by Avril Sabine
“I want to reach out and touch him to see if he’s real.” Crystal’s voice was an awed whisper.
“Don’t. I’m not sure what that would do.”
“Oh Amber, if this is a dream, I never want to wake up. How could you not want this?”
“Some moments are good, but there’s a lot of moments that are mostly a nightmare.” The crackle of energy in the air began to lessen. Amber continued to watch, an arm around Crystal’s waist. Crystal had her arm around Amber and they leaned against each other. Amber yawned. She desperately needed sleep. But not until help arrived.
The glow around Flinn faded and he shimmered into human form, dropping to his knees. His eyes were focused on the Pliethin in his hand. The dull, misshapen creature lay there, unmoving.
Crystal cried out, kneeling in front of Flinn to gently touch the Pliethin.
“It will be fine,” Flinn said softly. He raised his hand. “Thank you.” As soon as he opened his hand the creature rose above it and faded away. Flinn looked up at Crystal’s gasp. “It returned to its own world. It’ll come back when it starts to regain energy.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?” Crystal asked.
Flinn could only nod. He looked too exhausted and dazed to do anything else. His head came up as they all heard a vehicle and he struggled to get to his feet. Amber came forward to help Crystal pull him up.
“It’s okay. It’s Jay and Kade.”
“Who’s Jay?” Flinn demanded.
“My brother.”
“Another human?” Flinn didn’t bother to keep the derision from his voice.
Amber smiled wryly. “Can you still call Crystal and me human?”
Flinn only grunted in answer.
The three of them walked towards the front yard and arrived in time to see Kade come out of the back of the trailer, his tail moving irately as he glared at them.
“Call for help,” Amber told Flinn before she hurried to Kade. She threw her arms around him and refused to let him shake her off.
He hissed and finally managed to pull back. He sniffed at her then growled.
“Not being able to talk to you is really frustrating.” She grabbed the chain and remembering the energy that had played along Brann’s she pooled it in her hand before she released it into the chain. Amber staggered, nearly hitting the ground. Jasper grabbed her in time. The world spun around and she took several deep breaths as she tried to bring it back into focus. Kade nudged her.
Chapter Twenty-One
“What happened?” Jasper demanded.
“Not sure. I think I might have used up a little too much energy.” She reached out and tried to contact Kade’s mind. Nothing. It had been a waste of effort. She only hoped Flinn had better luck. As if he heard her, he came over to stand beside her.
“Some of Kade’s clan will be here in about four hours.”
“That’s ages away.” Amber was exhausted. She couldn’t stay awake any longer. She swayed unsteadily.
“Orin and Morgan will stand guard. Get some rest.”
Amber frowned, trying to make sense of Flinn’s words. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.
“My people,” Flinn said. “Come on. Before you collapse. You know where Kade’s room is.”
“She can’t sleep in his room,” Jasper protested.
“Do either of them look like they’re capable of doing anything? And he’s stuck as a dragon until those chains come off.” Flinn threw his hands up. “Do as you please. I’m not standing around here arguing.” He strode towards the house.
Kade nudged Amber and she struggled to walk to the house. Everything seemed so far away. The house looked like it was at the wrong end of binoculars and the ground felt like the swell of the ocean beneath her feet. There was a rushing sound in her ears and everything went dark.
The next thing Amber knew, she was opening her eyes to stare at an off white ceiling, feeling rested. She looked beside her to find Kade curled up on the bed, taking up most of the space. They were in his bed, his forelimbs still chained together. Reaching out with her mind, she checked where everyone was. Crystal was on the opposite side of the house, Flinn near her. Jasper was in the lounge room. Flinn’s people were stationed at the front and back doors. She couldn’t find anyone else. Amber sat up and Kade immediately opened his eyes and raised his head.
“I’m sorry. Go back to sleep,” Amber whispered.
Kade shook his head. He opened his mouth and a rumble sounded in the back of his throat. His tail flicked once.
