Dragon Blood 2: Wyvern (7 page)

Amber pushed away from Kade as she tried to answer her phone. She swatted his hands out of the way while she looked at the display.

“Hello, Ronan.”

“What are you doing right now?”

“Making out with Kade.”

“Do you really think I want to hear that?”

“Then why did you ask me what I was doing?”

Ronan sighed. “Are you busy?”

Amber laughed. “Didn’t I just say I was?”

“Amber! You’re trying my patience.”

“Then why don’t you ask me what you really want to know?”

“The assassin that is still alive says he’ll only talk to you.”

Amber frowned. “Still alive?”

“The other one died. When can you get here?”

She thought it best not to ask for more details on the dead assassin. There were some things she was probably better off not knowing, for the sake of her sanity. “We had planned to make an attack on the wyvern nest tomorrow morning.”

“Then you better get over here tonight.”

Amber stifled a yawn. “I’m already in bed.”

“Do you really think that matters to me?”

Amber sighed. “Okay. I’ll be there as soon as possible. But if I fall off Kade mid-flight tomorrow morning due to lack of sleep it’s your fault.”

“Strap yourself in properly and it won’t be an issue. And bring Crystal with you. I don’t know if this is a trap. I won’t have anyone in the Void. If she sees anyone in it, they aren’t mine. As far as I know, no one knows about the location of this house, but complacency leads to death.” Ronan hung up before Amber could reply.

She sighed as she dropped back on the bed to stare up at the canopy of Kade’s bed. “So much for an early night.”

“Don’t complain to me. I tried to stop you from answering the phone.”

Amber ignored Kade and rolled out of bed, taking the leather pants and jacket Rian held out for her. “Thanks.”

“I have contacted Orin so he can inform Flinn and Crystal,” Rian said.

“Why didn’t you just let Crystal know?” Amber asked.

“As I am your first warrior, I notify Flinn’s first warrior. It is inappropriate for me to directly contact Flinn or Crystal except in extreme circumstances.”

Amber grinned. “You’re my only warrior. And I’m sure it would have been much more fun to horrify Flinn by contacting Crystal.”

“You will have to learn the proper way to do things eventually. People have died from giving smaller insults.”

“That would be an insult?” Amber stared at Rian. “Seriously?” She shook her head when he nodded. “You people are warped.”

Kade grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back against him. “Extremely warped. Now stop trying to stir everyone. For someone who says they like peace you certainly stir up a lot of trouble.”

“I’m just joking around. Doesn’t anyone have a sense of humour these days?” She turned in his arms to look up at him.

“No.” He dropped a light kiss on her lips. “Now go and get dressed.”

They were ready within twenty minutes and Amber steeled herself to pass through the Void, with the help of the Gold Dragons Kade had organised to take them through. Neither he nor Flinn had learned how to travel through the Void yet, even though they’d both held a Pliethin.

Amber, Kade, Rian, Brann, Crystal, Flinn and Orin travelled to Ronan’s home. The rest, and that reluctantly included Jasper, stayed behind to cover for them. Shannon, Jasper’s Gold Dragon, was in residence with her two warriors to help take the wyvern nest tomorrow morning. Dragons were a secretive bunch, even with their allies.

“I hope this isn’t going to take all night.” Flinn said as he landed on Ronan’s rooftop garden and became human.

“Then I suggest getting on with it instead of standing around socialising,” Ronan snapped.

Amber strode to Ronan’s side and linked her arm with his as she headed for the house entrance. “And here I thought we’d even have time to sit and gossip over tea and scones.”

“We’re not going through the let’s be friends crap again, are we?” Ronan asked.

Amber smiled up at him, almost certain that he wasn’t as cranky as he sounded. “But I’m just so lovable you won’t be able to resist being my friend.”

“Friends are enemies who haven’t gotten around to stabbing you in the back yet.”

“That’s a sad way of looking at life.” Amber shook her head slowly.

“It’s realistic.”

“Sad.”

Ronan pulled away from Amber. “Enough.” He turned towards Crystal, who along with everyone else had followed them inside. “You shouldn’t see a single person. The house is empty apart from the prisoner. All my warriors are outside.”

