by Avril Sabine
“Nothing will.” She held onto him tightly. She didn’t want anything to happen to Kade either. She recalled the pain she’d felt when Vikki had said Kade was dead. Her arms tightened as she closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him, hearing the beat of his heart. She wasn’t about to let anything happen to either of them.
Kade drew away from her. “Come on. Bed. You look tired.” He walked with her to his bedroom door, leaving her there alone. Like the previous night, Ronan stepped out of the Void as soon as Amber was in bed.
“I was beginning to think you were going to sit up giggling all night.”
“You sound like you’re upset we didn’t invite you.”
Ronan sat on the bed, leaning against the bed head. “Not likely. I would’ve been tempted to gag you for some peace if I’d been here.”
She grinned. “Sure, Ronan. You probably would have joined in.”
“Go to sleep, kitten.”
Her grin faded. Was Kade right? Was she getting too friendly with Ronan? Once she’d been too terrified to joke so easily with him. Once she’d constantly been on her guard. Now, she didn’t know what to think. But she did know that whatever plan Ronan was working on, it would be dangerous. Everything he’d done so far was dangerous. And she was certain he wanted to involve her in it, whatever it was.
“What’s wrong, kitten?”
“It’s getting closer, isn’t it?”
He didn’t even pretend not to understand. He nodded.
“It’s probably going to scare the hell out of me and give me even more nightmares.”
“Interesting choice of words.”
“Is it? I wouldn’t have a clue since you won’t tell me anything.”
Ronan chuckled. “Trust me, it’s better that way. Now go to sleep.”
She stared at him a moment longer before she closed her eyes. Like the last two nights, Ronan took her to the coastline of his home. Tonight she didn’t speak as she snuggled into the blankets heaped onto the bed. Dread pooled in her at the thought of what was to come. She had a feeling it was going to be far worse than taking on Tahmid. Surely there was no way he could make her fall in with his plans. After Tahmid they would be even.
Her sleep was dreamless, but she woke with the same feeling of dread that she’d gone to sleep with. Before Ronan left the room, he stood beside the bed staring down at her. “Be ready. We’ll meet at your castle after lunch. Tell only Kade. I’ll inform everyone else who needs to know.”
He disappeared into the Void before Amber could ask any questions. Growling, she threw her pillow. It sailed through the air, passing the place where Ronan had stood before it collided with the wall. It didn’t make her feel any better.
Kade entered the room. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she growled. Why couldn’t Ronan have told her exactly what he was planning? Why all the secrecy? How hard was it to tell her in her mind what to expect instead of leaving her to wonder and worry. “We need to meet Ronan at our castle after lunch. We’re to tell no one.”
“We should have guessed that he’d plan something for either today or tomorrow. Especially since you keep telling him you need to finish school.”
She flung back the sheets, rising to her feet. There was only two weeks left of school. “He better not think he can arrange all my days once school’s out.”
As soon as breakfast was eaten, Amber, Kade, Maira and Brann went to Temolae Keep, leaving their Gold behind to watch the house. Or at least that was the excuse they gave him for leaving him behind after telling him they were spending the weekend at the castle.
When they arrived at the castle, Amber spent a bit of time with her mother and Jasper, who had arrived not long after she did, but was too restless to manage that for long. Flinn, Crystal, Morgan and Orin arrived well before lunch and Crystal talked excitedly about her plans for the rest of the year. Amber still wasn’t certain that moving in with Flinn was the best choice for her friend, but didn’t bother saying anything else. What could she say with the amount of time she spent with Ronan? He was far more hazardous to her health than Flinn could ever be to Crystal’s.
Just before lunch Alsandair and Chait started to bring in more people using the excuse that they were joining them for the meal. All the secrecy was beginning to make Amber worry that they had a spy in their castle. When she said that directly to Kade, he laughed at her.
“Of course we do. Probably several. Just like we’ve got spies in the castles of some of our enemies. The trick is to figure out who the spies are so we can give them misinformation.”