Amber reached out her hand to rest it against his scales. “I wish you could speak to me too.” She examined the links of the chain, running her fingers over them. The only difference she could see was where they joined the shackle. This time she decided to try fire. Her palm filled with it and she pressed it against the join. Nothing happened. She increased the heat. She glanced worriedly at Kade but his gaze was steady. Then she felt the link give. She pulled against it until it opened. The chain came off the shackle and she went to work on the other side.
Amber dropped the chain onto the floor, her attention on the shackles now. She still couldn’t reach Kade’s mind so it seemed the shackles were what needed to be removed.
“Interesting.”
Amber shrieked when a woman seemed to appear out of thin air. She had bronze hair with streaks of gold and eyes the same colour and shape as Kade’s. She was tall, her muscles well developed and Amber wondered if she was what an Amazon warrior would have looked like.
“Kiani?”
“Yes.” Kiani picked up the chain from the floor. “Can you do that to the shackles?”
Amber shrugged. “Where did you come from?”
“Oh, I was always here. I was about to let you know when you started playing with fire. I am intrigued. Where did my son find you?”
“He-” Kade growled and Amber turned towards him. He shook his head.
Kiani laughed, a deep sound that filled the room. “I don’t blame him. Are there more like you?”
“How do you… disappear? Is there any way to find you when you do? I think Ronan does it.”
“Impossible. He isn’t Gold. He can’t use a Pliethin.”
“I couldn’t smell him until he had a knife at my throat.” Amber’s fingers automatically touched where the blade had been. Kade growled. “Then he was suddenly there. I could sense him, smell him. Just like with you.”
Kiani frowned. “That is a problem. So he could be outside with his sons.”
Amber nodded. She reached out with her mind. Tory and Hound were out the back, where she’d first become a panther, sitting under the trees. She couldn’t find Ronan anywhere. “How long can you… stay invisible?”
“Depends on the strength of the ability. I have to let Bredon know about Ronan.” Kiani left the room before Amber could question her further.
The door burst open and Flinn stepped into the room. “There’s bloody Gold Dragons popping in and out of the Void all over the house. Deal with them. I didn’t expect a dozen of them. Your parents are tolerable. The rest of them aren’t.”
Crystal followed Flinn into the room, her eyes shinning with excitement. “One minute the room is empty, the next there’s three or four people staring at you. Then poof, they’re gone again.”
Flinn’s eyes narrowed. “How did the chain come off?”
“I don’t recall walking to this room last night,” Amber said.
“Your brother carried you here. You passed out mid step,” Crystal said.
Amber’s stomach rumbled. “I need something to eat.”
Crystal paled. “Ah, I wouldn’t go into the kitchen right now. There’s… ahh… an animal on the table. And lots of blood.”
“You better get over your squeamishness in a hurry.” Flinn glanced at Crystal before he turned back to Amber. “And I’m still waiting to hear about the chain.”
“I burnt them off.” Amber ignored Kade’s growl. “Can you do anything yet, Crystal?”
Cryst
al shrugged. “Things keep looking funny to me. I don’t know. And I keep hearing sounds that I shouldn’t be able to.”
“Hawk. You should be able to turn into a hawk. When you figure it out that is.” Amber turned to Kade who hissed at the word hawk. “Will you stop? Not being able to understand you is frustrating enough without you constantly trying to get my attention.”
“Will I be able to throw fireballs like you?” Crystal came to sit beside her.
Amber took her hand. “I don’t know. We can try and see.”
“I might as well not be here.” Flinn slammed the door shut behind him.
Crystal giggled. “I don’t think he’s a morning person.”
Amber grinned. “I don’t think he’s a night person either.” She glanced at Kade who growled again. “Do you mind?”
Crystal held out her hands. “How do I go about this?”
“I found strong emotion helped.”
Crystal snorted. “I’m just about walking on air with excitement. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me any of this. I slept in a bed with a dragon! I can hardly believe this is happening.”
