Dragon Blood 3: Surety (7 page)

When Amber came to, her head was resting on Ronan’s lap and he leaned against the cave wall again. “Ronan?”

He looked down at her.

This time she was almost certain his eyes were different. “What have you been doing?”

“Sitting here waiting for you to wake up.”

“No. Your eyes. Is there more gold in them?”

“You think? I wasn’t sure.”

“What have you been doing?” She asked him again.

“Rest, kitten. Better yet, is there any power in these?” He lifted her arm, the bracelets jangling together. “It’d be nice to get out of here before night falls.”

“It’s nearly night?” She struggled to sit up, gasping at the pain.

“Stay still. You’ve got at least three broken ribs and who knows how many other problems.”

“We have to go home. Everyone will be worried.”

“They’ll have to remain worried. I can’t take us that far yet.”

Amber closed her eyes, assessing the damage. It seemed like the broken ribs were the worst of it. Drawing energy from her bracelets, she focused on one of her ribs, straightening and fusing it together, a sharp indrawn breath at the pain that radiated through her. By the time she’d healed herself, half her gold bracelets were empty. She’d been a lot worse than she’d thought. A pity she hadn’t been thinking clearly enough earlier to draw some of the stored power. But she’d been in too much pain.

“If you give me a minute, I’ll heal you.” She drew power from a couple more bracelets, thinking it was going to take her ages to store all that power again. There was no way she was going to bring herself to the point of exhaustion to fill them quickly. With the way life currently was, that wouldn’t be safe.

A few minutes later, she finished healing Ronan, feeling exhausted even after she’d drawn more power from her jewellery. Ronan changed before her eyes, becoming older, his gold flecked eyes turning pale blue and his hair darkening. “We can leave whenever you’re ready.”

Ronan stared at her silently. Several minutes passing before he spoke. “I don’t believe you. Especially since you could have gotten directions from anyone.”

Amber leaned against the wall beside him, wishing he’d let it go. “And risk having my throat slit?”

“I thought you said you were going to tell me the truth.”

Amber grinned. “Maybe I lied.”

“Amber.” There was a warning in his voice.

She had to make it good and something he could understand. Something that had at least some truth about it. “You’ve said yourself that you’re the oldest dragon in existence.”

“I am.”

“Then you’re obviously doing something right.”

“I don’t have all day for your explanation.”

“You never break your word so that makes you my only ally I can truly trust. If you die, who can I turn to for help when I need it? No one else has your experience.”

“That’s true. The younger generations are nothing like the dragons of my generation.”

Amber sat up so she could meet his gaze. “Why did you give me that power over you?”

“If I disappear for a while, survival of the fittest will take care of you soon enough.”

She smiled slightly, mentally searching for him. The tug was strong, like a rope tied between them. She strengthened it like she’d recently done with Kade, Crystal and Jasper in the hope she’d always be able to find them, no matter where they were. “I could probably find you.”

“Possibly.”

“You never have only one reason for what you do. You’re far more complicated than that.”

Ronan’s predatory smile formed. “I’ve outlived everyone. No matter what happens, I mange to survive it. One day, your Gold will die too and I’ll be there to take his place.”

Fear struck at Amber, wiping the smile from her face. “No! It’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let him die.”

Ronan shrugged. “Things happen.”

She pointed a finger at him, an accusation in her tone. “You’re not to harm him. We have a deal.”

“I won’t need to do anything. Life is precarious. Survival of the fittest, remember?”

“He will survive.”

“Maybe, but other gambles of mine have paid off.”

“All of them?”

“Not all, but enough.” He rose to his feet. “It’s time to go.” He held a hand out to her.

Amber struggled to her feet, ignoring his hand. “He’s mine and I won’t let anything happen to him.” A fierce, protective feeling filled her.

Ronan wrapped his hand around her upper arm his predatory smile forming. “I love it when you sound like a dragon, kitten.” He took them into the Void, bringing them out into his house.

Noise erupted around them, warriors all talking at once. Kade raced across the room to Amber and held her tight.

“I smell blood.” He pulled away so his hands could roam her limbs, checking for injuries.

“I’m fine now.” She grabbed his hands, stepping in close to him. “What about Charles?”

“He’s lucky he’s still alive,” Kade growled.

“What happened?”

“He tried to escape, wounded several dragons and broke some furniture.”

