Dragon Blood 2: Wyvern (17 page)

Wednesday lunchtime, Amber’s phone rang as she sat near Kade, finishing her food. “I’m at school, Ronan. Can’t it wait?”

“Time to make a move. I only really need you Amber, but I doubt your boys will let you go without them.”

“I can’t. I’ve still got classes this afternoon.”

“Amber. I’m not asking. You have twenty minutes to get to Kade’s house.” Ronan disconnected.

Kade took her hand. “I guess you’re about to get into some more trouble.”

Amber sighed. “I’m going to get grounded again.”

“We’re experienced at dealing with that.” Kade grinned. “Come on. Maira has the car ready and Brann and Rian are in it.”

When they reached the farm, it was to find Jasper there. He sat beside Ronan on a verandah rail, nodding his head as Ronan talked to him, falling silent as they approached.

Ronan rose when they all stopped in front of him. “I have enough Golds with me who know the shortcuts through the Void that we’ll all end up where we need to be. The three Golds with Amber, Jasper and Rian will fly to the courtyard entrance and drop down there to become human. Amber and Jasper need to turn them into berserker dragons immediately. We need them for a diversion.”

Amber grinned. “Berserker. It has a nice ring to it.”

Ronan sent her a look that clearly said shut up. “Crystal will be with me informing me of every hidden Gold. To make it easier, our army are all wearing blue vests.” Ronan clicked his fingers and warriors stepped out of the Void, dressed in blue vests and a variety of different coloured dragon-leather pants. “But if someone does attack you and they have on a blue vest, kill them. It’s always possible someone from Paili’s army randomly chose blue today.”

“Do we have to wear blue too?” Amber asked.

“No. They all know what you look like.” Ronan glanced at Amber’s companions. “All of you.”

“Other than a diversion, what’s the rest of the plan?” Kade asked.

“To listen when I speak. Paili must die. I’ll direct with Crystal’s help. Time to go.” Ronan motioned his warriors forward.

“Wait a minute. You spent over a week coming up with that? Surely there’s more to it than what you’ve said,” Amber said.

“Of course there is. Everyone has been briefed with the information they need to know. Now it’s time to put it all together.”

Amber shook her head. “How can we win with so little information given out?”

“Easily. Let’s go.” Ronan disappeared into the Void before Amber could ask another question.

“Great!”

Alsandair stepped in front of Amber, grinning at her comment. He held out his hand. “I would be honoured if you allowed me to lead you through the Void.”

“I hate the Void.” Amber took his hand anyway with a glance towards Rian who took the hand of another Gold. Suddenly Amber realised who was going to be a diversion. “Will you be okay? I mean, you’re going to be attacking the enemy with only two other dragons.”

Alsandair’s grin stayed in place. “I can’t wait.”

Amber rolled her eyes. “Let’s get this over with.”

They were in the Void longer than she expected, the air feeling like it was pressing in on her, and nausea nearly caused her to lose her lunch. She sank to the ground where they stood overlooking a castle, close enough that she could see the expressions on the faces of those who were on guard duty. None of them appeared to be expecting trouble. Amber, Jasper and Rian were hidden from view by a forested area, the Golds having returned to the Void.

Amber reached out with her mind.
“Kade?”

“I’m nearby.”

“Is everyone in place?”
Ronan asked. There were various affirmative answers. Amber bet no one would be game to tell Ronan any different.
“Send in the distraction.”

Three Gold Dragons stepped out of the Void near Amber. Still sitting on the ground, she looked up, relieved it was allies.

Alsandair held out his hand, helping Amber to her feet. “Attack me first, then Chait,” he gestured towards the Gold who often shadowed Amber. “Then Anrai.” As soon as Amber and Jasper nodded, the three warriors took to the air and flew the short distance to the castle.

Amber watched as they landed, well away from each other, Paili’s warriors taking to the air ready to attack them. “One, two three,” Amber called out the moment the dragons became human. “Next!” Within moments, the three men were dragons, wildly attacking anything that came near them.

Dragons flew in from four different directions, attacking the warriors that were stationed on the battlements and towers of the castle. Amber watched as chaos erupted. When Alsandair landed in the dirt, she started to move forward. Rian restrained her with a hand on her shoulder. She breathed a sigh of relief when Alsandair picked himself up, shook his head and launched himself into the air again.

