by Avril Sabine
“I’m not going to make it easy on him.”
Losing patience, Amber snapped. “He’s not going to kill you. But if you don’t get me out of here right this minute, I might.”
Alsandair nodded sharply and stepped forward. Wrapping his arms around her, he took her into the Void.
Amber hated travelling through the Void, but at least it no longer made her nauseous. It was also the quickest way to get anywhere if you knew how to find the paths through it. And Alsandair did. They arrived out the front of Kade’s house, but it was empty. She searched it several times with her mind. It was always possible that Kade was there, hiding in the Void. Except Brann wasn’t there either. Mentally searching for Kade, Amber felt a tug from the direction of town.
She sighed. Couldn’t he have gone home? Typical. It was going to be one of those days where not one single thing went right. She should have expected it. Life had been too quiet. Of course it was due to all fall apart. She tried not to think about how to deal with her mother and grandmother. Once she’d solved her problems with Kade, then she’d worry about them. The dragon skeleton came to mind. Maybe.
It was dark by the time she found Kade at one of the local parks, drinking with a group of kids from their school. Brann was with him and Jessica was draped all over him, laughing at something he’d said. About to march over there and get rid of her, Amber hissed when Alsandair grabbed her arm, dragging her back.
Kade looked towards Amber, his eyes narrowing as he continued to stare at her. Brann walked towards her while Kade continued to hold her gaze.
Brann stopped in front of her. “Amber, you need to leave. And take him with you.” He nodded towards Alsandair.
Shaking her arm free from Alsandair’s grip, Amber continued to stare at Kade. “You better tell him that if he doesn’t come over here and talk to me I’m going to make a big scene and draw the kind of attention he really doesn’t want.” She sent her thoughts to Alsandair. “Leave.”
“I’ll be in the Void if you need me. Call out my name.” Before Amber could answer, Alsandair disappeared.
“I’m not waiting all night,” Amber warned, her gaze still on Kade.
Kade pushed Jessica away from him, rising to his feet. He strode towards Amber, stopping an arm’s length away from her. “Have you come to give me the life of your Gold Dragon?”
“Don’t be stupid.”
Kade’s expression darkened. “You’re mine and he tried to take what’s mine.”
“I don’t belong to anyone.”
“Then you won’t mind if I return to Jessica. She was in the middle of a very interesting proposition.”
“No.” Amber grabbed hold of his arm when he started to turn away.
“So it’s okay for you to kiss someone else, but not me.”
“I didn’t kiss him. He kissed me.”
“I saw you. I was there. You threw yourself at him.”
“I was giving him a hug. It was ‘thank you’ and ‘I’m so excited we finally got into the room’ and ‘I’m so relieved you managed to open the door’. There was never meant to be a kiss. I don’t know why he kissed me. I’ve never said or done anything to make him think that was what I wanted from him.”
Kade glanced towards Brann.
“What did he say?” Amber asked.
“Clueless human.”
Brann hurriedly spoke. “I didn’t say that. Well, not exactly. I said it was a cultural misunderstanding.”
“Clueless human, huh?” Some of her anger evaporated leaving exhaustion in its place. “I don’t want to fight with you, Kade.” She reached out a hand to rest it on his chest.
“Do I get to kill your Gold?”
“Stop being so bloodthirsty.”
“It’s in my nature.”
Amber sighed. “I’ll get rid of him.”
“You’re going to kill him?” Kade looked surprised.
“No. Of course not. I’ll fire him or whatever you lot call it when someone’s services are no longer needed.”
Kade took a step closer. “We’ll find you another bodyguard. One who knows you’re mine.”
“Stop saying that. How would you like it if I went around telling everyone I owned you?”
Kade closed the space between them, a smile forming as he lowered his head, centimetres between their lips. “Tell everyone I’m yours.” His lips met hers.
Amber slid her arms around his neck, a willing participant for this kiss. She eventually drew back, her arms still around his neck. “I think my grandma wants to kill you. And I’m pretty sure she no longer wants to marry me off to you. Something to do with turning her back on her family and friends to keep her husband and son safe. She thinks she’s being tested and she’s not going to fail them.”
“Someone holds her family as surety?”
“As what?”
“Hostages for her good behaviour. If she follows the rules set for her, the hostages are safe.”
Amber stared at Kade, speechless for a minute. “Someone? A dragon?”
Kade nodded.
“A dragon is holding my uncle and grandfather hostage?”
Kade nodded again.
Surely he didn’t really mean that. “For forty years?” It was nearly half a century.
“As long as they need to.”
Her family were prisoners of dragons? No wonder her grandmother was so bitter. “We have to find them.”
“Amber-”
“No. We have to find them. Would you leave your family locked up somewhere for decades?”
Kade shook his head. “I’ll see what I can find out.”
Amber opened her mouth to ask him questions about how he planned to find them.
Kade spoke before she could utter a single word. “But in return you don’t argue about staying with me until we find you a new bodyguard.”
“I don’t have assassins after me anymore.”
“No arguing.”
