by Avril Sabine
Crystal stepped out of the Void beside him. “What?”
“You were in the Void.”
“No I wasn’t. The moment I reached out for him he disappeared then reappeared further along the hallway. I’d nearly reached him when you called him out.”
She stared at her friend, not sure if she should laugh at Crystal’s disgruntled expression or try and convince her she’d entered the Void, without any help. “Uhm, Crystal, you disappeared.”
The disgruntled expression was replaced by excitement. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Didn’t it look any different to you? Didn’t it feel harder to walk along the hallway?”
“No, I don’t have that problem. When I’m in the Void, it’s Flinn who slows me down. He can’t move as quick as I can. The Void feels like walking around here. Just the very tiniest bit of haze over everything.” Crystal grinned. “I can’t believe I entered the Void on my own.” Then she frowned. “I have no idea how I did it. Make your warrior go back into the Void.”
When Daray looked at her, Amber nodded. He disappeared. She chuckled as Crystal muttered and stretched out her hand, dropped it again, paced back and forth a couple of times and then disappeared. “You’re gone.”
Crystal reappeared. “I am?”
“No, you’re back again.”
Crystal swore. “You might as well call Daray back out. I have no idea how I did that. I’ll work on it later with Flinn. Anyway,” she drew the word out, “Let’s go to the fountain.” She shot a glare towards Daray. “Since some people don’t believe in giving a person any privacy.”
“Would you like me to take you there?” Daray asked.
“You might as well make yourself useful,” Crystal muttered.
Daray continued to look towards Amber, waiting for her to speak.
Amber barely managed to hold back a smile at the noise Crystal made when Daray ignored her comment. She nodded. “Take Crystal first.”
“I was told not to leave you alone,” Daray said.
Crystal glanced around the hallway. “There’s no one else in the Void.”
“Take Crystal. I’ll be fine. You won’t be long.”
Daray reached for Crystal and disappeared, reappearing a minute later on his own. He held out his hand, waiting for Amber to take it before he took her through the Void to the fountain.
Crystal was sitting on the edge of the fountain, swinging one of her legs back and forth, the heel of her boot hitting the stonework of the fountain. “Now maybe we can talk. Without a million people listening in.” She shot a look towards Daray.
Amber sat beside her, waiting until Daray had retreated several metres before she spoke. “What did Rian say?”
Crystal grinned. “Wouldn’t you rather hear how good he can kiss?”
Amber laughed. “Sure.”
Crystal threw her arms around Amber. “I can’t believe he kissed me. Whatever you said to him convinced him to stop saying no to us.”
“All I did was fire him.”
“Are you sure?” Crystal drew away from her. “Seriously?”
Amber nodded. “Yeah, but he said he wasn’t.”
“That sounds like him.” Crystal continued to grin. “I can’t believe how happy I am. I seriously didn’t think I could get any happier than I was. Absolutely nothing could steal my happy.”
“Well…” Amber drew the word out.
“Oh please don’t,” Crystal begged.
“Should I start with the good news first?”
“There’s good news?”
Amber nodded.
“Ronan’s involved and there’s good news?”
Amber laughed at the disbelief in Crystal’s voice and in her expression. “Yeah. There’s good news. Although I don’t think Ronan thought it was good news.”
“That makes more sense. What is it?”
“We can tell Inge. And we can make her a mage if she wants.”
“Inge? Our Inge. As in Angela, in Brisbane.”
“Yep.”
“Now?”
Amber laughed again. “No, not right now. Later.”
“I can’t wait. Do you know how hard it’s been not to tell her? And she’s annoyed with you that you didn’t go to schoolies with us.” Crystal paused. “What happens if she’s not interested?”
“What do you mean?”
“Will Ronan do anything to her if she knows about dragons, but isn’t interested in becoming a mage?”
“She’s mine. It doesn’t matter how Ronan feels about it.”
“When are you going to tell me what’s happening?”
“Tonight. I’m just waiting for Rian to get some photocopying done for me.”
“Should I be worried?”
Amber stared at Crystal not sure what to tell her.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll look out for you.”
“How about I look out for you?”
Amber reached for Crystal’s hand. “We’ll look out for each other.”
“Deal.” She squeezed Amber’s hand. “Now are you going to tell me why we’re allowed to tell Inge about dragons?
Amber shook her head. “Nice try. You’re going to have to wait until Rian comes back with the photocopies.”
“That’ll be ages away,” Crystal grumbled.
“I doubt it. Not with how efficient Rian is.”
“Well he better hurry up, because I’m dying to know.”
Amber really wished Crystal hadn’t used that exact phrase. She didn’t want to think about anybody dying, let alone Crystal. “He’ll be back soon enough and then you can read all about the latest surprise Ronan has for us. But I wouldn’t look too closely at the pictures if I were you. They’ll probably give you nightmares.”
“That’s just what I need,” Crystal said dryly.
“We’ll meet tomorrow morning and discuss it. All of us, including Jasper, Flinn and Rian. But no other warriors for now.”
“Flinn isn’t going to like that. If you get to have your first warrior there he’ll want his,” Crystal said.