After that, Amber couldn’t stop eyeing each of the servants that entered the dinning room. It was crazy. Shouldn’t they make sure all their staff was trustworthy? She looked around the table, her eyes resting first on her grandparents, sitting one on either side of her mother, Jasper across the table from them, and then on Roy and his family. Although it probably didn’t matter since even their guests weren’t all that trustworthy.
When lunch was over, they all headed for the planning room, after Amber had asked Gary to keep her mother distracted for a while. Before she reached the room, her grandparents cornered her.
“We want you to come back and train with the Knights,” Charles said.
Amber stared at him for a few seconds hardly able to believe he’d said that. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Stanley and Dominic have both been reprimanded. As will Wayne and Jennifer when they’re found.”
“How? Were they made to jog around the track for an hour? Or maybe it was two hours.” She didn’t like the bitterness she could hear in her own voice. That wasn’t her. None of this was her. Very soon she wouldn’t be able to recognise herself.
Kade strode back towards them. “We’re not about to let her go to your headquarters. We can’t protect her there.”
“This has nothing to do with you, dragon,” Helen snarled.
Amber moved to stand beside Kade, her arm brushing against his. “Don’t speak to Kade like that. And for the last time, I’m not interested in joining your Knights. All they think about is killing.”
“And your dragons don’t?” Charles demanded.
There was no answer she could give to that question. Or at least none she wanted to give. “Why ask me? Why not Jay?”
“He wouldn’t make a good Knight,” Helen said.
Amber eyed her grandmother. Was that a compliment? “What makes you think I would?”
“You’re not weak,” Helen said.
Okay that had to be a compliment. Especially coming from her grandmother. She shook her head. “I’m not interested. I’ve had enough of killing.”
“Don’t give me that rubbish. What do you think you’re planning to do today? Stand back and watch the fight? Stop making idiotic comments,” Helen said.
Obviously that was it for the compliments. Amber stared at her grandmother a moment longer. That warm and fuzzy moment certainly hadn’t lasted long. “This conversation is over. Your Knights had their chance and they weren’t interested in it.” She spun, striding towards the planning room, Kade at her side.
He linked his fingers through hers, momentarily squeezing.
She looked up at him, smiling as she squeezed back. Her smile disappeared the moment she stepped into the planning room and saw that Ronan had arrived. It looked like she was about to find out what he had in mind. The dread she’d woken with returned with a vengeance.
Kade closed the door behind them, tugging Amber towards the table. She reluctantly followed, sitting down beside him.
Ronan’s gaze went to Crystal. “Is the Void clear?”
Crystal nodded.
Ronan turned to Roy’s family. “The moment Tahmid realises its a trap you need to get Roy out of there. That’s the only reason I’m letting you join us. You’re to kill only those that get in your way. Understand?”
Isaac and Eliza nodded, but Amos didn’t bother to nod until Ronan turned his gaze directly on him.
“And
what about us?” Charles asked. “You better not be expecting us to leave the moment the fighting starts.”
Ronan smiled. “No, you may kill as many of their dragons as you want. Wasn’t that the deal?” He held Charles’ gaze a moment longer before he turned to Crystal again. “You already have your orders.” When Crystal and Flinn nodded his eyes travelled the table, momentarily resting on Amber, Kade and Flinn. “None of your warriors will be able to be there without compromising the test. At least not in the Void. They can remain close and come in the moment the fight starts. They can bring Charles and Helen with them.”
“We’re not about to miss half the fight,” Charles said.
“As if I’d leave Kade and Amber unprotected that long,” Maira said.
“If we involve too many Golds, Kade and Flinn can’t use it as a test,” Ronan said.
Flinn gestured towards Roy’s family. “We’ve already got three extra to bring Roy’s family through the Void and one for Jasper. That’s more than enough.”
Amber thought she better cut in before an argument started and she missed out on hearing the plan for herself. “What do I need to do?”