“Amber.” Jasper came into the room. “You better ring Mum. She’s been calling every half an hour.”

She swore, pulling away from Kade to draw her phone from her pocket and turn it on. “What have you told her?”

“We couldn’t tell her anything. You went to make the exchange and neither of you returned. Chait went to Feralenzi and said it looked like there’d been a battle. Are you okay?” His eyes went from her head to toes then arrowed in her on her chest. “Is that blood?”

“I’m fine.” She dialled her mother’s number.

Donna answered immediately. “Amber, is that you? Are you okay? What happened? Talk to me.”

“Give me a chance.”

“What happened?”

“We were attacked-”Amber nearly groaned when her words set her mother off. “Mum. Mum.” She gritted her teeth as she listened to how worried her mother had been and how she was never going to let Amber do anything like this ever again. “Mum!”

“Come home, Amber. I can’t go through another day like this.”

“Later. I need to see my grandfather first.”

“And what about me? I haven’t seen my father since I was three-years-old.”

“I’ll see what I can organise. I have to go, Mum.” But it took her several attempts and promising she’d return that night before Donna finally let her go. Sighing heavily, Amber returned her phone to her pocket, glancing around the now nearly empty room. “Where’d Ronan go?”

Kade shrugged. Jasper pointed towards the doorway.

Amber reached for Ronan with her mind. Locating him, she headed through the house, Kade and Jasper on her heels. She took a couple of wrong turns, only because her body couldn’t go straight through walls like her mind could, but she arrived in time to see Ronan hit Charles.

“Enough!” Amber strode into the room, glaring at Ronan.

“He injured my warriors.” Ronan met her glare with narrowed eyes.

“You better have somewhere else to keep him. He’s not staying in this prison.” It was the same room Daray had been held in when he’d been interrogated. There was still only a single stool bolted to the ground. “He’s my grandfather.”

“Do you claim him after all?” Ronan asked.

She still didn’t know if she did. How could she? He was a stranger to her. A dangerous stranger who probably wanted her boyfriend dead. “Treat him well or I’ll be forced to.”

Ronan stared at her a little longer, before he inclined his head. “I’ll organise a bed and some heavy furniture he can’t lift and use as a weapon. But he will remain shackled and chained to a bolt so he can’t attack whoever visits him.”

“Okay.” She turned to her grandfather, moving closer to look at the battered man, unable to prevent herself from reaching out and healing him.

Jasper joined her. “Does he know?”

She shrugged, meeting the sharp blue eyes that watched her. “We’re your daughter Donna’s children.”

“Better than if you were Roger’s children.” Charles’ gaze remained on Amber, but he nodded towards Jasper. “Is he a mage too?”

Jasper answered. “Yes.”

“Then I have no grandchildren. All five of you are dead to me.”

Ronan spoke from behind Amber. “He disowned you, now will you drop all ideas of claiming him?”

Amber ignored Ronan. “Dragons and humans are the same. We fight, love, hate, help, kill, have families. We’re all the same.”

“No. Not even close. They don’t belong in this world. It isn’t theirs. They think that because they have the power to walk between worlds they can wander where they wish. They can’t. This is our world and they have no place in it.”

Amber grinned at her grandfather. “Now there’s a dragon comment if ever I heard one.” She looked over her shoulder to Ronan who leaned against the wall, Kade not far from him. “Maybe it isn’t your teaching after all. It might just be in my blood.” Her relief was short lived, destroyed as she recalled all the dragons her grandfather had killed and remembered her battle with Paili.

“I’m nothing like a dragon,” Charles snarled.

Jasper shook his head. “Our family is so screwed up. Good thing Mum’s dating a shrink.”

“Please, let’s not go there,” Amber said wearily.

“Gary’s not too bad.”

“What’s Dad think about him?” Her gaze remained on Charles even though her question was directed to Jasper.

“I haven’t got a clue. We had a bit of a falling out.”

Amber spun to face her brother. “What? Why? And when did this happen?”

“Monday. The bitch he’s been dating let it slip that they’ve been together a lot longer than Dad’s let on.”

“He was seeing her behind Mum’s back?”

Jasper nodded.

Amber rubbed at her forehead. “I can’t think about that right now.” She gestured towards Charles. “What are we going to do with him?”

“Lock him up and throw away the key?” Jasper asked.

“The first sensible suggestion I’ve heard all day,” Ronan said.

