

  “It’s Ronan’s.” Her eyes were drawn to Ronan, who joined them.

  “It’s what should have been done to start with, not the binding,” Ronan said.

  “We had a lot of years of peace from them because of the binding,” Simon said.

  “At what cost?”

  Amber wondered if he’d lost someone to the Knight Mages. A friend or a lover who’d been sacrificed to maintain the binding. Maybe she’d ask him later. Seeing his hard expression, she decided that if she did, it would be much later, if at all.

  “I will wait to hear from you.” Simon reached for his caged Pliethin.

  “Simon.” She waited for him to drop his hand. “Jonah’s your leader, isn’t he?”

  “No. We share that task.” He looked like he was about to say something, then stopped. Reaching for the Pliethin, he nodded towards them and vanished.

  “I’m heading home,” Jasper said. “Isleen is waiting up for me.”

  “Okay.” She watched as her brother and Turi disappeared.

  Crystal joined them, Rian at her side. “That wasn’t as bad as the first time. When we fought them that time I was so terrified I could barely attack.”

  “You’ll get used to the fear they cause.” Ronan paused. “Or you’ll die.”

  “She will not die,” Rian said.

  Ronan looked from one to the other before he turned to Amber. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “I wasn’t. It’s not up to me.”

  Ronan pointed his finger at Rian. “I want to see you at my place first thing this morning.” He glanced towards Amber before facing Rian again. “Before breakfast.” He vanished into the Void.

  Amber laughed. “That’d probably be my fault that he expects you to visit before breakfast.”

  Angela joined them, yawning. “I don’t know about you lot, but we’re heading home. Just about everyone’s gone anyway.”

  Amber reached for Angela as Flinn took hold of her hand. “You’re okay?” She couldn’t smell any blood, but that didn’t mean Angela was unhurt.

  “Yeah.” Angela grinned. “I wish you could have told me sooner. This is the life I was training for.”

  “I’m glad.” When she let go of Angela, Flinn took her into the Void.

  Kade held out his hand. “Home?”

  Amber glanced around. Nearly everyone was gone. Only a handful of Golds were left. With a smile towards Crystal, she stepped close to Kade and his arm encircled her. “Yeah, let’s go home.”

  When they came out of the Void, she did a quick search and found Angela and Flinn already there, Crystal and Rian arriving seconds later. Tiredness hit her and she unsuccessfully tried to hold back a yawn.

  “I need a wash. Then I’m going to sleep until late afternoon.”

  Kade chuckled. “Let’s hope that this time it works.”

  Poking her tongue out at him, she headed for the bathroom. As soon as she’d showered, Amber dropped onto the bed, lying awake while she tried to get her mind to turn off. She was tired, but she couldn’t stop thinking. In the end, she decided she’d see her grandparents after she woke. Give them another chance at becoming Knight Mages. Maybe with all the changes that had occurred in the Knights’ organization, they might be interested.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Late the next morning Amber stared at the blank screen of her phone, wondering if her grandfather was going to reply to her text. She was just about to give up when one came through. We’re at home. Going out in thirty.

  Searching for Kade, she used the Pliethin to take her to the room he was in. She paused to watch him train against Brann. When they stopped and Kade looked in her direction, she smiled. “Want to visit my grandfather?”

  Kade sheathed his sword as he strode towards her. “I thought you were going to sleep in.”

  “I was, but you were supposed to as well. I woke up and you were gone.”

  “Miss me?”

  She slid her arms around his waist. “Maybe.” She kissed him, her arms tightening around him, his going around her. Eventually she drew back to meet his eyes. “Well? You want to come with me? They’re going out soon.”

  “Sure.”

  Amber laughed. “Try not to sound so enthusiastic.” Keeping one arm around him, she pressed her fingers into the Pliethin cage, taking them to the front of her grandparent’s house. Letting go of Kade she knocked on the door.

  When she sensed someone come out of the Void behind her, she spun towards them, her hand going for her sword that hung at her side. She wasn’t fast enough. They dragged her into the Void as the front door opened and Kade reached for her. She struggled to escape from the Knight Mage, smelling in his blood what he was.

  They came out in a study with an antique desk and floor to ceiling bookcases, Martin and Fredrick in front of her. She pulled away from the man who’d held her, reaching for her caged Pliethin. The man grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back.

  Ignoring the pain, Amber demanded of Martin, “What do you want?”