She started to argue, then wondered why she bothered. She certainly didn’t want to return to her grandmother’s house. How many people kept a skeleton in their spare room? Probably not many. And she really didn’t want to stay with someone who’d called her a traitor and threatened to kill her. “Fine. When can you start trying to find something out?”
“Forty years is a long time to be held as surety. Are you certain you want to find them?”
She hesitated. Her uncle had only been a child. Six-years-old. Had he waited to be rescued? How long until he’d finally accepted that no one was coming for him? “Yeah. I want to find them.”
“Okay. I’ll see what I can find out as soon as we’re home and you’ve gotten rid of your Gold. Completely gone, not just hanging out in the Void watching you.”
“I’ll meet you at your house. I need to talk to Alsandair and tell him-”
“He’ll already know. I’ll take you home.”
Amber slowly shook her head. “I don’t know how things are done in your world, but that’s just rude in mine. I’ll talk to Alsandair, he can drop me at your place and you won’t have to see him again.”
Kade stared at her a moment before he nodded sharply, striding away from both her and the rest of the people in the park, Brann at his heels.
As soon as the shadows swallowed him, Amber felt him and Brann disappear. She guessed Kade must have taken Brann through the Void with him. “Alsandair.” She felt him emerge from the Void, in the shadows not far from her, and moved towards him.
“I’ve notified Rian and Ronan that you’re in need of another warrior.”
“Why did you do that?” She felt her annoyance start to turn into anger and forced herself to remain calm. “Never mind. Look, I’m sorry about all this. You lot are very…” Her voice trailed off when all the words that came to mind seemed insulting.
Alsandair grinned fleetingly. “Bloodthirsty?”
“Yeah. Among other things.”
“I didn’t tell them what happened. It’s your decision what you say, but if you
could not blame this on me, I’d appreciate it.”
Amber recalled Maira once telling her that she was on her last chance as a warrior and wondered if this would cause a similar problem for Alsandair. Although she guessed the fact he was Gold meant there were more opportunities available to him then there were for Maira. Ronan was probably all that Alsandair was worried about. He’d been known to kill people who upset him. “What did you tell them?”
“That you wished a different warrior to guard you.”
“I want no warrior to guard me. That’s my story. I’m sick of being shadowed by people.” Sick of her life being turned upside down. Sick of feeling like she had no control over it.
“Thank you.” Alsandair bowed, flashing her another grin. “Are you ready for our last journey together?”
Chapter Three
Amber nodded, not knowing what to say. Words still evaded her when Alsandair left her, with another bow, on Kade’s doorstep. She continued to stand there, staring at his door until he opened it.
“Are you coming in?”
“I don’t want another warrior. I don’t need one.” When he looked like he’d argue, Amber spoke the words she knew would help her get her way. “Unless you don’t think you’re capable of protecting me.”
“Of course I can protect you.”
It took all her effort to keep a straight face. Dragons were so predictable sometimes. “Then it’s settled.”
“Not at all,” a voice said from behind her.
Amber nearly growled as she turned to face Ronan who’d just stepped out of the Void. “What are you doing here? I thought you were busy plotting and planning the capture of your own lands.”
“Walk with me,” Ronan ordered.
Amber felt Kade step close to her and she leaned back against him. “I’m tired. Can’t this wait?” Before Ronan could answer, Amber’s phone rang and she drew it from her pocket to stare at the screen. Her mother. Just what she needed. “Yeah?”
“Are you okay? I would have rung earlier, but I’ve spent all this time trying to deal with your grandmother.”
“Yeah.” Obviously her mother wasn’t happy with her own mother if she was referring to her that way. Amber guessed their argument hadn’t been settled.
“How did you disappear like that?”
She didn’t have time for an explanation so she said the first thing that came to mind. “Smoke and mirrors.” If Ronan’s expression was anything to go by, she needed to wrap the conversation up fairly quickly.
“Are you sure you’re okay? Look Amber, I didn’t realise your grandmother was having so many problems. I’ve organised a motel room for us for the night.”
“I’m staying at Maira’s place.”
“I’m not an idiot. I’ve heard around town that she isn’t there now. It’s that boy you’re staying with. You’re too young to move in with some boy. Do you want me to pick you up?”
Yet something else she didn’t have time to discuss. Ignoring her mother’s question, she focused on what was important. “What did Grandma tell you?”
“Crazy stuff. Now don’t change the subject, Amber.”
If she managed to get her grandfather and uncle back, her mother was going to find out crazy stuff was real. If? No, she was going to get them back. “What if I could prove that crazy stuff is real?” She felt Kade tense.
He brushed his lips across her ear. “You can’t tell the world.”
“Why don’t you come to the motel and we’ll talk about it,” Donna said.
Amber laughed. “There’s no need to sound like you’re talking to someone who’s lost it. I’ll see you after school tomorrow and show you something that can prove I’m not crazy.”
“Wrap it up, Amber. I don’t have all night,” Ronan ordered.
“Who else is with you? That didn’t sound like Kade or Brann,” Donna said.
