Dragon Blood 3: Surety (16 page)

Amber fought to remain calm. She sat down on the edge of a chair, then rose almost immediately. Everyone else had been taken from the planning room. She was the last one Ronan would need to transport. Everything else was in place. His two people were ready to create their diversions. Armies were ready to fly in as soon as they were given the word and Ronan had taken the last person to the crypt. His son Rian.

It was hard to believe that three days ago they’d started planning this battle. Now they were about to fight it. How did Ronan expect them to be ready for this? It was crazy.

She tried to sit down again, but she couldn’t stay still. What was taking him so long? When he stepped out of the Void, she jumped slightly.

“Ready?”

She nodded, unable to say anything.

“Are you certain you can do this?”

She forced herself to speak. “Yes.”

Ronan reached for her, taking her through the Void to the countryside near his castle. He pointed straight ahead. “The window is directly across from us.”

She could barely see anything in the shadowy night. “Okay.”

“Let me know what you find when you get in there.”

“Okay.”

He grabbed her arm again, tightening his grip as he turned her to face him. “Are you certain you can do this?”

Some of her fear was replaced by anger and she dragged her arm away from him. “Yes!”

“About bloody time. You sounded like you’d already lost. Now get in there and get the key.”

“This is definitely one of those moments where I feel like murdering you.” She glared at him even though he was little more than a shadowy figure.

“The feeling will pass. Or so I’ve been told.” He grinned fleetingly. “Now stop wasting time. Do you want your people to be caught?”

She didn’t bother replying. Turning into a goshawk, she flew towards the castle. As she came close the soft glow of lights from the windows helped her identify the correct one. Mentally searching the room, she found someone in there, a man. Swooping past the window, she saw he was in an armchair by a fireplace, his back to her.

Landing on the window ledge, she watched him for a moment before she scanned the room, spotting the desk. It was a large timber desk, dark polished wood with three drawers and brass handles. Another quick look at the man in the armchair showed he was still facing the fire. What was he doing? And what did it matter what he was doing as long as he didn’t turn her way.

Heart racing, she dived towards the desk, hiding under the chair, peering out. The man was still in the same place. She pressed against the back of the desk, becoming human. The space was a lot more cramped than she’d thought it would be. Moving the chair a bit, she peered out from beside it. The man hadn’t moved. A mental search of the area showed they were still alone. There were people in rooms nearby, but in this one it was only her and the man. Warriors hiding in the Void came to mind, but she dismissed that since no one had stepped out to attack her. Surely anyone who’d seen her wouldn’t have let her remain hidden.

Reaching her hand around to the front of the drawers, she grasped the handle, slowly pulling the bottom drawer open. Holding her breath, she flinched when it made a slight sound. The man didn’t move. She finished opening the drawer, nearly groaning at the tangle of contents she saw. Didn’t dragons believe in throwing crap out? Did they have to keep every single thing that had gone into the drawer for probably the past century?

“Are you in there? What are you doing?”
Ronan asked Amber.

She winced, remembering she was meant to have let him know what she saw.
“I’m in, under the desk. There’s a man sitting in an armchair facing the fireplace. I’ve got the bottom drawer open, but it’s full of crap, including at least three keys. What if it’s not in here?”
She carefully extracted one of the keys, glancing towards the man.

“That’s why we have the backup plan of dynamite.”

She had to find the key. Setting off the dynamite in that confined an area was a bad idea. Someone was sure to get hurt. Taking another key from the drawer, she placed it on the floor next to the other one. Staring at the man for a moment she waited to see if he’d move. He didn’t. Shortly she had all three keys on the floor in front of her and she was eyeing the drawer, wondering if she could manage to dig through the junk without making a sound. It was worse than playing pick-up-sticks when she was younger and she’d never been good at that game.