Ronan’s smile turned predatory. “What you do best, kitten.” Holding her gaze he paused a moment. “Kill.”
She fought against the urge to back away, holding onto the sides of her seat so she didn’t move. “Kill who?”
“Tahmid.”
Her grip tightened on the seat. “I would have thought you’d want to do that yourself.”
“Either one of us, kitten. It’s all the same. Aren’t you mine?”
Amber opened her mouth to disagree, but Kade nudged her with his foot. She managed not to look in his direction. “What?”
“Don’t throw his offer away, but don’t acknowledge it directly either.”
How did Kade expect her to do that? “So what do you want Kade and me to do? Get as close to Tahmid as possible?”
“That would probably be a good idea.” Ronan rose from the table. “We should have just enough time for me to show you Golds the pathway through the Void to where Roy is to meet Tahmid.”
“Where is it?” Amber asked.
“An abandoned industrial site a few hours from where Roy lives. We had to make it an area he’d be able to drive to. We don’t want to make Tahmid suspicious.” Ronan turned to Flinn. “You first.”
Amber reached for Kade’s hand. “Be careful today.”
“Stop worrying.”
She couldn’t help it. There was no way she wanted to go through being told he was dead again. “I’ve got a bad feeling about all of this. I think we need more warriors.”
“Everything will be fine. Or don’t you believe I can protect you?”
Amber slowly smiled. Typical. “Of course you can.” She kept the rest of her thoughts to herself. But it’s you I’m worried about.
Roy caught her gaze across the table. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just don’t like the waiting before a battle.”
Roy nodded, turning to answer a question from his mother.
Chapter Twenty-Four
By the time Ronan had taken all the Golds through the Void and back again, Amber was pacing the room, sending a glare to her grandfather each time she passed him in his pacing.
Ronan spoke to Chait, Anrai and Alsandair. “Take the warriors and Knights to their waiting point.” He gestured towards Helen and Charles. “Then take Roy to the car that’s waiting for him. The rest of us will wait here for your return. Kade, time to let the Elders know the test location. They’ve had enough time to inform Tahmid that he was caught breaking the law and passing on information about the warrior tests and has lost his position.”
Ronan’s other gold, Turi, stood beside Jasper. Amber’s eyes remained on Turi for several minutes. They needed to get Jasper a Gold that was loyal to them, not Ronan. She tried not to think about how Jasper’s last Gold had died. When Turi looked over in her direction, she held his gaze a moment longer before she went back to her pacing.
Chait returned from taking Roy to the car, causing Amber’s stomach to do a slow turn. It was time. Kade stepped in front of her, halting her pacing, linking his fingers through hers.
“Ready?”
“I guess so.” This time when Kade took her through the Void, they stayed in it. The world around them looked like it was covered by a light fog. She wondered how much harder it was to see through the Void in the dark. It was late afternoon now, hopefully they’d be out of the Void before they had a chance to find out. Holding Kade’s hand tightly, she moved forward. The air was so heavy around them it was like walking underwater. “Where should we wait?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see Tahmid anywhere.” He glanced over his shoulder. “But hopefully that’s Roy driving up.”
Amber turned to see a car drive through an open chain wire gate nearly two metres tall. The car stopped, the engine continuing to run for a minute before it was turned off. Roy climbed out of the car, closing the door behind him as he slowly walked forward, his eyes scanning the area. He walked straight towards them.
“What happens if he walks through us while we’re in the Void?”
Kade chuckled. “It’ll feel like a breeze passing through us.”
“And what’ll he feel?”
“I believe you humans have a saying about it. Someone just walked over my grave.”
As Roy continued to come closer Amber tugged on Kade’s hand, drawing him to the side. “I think that’s an experience I can live without.” She turned to watch Roy cross the pitted bitumen car park, headed towards the dilapidated building. “Where is Tahmid?”
“Maybe he’s inside.”