Crystal nodded and started forward, Orin a step in front of her. Amber fell into step beside her, linking her arm with Crystal.

“I think your ability is so much more useful than mine,” Amber complained.

“At least you can prevent people from dying,” Crystal said.

“Yeah but you can see attacks before they come out of the Void at you.”

“Don’t you ever shut up?” Ronan asked from behind them.

Amber grinned at him over her shoulder. “Sure I do. When I’m sleeping.”

Ronan ignored her. “Turn left up here. It’s the third door on the right.”

Crystal nodded, her gaze darting everywhere as she walked. “It all looks clear so far.”

Amber really wished Ronan hadn’t interrupted her conversation with Crystal. Now she was left to think about what might be waiting for her. Was this a trap? And why her? Why couldn’t the assassin have told Ronan instead of her? Maybe Ronan’s cynicism was rubbing off on her, but she couldn’t think of one good reason why the assassin wanted to see her. Only really bad scenarios came to mind. Ones filled with blood and dying.

Orin opened the door for Crystal and stepped into the room and to the right. Crystal glanced around. “Only one person.” She quickly entered so everyone else could follow.

Amber managed to enter last, uncertain if she really wanted to hear anything an assassin might want to tell her. She stopped. A man wearing dragon-leather pants was chained to a metal stool that was bolted to the floor. Water dripped from his body onto a recently mopped floor and he stared at her out of one green eye, the other swollen shut. His body and face were covered in bruises and cuts, several still oozing blood to mingle with the water droplets. Amber fought the urge to reach out and heal him.

“Only her.” The man’s voice was surprisingly strong considering his condition.

“That wasn’t the deal. I agreed to bring her here.” Ronan drew back a fist.

“No.” Amber raced between the prisoner and Ronan. “Please. No more.”

Ronan stared down at her, anger radiating from him. “Don’t be weak, Amber.”

“I’ll see him with just Crystal and my bodyguard.” She held his glare with one of her own. “The three of us are more than enough for anything he might try. If he can try anything in this state.”

Ronan remained silent then nodded sharply. When Flinn opened his mouth to argue, he turned his glare on him. Flinn instantly shut his mouth. “Everyone out.” His voice brooked no argument. He paused in the doorway to face them. “No one can hear what happens in this room once the door is closed.”

Amber suppressed a flare of fear and nodded calmly. She watched as Ronan quietly closed the door, forcing herself to breath evenly and turned to face the man. “Why did you wish to see me?”

“When you first saw me, what did you think of?”

“What?”

“When you entered this room and looked at me. I want to know what your expression meant.”

“I wanted to heal you.”

“Why are you allied with Ronan?”

“Why did you want to see me?”

“Humour me. He’s not going to let me live, so what’s the harm?”

Ronan would kill this man because he’d tried to kill her. He wasn’t the one who’d stabbed Rian, but he could have been. She should want him dead, but she didn’t. “What’s your name?”

“Daray.”

“What did you want to tell me?”

“I wish to ask a favour of you.”

“I thought you had information you’d tell only me.”

Rian stood by the door, his arms crossed. “I think it is time to leave. He has nothing of importance to say.”

“I want to go too,” Crystal said from beside Amber.

“Please. My parents were renegades. I wanted better for my daughter. I thought this was that chance. Not once has your name been linked with Ronan. Most of us would have known better than to bother. Take my daughter into your care and I’ll give you all the information you need.”

“Oh no,” Crystal wailed, grasping Amber’s arm. “We can’t let Ronan kill him. Who’ll look after his daughter?”

“I think Crystal needs to leave the room,”
Rian said directly to Amber.

“But-”

“Do you need to leave as well and let me deal with this?”
Rian interrupted her.

She sighed. “Crystal. Let them know not to disturb me and there’s no need for you to return. Rian will be enough.”

“But Amber-”

Amber shook her head. “Crystal.” She met her friend’s eyes.
“I need to focus on what both Rian and Daray have to say. This is important.”

Crystal hugged Amber tightly.
“Don’t do anything stupid.”

Amber grinned as Crystal let her go. “I thought that was a given.”

Crystal laughed. “Just don’t.” She walked towards the door, a single glance over her shoulder before she left.