“Amber, Jasper, fly in the front door,”
Ronan ordered.
“Rian, Kade, watch their backs. Amber check ahead before you enter. Warn if there is anyone.”

Amber took a deep breath and became a goshawk, her brother doing the same. She searched ahead, finding the entrance hall of the castle empty. Before she reached the large, timber doors that were open, Crystal darted in ahead of her.

“No surprises,”
Crystal said.

“Amber, find Paili,”
Ronan ordered.

She searched through the castle, her mind roaming from room to room. She felt a tug. Below. Paili was somewhere beneath her.
“Almost directly beneath my feet.”

Three dragons burst into the large entrance hall and became Ronan, Kade and Rian as they landed. Ronan ran towards one of the exits.
“Hurry up. Do you want her to escape?”

Amber, Jasper and Crystal changed into their human forms and ran after him. Amber was glad of her ability to keep track of people with how quickly Ronan ran. They passed several groups of warriors fighting and Amber tried not to notice the unmoving dragons she occasionally saw, glad she didn’t recognised any of them.

Ronan led them down a level and four dragons appeared ahead of him. “Jasper! Now!” Ronan threw himself on the floor and Jasper leapt ahead of them, throwing up his hands. A rush of air and sound travelled through the air and the dragons were thrown against the far wall, becoming human.

Amber noticed for the first time that Jasper wore rings on his fingers. Ones that Ronan has asked her to fill with power yesterday. Jasper had drawn on the stored power as his own drained away. Ronan jumped to his feet and Amber turned away as he finished off the warriors. She wasn’t good at this survival of the fittest stuff. Maybe losing her lunch earlier would have been preferable to the way she was feeling now.

Amber winced. “Do you really have to do that?”

“Never leave the enemy at your back. Now, don’t stand around. It’s not a party,” Ronan called out. They hurried after him, stopping outside an elaborate door that wasn’t quite closed.

Amber could feel Paili on the other side. “She’s in there.” Her words were a whisper.

Ronan pushed the door open. Paili held a large egg. Two Gold Warriors stepped out of the Void behind her. After a glance towards Paili, they started forward.

“I wouldn’t if I was you. Unless you want scrambled egg.” Ronan stepped forward. “Jasper! Amber!”

Amber raised her hands, fire pooling in them. She searched the egg with her mind and her mouth dropped open with what she found. “It’s a Gold Dragon. A little girl. You can’t kill a baby.” The fire disappeared from her hands. Jasper dropped his hands too.

Everything went crazy. The two warriors attacked Rian and Crystal. Ronan and Kade leapt in, becoming dragons. Amber and Jasper were unable to throw fireballs without hurting someone. Flinn flew in the open door and joined in, trying to protect Crystal. With all the confusion, Paili headed for a small door on the other side of the room.

Anger rushed through Amber. She wasn’t about to let Paili escape. “Jasper. Follow.” She turned into a goshawk and flew across the room, landing in front of Paili as a human. Jasper landed behind Paili.

“My children will avenge this. You can’t attack whoever you want, regardless of how you feel about me.” Paili continued to cradle the egg.

“You started this,” Amber said. “My weight in gold.”

Paili showed a moment of surprise before her usual haughty expression returned. “You have no proof. Without proof, this will be an unprovoked attack.”

Amber grinned. “Now that’s where you’re wrong.”

“I don’t believe you. None of my people would betray me.”

“Jasper, save the baby.”
Amber glanced towards him and he nodded. She moved at the same time as Jasper. She threw herself at Paili, becoming a goshawk and going for the eyes. Paili automatically tried to protect herself. Jasper wrenched the egg from her, landing on his side as he protected it from impacting with the floor.

Unencumbered, Paili grabbed hold of Amber who became human to try and fight her. It was impossible. The woman was stronger and pressed her into the ground, a hand at her throat as she tried to cut off Amber’s air supply. The sound of fighting still filled the room and Amber knew there was only her and her brother. Everyone else was busy.

She pushed her hands between herself and Paili, starting to feel light headed.
“At the heart,”
she ordered Jasper. Amber filled her hands with fire and forced it into Paili. Her vision went hazy then a dragon was above her, roaring in pain. Amber rolled out of the way as the dragon came down where she’d lain. Scrambling to her feet, she lifted her hands, filling them with fire. Jasper was off to the side, his hands in front of him.

