by Avril Sabine
“What are the chances he’ll go for it?”
Kade shrugged. “We’ll have to wait and see. He’s always been unpredictable.”
“The only thing that bugs me about all this,” Maira said. “Is we’re going to help him after he had us chained and locked up.”
Brann pulled Maira close. “Get used to it. How often do clans change loyalty in the space of a century? The people we’re attacking today could be our best friends tomorrow. You should know half of it is politics.”
“It still bugs me,” Maira muttered.
“Me too,” Amber said.
“Do you want to go and talk to your brother again before we go home?” Kade asked.
Amber nodded. “Yeah. I have to tell him he’s an idiot.” She grinned.
Maira laughed. “Good. Tell him I think he is too. Practical, but still an idiot.”
“Okay.” Amber rose to her feet and changed into a hawk. For some reason it was harder to change when she was sitting.
Chapter Twenty-Five
They were seated around Kade’s kitchen table. Ronan, Kade, Amber, Flinn, Jasper and Crystal. Everyone else, including Ronan’s two sons, were in the lounge room. So far there’d only been silence from in there.
“Are you sure you don’t want me chained and left in a dungeon for the rest of my life too?” Ronan glanced around the table.
“I considered it, but for some reason I didn’t think you’d agree to it.” Amber grinned at him.
Ronan chuckled. “I’m sure you did.” His expression became thoughtful as he turned to Jasper. “Putting you in the service of a young Gold makes sense. Some training is always a benefit. And I would have your word that you would all participate in capturing my lands?”
“You would have to list your request with the Elders so we can claim it for a test,” Kade said.
“You don’t expect we’re doing it out of love do you?” Flinn glared at Ronan.
Ronan shook his head. “End of the year will give me time to do all the planning. Hopefully it’ll give Jasper time to learn his abilities, although some of them can take years to make themselves known.”
“And you’re to share all the information you gather, regardless of how important or unimportant you think it is,” Kade said.
“Only regarding the capture of my lands.” Ronan turned his gaze on Amber. “You and yours are only safe from me for as long as you live. You get yourself killed and everyone is fair game again. And you cannot claim everyone you meet as yours. It isn’t limitless.” When Amber nodded, Ronan looked towards Kade. “I have one final condition. That I will be allowed to one more time consume one entire dragon heart. Either enemy or renegade. Beaten in battle by one of my people or myself.”
Kade’s fingers drummed on the table as he met Ronan’s eyes. He didn’t look away even with the conversation in his head between nearly all the others seated at the table. Only Jasper and Ronan were excluded.
“I can’t see him completely giving in on that subject,” Flinn said.
“How will that help him?” Amber asked.
“He can leave it at least another five hundred years before he has it, maybe even a century. He will age, but not like a human does. That’ll give him another one to two centuries in total,” Kade said.
Amber managed to hold back her grin. “Two centuries. The amount of time before he planned to retire anyway.”
“Take the offer and be done with it. We get another mage and we’ll learn how to take lands from the best. It should make our final test easier,” Flinn said.
Kade’s fingers stilled. “We accept.”
Ronan rose to his feet. “The Pliethin will be delivered tonight. I’ll send regular intelligence updates as I receive them.”
Everyone else rose from the table, unwilling to be seated while Ronan stood. Kade held out his hand, which Ronan took. “I’ll see you towards the end of the year.”
Ronan turned to Amber. “See me out.”
“Amber-” Kade turned to her.
She pushed him from her mind. Even though it had sounded more like an order than a request, Amber treated it like a request and nodded in agreement. She fell in beside Ronan as he headed out the back door. She sensed the dragons in the lounge room move to the front of the house. When they were far enough from the house, she stopped to face him, meeting his intense look. She remained silent, waiting for him to speak first, grateful for the practice she’d received when her father used the same tactic.
Ronan grinned. “No demands as to what I want?”
Amber shrugged. “I guess you’ll tell me when you finish playing your little game.”
He laughed. “I’m going to enjoy working with you. I don’t know why I didn’t take a closer look at humans centuries ago. But you always seemed such frail creatures with ridiculously short life spans that it never seemed worth the effort. And Dragon Mages were raised amongst their dragon clans. This is a more interesting way of doing things.”
“I hope you won’t be offended that I’m not looking forward to working with you.”
“Not at all. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge. We’ll be friends before my lands are captured.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Amber stared at him in surprise. That was the last thing she’d expected him to say. “Friends?”
“Of a fashion. At least not enemies, anyway.” He smiled, a predatory one that made Amber worry even more. “I’ve figured out you don’t know anything about being a mage. I’m willing to teach you. Think about it before you dismiss the idea.”
“Why?”
“Because it’ll benefit me.”
“Then why not Crystal or Jay?”
“Because I like you. And you’re capable of passing the knowledge along. Besides, Flinn wouldn’t let me near Crystal on my own and Jasper doesn’t trust me in the slightest.”
“I don’t trust you either.”
“Actually, I think you do. You’re standing here with me, aren’t you?”
