Dragon Blood 5: Mage (8 page)

They didn’t leave straight after dinner. Rian came to tell them that Ronan had arrived to question their prisoners.

“Try not to let him hurt them,” Amber said to Rian.

Kade shared a look with Rian before he turned back to Amber. “It’s an interrogation, Amber.”

“Yes but-”

Rian interrupted her. “I will tell him he is not to kill them.”

She wanted to argue his words, but doubted he’d be able to make Ronan listen anyway. “Fine. I’m going to see my mum.”

“Where will you be?”

Amber pulled up the message on her phone and read off the address. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be. She’s at my grandparents’ place.”

“Take Daray with you,” Rian said.

“No. I’ll be fine.”

Rian stared at her a moment.
“I will be telling Ronan yes. I am your first warrior. I should not have been left behind today. I should have been in the Void watching over you.”

“Don’t do this for me. Only do it because you want to.”

Rian grinned fleetingly.
“Does it count that I want to do it for you? And for Crystal.”

Amber shrugged.
“I wouldn’t have a clue.”

“It must remain a secret. You, Kade and Crystal are the only ones Ronan will allow me to tell. Everyone else is to believe that I hid what I was, like Ronan did. Not even my mother or brothers are to know. Everyone will think that first Ronan helped me hide what I am, then I continued to.”

“Why won’t he let your brothers know?”

“In case they are jealous that he chose me over them.”

“Are they likely to be?”

Rian shrugged.
“Anything is possible.”
He looked towards Kade, drawing him into the conversation.
“I will tell you when I tell Crystal. I will inform Ronan he is not to kill the prisoners.”
When Amber nodded, Rian headed for the door.

Kade waited until Rian had left before he held out his hand. “Ready to go?”

“No, but I guess we should.”

“You want to remove any of your weapons first?”

“Not bloody likely. We’re going to my grandparents’ home.”

Kade chuckled as he took her hand. “I can’t get us straight there, so are you sure you don’t want to disarm?”

She hesitated. “I’ll leave my sword behind and wear long sleeves to hide my wrist sheaths. I’m not about to walk in there unarmed.”

Kade took them first to their room where they left their swords, and Kade slid a knife into his boot, while Amber pulled on a long sleeved shirt over her dragon-leather vest. Then he took them to a narrow grassed laneway between two houses, unpainted, timber fences bordering it. A taxi was waiting around the corner for them.

“When did you organise this?” Amber gestured towards the taxi.

“I got Maira to organise it as soon as you decided we were going.”

Amber turned to glare at Daray as he came around the corner after them. Obviously Rian had ignored her when she’d said she didn’t need Daray. And Kade must have known he was coming since Daray knew exactly where they’d be. She sat silently in the back of the taxi, between Kade and Daray. She had no idea what she was going to say to her mother. She’d even forgotten that she was going to ask her brother to be there with her. Quickly sending him a message, she waited for his reply.

It arrived just as the taxi pulled up in front of her grandparents’ house. She hopped out and stared at the brick and wrought iron gates that rose in front of her, an imposing brick house set well back behind them. This was her grandparents’ house? When Daray came to stand beside her she turned to him. “Can you collect Jasper? He’s at home.”

With a nod Daray strolled away. As soon as he was hidden by the shadows he entered the Void. Amber wasn’t certain if she should wait for Daray to return with Jasper, or go inside.

Kade joined her on the footpath. “Are we going in?”

“Maybe.”

“They probably already know we’re here. See the camera?”

Great. That was just what she needed. Striding forward she found that the gate was locked.
“How are we meant to get in?”

“Probably by asking. But I don’t think you want to do that.”
With a grin, Kade held out his hand.

Wondering what he planned to do, she took it. They entered the Void and Kade dragged her through the fence. She felt a moment of pain then they were on the other side, pushing their way through the Void towards the front door.

Kade pressed his hand against the door. “They’ve done something to prevent us from staying in the Void inside the house. Or at least entering while in the Void.”