“No, Jasper. Kade and Rian are over there,” Amber shouted.

“Amber!” Ronan, in human form, slid a sword across the floor towards her.

She dived out of the way of Paili’s wild attack, grabbing the weapon as she rolled past it. Struggling to her feet, she spun to face Paili as the dragon came at her again. Amber hefted the sword, wondering what to do with it. She didn’t even have a clue how to use it. An image burst in her mind from Ronan and she shifted her stance, sending fire down the blade as she drove it upwards, straight into Paili’s heart.

Fire burst around Amber as Paili roared. Blood flowed down the sword to coat Amber’s hands and arms. The fire singed the hair on her arms and heated her stomach and legs that were protected by dragon-leather. Paili collapsed forward, dragging her to the ground. Ronan reached her side, pushing against Paili so she could clamber to her feet. He pulled the sword from Paili, holding it out to her.

Confused, Amber took the weapon, resting the tip on the ground so she could lean against it. Exhaustion tugged on her and she fingered the topaz that hung at her throat, drawing power from it. Across the room, Crystal leaned against Flinn. Rian and Kade stood over Paili’s two warriors who knelt on the ground in human form. A glance in the other direction showed Jasper cradled the egg.

Ronan grinned at Amber. “To the victor go the spoils.” His words filled the room.

The two warriors, heads bent, rose and came to kneel in front of Amber. “Mistress, the castle surrenders to you,” one of them said.

Amber stared at them, taking a step back. “No. Oh no.” She turned to Ronan. “No.” She shook her head.

“Well, if you’re rejecting their offer of surrender as the one who did the planning, I will accept,” Ronan said.

Rian was at her side in seconds. “She never rejected it. Amber has figured out what you tried to do. As Amber’s first warrior I accept the surrender. See to the injured.”

“But-”Amber started to say.

“What she’s trying to say is we work as a team,” Flinn said. “The victory is shared between the Dragon Mages and their Gold Dragons.”

“And who here is Jasper’s Gold Dragon?” Ronan asked. “Shannon wasn’t in this fight.”

Amber wanted to tell everyone to shut up for a minute. She needed time to think, but Paili’s two warriors were still there and Ronan was plotting as usual. How could she deal with a castle? She could barely handle the thought of a five bedroom house. Kade, Flinn, Jasper and Crystal moved to stand beside her.

Kade slid an arm around Amber’s waist. “If the heir is in residence you have ten minutes to remove him. Close the door behind you.”

The two warriors hurried out of the room, shutting the door. Amber pulled away from Kade, turning to Ronan now there was no one else to witness. She hoped. Keeping her eyes on Ronan, she asked, “Is the room clear, Crystal?”

“Yeah. No one playing hide and seek.”

“What are you trying to do, Ronan? This isn’t your castle.”

“It belongs to a seven-year-old. Paili believes only Gold can inherit. She has several children, but she disinherited them all in favour of her only child born Gold. If you leave it in his hands, the first dragon who comes along will own it. How well do you think he could defend the place? As it is, before morning every other castle she owned will be in the hands of someone else. Probably those of her clan. This one we can claim. No one would support the kid.”

Amber glared at Ronan. “So we just kick him out of his home? And what about her daughter?”

“They can take the unhatched egg with the boy. But no one will bother with her. She wouldn’t be worth their time.”

“She’s a baby!”

“Forget about the egg. Who gets the castle?” Flinn pointed towards Ronan. “He’ll have a castle at the end of the year. He doesn’t need this one too.”

“What does it matter who gets it?” Ronan asked. “It’s another test done for you anyway.”

“Test? But don’t you have to get approval first?” Amber looked from Flinn to Ronan.

Ronan nodded. “That was Flinn’s condition for using Crystal.”

“We were waiting around for approval?” Amber demanded.

“No. We had approval. We were waiting for Paili to come here. I knew she wouldn’t go into hiding without the egg,” Ronan said. “And I had to make sure she thought she needed to hide. I wanted her to believe that I knew what she’d done and was coming for her. But I wanted her to think it was only me coming after her. I didn’t want her too well prepared.”

“Who gets the castle,” Flinn asked again.

Amber turned on him. “Forget the castle!”