Amber followed behind Roy, slowly falling behind since it was harder to walk through the Void. “What happens if we need to get to him quickly?”
“We run. But whatever you do, don’t let go of me.”
She tightened her grip on his hand. “Do I really want to know why?”
“Probably not.”
Roy stopped abruptly as Tahmid stepped out of the Void in front of him.
“If the information you have for me is worthless, your life will be too,” Tahmid said.
“It isn’t. Like I told you, it’s about the mage. She almost got me killed when she escaped the Knights,” Roy said.
“What makes you think I’m interested?”
Roy shrugged. “I heard everyone wants her, but you’re the only dragon I know. You’re my grandfather.”
Tahmid laughed.
The sound sent a shiver through Amber. “And I thought Ronan was bad.”
Still smiling, Tahmid said, “That means nothing to me, Knight. Hurry up and tell me what you know or you can take the information to the grave with you. I have more important things to deal with today. ”
“I know where they’ve hidden her.”
If Amber hadn’t know that Ronan had asked Roy to do this, his behaviour would have convinced her he was about to betray her. A hand clasped hers and she started to scream, stopping when Crystal and Flinn appeared before her. “What are you doing? Give me heart failure, why don’t you?”
Crystal grinned. “Sorry.” Her grin faded. “I told-”
Amber swore, cutting Crystal off as she looked around her. “We’re surrounded. There must be fifty Golds in the Void.”
“You can see them?” Crystal asked.
Amber nodded.
“I can too,” Kade said.
“I wasn’t sure you’d be able to. I thought it might only be dragons. But forget that.”
“Forget the dragons?” Amber had no idea how she was meant to do that.
Crystal shook her head. “No, forget about how you can see them. I told Ronan how many there are, but he said to go ahead as planned. We can’t kill that many before the dead bodies start appearing out of the Void,” Crystal said.
Kade pointed to where three Golds stood near each other in the Void. “Head there. If we stay together we can take more out.
” He drew a dagger.
“We still won’t take out enough.” Flinn held a bloodstained dagger.
Kade walked towards the group. “We can try.” He glanced at Amber. “Hold onto me so I’ve got two arms free.”
Amber saw that Crystal had her fingers hooked into the waistband of Flinn’s trousers so her fingers were pressed against his skin. She did the same to Kade, keeping hold of Crystal’s hand so she could continue to see into the Void. When they reached the Golds, Amber looked away as Kade and Flinn grabbed hold of two, slitting their throats, holding onto them until they were dead, turning into dragons. They lowered them to the ground. As soon as they’d taken out the third one, they started moving towards another group of Golds.
Amber had trouble drawing her eyes away from the blood oozing from the dead dragons. Even blood didn’t move properly in the Void. “This doesn’t seem right.”
“Of course it’s right,” Flinn said. “You use whatever advantage you’ve got.”
“It seems like cheating. They can’t see us.” Amber looked away as they grabbed another two Golds.
“We’ll still be outnumbered when we all come out of the Void to fight.” Kade lowered the body to the ground.
“Yeah, but…” her voice trailed off as her eyes were again drawn to the blood that slowly oozed from the dragon on the ground. Did she want them to have a fighting chance? Wouldn’t that put her friends and family at risk? She didn’t know what to think anymore.
Flinn and Kade took out another four Golds before an alarm went on Crystal’s phone. Her fingers momentarily tightened on Amber’s. “Five minute warning before all hell breaks loose.”
Amber looked towards Tahmid who was still questioning Roy. “I better get closer to Tahmid.” Behind him she could see Ronan, near the wall of the building, his arms crossed as he watched everything.
“Good luck.” Crystal let go of Amber’s hand, disappearing.
“You too.” She guessed Crystal heard her when her friend momentarily touched her arm, smiling before she disappeared again.
Kade took her hand from his waistband, walking towards Tahmid. “If we get behind Tahmid, we shouldn’t be in the way of Roy’s family when they try and get him out of here.”