“Fear, hunger, anger.”
“I’m too excited to be afraid. Your brother went into town and got some real food so I’ve eaten and I’ve never been able to get as angry as you.”
Amber sighed. She took Crystal’s hands in hers. Maybe she could draw the power from them like Kade had done for her. She pulled back quickly. “Cold?”
“I felt something. It didn’t seem cold.” Crystal stared at her hands. She frowned then held her hands out to Amber. “Do that again. I know it’s in there, whatever it is.”
Amber reluctantly took Crystal’s hands. She reached for Crystal’s power, pulling at it. She drew her hands back slightly, holding them above Crystal’s palms. Fire began to form in her own, Crystal moved her hands down to create more space between them. Ice started to form in Crystal’s palms. She squealed excitedly.
Crystal pulled her hands closer to her face to stare at the twin balls of ice glowing in her palms, growing by the second. “I did it. Look, Amber.”
Amber stared at their hands thoughtfully. “Hold that ice. I want to try something.” She turned to face Kade who shifted back slightly. “Oh stop being a baby. Brann was willing to let me experiment on him yesterday. Hold out one of you hands… ah… claws… whatever.” She pressed the fireball against the shackle, watching as it started to glow with heat. Kade held himself tense, but didn’t draw back. She looked over to Crystal. “As soon as I take my hand away, ice this shackle.”
Crystal nodded, moving closer. The moment Amber drew back, Crystal forced the ice at the glowing shackle. She shrieked as the shackle exploded into shards and she shielded her face with her hands. Amber threw her arms around Crystal, grinning.
“It worked. I don’t know what it’s made of, but it worked. It doesn’t look or feel like any metal I’ve ever seen before. I don’t even know how normal metal would react to that sort of treatment. But we did it.” Amber bounced excitedly on the bed. “Let’s do the other one.” She turned to Kade. “Oh don’t be like that. Hold the shackle out.” She ignored his growl.
“I don’t think he wants you to remove it like that. Look at the mark we left behind.” Crystal pointed to the leathery skin near the claws that wasn’t covered in scales. It was cut in several places and the skin was blistered.
“I’ll heal it when we’re done.” Amber met Kade’s eyes. “Come on. We have to get this off you.” She pressed a fireball against the shackle as soon as Kade held it out to her. “Now!” She pulled away the moment she thought it was hot enough. She knew what to expect this time, turning her face away as Crystal forced the ice against the metal. She turned back in time to see Kade become human.
“Next time I tell you to get out, you obey.” Kade glared at her.
Amber threw her arms around him. “Don’t bother giving orders you know I won’t follow.” She grinned. “We did it. Now let me heal your wrists.” It took her a few minutes.
Crystal held out her arm that had been cut by a piece of the shackle. “I don’t suppose you can heal humans.”
“I don’t know. Let me try.” Her first attempt failed. It wasn’t until she noticed the dragon blood running through Crystal’s veins that she had any luck. A wave of exhaustion rushed over her. “Whoops.”
“What?” Kade reached out to steady her.
“I think I’ve got an energy level I can’t go past. I might have used it all up.”
“Idiot.” Kade helped her off the bed. “Let’s get you something to eat. That might help.”
“Ah, kitchen… dead animal.”
Amber touched Crystal’s shoulder lightly. “It doesn’t bother me.”
The door burst open. Flinn stepped into the room and shut the door hard. “How did you do it?” He pointed to Kade.
“We did it.” Crystal grinned.
“I didn’t give you permission to use my mage.” Flinn stood toe to toe with Kade.
Crystal pushed between them, facing Flinn. “I don’t need your permission when my best friend asks for my help. And she won’t need Kade’s permission if I ask her for help. You’re going to have to learn to live with that.”
“Not everyone who has an issue with following orders will become a renegade, Flinn,” Kade said softly. “And you can’t stop them from becoming a renegade by controlling their every movement.”
