by Avril Sabine
“I’m Maira, that’s Brann.” Maira smiled, chunky silver and black bracelets glinting as she gestured towards her companion. Maira had black hair cut level with her smile, green eyes that glanced around the room and skin a couple of shades darker than Brann’s well tanned skin. Brann was easily six foot. He had curly brown hair longer than Maira’s, deep blue eyes and a friendly grin.
“I’m Amber.” Questions crowded her mind and she didn’t know what to ask first.
“Oh be patient. We’re coming,” Maira muttered as she strode towards the bathroom.
Amber turned to stare at Kade in confusion. He hadn’t spoken a word. She followed Maira into the bathroom. “Ah… have you considered it might be best to call an ambulance?”
“He’ll be fine. It’s not as bad as it looks.” Maira washed out a cloth she took from the leather backpack Brann carried. She bent to wipe at Kade’s wound.
“Careful,” Kade growled.
“Baby.” Maira rose to wash out the cloth.
“That’ll teach you for taking off without us.” Brann leaned against the doorframe of the bathroom, the backpack at his feet.
“Will you lot be much longer in my bathroom? I have to wash. My mum’s waiting to talk to me and for some reason Kade doesn’t want anyone to know he’s here. If I take too long, she might come back.” Amber looked at each of them, still not certain what to do. If she told her mother, her grandmother was sure to find out and Helen would think of some way to blame this on her.
“Amber?”
She faced Brann.
“Can’t you go and see your mum while we sort Kade out?”
Amber started to answer when a tearing sound made her turn towards Maira and Kade. Maira dropped the sleeveless shirt, she’d torn away from Kade, onto the floor. Amber’s eyes searched for scissors. There were none. The dark shirt had looked new and of the same material as Kade’s long pants. Amber realised the dull black pants they all wore were made of leather. Maira also wore a body hugging leather vest.
“Are you lot in some sort of gang?”
Kade chuckled. “Do you always do that?”
“What?”
“Brann asked you a question. You ignored it.”
Amber turned back to Brann. “What was it again?”
“Doesn’t matter. We’re nearly finished and then you can have your bathroom back.” Brann reached into the backpack to pull out a small first aid kit.
Amber paled when Maira took a fine needle from the box. “You’re not going to…” she swallowed hard. She held up a hand to indicate ‘stop’, then staggered to the toilet to sit on the closed lid. “On second thought, I don’t want to know.” She leaned forward, eyes closed and breathed through her mouth. Her stomach somersaulted and she pressed her hand against her lips only to realise it was the bloodstained one.
Taking the single step to the shower, she turned it on to wash her hand clean. Next she brought water to her face to clean off the rest of the blood. Turning off the tap she shakily grabbed her towel and covered her face with it. Sitting on the toilet lid, she kept her face buried.
“Are you okay?” Brann asked.
Amber could only shake her head. She was afraid to speak for fear she’d lose her dinner. Blood she could handle, medical procedures involving needles was too much.
“You can look now. I’m finished,” Maira said.
Amber took a cautious look. Neat stitches marched along the gashes. Kade’s normally golden brown skin was pale and his eyes were closed with his head tilted back. While she watched, Maira touched Kade’s forehead and his eyes popped open. Maira nodded her head, gathered up the first aid kit, cleaned up the blood and followed Brann out of the bathroom, the backpack slung over his shoulder.
“Why do I keep feeling like there are conversations I can’t hear?” Amber slid her towel over the towel rack where it hung bunched up.
Kade rose carefully to his feet. “Has anyone ever told you what an interesting imagination you have?”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re full of it?”
Kade laughed. “Not often.” He moved towards the doorway then looked back at her. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”
“What?” She hurried to his side snagging his hand so he couldn’t move away. She wanted answers and she wasn’t about to let him go before she got them.
“I haven’t said thank you, have I?”
“What happened? How did you end up on the roof? What attacked you? How did your friends know to find you here? And what did Maira give you for pain? I don’t know any tablets that work that quickly.” She was finally able to ask some of the questions that had been swirling around in her mind.
“Full of questions, aren’t you?”
“I haven’t even started.”
Kade tugged his hand out of hers. “Then don’t bother. I’m not going to answer them.”
“I deserve some sort of explanation. You can’t come in here, bleed all over my floor and expect me to shrug and wave as you walk out the door.”
“Maira cleaned all the blood off the floor.”
“Kade!”
“Shh.” He put a hand over her mouth, his other grasping her shoulder. “I don’t want your family in here asking questions too.”
Amber twisted out of his grip. “Then tell me what’s going on.”
“I’m sorry. I can’t.” He turned to go again.
Amber took a deep breath, ready to scream. She barely managed a second worth of sound before his hand was over her mouth. He’d moved in a blur of speed to stop her. This time she could only glare at him.
“Would you rather I tied and gagged you so we can leave without you calling anyone?”