“Do you really want your grandfather held by Ronan? We could transport him to Temolae Keep. Rian is currently preparing a cell in case we need it,”
Kade said directly to Amber.

“I don’t know. Let me know when it’s ready.”
Out loud, Amber said, “I don’t think it’s time for that yet. Besides, Mum wants to see him.”

Jasper gestured to all of Charles. “Like this? Do you really think she’ll tolerate her father being kept prisoner?”

“What would you do if we set you free?” Amber met her grandfather’s gaze again.

“Return to my wife. Did you give Helen my message?”

Amber shook her head. “I won’t carry messages of hate and revenge for you.”

“So if I asked you to tell her I love her and miss her, then you’d pass that on.”

“Yes.”

Charles stared at her for several minutes. “Then tell her I have never forgotten our wedding day and have always remained true to the vows we made to each other. The only regret I have is that we never had the chance to raise our son as a true Knight.”

“Okay.”

“You will pass that along?”

“Amber.” There was a warning in Ronan’s tone.

She ignored it. “Yes.”

Charles inclined his head. “Maybe there is some shred of humanity left in you after all.”

Anger exploded in Amber and it took all her willpower to hold back the panther. “I am human. And you and everyone else can stop suggesting otherwise.” She spun on her heel, striding from the room, Kade following. She was nearly outside, when Kade pulled her to him, holding her tight. “I am human,” she muttered.

“I know.”

She looked up at him. “Do you?”

He smiled. “A little crazed maybe, but still human.” He rested his nose against her cheek, inhaling deeply. “You still smell mostly human. A faint touch of dragon and goshawk and a strong dose of panther, but I think that’s only because you’re close to changing. Normally it’s only a slight smell of panther.”

“That doesn’t sound very human to me.”

“Of course it does.”

Amber pulled away from him. “I need to see my grandma before we go back to your place.”

“You want to go now?”

“One minute.” She reached for her brother with her mind.
“Are you right to get home or should I organise something?”

“Let me check.”
There was a lengthy pause.
“I’m right. Are you going?”

“Yeah. I’ll drop in and see Grandma first.”

“That’ll be fun.”

“Won’t it.”
She linked her fingers through Kade’s, wondering if she should say goodbye to Ronan. No, she didn’t need any lectures from him. “We can go now.”

It took only moments for him to use the Void to take her to Helen’s house. They arrived on her balcony, the location Kade was most familiar with.

Stepping inside, she looked back at Kade who remained in the doorway. “I won’t be long.”

“I’ll be here if you need me.” He crossed the room and dropped onto her bed.

Amber’s steps slowed as she crossed the room. The last thing she wanted to do was see her grandmother, but if she put it off, she’d probably never get around to delivering the message. It was kind of sweet and something she hadn’t expected of the old man. And telling her he’d remained faithful to his wife was sappy, but also really nice. She searched ahead, finding her grandmother in the lounge room.

When she reached the lounge room doorway, she stopped to watch her grandmother as she sat in front of the television, dozing in an armchair. Helen jerked awake, looking in her direction, her gaze narrowing.

“What do you want?” She rose to her feet.

“I have a message from your husband.”

“You’ve seen him?”

She hesitated. Telling her grandmother that her husband was her prisoner didn’t seem like the best idea. “Yeah.”

“What did he say?”

Amber closed her eyes for a second, trying to recall the exact words. “He said to tell you he hasn’t forgotten your wedding day and he remained true to you. Ahh, the vows you made. And he regrets not being able to raise your son together.”

“That’s it?” Helen looked like she didn’t believe her.

“Maybe I should have recorded it. He mentioned your wedding day. Your vows and being faithful to them and your son.” Frowning, she marked each point off on a finger. “Oh, and wanting to train him as a true Knight.”

“A true Knight.”

Amber nodded. “Yes. He regrets not being able to raise your son as a true Knight.” Helen seemed to shrink before her eyes, dropping into the armchair. “Grandma? Are you okay?”

“Where is he?”

“Ah, he’s still a prisoner.”

Helen nodded, her gaze distant. She eventually looked up at Amber. “Go. You’ve delivered your message.”

“Are y-”

“Go.” Helen’s voice was stronger this time.