“Alright, let’s do this.” The moment they were out of the Void she let go of his hand, knocking on the door. Before the door could be opened, Jasper and Daray stepped out of the Void beside her. She guessed Daray had also tried to walk through the Void and into the house.

“Who’s in there?”
Jasper asked.

Amber shrugged.
“I haven’t got a clue. We’re going in there blind.”

“Not exactly what I wanted to hear,”
Jasper said.

The door swung open and her grandfather stood there. From the look of it, she guessed he wasn’t happy to see her. He was probably going to be even more unhappy once he found out why she was there. “I need to see my mum.”

“Why? To upset her some more?”

‘None of your business’ probably wasn’t going to get her through the door. “If she didn’t want to see me, she wouldn’t have given me your address.”

“We actually need to see all of you,” Jasper said.

“Why?” Charles demanded.

“We want to talk to everyone at the same time,” Jasper said.

Charles stared at him for several minutes, and Amber had begun to think he’d say no, when he stepped out of the doorway so they could enter. He stepped back into the doorway once Jasper and Amber were inside.

“You’re not going to leave my friends outside,” Amber said.

“I’m not about to have dragons in my house,” Charles said.

Amber started to argue, but Jasper interrupted. “Then I guess we won’t be sharing any information with you. That’ll make Ronan happy. He didn’t want us to tell you.”

Amber almost laughed at her grandfather’s expression. “Tell Mum I’ll talk to her tomorrow. I’ll meet her somewhere away from here.”

Charles pointed at Jasper. “You better not be lying.” When Jasper shook his head, Charles stepped aside and let Kade and Daray in. “Try anything and I will kill you. Both of you.”

Kade glanced towards Amber.
“Looks like your family are as happy as ever to see me.”

She tried not to laugh and only succeeded in making a slightly strangled sound. The smile she couldn’t hold back, especially when her grandfather glared at her.

“I can throw you out just as easily as I let you in,” Charles warned.

Amber mentally searched the area, thinking he might have other Knights visiting to be able to speak that statement like he believed it was possible. She couldn’t find anyone. Not even her mother. It was like being in the Knights’ headquarters. She tried to search beyond the house. It was impossible now the front door was closed. “Where’s my mum?” While she waited for Charles to answer, she spoke directly to her companions.
“This place it built out of the same stuff the Knights’ headquarters is made from.”

“What I want to know, is how he got this house so quickly,”
Jasper said.

“Mum said they’ve had it for decades. I guess this is their house from when they used to live in Brisbane. Back when Grandad was the High Protector,”
Amber said.

Charles gestured towards the closed door on the far side of the entryway. “Through there.”

Amber led the way, opening the door to find another corridor. “Where?”

“Third door on the left.”

She hurried along the hallway, sensing everyone following behind her. When she reached the door she cracked it open, mentally searching the room before she swung it open. Seated around a table was her mother, Gary, Miles and Helen. Everyone except for Miles turned in her direction.

Donna rose, heading towards Jasper. “Your sister didn’t tell me you were coming.” She hugged him, kissing his cheek.

Jasper smiled. “It was a last minute decision. But aren’t you glad to see me?”

“Of course I am.” She tugged him towards the table. “Come and sit down. Have you had dinner?”

Jasper sat next to Helen. “I’m fine. We’re not here to eat. We’ve got some information to share with you.”

Amber crossed the room to the table, Daray and Kade on either side of her. She sat down, Kade beside her, Daray remained standing behind her. “We’ve got two things to talk to you about.”

It didn’t take Amber long to wish she’d waited to talk to her mother alone. Charles and Helen constantly interrupted with questions, arguments and demands. When Amber asked her mother if she wanted to become a Dragon Mage there was only arguments. Even Jasper couldn’t calm Charles and Helen.