  “I want what should have been done ages ago.” He stepped close to her.

 
She held her ground, meeting his eyes. “And what’s that?”

  Martin slowly smiled, taking the last step between them. “This.”

  Pain exploded through her, before a kind of numbness settled in. She looked down to see a dagger, still held by Martin, pushed into her stomach. The man holding her arm let go and she grabbed Martin as her legs started to give way. Looking up her vision was filled with Martin’s satisfied smile. Plunging her fingers into the Pliethin cage she dragged him back into the Void with her, taking him to Ronan’s crypt. It was a struggle to remain standing and when Martin pulled from her grasp, she staggered back into the wall, starting to slide down it. She could barely hold onto consciousness. Ronan would eventually find Martin and her people would be safe from him.

  Ronan stepped out of the Void. “I warned-” He broke off, drawing his sword, swinging at Martin.

  Sitting on the floor, Amber pulled the dagger out, the world starting to recede even further. She pressed her hands against the wound, trying to focus on healing.

  “Kitten.”

  Meeting Ronan’s eyes she reached out a hand to touch his cheek. “I’m sorry.” The other hand she kept pressed against the wound, still trying to heal herself.

  “Hold on.” He gripped her shoulders.

  She tried to speak again, but the world felt like it caved in on her bringing with it blackness.

  * * *

  She heard sobbing before she was properly awake. “Mum?” Amber struggled to open her eyes, gasping as she tried to sit up in the bed.

  “Don’t you dare move.”

  She finally managed to open her eyes to see Ronan standing over her, blood still staining his cheek. Her blood. “Thirsty.”

  He moved out of her view, returning seconds later with a glass, a bendable straw in it. “Only a little.”

  A little wasn’t going to help with how thirsty she was, but Ronan pulled the straw away before she’d drunk much. She opened her mouth to protest.

  “Finish healing yourself first.”

  She slid a hand under the blanket, finding a bandage wrapped around her middle. Before she could do anything, Ronan reached out and lifted her arm so her bracelets were in her view. With a nod, she drew power from some of them before she tried to heal herself. It was harder than she’d expected, but finally she could sit up. Glancing around the room she saw her mother nearby. Gary stood with her, an arm around her shoulders.

  “You want to tell me what happened?” Ronan demanded.

  “A Knight Mage came out of the Void when I went to visit my grandparents. He took me to Martin and Fredrick. What happened-” Breaking off, she glanced towards her mother who was still sobbing. “When I ahh…” she avoiding saying collapsed. Not wanting her mother to hear the word. “What happened to Martin?”

  “I told you what would happen to anyone you brought there. Did you forget?”

  “No.” She held his gaze a moment. “I remembered.” Then she spoke directly to him. “How did you manage to arrive so quickly? I didn’t expect that.”

  “I know the moment anyone enters the crypt.”

  “How.”

  “You aren’t capable of doing it.”

  “Is Kade?”

  Ronan stared at her for nearly a minute. “Maybe one day.”

  She wanted to ask him all the details, but decided now wasn’t the time. “What’ll we do about Fredrick?”

  “He will suffer the same fate as Martin.”

  Once she would have protested. Her hand continued to rest against the place the dagger had been. It wasn’t a game. It never had been. It was survival of the fittest and she wasn’t about to let someone else win. She had too much to live for. “Okay.”

  Ronan held out a dagger to her.

  She eyed it, certain it was the one Martin had stabbed her with.

  “Take it.”

  “Why?”

  “To the winner go the spoils.”

  She took the dagger, sliding it under her pillow.

  Ronan smiled. “I’ll let Kade know he can visit you now.” He vanished.

  Donna broke away from Gary, still sobbing, to stand at Amber’s bedside. “I thought you were dead. When he brought you in, I thought you were dead. There was so much blood.”

  “I’ll be okay, Mum.”

  “You said me becoming a mage could keep you safe. It can’t. You nearly died because you’re a mage.”

  “No, I said becoming a mage could keep you safe.” Irritation and anger began to rise. “Do we have to do this? I’m fine.” Why had Ronan brought her to her mother? She’d have a talk to him about that.

  Kade stepped out of the Void. “I tried to grab you before he took you away.” He lifted her hand, his fingers tightening on hers.

  “I know. I saw you.”

  “Ronan said Fredrick was involved.”

  “Yeah. He was with Martin.”