“He won’t be there as my first warrior. He’ll be there as co-owner of Temolae Keep.”
“He’s still not going to like it.”
Amber shrugged. “That’s his problem.” She wasn’t about to tell Rian that he couldn’t come to the meeting tomorrow because it’d upset Flinn. A lot of things upset Flinn. He’d just have to get over them.
* * *
Amber felt like closing her eyes and hitting her head against the table in the planning room. Why had she thought involving Flinn would be a good idea? All it was doing was ruining her morning. Instead of closing her eyes, she glared at him across the table. “I believe him.” Out of everyone she’d given the book to, he’d been the only one who’d doubted the truth of what he’d read.
“You can’t trust a single thing Ronan says.” Flinn gestured towards the spiral bound pages in front of him. “This could all be part of a larger plan for him to become an Elder now he’s on the Council. Look how he hid that he was Gold.”
Explaining Ronan had only hidden that he was Gold until he finished making himself one wouldn’t help. It’d only have others wanting to learn his secret. “He doesn’t need to tell us all his business. Just like I’m sure you don’t tell us all of yours.”
“Can we return to the question no one has answered yet? Does anyone have suggestions of where we can recruit humans for Dragon Mages?” Rian asked.
“Humans are weak, useless creatures,” Flinn said.
“We are not.” Crystal glared at Flinn, then turned to Rian to nod slightly.
Amber fleetingly wondered what Rian said to Crystal. “Since no one seems to have any other ideas, I’m thinking of talking to a couple of Knights about it.”
“You can’t trust Knights,” Flinn said.
“I’ve been told I can’t trust you either.”
“Who said that?” Flinn demanded.
Amber grinned “R
onan.”
“You’d be an idiot to trust a Knight. I can’t think of a single Knight that doesn’t want to kill you, including your grandparents,” Flinn said.
She refused to let his words bother her. “I guess I just tend to have that effect on people.” She smiled, mimicking Ronan’s predatory one. “How about you? Feeling murderous?”
“Don’t torment him, Amber,” Kade said directly to her.
“You’re going to end up getting us all killed. I’m not about to let you involve my mage in a suicide mission,” Flinn said.
“I’ll do what I want,” Crystal snapped.
Flinn glared at Crystal. “Shut up.”
Crystal started to rise to her feet, but Rian, who was beside her, put a hand on her arm and she remained seated.
Flinn leapt to his feet. “Get your hand off my mage. I’ve already told you to stay away from her.”
Amber rose to her feet, slamming her hands against the table. “You do not own Crystal. We told you that at the start.”
“Then get me a mage I can own. One who’ll do as they’re told. One who knows their place,” Flinn said.
As her frustration and anger increased, Amber had to force the panther from escaping. “You don’t want a mage like that. You want someone who can fight with you. A mage who’ll have your back and won’t need to be told what to do all the time.”
“A mage willing to be owned would be a weak human and you’d end up despising them,” Jasper said.
“Better than one that’d get you killed by not following orders.” Flinn remained standing.
Amber stayed on her feet too. “I’ve got other things to do today. Did you have any actual questions, or did you only want to argue?”
“I’ve got a question. How long have we got before all hell breaks loose?” Jasper grinned.
Amber reluctantly smiled, shaking her head. “I can’t believe you went there.”
Jasper continued to grin. “Someone had to.”
Crystal giggled.
Amber’s smile faded. “I have no idea. But I don’t think we’re going to have very long to get ready.”
“That’s what I thought.” Jasper spoke directly to Amber, “Do you want me to work with Flinn? I don’t have a Gold.”
“No. Not for now anyway.” Amber glanced around the table. “Any other questions?” She shot a look at her brother. “Real questions.” When everyone shook their head, she straightened. “I’ll let you all know when I have any news. I’ve got to organise a meeting with some Knights.”
“You are not going on your own,” Rian said.
“Of course not. I’ll take Kade with me.”
“And Daray.”
Amber shook her head. “Only Kade. They’ll be wary enough without me taking a heap of people with me.”
Flinn pointed at her. “Don’t forget, if you get yourself killed the deal with Ronan is over and you’re putting Crystal in danger from him.”
“I’m not planning to get myself killed. I’ve also got better things to do than sit around here listening to you complain. I need to ring a couple of people.” She strode from the room, feeling Kade follow her. She’d ring Roy first and then Angela and Shylah. After that, she should probably have a talk to her mother. She had no idea how that conversation was going to go and guessed she should probably make sure Jasper was there too. And maybe her grandparents. She’d have to let them know about the Hell Hounds. Although she should probably keep the fact she was going to help Ronan break the binding, to herself. Some of the rest she’d tell them.
Chapter Six
It wasn’t until that afternoon Amber, Crystal, Kade and Flinn were able to see Angela. They met her at her house, which they had all to themselves since her mother was still at work.
Telling Angela hadn’t been as difficult as Amber had thought, but she’d been full of questions, including one in particular that Amber hadn’t expected.
“And Flinn’s not your boyfriend?” Angela asked Crystal again.
Crystal rolled her eyes. “I’ve already told you, it’s Rian.”