Carefully pulling out some of the junk, she put it behind her out of the way. Broken pens, a small mirror and a notebook came out next. She shook her head. Why couldn’t there just have been the key in the drawer. Maybe with a ribbon tied through it so she could hang it round her neck and fly out of there, without even needing to call Ronan.

The drawer was half empty before she found another key. This was taking too long. Surely there weren’t any more keys in the drawer, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave before checking.

Right at the bottom was a large, old key, far bigger than the other four keys.
“I’m ready,”
she told Ronan.

“I’ll appear by the window.”

“Can’t you get closer to the desk?”

“No. Be ready to go. I’m coming now.”

Scooping up the keys, she ran lightly across the room when Ronan appeared. She wasn’t quiet enough. The man spun to face them, rising from his chair as he did so. Amber grabbed hold of Ronan. “Let’s go.”

“Gair!” Ronan roared.

Amber held onto him when he would have crossed the room. “Let’s go.”

“He killed my son.”

Gair drew his sword. “And I would have eaten his heart if you hadn’t gotten to it first.”

“Please. Not now, Ronan. Don’t you dare ruin this. He will pay, but not right this moment.” She was relieved when Ronan met her eyes, taking them to the crypt through the Void.

“Did you get the key?” Crystal asked.

“What’s wrong?” Kade demanded.

Amber shook her head. “Nothing. There was someone in the room.” She held up the keys. “I don’t know if I’ve got the right one.”

Ronan took the largest key from her and unlocked the door. The moment it swung open, the two guards attacked, distracted by the explosion from outside that could be heard in the lower levels of the castle where they were. No sooner had they dispatched the guards than they faced more as they tried to leave the room. Fighting their way through the depths of the castle, they eventually reached a large room that was empty.

“There’s Golds coming in. We’re being surrounded in the Void,”
Crystal said.

“Pull them out,”
Ronan ordered.

“Kade look out,”
Crystal warned.

A Gold momentarily came out of the Void to attack Kade, who barely managed to block before the warrior vanished again.

“Pull them out,”
Ronan ordered.

“No! They’ll pull her in,”
Flinn said.

“What if someone holds her?”
Amber asked.

“I’ll hold her. Charles can take them out.”
Helen held her sword up, her back to her husband as she watched for the enemy. Ronan had given them each a drop of dragon blood to make it easier to communicate with them during the battle.

“Do it,”
Ronan said.

Helen sheathed her sword, grabbing Crystal around the waist, Charles at her side.

Amber felt uncomfortable with her grandparents wielding weapons, but it was a battle. She couldn’t exactly expect them to go into it unarmed. She only hoped they didn’t use their swords on any of their temporary allies.

Crystal pulled three people from the Void, Charles taking care of two and Flinn one, before she said, “They’ve all vanished.”

“You know the places you need to check, I have something to deal with.” Ronan vanished.

Crystal looked around the room. “He’s ditching us?”

“He might know where one of the dragons are that we have to take out.” Amber remembered Gair was one of the ones Ronan had mentioned they needed to kill or capture to be able to take his lands back.

“If there are no other dragons to deal with here it’s time to keep moving.” Charles strode forward, Helen at his side.

Flinn followed. “You’re not leading this attack.”

Amber nearly groaned. Couldn’t they hold off on their arguing at least until the end of the battle? She started to follow when Ronan appeared in front of her and grabbed her arm. She pulled out of his grip. “I’m not going with you.”

“He’s gone. I need you to find him.”

She turned to Rian who had stayed with her, shaking her head when Kade looked behind and started to walk back to her.
“Rian?”

“Go with him. If you can find one of the ones we are looking for, it will make it easier,”
Rian said to Amber.

She nodded.
“Explain to Kade.”
Turning away from Rian, she reached for Ronan’s hand. As soon as his hand tightened around hers, he took them through the Void and back to the library. The room was empty. She searched further away, trying to recall everything she could about the man she’d met for such a short time. “I don’t think I can find him. If he’s in the Void, you’ll need Crystal.”