Amber could barely shake her head.
“If I take my hand away, will you scream?”
She shook her head again. As soon as he removed his hand she demanded, “Why can’t you tell me what’s going on? You were the one who landed on my balcony, walked in and demanded I lock the door behind you. I deserve to know.”
“I’ll think about it.”
Amber searched his face carefully. She couldn’t tell what he thought or if he told the truth. “Are you saying that so you can get out of here without me screaming the place down? Or are you actually considering answering me?”
Kade grinned. “No. It depends on other things.” He started to move away again.
“What other things?” Amber followed him to the French doors that were open again. She noticed his friends stood on the balcony.
“Don’t you have to shower and see your mother?”
Amber shrugged. “She’ll come and hassle me again if I take too long.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Kade muttered. He reached out and grabbed hold of the curtain that hung at the French doors. With a quick movement, he spun it around her.
Amber struggled to free herself. The moment she escaped, she stepped out onto the balcony and glanced around, looking for the three of them. She peered over the rails, her eyes scanning the ground. Having nowhere else to look, she studied the sky. In the distance she saw three large… Amber’s mind struggled with the word bird. But what else could she call a creature that flew through the air, propelled forward with large wings? She laughed nervously. Prehistoric bird? Dragon? Mutated bird of prey? She had no idea.
Closing the French doors, she made sure she locked them. It was the first time since she’d been here. Her room was on the second storey of the house. She’d thought she was safe. It wasn’t like it was a major city or anything. A shudder went through her as she recalled the past six nights she’d slept with the doors unlocked. She drew the curtains together and turned away from the doors. It took her several minutes before she could make herself walk to the bathroom.
After a quick shower, Amber stepped out of her room and walked towards the other end of the corridor. She passed two closed doors that were next to each other and opposite the stairs. From habit, she tried each doorknob as she passed. They were still locked
. The only comment about them she could get from her grandmother was that if she hadn’t been so nosey she wouldn’t have known they were locked. Her mother’s room was the last one. She knocked on the door. When there was no answer, she knocked again.
“Mum?” Amber opened the door a fraction when there was still no reply. Her mother lay on her side, one hand under her cheek, still dressed and on top of the quilt. She was fast asleep. Amber carefully closed the door, relieved she didn’t have to endure the discussion. It was probably yet another one about her attitude. She was sick of those conversations. Who wouldn’t have an attitude when they’d been ripped from the life they loved with absolutely no say in the matter.
Returning to her room, Amber locked her bedroom door then flicked the light switch off so only the bedside lamp lit the room. Pulling back the sheets on the queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, she flopped onto it, rolling onto her back. Her eyes were drawn to the curtains that covered the French doors and she sat up in annoyance. There was no way she’d be able to sleep. She had too many unanswered questions.
Her eyes travelled around the room. Clothes spilled from a built-in wardrobe that wasn’t quite shut, a suitcase open on the floor beside it only half unpacked. Her schoolbag sat by the door, books in a precarious tower near it and a hairbrush, clips, scarves and hair ties overwhelmed a duchess. In the middle was a crystal tray on a frilly piece of embroidery with two crystal containers. A laptop sat closed on a desk in the corner. Amber’s eyes came to a stop on her laptop. She frowned and glanced at her door. Her mother was asleep and her grandmother never came upstairs since her bedroom was downstairs.
Within seconds, Amber was in front of her laptop and signing into her messenger to check who was online. She frowned when she saw both Crystal and Josh go offline. Her brother and Angela, another school friend, were still online. She ignored the rest of the people listed as online, since she only knew them through games. Maybe her brother would know the secret her mother was keeping from her.
Amber says: Miss me yet?
Jay says: Who’s this?
Amber says: Ha, ha, very funny.
Jay says: :)
Amber says: What’s mum meant to tell me?
Jay says: How would I know?
Amber says: Her and the witch were yelling and I heard the witch say something about her not having told me something.
Jay says: Could be anything.
Amber says: Took you ages to reply to that. You sure you don’t know something?
Jay says: You sure you don’t?
Amber says: What’s that supposed to mean?
Jay says: How long you planning on staying with Grandma?
Amber says: As short a time as possible.
Jay says: Really?
Amber says: What gives?
Jay says: g2g.
Amber says: Jay!!!!
Jay says: Pay more attention. And I didn’t say anything.
Amber says: You haven’t said anything. Stupid cryptic comments.
Jay says: Can’t spell this one out for you. Gotta figure it out for yourself.
Amber says: Fine! Have you seen Crys and Josh about? Never seem to be able to get hold of them lately.
Jay says: Both of them???
Amber says: Didn’t I just say that?
Jay says: Hmmm.
Amber says: Spit it out.
Jay says: They avoiding you? You’re normally chatting away to them every night.
Amber says: Why would they be avoiding me? Not like I wanted to move here.
Jay says: Are you sure we’re related?
Amber says: Some days I really hope not!