When Charles rose to his feet to glare across the table and yell some more, Amber rose too. “Would you rather someone kill her? As long as I’m a mage, she’s at risk too. And we’ve already figured out that the only way I can stop being a mage is if someone kills me.”

“Will you stop talking about killing all the time?” Donna asked.

“I wasn’t. I was talking about dying,” Amber said.

“Killing, dying, all of it. Just stop.” Donna brushed Gary’s hand away when he reached for her.

“I’m trying to keep you safe,” Amber said.

“That’s not your responsibility.” Donna looked from Amber to Jasper and back again. “Don’t either of you understand? That’s my job, not yours.”

Amber slammed her hands against the table, wishing she hadn’t when she recalled her grandfather had done the same earlier. “Then become a mage. Take the responsibility and become a mage.”

Donna rose from her seat, holding Amber’s gaze. “Why? So I can become a killer like my children?”

Amber’s jaw dropped as she continued to stare at her mother. She took a step back, her mouth closing. “Is that how you see us? As killers?”

Gary rose to his feet. “Your mother doesn’t mean that, she’s just upset. Finding out you’ll have to face something worse than dragons-”

Amber interrupted Gary as Helen, Kade and Jasper stood up, leaving only Miles seated. “There’s nothing wrong with dragons. Or at least not all dragons.”

“Of course there’s something wrong with dragons,” Charles said.

Amber opened her mouth to argue with him then snapped it closed. There was no point. She was obviously wasting her time. “The lot of you can get killed. See if I care.”

“You obviously do care.”

Amber ignored Gary’s words, his soothing tone annoying her. She pointed a finger at Charles. “I didn’t have to warn you. I don’t know you, I don’t want to know you and I don’t care about you.” She gestured towards Helen and Donna. “I came here for them. And as much of a bitch as Grandma is, she’s still my family.”

“Amber! Apologise immediately,” Donna ordered.

“Oh, like you haven’t said the same before,” Amber said.

“We are not discussing my behaviour right now. We’re discussing yours.”

Amber shook head, staring at her mother. “Unbelievable.
Un-bloody-believable. I came here to warn you. To save your lives. And what do you do? Forget it.” She turned away. “Just forget it.”

“Amber-” Jasper began.

“Forget it. I’m out of here.” She strode towards the door, sensing Kade and Daray following.

“Amber.” Jasper ran after her, grabbing her arm before she could step out of the room.

Amber shook him off. “I’m going home, Jay. Do you want Daray to take you home?”

“Don’t go like this, Amber.”

“Let her go,” Charles said. “Running away seems to be all she knows how to do.”

“I’m not running away. You know my number if you’re interested. I’m just not sticking around here to waste my breath arguing.” She held her grandfather’s gaze a moment longer before she started to turn away.

“What about Miles?”
Kade asked Amber directly.

She looked towards Daray. “Take Miles back to Temolae Keep for me.”

Donna hurried towards Miles’ side, holding onto his upper arm. He didn’t even look at her. “You’re not taking him back just because you’re angry.”

“I’m not angry. I’m disappointed. Isn’t that what you tell me? And Miles has nothing to do with it. I was given some information that might help fix him.” Amber remained in the doorway. “Or don’t you want him fixed?”

Donna continued to hold onto Miles’ arm. “What sort of information?”

Amber shook her head at the suspicion she heard in her mother’s voice. “This just keeps getting better and better,” she muttered.

Gary moved close enough to Donna to place a hand on her shoulder. “Let him go. We’ve done everything we can. Nothing has helped. Let him go.”

Tears pooled in Donna’s eyes as she slowly let go of Miles. “He doesn’t like the dark. You have to leave a light on for him.”

Amber nodded, holding her mother’s gaze a moment longer before she nodded towards Daray who was within arms’ reach of Miles. He took hold of Miles’ arm, leading him from the room. Amber guessed he couldn’t use the Void from her grandparents’ house. “I’ll send Daray back for you, Jay.”

Jasper nodded. “Give me an hour. I’ll talk to them.”