She hesitated, not wanting to annoy Ronan, but also wanting to find out for certain what her grandmother had said. “What exactly did Grandma tell you? I bet you can sum it up in one word. Come on, Mum. What did she say?”
There was silence before Donna finally answered. “Dragons.”
“Yes.”
“End the call or I’ll end it for you,” Ronan warned.
“What do you mean, yes?” Donna asked.
“I have to go. I’ll call you back later, Mum.”
“I haven’t finished talking to you.”
“I’ll ring you as soon as possible. I have something I have to do first. Just give me a bit of time.” Amber continued to watch Ronan who looked thunderous at how long she was taking.
“No. We’ll finish this right now.”
Amber hesitated again, but this time she knew she couldn’t make Ronan wait any longer. “Sorry.” She disconnected the call and turned off her phone, slipping it into her pocket. Making her mother angry had to be a lot safer than continuing to annoy Ronan.
“Walk with me.” Ronan started to move away, not waiting for an answer.
“Amber-”
She turned to press her fingers against Kade’s lips, cutting off his words. “Please. No more tonight. I’m just-” she couldn’t think of what to tell him, then the word came to her. “Tired. So tired.” Tired of her life being out of control and having no say over what was happening. Tired of people wanting to kill her and tired of never knowing what to expect.
Kade nodded, reaching up to tuck a chestnut lock behind her ear.
Amber took a step back from him, then another as she continued to meet his golden brown eyes. One more step and then she turned, hurrying after Ronan.
“What’s going on, Amber?”
Ronan was the last person she would tell what had happened. He’d probably side with Kade and demand Alsandair’s death. Actually, there’d be no probably about it. “I’m sick of tripping over warriors, sick of having no time to myself and sick of everyone trying to run my life. I don’t need a warrior to protect me. I can look after myself.”
“I will get to the bottom of this. Didn’t you say you weren’t going to keep secrets from me?”
A plan started to form. “You’re really good at finding out secrets, aren’t you?”
Ronan shrugged. “Passable.”
“Who is better than you at finding out secrets? I need to talk to them.”
Ronan laughed. “You can’t manipulate me, kitten.”
“I’m not trying to. I need to find a,” she hesitated, trying to remember the word Kade had used. “A sure something or other. A hostage.”
“Surety.”
“Yeah. One of them. Well, actually two of them.”
“Tell me.”
“Why? You said you’re only passable at finding out secrets. I need someone who’s a master at it.”
“I think I’m going to have to teach you about subtlety. I can see your plan a mile off.”
Amber laughed. “Maybe you’re so used to everyone having a plan that you’re seeing plans where they don’t exist.”
“Tell me.”
“I really don’t want to have to explain myself twice. I’ll wait until I can find someone who can help me find the answers I need.”
“No more games, Amber.”
It was his tone rather than his words that convinced her she’d pushed him far enough. “My grandfather and uncle. They were taken forty years ago.”
“As surety for who?”
“My grandma.”
“Are they still alive?”
Amber nodded.
“You humans are so weak.”
“We are not.” The words exploded from her and she glared at him.
“To allow yourself to be trapped by another’s imprisonment is weak.”
Amber opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She’d be wasting her breath. He didn’t see the world the same way she did. “Will you find out where they are for me?”
“What will you do in exchange?”
Why couldn’t Ronan do something without expecting something in re
turn? Hadn’t she done enough for him? She already owed him a minor favour from when she’d accepted Rian as her warrior. She really didn’t want to owe him a second one. “I’ll bet you already have an idea in mind.”
“I’ll think about it. You’ll have to give me more information first.”
“I don’t know much. I’ll talk to Grandma tomorrow. If she’ll speak to me.”
“Why wouldn’t she?”
“She caught me with my hands full of fire and called me traitor and wants to know who made me.”
Ronan stepped close to her, tilting her chin to meet her eyes. “She’s a Knight?”
Amber forced herself to hold his gaze. “I don’t know, but I’ve got a feeling she isn’t just a collector of medieval weapons and armour. Not after I found an entire dragon skeleton in the other locked room.”
“What!” His fingers tightened on her chin.
“The d-”
“Do you know nothing? For how many centuries will I need to sort out your messes?”
“How the hell am I meant to know anything when no one tells me anything.” She pulled away from him.
“Only important members of the Knights are entitled to dragon trophies. To own an entire skeleton means you’re probably the leader.”
“Grandma runs the Knights?”
“Someone close to her does. Or did.”
A sick feeling settled in her stomach. “My family are Knights?”
Ronan nodded. “Dragon killers.”
Her legs felt weak and she wanted to sit down before they gave out, but there was nowhere to sit. “I-” Her mind emptied. “But-” Again her thoughts scattered and she shook her head. She had to get a grip. There was no way she could let herself fall apart in front of Ronan. He didn’t respect the weak. “We need to find out more information.” She couldn’t believe this was happening. So much for no more nightmares. She was living them instead.
“Call me when you know more.”
Amber nodded, her thoughts still half scattered.
“Go back to Kade and don’t return to your grandmother alone. Try and be sensible for once. I won’t have you ruin my plans to recapture my lands.”