Amber turned to face Daray the moment the door closed. She couldn’t help herself. She reached out and took some of the wounds from his face. The swell from his eye, the cut from his lip and mended his broken nose.

“Why?”

Amber pondered Daray’s question and then shrugged. “I’m a healer I guess.”

“Ronan will not give you all night to make your deal. Tell us what information you have and we will decide what value it has,” Rian said.

Daray shook his head. “You could easily say it was valueless. I recognise you for his son. Now I’m looking into your eyes.” He turned his gaze to Amber. “Please swear you’ll see to my daughter if I give you this information.”

“What do you expect us to do for your daughter? Are there other family who would believe they should have a part in her life and what is her age? Where is she at this moment and what current plans did you have in place for her if something should happen to you?” Rian came closer, his hands clasped behind his back as he studied Daray.

“Does he speak for you?” Daray looked at Amber, but nodded towards Rian.

“He’s my bodyguard. He takes the position very seriously.” She couldn’t resist smiling at the understatement.

“I am her first warrior and I owe her a life. I will not let her do anything that puts her life in jeopardy.”

Daray nodded. “My daughter, Doneele, is thirteen. A woman she calls Granny has cared for her since her mother died years ago. Her mother was a renegade too. She’s my only child still surviving. And she’s Gold.”

“The best we could offer her is to become a warrior. We cannot guarantee to sponsor her so she can become a Gold Warrior.”

“But her children or even her children’s children may no longer have the stigma of renegade attached to them and can make alliances that will allow them to become Gold Warriors. I just want to give her a chance to avoid being a renegade. Being born one usually means you are one forever, regardless of how much Gold is in your bloodline.”

Amber looked towards Rian.
“What should I do? I don’t want the kid to suffer because of her parents. You know how all this stuff works better than me.”

“Amber offers you this. If you willingly give all the information you know, and it is of reasonable value, she will see your daughter is cared for, trained as a warrior and placed with a Gold Dragon at the appropriate time. All current family ties will be broken, even those to you. She will be an orphan of unknown parentage to prevent any possible repercussions of your current actions coming back on her. Do you need time to think on this offer?”

Amber couldn’t believe how much like his father Rian looked and sounded. A moment of worry reared before she brushed it away. He was different to his father. Maybe there were some similarities, but that was to be expected. He’d been raised by Ronan.

“I accept,” Daray said.

“Then who hired you to kill me?”

Daray looked towards Amber. “I didn’t believe the offer that was sent out. I decided to find out if it was true. I haven’t seen weight in gold offered in decades. I finally received a personal offer. I had a spycam hidden on me in case they went back on their offer. I can give you the location of where I hid it.”

“Who was it?” Rian’s words had an edge to them.

“Paili, the head of Coyle Clan.”

“You had better have flawless proof.

“Who is Paili?” Amber turned to Rian.

“Kiani’s closest ally. She knows you are somehow involved with Ronan, but does not know the details.”

“Kiani? Kade’s mum?”

Rian nodded.

Amber turned her back on Daray, certain her face showed the shock she felt. Was it only Paili involved? Had Kade’s family decided he shouldn’t have a mage? That since they weren’t willing to share how mages were made, then no one should have one? Amber desperately wanted to sit down. And possibly even throw up.

“Will you be fine?”
Rian moved so he could look at her.

Amber nodded.

Rian examined her a moment longer before he turned back to Daray. “I need the location of your daughter and the proof. Ronan does not need to know about the girl and we should retain the original proof. You need not worry Ronan has recorded this session, the material the walls are made from interferes with electronics. But I guess you have noticed the benefits are worth that inconvenience. No one can send their thoughts into or out of this room. Or enter it from the Void. No one can hide in the Void listening to us, nor can anyone kept in this room be found by a tracker.”

Daray gave Rian the information he requested and Rian ushered Amber from the room to where only Kade and Brann waited in the hallway. As soon as he saw her, Kade wrapped his arms around her.

“Where’s Crystal and Flinn?” Amber asked.

“Ronan sent them home,” Kade said.

Rian closed the door before he spoke. “Can you stay here until I return? I need to gather some evidence.”