Amber turned away again, ignoring her grandmother telling her mother to quit snivelling and stop being so weak. She’d barely taken a step when her phone rang. Taking it from her pocket she saw it was Rian. “Yeah.”

“We are under attack. Knight Mages in the dungeons.”

Just what she needed. Instead of fear or worry, weariness hit her. How had she gotten to this point? She tried to dredge up some fear. It didn’t seem right not to have at least a little. “How did they get in there?”

“We need you back immediately. They have already rescued one prisoner.”

“Okay.” Returning her phone to her pocket, Amber turned to Kade, taking the hand he held out to her.

“We can’t leave through the Void from here,” Kade said.

Nodding, Amber broke into a run.

“What’s happening?” Jasper chased after them.

“We’re under attack. Knight Mages.” Amber flung the front door open.

Charles followed. “Get back here and explain yourself.”

“Send Daray back for me,” Jasper said. “It’s my castle too.”

Amber nodded, then tightened her grip on Kade, meeting his eyes as they stepped outside. He took her through the Void, bringing them out in their room where they grabbed their swords. As soon as she’d buckled hers on, and removed her long sleeved shirt, Amber took Kade’s hand again. He brought them out in the dungeons, stepping away from her to draw his sword, attacking the Knight Mage that came for them.

Amber mentally searched the area, finding Crystal and Flinn already there. Daray was fighting nearby and she ordered him to fetch Jasper. Stanley and Wayne were in separate cells and the majority of the Knight Mages seemed to be around Wayne. And for some reason, she could sense numerous Pliethins. “This way,” she said to Kade. “They’re trying to rescue Wayne.”

She raced through the fighting, coming into Wayne’s cell in time to see them unchain him. She launched a fireball at him. One of the Knight Mages grabbed hold of Wayne’s arm and pushed their fingers into the wooden cage hanging at their neck on a chain. Dodging a blade, she tried to reach Wayne in time, turning into a goshawk to fly through the crowd. As she landed in front of him, becoming human, reaching out to grab hold of him, he disappeared with the Knight Mage holding onto him. All around them they began to disappear, touching their fingers to the wooden cages they wore. Amber felt Ronan come out of the Void nearby as she threw herself at a nearby Knight Mage, grabbing at the chain his cage hung from.

The chain broke and the man stumbled away from her. Another Knight Mage grabbed his arm and disappeared into the Void with him. She swore, glancing down at the chain wrapped around her fingers. It was all they had of the Knight Mages. They’d all disappeared.

Ronan strode into the cell. “How could you let them get away?”

Amber held up the wooden cage. It dangled from the chain. A Pliethin glowed inside the ten centimetre square cage. “They used these. Why didn’t you tell us they could use these?”

“I didn’t know. There was nothing about it in my grandfather’s books.” He glanced around at the warriors in the cell with them. “Get out. All of you, out.”

Kade, who was in the doorway, stepped into the cell, gesturing for the warriors to exit. “We’ve still got Stanley.”

“And that should tell you exactly how useless he is,” Ronan growled.

Rian entered the cell, Crystal, Flinn and Jasper following him, Daray guarding the door. “Or how useful he is. They did not even attempt to save him. They took the other two, but left him behind.”

“How does that make him useful?” Jasper asked.

“There is a chance he will want to get even with them for leaving him behind,” Rian said.

“We should have kept them at my place. Then I would have had the chance to talk to them for more than half an hour,” Ronan said. “But you had to interfere.”

Amber shook the Pliethin and it bounced at the end of the chain. “How can they use these?”

“Can we all use them?” Jasper asked.

Amber stared at her brother. Could they? She slid her fingers into the cage.

“No.” Ronan reached for her.

Amber stepped backwards, trying to avoid him. Everything went hazy. Another step away from Ronan who had stopped mid step had her feeling like she was pushing her way through water. “I’m in the Void?”

“Looks like it,” Crystal said.