Amber frowned. “Okay, maybe I trust you to stick to the agreement because you always keep your word. But that’s it. I don’t really trust you.”
“That’s enough. You have my number if you want to learn.” Ronan became a dragon and took to the sky.
Amber stood there, watching as he disappeared. She felt Kade’s presence before he reached her side, leaning against him as he draped his arm around her.
“What did he want?”
Amber recounted their conversation. “I keep thinking I should take him up on his offer at the same time as I’m telling myself I’m insane.”
Kade smiled. “You are insane. Do you know how many people, both dragon and human, Ronan has killed because they’ve annoyed him? Not angered, just annoyed.”
“Maybe you better not tell me.”
Kade sighed. He faced her, his hands resting on her hips. “I must be insane too. I think you should learn from him. No one else has the knowledge he has. I’d be within calling distance. Not hovering like Flinn would. You’d have the space you need to learn. Besides, he’ll keep his word not to harm you. He never breaks his word.”
She stared up at him for a moment before she wrapped her arms around him, pressing her lips to his. She allowed sensation to temporarily take over before she reluctantly pulled back. “The future terrifies me, but I’m glad you landed on my balcony.”
“Me too.” Kade stared down at her for a second before he grinned. “Does that mean you’re looking forward to wyvern hunting in a few weeks?”
Amber groaned theatrically. “Don’t remind me about it. You’ve still got to convince my mum to let me go for the entire holidays.” She smiled slyly. “You mightn’t be able to manage it.”
Kade shook his head. “Your brother says he has that all under control.”
“Huh. He would. I can’t believe how bloodthirsty he is about the wyverns.” Another thought occurred to her. “Where will we stay?”
“On clan lands.”
Amber grinned. “Y
es! I can’t wait.” She was sure to be able to find out more information about dragons, and Kade’s clan in particular, by staying on his lands.
“Neither can I.” Kade’s lips met hers again. “Two weeks where I won’t have to pretend things are platonic between us.”
Amber felt a thrill go through her as she thought of what that meant. Two weeks. She couldn’t get the words to stop repeating in her mind. “Being away for two weeks won’t interfere with your current test?”
“No. People go away during school holidays. It fits in with what your society expects.”
Crystal called out from the back door. “Are you two going to spend all day out there? At least get a bed instead of being exhibitionists. Otherwise, we’re waiting on you to start our war council.”
“Bed or war council?” Kade asked Amber.
She laughed.
He shook his head, amusement filling his eyes. “Maybe I better not let you make that decision. If you said bed I’d be left wondering if it was only to get out of making battle plans. Come on, time for a war council.”
Amber linked her fingers through Kade’s, walking back to the house at his side. She glanced around. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad staying around here after all. And it wasn’t even for a full year. As soon as school finished for the year she was headed back to Brisbane. Her mum wouldn’t be able to stop her. She could manage sticking around that long. She looked up at Kade as she felt the panther and hawk stir in her. Well, she could manage that now. Although she was still uncertain about how to deal with Ronan. But she better figure it out fast because she was absolutely certain he believed in survival of the fittest.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to everyone who helped make this series better.
About The Author
Avril is an Australian fiction writer who lives with her family on acreage in South East Queensland. She writes mostly young adult speculative fiction, but has been known to dabble in other genres. You can find more information about her at her website www.avrilsabine.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter to be kept informed about new releases, current projects, blog posts and exclusive news.
Free Ebook
Sign up to Avril’s newsletter to receive a free ebook. This ebook is exclusive to those on her mailing list. To find out more about this offer visit: http://www.avrilsabine.com/free-ebook/
*
We value your privacy and will not sell, rent, exchange or loan your email address to third parties. Your information is confidential and you are under no obligation to remain on the mailing list and can unsubscribe at any time.
Also By Avril Sabine
Series
Dragon Blood- Young Adult Urban Fantasy (with elements of romance)
Book 1: Pliethin
Book 2: Wyvern
Book 3: Surety
Book 4: Knight
Book 5: Mage
Stand Alone Series
Demon Hunters- Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Horror (with elements of romance)
Book 1: Blood Sacrifice
Book 2: Retribution
Book 3: Tainted
Plea Of The Damned- Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
Book 1: Forgive Me Lucy
Fairytales Retold (Short Stories)
Snow-White And Rose-Red
The Twelve Brothers
The Light Princess
Beauty And The Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Aschenputtel
Young Adult Novels
Young Adult Fantasy (with elements of romance)
Elf Sight
Earth Bound
Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Stone Warrior (with elements of romance)
The Jungle Inside
Young Adult Contemporary (with elements of romance)
Through Your Eyes
The Ugly Stepsister
Young Adult Contemporary/Paranormal
Whispers In The Dark (with elements of romance and same sex relationships)
Children’s Books
Dragon Lord (Preteen/early teens) (Fantasy)
The Irish Wizard (Urban Fantasy)
Short Stories
Urban Fantasy
Eternally Late
Dealings With Joe
Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