“Keep your opinions to yourself.” Flinn spun, flung open the door and strode from the room.
Amber turned to Kade. “Do you want to tell me what that was all about?”
“It’s none-”
“Don’t say it. Crystal has to deal with his moods. Now what was that all about?” Amber’s hands went to her hips. Crystal stood beside her, adding her glare.
“His parents became renegades the first year he was in training. They tried to get him to join them. He refused. He hasn’t spoken to them since, but a lot of people won’t have anything to do with him because of it.”
“Why does he resent you so much?”
Kade sighed. “Because I was the only one willing to pair with him for this test.”
“You’d think he’d be grateful you did,” Crystal said.
Kade shook his head. “You’ll soon learn he doesn’t like to owe anyone anything.”
“So both Flinn and Maira. Anyone else?” Amber asked.
Kade looked uncomfortable. “I think people deserve a chance to prove themselves.”
Kiani appeared in the doorway. “It’s a major flaw of his. He’s too soft. We were beginning to think he’d never make a true Gold Warrior. Then we met you.” Her eyes fell on Amber. “Quite a coupe.” She turned back to Kade. “Are you going to tell me how you figured that one out?”
Kade shook his head. “Not likely.”
Kiani laughed. The same rich laughter of earlier. “I didn’t think so. But you have created a difficulty. From the bit I’ve pieced together from Jasper and Flinn, Ronan wants his own Dragon Mage and he’ll stop at nothing to get one. And the only two in existence are right here in front of me. Anything else you want to add?”
“No. That’s about it. Have you found Ronan?”
Kiani shook her head. “And we won’t be able to very easily. Have you considered returning to the clan where we can protect you better?”
“Would I fail the test if I did?” Kade shook his head when his mother nodded. “Not an option then. We’ve only got another seven months to get through.”
“I have to go home tonight,” Amber said.
“Me too. Angela can only cover for me till six. I’m supposedly with her until then,” Crystal said.
“We can provide another six Gold Warriors to help protect you, but that’s all we can spare,” Kiani said.
Flinn returned to the room. “I need to request a relocation.”
“You can only do that under exceptional circumstances. The two of you are meant to be helping each other get through this year. Th
at’s the whole idea of pairing everyone.” Kiani looked from Flinn to Kade. “I did warn you at the start of the year that personality clashes wouldn’t be tolerated.”
“My mage doesn’t live in this town. I need to be closer to her to protect her,” Flinn said.
“Can she move here?” Kiani looked at Crystal, who shook her head.
“I’ve already tried. I wanted to move with Amber. My parents were adamant this time apart would be good for us. They think we should expand our social circle.”
“I’ll discuss it with the assessors,” Kiani said. “I can’t promise anything.”
“Ronan wants a mage to help him take back his lands. You can’t leave Crystal unprotected. And she has to be home by six. You don’t understand how unreasonable our parents can be if we don’t follow their rules,” Amber said.
“I’ll have an answer before then. Information on how to create Dragon Mages would improve your chances of a favourable answer,” Kiani said.
“No.” Kade and Flinn answered together.
Kiani shrugged. “I can’t promise anything.”
When Kiani was about to leave the room, Kade reached out to grab her arm. “Remind them what Ronan was like to deal with last time he had a position in our society. He had a lot of followers and powerful friends. I bet they’d back him again. And he always had some plot in progress. With a Dragon Mage, even an untrained one, he’d be unbeatable. And he still eats dragon hearts. It’s not like we’d only have to put up with him for a couple of centuries.”
Kiani nodded sharply before she left the room.
“Wasn’t food mentioned earlier?” Amber asked.
Kade nodded then turned to Flinn. “Did you want something?”
“Your saddle and my mage.”
Crystal squealed. “Yes! I’m going flying.”
“Take more than your warriors with you,” Kade said.
Flinn sneered. “I’m not the idiot around here.” He grabbed Crystal’s hand, dragging her from the room. Crystal had time for a grin and a wave.