“Wait here.” Ronan vanished before Amber could protest.

She swore, looking around nervously. For all she knew she could be surrounded by warriors. They could be standing right next to her and she wouldn’t even know. She looked around again, straining to hear the slightest sound, her mind searching the area. What was taking Ronan’s so long? Then she realised it was probably Flinn not wanting to part with his mage.

A sound behind her had her spinning, but she didn’t get a chance to turn fully when an arm encircled her waist, tightening around her, a knife pressed at her throat.

“What is his plan? He can’t take the castle. We’ve got too many warriors and allies are on the way,” Gair said.

Ronan appeared in front of Amber holding Crystal’s hand. He let it go and reached for his sword. “If I kill you and your brothers, I’ve won. The castle will be mine.”

“They left to bring back allies. You won’t be able to kill them.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to make do with you.”

Crystal gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she took a step backwards.

Amber felt Gair’s arm tighten around her even further. Her eyes met Ronan’s and she wondered what he thought he could do.

“Take one step in my direction, or even disappear, and I will kill the girl. Just like I killed your son. You won’t be able to save her either.”

Amber saw a flicker of something in Ronan’s eyes. Pain? Anger? She wasn’t certain.

“Amber? What do I do? If I throw ice I might hit you,”
Crystal said.

“Change. Become a panther. Now!”
Ronan ordered.

She pushed away her fear and spoke only to Crystal.
“Nothing. Stay out of the way. Watch for Golds.”
Becoming a panther, she twisted in Gair’s arms, landing on all fours as Ronan rushed forward, swinging his sword. The smell of blood filled the room and Amber fought the urge to feed, forcing herself to become human again.

“Crystal, check outside the room for Golds,” Ronan ordered.

With a nod, Crystal obeyed.

Amber mentally searched the corridor before Crystal left the room, relieved she couldn’t find anyone.

Ronan knelt beside Gair, who was still alive. He took a knife and plunged it into his chest, ripping his heart out. As he died, the man turned into a dragon, blood continuing to flow from his wound.

“Flinn wants to know where I am,”
Crystal told Amber.

Amber searched for Flinn. Finding him, she brought to mind the maps she’d spent ages learning.
“If you fly out the window of the next room and go down a floor and across two windows to your left, you’ll find him.”

“Do you need me?”

“No. Go.”
Amber watched as Ronan rose slowly to his feet, his eyes still on the heart. She didn’t know what he planned, but Crystal was better off out of it.

Ronan held the heart out to her.

“What?” She really hoped he didn’t expect her to eat it.

“Burn it.”

Numerous questions came to mind, but they didn’t really have time for her to ask all of them. “Why?”

“Burn it. Now. You won’t let me eat it, so burn it. No one else will have the heart of my enemy.” He threw the heart on the ground.

She stared at it for a moment, wishing it at least made her feel queasy. When had things like this stopped bothering her? Damn dragons messing with her life. She raised her eyes and met Ronan’s. “Tell me what happened when he killed your son.”

“He snuck in here ahead of his army. My son was holding the castle for me while I was away. He failed.”

That wasn’t exactly what she’d wanted to know. “Why’d you eat your son’s heart?” Ronan stared at her long enough she was almost certain he wasn’t going to answer.

“I arrived to find him ripping my son’s heart out. I took it from him. We struggled over it and I turned into a dragon and ate it so he couldn’t get it.” His eyes were drawn to Gair. “The courtyard filled with warriors and I grabbed my son and left through the Void before they could kill me too.” His voice was toneless, his expression hard.

Amber looked away from him, throwing several fireballs at the heart. Her gaze returned to Ronan. “Now what?”

Before Ronan had time to answer, Brann’s voice rang in her head.
“Amber! It’s Maira. You have to come and save her.”

She had never before heard him sound so panicked. “Take me to Brann.” She searched for him and nearly winced. “He’s in the courtyard.”