“She’s still there?” Kade demanded.

“Yeah.” Crystal pointed in Amber’s direction. “Right there.”

“Get out here this minute,” Ronan ordered.

Amber looked at her fingers inside the cage, pressed against the Pliethin. There was a sensation of pins constantly pricking her fingers. Should she let it go? How was she meant to get out of the Void. “I’m not quite sure what to do. Do I just let the Pliethin go?”

“Amber wants to know if she should let the Pliethin go,” Crystal said.

“No.” Ronan, Kade and Rian all spoke at once, moving towards the place Crystal had pointed to.

“We don’t know what will happen if you do,” Kade said. “When people who can’t walk the Void are left in it, they rarely survive.”

Maybe entering the Void hadn’t been the best idea. “Then what the hell am I meant to do?” Amber demanded. She walked forward, reaching for Kade. Her hand and the chain passed through him. A shiver went through her.

“Amber?” Kade held up his hand as if trying to touch her.

“Yeah, she’s right in front of you,” Crystal said.

“Then get over there and drag her out,” Ronan said.

“Don’t even think about it,” Flinn said. “What if my mage gets stuck in there too?”

Crystal strode towards Amber. “Then you’ll have to get another one. I’m not about to leave my best friend stuck in the Void.” Crystal took hold of Amber’s hand. “Let go of the Pliethin.”

Amber willingly did. The world came back into focus and she threw her arms around Crystal. “Probably not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

“I want one of them,” Jasper said.

“We don’t even know how to use them.” Amber drew away from Crystal, the cage banging against her leg. “Don’t even think about it.”

Kade tugged her to him. “Like you shouldn’t have?”

Amber couldn’t help smiling. She shrugged. “Maybe.”

“Give me the Pliethin.” Ronan held out his hand.

Amber held the cage behind her. “It’s mine. I captured it.”

“And you were the one who nearly got stuck in the Void with it,” Ronan said.

“It’s still mine.”

“Don’t use it,” Ronan said.

She met his eyes, trying to think of how to reply. She didn’t want to get stuck in the Void, but being able to use the Void without a Gold would be very useful. “Were mages able to travel the Void back before they were all killed off?”

“Don’t try and distract me. It’s not going to work, Amber. Do not use the Pliethin.”

“I wasn’t. I want to know. And I still do.”

“Argue this later. We need to put Stanley somewhere more secure,” Flinn said.

“My place,” Ronan said. “This place isn’t secure enough.”

“We only had one cell that was protected from trackers and Void walkers. We put the unknown man in it,” Rian said.

“They shouldn’t have been able to find them.” Amber glanced around the room. “They had no dragon blood in them. I couldn’t smell it. They shouldn’t have been able to mentally call for help. Unless there’s things about Knight Mages you haven’t told us.”

Ronan shook his head. “You know everything I know about them.”

“Which doesn’t mean anything,” Flinn said.

“Grandad is definitely going to say no then,” Jasper said.

Amber shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. We’ve got other things to worry about right now. How safe is Temolae Keep? And what about Roy? Where is he?”

“Safe,” Rian said.

Amber was relieved. She had enough problems without having to worry about what would happen if Roy was harmed while in her care. “Make sure he stays that way.” She mentally searched the area. None of the enemy had returned. “Alright. Take Stanley to your place. I’ll be over tomorrow to have a talk to him.” And he better talk. She wasn’t in the mood for games.

“Hand over the Pliethin.” Ronan stepped forward, holding out his hand.

Amber shook her head. “No. It’s mine. Look, I’m not about to do anything with it tonight. I’m tired and I still need to see if I can heal Miles.”

“And talk to Mum. We need to let her know we’re okay,” Jasper said.

“You can bring it with you tomorrow then,” Ronan said. “I’ll expect you as soon as you wake up.”

“After breakfast,” Amber said.

“Make sure you do.” Ronan held her gaze a moment then disappeared.