“I haven’t agreed to that,” Flinn said.
“But Flinn’s never been your boyfriend. That’s just something you made up to explain why you were hanging out with him so much and moved in with him,” Angela said.
“This is probably why we stopped making Dragon Mages. You humans are irrational. They,” Flinn gestured towards Amber and Crystal, “showed you what they can do. Kade turned into a dragon and all you can worry about is who Crystal’s lover is.”
“Slow down,” Crystal said. “We’ve barely gotten together and at the speed you’re moving our relationship along we’ll be married with kids by the end of the month.”
Flinn growled, sending a glare in Kade’s direction when he chuckled.
Amber thought she better interrupt before a real argument started. “If you need some time to think-”
“Are you kidding me?” Angela grinned. “I so want to be able to do that.” She gestured towards Amber’s hands. “Show me again?”
When Flinn growled, Amber struggled to hold back a smile as she brought fire to her hands. “You might not be able to call fire.”
“That’s okay. Ice and lightning are pretty cool too.”
“You do understand you’ll be involved in life and death fights,” Kade said.
Angela met his gaze. “From what you’ve said, pretty much everyone will be in danger once the Hell Hounds can come into our world again. No way am I going to sit back and let them get me.” She grinned. “After years of arguing with my mum about doing martial arts instead of ballet it’ll be good to know I picked the right activity. Sign me up.”
“It won’t be straight away. It might even take a week or two. We need to find other humans to recruit,” Amber said. Last night when she’d rung her, Shylah had asked to have several humans, her father had brought into the clan, turned into mages. She still wasn’t certain that was a good idea, but Shylah’s clan would free Roger from his promise and let him see his human family if they could have extra mages.
“Yeah, we need ones that won’t go to the dark side.” Crystal grinned.
“You know, I might be able to help there. I can think of four people I train with who’d be perfect. I’ve also got a cousin who wouldn’t freak and run for the hills at the first sign of trouble.” Angela hesitated. “What about our families? When all this happens, how will we keep them safe?”
“I don’t know. I guess we make sure we get to the hounds first,” Amber said.
“Do I get to pick what bird I’ll turn into?” Angela asked.
“What were you thinking of?” Amber asked.
“I love eagles.”
“No way,” Crystal said. “You want a bird that can manoeuvre really good in battle. Stick with a goshawk. We got lucky with them. They’re like the fighter pilots of the bird world.”
The rest of the visit was taken up discussing various birds, and their abilities until Angela’s mother returned from work. They left, promising to check out the people she suggested when she could get them all together. As soon as they were in a sheltered location, not far from Angela’s home, they used the Void to return to Temolae Keep.
“What next?” Crystal asked.
Amber thought of her mother. Eventually she’d have to talk to her, but there were other people she needed to see first. “Kade and I will visit Roy and his family tomorrow.”
“Why not tonight?”
“Roy’s uncles wanted to be there.”
“I hope you can trust them. I don’t really know them,” Crystal glanced towards Flinn, “But Knights are meant to be one of our enemies.”
“It wasn’t always like that,” Amber said.
“It’s been that way for centuries,” Flinn said.
“Sometimes things change,” Kade said.
Flinn met his gaze. “And sometimes the only change is that you die.”
Crystal stepped between them, looking past Kade to Amber. “Let
me know how it goes.”
Amber nodded and watched as Crystal followed Flinn, leaving her and Kade alone. After a moment, she turned to Kade, reaching for him. “Am I doing the right thing talking to Roy and his family?” Only Amos had promised not to kill her. She was pretty certain Roy wouldn’t and Isaac was fairly level headed, but Eliza… she wasn’t certain about Eliza. Particularly since she was about to tell the woman that more danger was coming. Danger that could harm her son.
“Only time will tell.”
That was what she was afraid of.
* * *
Kade brought Amber as close as possible to Roy’s house. They came out at the park where they’d met last time and walked the short distance to his house. The front door opened before they reached it and Roy stood waiting for them. At his side hung his sword. Amber eyed the weapon. She hoped the fact he was armed wasn’t an indication of anything. Like their intentions. Again she though of how only Amos couldn’t attack her. The others had made no such promise. Maybe she should have made all of them promise before she’d healed Isaac. Then she would have only had to worry about Eliza.
Roy silently stepped back so they could enter, glancing up and down the road before he closed the door. “They’re in the kitchen.” He led the way.
Eliza and Isaac were sitting at a round kitchen table while Amos paced the floor. All were armed and Amber began to wonder if talking to the Knights was a good idea.
Amos stilled when they entered. “Just remember I’m the only one who can’t kill you.”
Amber grinned, trying not to think about how that fact had already occurred to her. Again. “Does that still bother you, Amos?”
“You’re seriously not planning to stir him, are you Amber?” Kade directly asked her.
It wasn’t stirring. She just wasn’t about to let him think his words bothered her. She sat at the table placing several pieces of paper in front of her. They were photocopies of some of the hand drawn pictures of Hell Hounds from the journal Ronan had given her. “I’ve been told that an old enemy of the Knights and dragons will be returning to our world.”