Jay says: g2g.
Amber says: You trying to avoid me?
Jay says: No. Bed calling. Some of us actually try and pay attention in class and not use it as sleeping time.
Amber says: K. Later.
Jay says: Night.
Chapter Three
Amber exited the window and checked to see if Angela was still online. Relieved to see she was, she clicked on her name. Maybe she could give her some answers. No one else seemed to be interested in telling her anything.
Amber says: Where is everyone lately?
Snowflake… or just a flake says: I’m right here :)
Amber says: Hi everyone! How about Crys and Josh? They never seem to be about.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Guess they’re busy.
Amber says: But you see them at school, right?
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Of course.
Amber says: They said anything? I’ve sent them all types of messages and heard nothing back.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: They haven’t talked to you at all?
Amber says: No.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Guess they must be busy.
Amber says: Come on Inge. Spill!
Snowflake… or just a flake says: I’ve got nothing to spill.
Amber says: Inge!!
Snowflake… or just a flake says: They said they’d talk to you. You have any voice messages on your phone? Texts?
Amber says: Nothing. It’s like they’ve dropped off the face of the Earth.
Amber says: Disappeared.
Amber says: Were abducted by aliens.
Amber says: Kidnapped by Bigfoot.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: I get the drift. No need for more scenarios.
Amber says: And I was just getting warmed up!
Snowflake… or just a flake says: g2g.
Amber says: NO!
Snowflake… or just a flake says: My mum just told me lights out.
Amber says: Talk to me. I need to know what’s going on.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Have you rung them?
Amber says: Yes. And sent a million texts. Come on! You know what’s happening. I’ll keep ringing you all night if you don’t tell me. You won’t get any sleep.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: We were at a party Friday night.
Amber says: The day I left! You didn’t pine for me for long.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: You want to hear this or not?
Amber says: Yes.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: They’d had a couple of drinks. I didn’t think it was many, but maybe they’d had more than I thought. Next thing I look over and they’re kissing like lovers separated for a decade.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: You still there?
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Hello?
Amber says: Are you sure?
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Of course I am.
Amber says: Absolutely?
Snowflake… or just a flake says: I told them they should tell you before you found out some other way. I can’t believe they thought you wouldn’t suspect something when they don’t talk to you for a week. Well, as good as a week.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Still there?
Amber says: Yeah.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.
Amber says: I know.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: I’m sorry.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: You’ve gone quiet again. Can I go now? Before Mum grounds me.
Amber says: Thanks Inge. Sorry to hassle you about it.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: No problem. Sorry they didn’t tell you and you had to hear it from me.
Amber says: Night.
Snowflake… or just a flake says: Night.
Amber stared at the screen. She wanted to write a message begging them to tell her it was all lies. But they hadn’t spoken to her in six days. Unheard of. Completely and utterly unheard of. Crystal would only avoid her because of something major. Josh she wasn’t so sure about. He’d only been her boyfriend for two months.
She sent a message to Josh first. He was good looking, could kiss better than anyone else she’d ever kissed and outgoing. But he was only a boyfriend, their history short.
The message only needed to be equally as short. She typed ‘We’re over.’ and sent it. She frowned as she thought about what to write to Crystal. After many tries, she finally had a message she could send.
Amber says: We became best friends on the first day of grade one and no matter what happened we were always there for each other. I thought we were closer than sisters. I was obviously wrong. I hope he’s worth it because I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to forgive you. Not that you stole him. That I probably could have forgiven. But that you hid from me and avoided me. All you needed to do was say two words and I probably would have forgiven you. Now, ‘I’m sorry’ is far too late in coming.
Amber closed her laptop down. She slowly rose and walked over to the bed to sit on the edge of it. She felt numb. No. Made of lead. Could lead bleed? It felt like someone had shredded her chest, from the inside. Like the same creature that had attacked Kade had ripped her apart. Her wounds would not be so easily sewn back together.
She lay down and turned the light out. Her eyes stared unseeing. “I want to go home,” she whispered into the dark. Just like every other time she’d spoken it since coming here, no one listened to her.
* * *
The wind whistled past as Amber worked her wings harder. The scent on the breeze drew her on. Excitement rushed through her veins as quickly as the wind cut past her. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted the deer grazing peacefully in the moonlight. Claws outstretched, she swooped down. At the last second, the deer tried to bound away. But she’d left it too long. A sharp shake as she flew higher killed the deer instantly. The deer hung limp and heavy. Still warm.
The smell of blood swirled around her as claws pierced the hide. Her mouth watered. She looked around for somewhere safe to eat. A place where she wouldn’t be disturbed. Then she had company. They swooped in on either side of her. A glance showed they were friends. To the right was a black scaled dragon with silver wing veins and green eyes shot through with silver. On her left flew a slightly larger dragon, dark velvet brown, deep blue wing veins and slightly darker blue eyes.