  “Then he’s dead,” Kade said flatly.

  Ronan came out of the Void with Simon. Both looked angry. Ronan pushed Simon towards Amber. “Tell him, kitten. Tell him who was there.”

  “Fredrick.”

  “I had no idea he planned this,” Simon said.

  “Then what are you going to do about it?” Ronan demanded.

  “Can I speak to Amber? Alone?” Simon asked.

  Amber looked around the room. Kade shook his head, Ronan’s expression remained neutral and Gary had his arm around her mother again. Her eyes landed on Simon. “Okay.”

  “Are you sure?” Ronan asked Amber directly.

  “Yeah.” She waited until everyone was out of the room before she spoke to Simon. “What did you want to talk about?”

  “We don’t want this affecting our partnership. Jonah and I were talking about making it long term. We can’t look for the Hell Hounds like Dragon Mages can. And we might not like dragons, but we have nothing against those who are willing to help humans. That’s what we’re about. The protection of the human race.”

  “What are you going to do about Fredrick?”

  “I won’t help you kill him if that’s what you expect, but we have broken completely away from their group. Even if our partnership should end tomorrow, we would still have nothing to do with them.”

  “Why?”

  “Because they’ve forgotten the reason we were formed.”

  “Okay.”

  “Does that mean things are still good between us?”

  Amber nodded. “Yeah, things are still good. We’ll call you when the next lot of Hell Hounds arrive.”

  “Thank you.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Can I go now?”

  “I’ll check.” She reached for Ronan who wasn’t far from the room. “Simon’s not to be held accountable for Fredrick’s actions. Can he go now?”

  Ronan appeared in the room. “You don’t plan to assist him in any way?”

  Simon shook his head. “Their group has nothing to do with ours.”

  “You can go then.” When Simon left, Ronan stepped close to the bed. “You’re going to have to stop doing this, kitten. You need to take more care.”

  “I survived, didn’t I?”

  Ronan stared down at her a moment longer before he grinned. “Yeah. Make sure you continue to.”

  She nodded. “Why did you bring me to my mother?”

  “I didn’t. I brought you to Gary.”

  That made more sense. “Thanks.”

  “When you’re better, you can help me track down Fredrick.”

  “I don’t know him that well. Not to be able to track him over long distances.”

  Ronan stared at her silently. He nodded. “We’ll find another way to find him.”

  “Okay.”

  Ronan held her gaze a moment longer before he vanished into the Void.

  She stared at the place he’d been for several minutes before she called to Kade, asking him to join her. When he arrived, she tugged him close. “We’ve still got to see my grandparents.”

  “Maybe we should suggest them coming to see you.”


  Amber shook her head. “No. I’m not about to cower and hide. We will go and see them.”

  “Now?”

  She shook her head. “In a day or two.” When she was feeling a lot better.

  “Okay.”

  She grinned at the unenthusiastic tone he used.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Amber sprawled on the carpet in front of the television, not having heard most of the movie that she, Crystal, Angela and Maira were supposedly watching. It was almost like old times. Except instead of being at her parent’s house, they were in her house that Jasper lived in. They would have had their movie night at Temolae Keep except that the dragon world wasn’t that good with electronics. Regular bursts of static didn’t make watching movies much fun.

  And back before she’d met Kade, Angela hadn’t played with lightning, sliding it through her fingers like it was a cat winding its way in and out and around them. Nor did they have weapons lying within arm’s reach. Amber smiled. There were some differences, but the main things hadn’t changed. Her friends and family. She had more friends and certainly more family, but they were all still important to her.

  Crystal threw a cushion at Amber who caught it before it hit her. “What did you do that for?”

  “Because I asked you twice what you were thinking about. You weren’t paying any attention to me.”

  “Everything.” She smiled. “I still can’t believe it’ll be a year tomorrow since we captured Temolae Keep.”

  “I can’t believe you turned down a ball to celebrate,” Crystal said. “Well, I can believe, but you could have said yes. I’d love to have another ball.”

  Before she had a chance to reply, her phone rang and she smiled when she saw the display read Hound Emergency. “Yeah?”

  “The hounds are coming.”

  “Who else has been notified?”

  “Ronan, Jonah and Charles.”

  “Okay. We’ll be right there.” Amber hung up as she sensed Kade and Rian enter the house, striding towards the room they were in. “Time to go. Hell Hounds.”