“Amber!”
Brann called her again.

“I’m coming.”
She grabbed Ronan’s arm. “Now. I have to save Maira.”

Ronan took her through the Void and they came out amongst heavy fighting, the sun barely risen. Brann had his back to the castle, fighting with a sword. Rian was beside him and Maira lay on the ground behind them, covered in blood. When Amber started to run towards Maira, Ronan pulled her back, taking her through the Void and appearing in a closer location.

Amber knelt beside Maira, pressing her hands against her, trying to heal her friend. “Hang on, Maira.” For a moment she couldn’t find life, then she did, faint and thready. “Don’t you dare go.” Amber continued to heal Maira, the sound of battle filling the air behind her. She drew more power from her bracelets, worried at how many she had to drain. “Please, Maira.” Her words were a whispered plea as she continued to heal Maira, hoping she didn’t become a dragon. The human form was so much easier to heal.

“Their reinforcements are headed this way,” Brann warned, then swore. “Ronan’s left us.”

Maira struggled to sit up. “Amber? What happened?”

Amber crushed Maira to her, not caring about the blood that coated her friend, relief almost overwhelming her. “Stay there. Don’t you dare move.” She pulled away, rising to her feet, turning towards the battle in time to see Ronan, in dragon form, reappear and drop Gair’s body into the middle of the courtyard. Above them a dragon roared and Ronan streaked higher into the skies.

“They’ve got reinforcements coming in from the rear,”
Flinn warned.
“We’re outnumbered. We need to retreat.”

“No,”
Ronan said.

“You’re not going to get us killed,”
Charles warned.

Amber stared at the dragon Ronan fought. The dragon who’d roared when he’d seen Gair’s body dumped in the courtyard.
“Jay. Meet me in the courtyard.”
She turned into a goshawk and flew upwards.

“I’m coming too,”
Crystal said.

“You’ll stay here,”
Flinn ordered.

“Not likely,”
Crystal said.

Amber said to Crystal and Jasper who joined her,
“The dragon Ronan’s fighting, take out his wings.”

“Are you sure?”
Crystal asked.
“He’s not a wyvern. He’s a person too.”

She thought of Maira who’d nearly died. There’d been too many close calls.
“They nearly killed Maira. There was a moment when I didn’t think I could heal her. We take that dragon out and I believe there’s only one more to get rid of and we’ve won.”

“Our army at the rear of the castle is being slaughtered,”
Flinn warned.

“Let’s do it,”
Crystal said to Amber and Jasper.

The three of them flew towards Ronan who was still fighting the same dragon. Other dragons tried to join in, but they were engaged by the warriors who’d flown to help Ronan. Amber struck at the wings of the dragon, swooping away when flames came at her. Again she attacked, barely making any difference. It was going to take them forever.

Her heart lurched as she though of what she needed to do.
“I’m going to burn his wing,”
Amber told Crystal and Jasper.

“Are you crazy?”
Crystal demanded.

“What’s she planning on doing?”
Kade asked.

“Sorry,”
Crystal said to Amber.
“I forgot not to broadcast. But the question is still the same.”

“I’ll take the left wing,”
Jasper said.

“Done.”
Amber ignored Crystal’s question, flying at the dragon, turning human to cling to his back near his right wing. She hurled a fireball at his wing, managing to throw a second one before she was launched from his back. Falling through the sky, she tried to ignore the pain that hit her as a dragon clawed at her, forcing herself to become a goshawk again. The pain was nearly overwhelming. She struggled to concentrate on her flying.

“You did it,”
Crystal said.
“He’s on the ground and Ronan’s tearing him to shreds.

“The army vanished from the rear of the castle. What’s going on?”
Flinn demanded.

“Cowards,”
Ronan said.

Amber landed on the ground, pain making it hard for her to become human again. She stumbled as she turned human, looking at the blood oozing from her side. The wound was worse than she’d thought. Hands held her, lowering her to the ground and she met Ronan’s gaze.