Amber’s jaw tightened as she turned away, heading for her bedroom. “Ungrateful old bitch,” she muttered. She was halfway up the stairs when guilt hit her. She’d just given her grandmother the first words from her husband in forty years. Of course she was going to be hurting. She mentally searched for her grandmother, surprised to find she was now in her bedroom. Quietly heading back to the lounge room, her steps slowed as she approached the bedroom door. She really hoped Helen wasn’t in tears because there was no way she’d want anyone to see that. Amber listened, trying to figure out what Helen was doing before she interrupted.

“Put me through to the High Protector. I have some important information for him.”

“Kade!”
Amber raced across the lounge room, bursting into her grandmother’s room.

“This is Hel-”

Ripping the cordless phone from her grandmother, Amber disconnected the call, throwing the phone into the lounge room behind her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Amber?” Kade arrived behind her.

“What’s he doing here?” Helen pointed past Amber, at Kade.

“Is that what it was? A message to get in touch with the Knights?”

Helen smiled. “Not very clever, are you?”

“Then why don’t you explain it to me?”

“Amber, what’s going on?”

“She tried to ring the Knights.”
Then aloud to Helen. “I’m waiting.”

“Our wedding vows included avenging each other if dragons should capture or kill us.”

“And the bit about being a true Knight?”

“If one can’t ever be a true Knight, then they have turned to the dragon’s side.”

Amber swore. She didn’t have a clue what she was going to do with her grandmother, but she couldn’t leave her there to tell the Knights about Kade. There was no way she was going to risk getting him killed. “So that’s it? Forty years of silence and you’ll break it because of one obscure comment? Your husband is still a prisoner.”

“It was never about Charles. He always knew the risks and willingly accepted them. It was for Roger. He was a child. It wasn’t his choice. He was born to this and never got the chance to decide. That choice was stolen from him.”

“He’s married with three daughters. The oldest is Gold,” Kade said.

“You dragons ruin everything you touch. Everything.” There was a wealth of bitterness in Helen’s voice. “I kept quiet. They said if I kept quiet and never hunted another dragon he’d be safe. That isn’t safe. Making him a dragon was never meant to be a part of it.”

“It was his choice. They never allowed him to marry his wife. The two of them eloped,” Kade said.

“Because they twisted his mind so he didn’t know any better.”

Amber stepped out of the doorway, not wanting to hear any more. She had to figure out what to do. Slowly walking across the lounge room, she took out her phone, dropping into the armchair her grandmother had been sitting in. The television was still on, an ad playing.

Staring at her phone, she could hear Helen and Kade talking. Kade’s tone even, Helen’s full of bitterness. What was she meant to do? Reunite her grandparents? She swore again, dialling Ronan’s number.

Ronan took several rings to answer. “He’s still safe. I haven’t ripped his heart out if that’s what you were wondering.”

“What size bed did you put in the room?”

“King. I thought it might be a little hard for him to use one that size as a weapon.” When Amber didn’t say anything, Ronan spoke again. “What’s wrong now?”

Admitting a failure to Ronan was harder than she thought it would be. “It was a message to ring the Knights.”

“That was always a possibility.”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“I tried. You ignored me.”

She bet he enjoyed pointing that out to her. And it wasn’t like he’d tried very hard. “I thought maybe we could keep them together for now.”

“And give them a chance to plot something?”

“Can you quit being annoying and come and get her? I need to be home tonight and at this rate I’ll be lucky to make it before midnight.”

“I’ll be on your balcony in a second.” Ronan disconnected.

Amber put her phone away and stood, about to join Kade. The argument between him and Helen was getting worse and Amber changed her mind, heading for the stairs. She reached the bottom as Ronan arrived at the top.

“Is there anyone who’ll notice her gone?”

Amber shrugged. “I don’t know. Mum will. I don’t know how I’m going to explain it to her.”

“She rushed to her husband’s side?” Ronan reached the bottom step.

“This is so complicated. What would you do?”

Ronan’s predatory smile formed. “Rip all the information from their minds that I can and kill them.”

“Don’t even try,” Amber warned.

He shrugged. “You asked what I’d do.”

“They’re my grandparents. Would you have done the same to yours?” She shook her head. “What am I thinking? You probably would. After all, didn’t you eat the heart of one of your sons?”

“If my grandparents had wanted me dead, I would have killed them before they could’ve killed me. Why do you persist in treating your enemies as trusted allies?”

“They’re not my enemy. They’re family!”