“Heal yourself, kitten. Hurry up.”

She nodded, trying to follow Ronan’s instructions. It was nearly impossible. She frowned when he held up her other hand, then realised he was telling her to draw power from her bracelets.

Arms wrapped around her shoulders. “Amber.”

She smiled when Kade spoke her name against her cheek, leaning back against him. She felt so tired.

“Amber!”

Her eyes snapped open and she wondered when she’d shut them. She felt her hand pressed against her side, damp with blood. Then she remembered she was meant to be healing herself. As her wound knitted together, she became more aware of what was going on around her. She was surrounded by worried faces, surprised to see that one of them was her grandmother.

“Did we win?” Her eyes were drawn to Ronan when he chuckled.

“For now, but they’ll be back. They’ll want revenge,” Ronan said.

“That’s not our problem,” Flinn said.

Ronan held her gaze. “Maybe not.”

Amber looked away. She should never have told him that she’d protect him. But what could she have done? He’d known something was wrong. She struggled to stand. “Let me up. I’m fine.” She swayed on her feet, glaring at Kade when he put an arm around her waist. “I’m fine,” she muttered.

“Come into my castle and sit down,” Ronan said.

She was beginning to get used to his predatory smile. That wasn’t good. “Why did they run?”

“It would have been because of Laren. He’s the weakest of the three brothers. None of his allies would stay and fight if he wasn’t going to.” Ronan led the way inside.

“So we won,” Amber said.

Ronan gave a half shrug. “For now. I’m sure he’ll send assassins. That’s his style. I’ll be ready for them. Eventually I’ll get him, but that isn’t important right now. I need to install my warriors, deal with the dead and get repairs started.”

Amber sat on the wooden bench in the foyer. It was a dark timber, the legs carved in the shape of nightmare-like creatures, their prey dead at their feet. “Whose seat?”

Ronan grinned. “Mine.”

Amber rolled her eyes. Typical dragon response. “I meant who put it here.”

“It’s as old as the castle,” Ronan said.

She leaned against Kade as he sat beside her. “That doesn’t surprise me. I guess your family have always been a little odd. And bloodthirsty.”

Crystal reached out to take Amber’s hand. “Are you okay now? You still look pale.”

“I’m fine.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t be having my party tomorrow night. So many people died. So many of our warriors.”

“Of course you’ll have your party,” Ronan said.

“Why?” Crystal asked.

“To celebrate your victory and show your enemies that you’re as strong as ever,” Ronan said.

“They were only dragons,” Charles said.

“Shut up, old man,” Flinn growled.

“Time for you to go back in your cage.” Ronan grabbed Charles by the arm and they vanished.

When Helen started to complain about high handed dragons, Amber rose to her feet, crossing the space between her and her grandmother. “Did you get hurt?”

“Not a scratch. What were you thinking? I saw what you and your brother did. What would Donna say?”

That’s just what she needed, but she wasn’t about to let her grandmother hold it over her. She raised her chin. “Tell her, see if I care.”

“Amber,” Jasper said in warning.

Ronan arrived back and took Helen’s arm.

“Wait.” Amber grabbed his arm, her gaze on Helen. “I’m glad you’re okay. You and Grandad.”

“Yes well, it’s good you survived too. Donna would never have stopped crying and I would have had to put up with her carrying on for years.”

Amber was surprised at how much the words hurt. She stared at her grandmother a moment longer before she let go of Ronan and he vanished, taking Helen with him.

“She didn’t really mean that,” Jasper said.

Amber met her brother’s eyes. “I think she actually did.” She turned away, watching as warriors bustled around them, cleaning up signs of the battle. At least now she knew why her grandmother had never liked them much. “We’re not Knights, Jay. In her eyes, that makes us weak and unworthy of her attention.” And they never would be Knights. Not true Knights.