“Family who want you dead.”

She stepped back from him as if struck. “She’s my grandma.” Her voice sounded small and lost.

Ronan advanced on her. “Do you want to know who my first kill was? It was my uncle.”

She held her ground. “Why?”

“My sister screamed for me in my mind, begging me to help her. I told her I was coming, but still she ran instead of standing and facing him. Ran straight into the trap he’d set for her. Then he came for me. I was all that stood between him and the land he wanted.”

“What about your parents?”

“He’d already killed them. My sister found them, my mother’s heart ripped out and missing, my father only recognisable by the ring he wore. I waited for him. Waited for Emlyn. He came with the sunrise, two of his warriors with him. And I killed them all. His was the first heart I took. So don’t you tell me about family. I know all about them. They can kill you as easily as another and stab you in the back just as quick.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I don’t want your human sympathy. You want to give me sympathy, give me dragon sympathy.”

“And what is that?”

“Revenge.” There was a flash of gold in his pale blue eyes.

Amber reached out to rest her hand on his shoulder. “I’ve already promised to help you get back your lands.”

“Then don’t get yourself killed before you’ve fulfilled that promise.” He looked past her. “I’ll take the Knight to her husband. If she’s to be in the same room as him it’ll be in chains too.”

Amber hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

Ronan stepped past her.

Amber’s hand fell to her side and she hurried after him, worried about their first meeting.

Helen broke off mid sentence to point at Ronan. “You!” Grabbing a sword from beside her bedroom door, she ran towards Ronan, swinging it at him. “Murderer.”

Ronan leapt out of the way and still Helen came at him, expertly swinging the sword. Kade rushed her from behind and Ronan disarmed her while Kade struggled to hold the wildly flailing woman.

“Grandma. Enough. Please stop or you’ll get hurt,” Amber pleaded.

“Traitor.” Helen glared at her.

“He’s going to take you to your husband.”

“Make me a prisoner you mean,” Helen snapped.

“I’m sorry. But you want me dead. What am I meant to do?”

“I want the dragons dead. If you help us fight them, the Knights would have a use for you.”

Amber stared silently at her grandmother. Her glasses were crooked, Kade still held her arms pinned at her sides and her eyes sent daggered looks to Ronan. Had she ever known this woman? It didn’t seem like it. “I’ll come and see you tomorrow after school.” Her words were soft, exhaustion making her want to curl up in bed and pull the blankets over her head for a week. Instead she kept her gaze steady and her stance firm. “No one will harm you if you cooperate.”

“I’d rather die,” Helen spat.

“That can be arranged,” Ronan said.

Amber faced Ronan. “She’s mine.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to think about this one too?” Ronan gestured towards Helen.

“No. She’s mine. Until she’s coming at me with a blade, she’s mine.”

Ronan raised an eyebrow. “But it’s okay for her to come at me with a blade?”

Amber couldn’t help laughing. “Are you afraid of a little old lady, Ronan?”

“No, but she better be afraid of me if she goes for you with a blade, Amber. Because you’ve just given me permission to kill her if she does.”

“Traitor!” The word was filled with anger and bitterness, cutting off Amber’s protests.

She looked from her grandmother to Ronan, with a glance at Kade who steadily watched her, still keeping Helen’s arms pinned. Was Ronan right? Would her grandmother kill her if she got the chance? Once she would have said no. Actually, she probably would have said hell no. Now she didn’t have a clue. Giving a curt nod Amber met Ronan’s eyes. “Take her to her husband.” It hurt to speak the words in the emotionless tone she used, but not as much as the thought that her grandmother might want to kill her.

Ronan returned her nod with an equally curt one, grabbing Helen from Kade and disappearing into the Void.

Amber didn’t care if Golds were watching her from the Void, her legs couldn’t hold her up anymore. She dropped onto the ground, her hands covering her face as she tried to figure out what she’d done.

Kade wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up. “I’ll take you home.”

Pulling her hands from her face, she stared up at him. “I can’t face another lecture from my mum.”

“You won’t have to. I can take us straight to my room.”

“How about the bathroom? I can’t sleep coated in blood, sweat and dirt.”

“No. I can’t manage that yet. You’ll have to shower here.” Kade took them to her balcony through the Void.

Once Amber had showered and changed into fresh dragon-leather clothes, he took her to his room where she collapsed on the bed, falling instantly asleep.