Dragon Blood 2: Wyvern (9 page)

Kade looked down at Amber. “I won’t be long.”

She nodded and leaned a little more heavily against Crystal, who was just about bouncing with excitement. Kade stared at her a moment longer like he was about to say something. Instead, he shared a look with Rian before he strode after Flinn and Shannon.

The three of them were back by the time the last of the gold and jewels were dropped into the hessian bag. Amber was surprised to see it was nearly half full. Crystal still held the ruby Maira had thrown to her. She reluctantly walked towards the bag and started to put it in with the rest of the hoard.

“I don’t mind if she wants to keep it.” Shannon grinned. “I’m sure she’s a dragon at heart and we all know how we are with the first hoard captured.”

There were chuckles and smiles from the other dragons. Kade shrugged. “I don’t care.”

Flinn was the only one who didn’t smile. “Given free and clear? Nothing owing?”

“No strings,” Shannon said.

“Free and clear,” Kade agreed.

Flinn nodded before he turned to Orin. “You’re on first patrol.”

Crystal clutched the ruby to herself. “It’s mine?”

Amber grinned. “It looks that way.”

Crystal danced across the chamber to Amber and wrapped an arm around her waist. “I seriously don’t know how I’ll explain this to Mum if she ever finds it, but I really don’t care.” Crystal spun around, taking Amber with her as she tilted her head back to stare at the cavern ceiling far above them.

Kade gestured towards Maira to follow Orin and Shannon’s first warrior, she’d sent on patrol, then rescued Amber when she stumbled. “Time to go home.”

As soon as they were outside, Kade waved Brann away from the saddle. He turned to look at Amber.

Recognising his expression, her hands went to her hips and her chin lifted. “Don’t start.”

Kade grinned. “I’m never letting you watch another action movie again. What did you think you were doing?”

Amber reluctantly smiled. “James Bond at your service.”

Kade grew serious and reached out to brush Amber’s hair away from her face. “Passing the test is not as important as your life. Or Brann’s for that matter.”

Amber shrugged.

“I’m serious, Amber.”

“I got caught up in the moment. I don’t like to lose.”

“Keep this up and you won’t see your seventeenth birthday.”

“It’s not that far away.”

“Amber-”

“No. I’m tired.” She held out her blood stained hands. “I also need a bath and I’m starving. Can you keep your complaints till later?”

Kade pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. “Just take better care of yourself in future,” he murmured against her hair.

“I do. I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

Kade pulled slightly away to smile down at her. “Yeah. I guess you are.” He swiftly kissed her and then waved Brann over with the saddle, turning into a dragon.

As soon as Brann had saddled Kade he helped Amber clamber on. She leaned against Kade, giving into the exhaustion that tugged at her body, needing to be woken when they landed in the castle courtyard. Sliding to the ground, Rian caught her when her legs gave out. It seemed like seconds before Kade stood beside her as a human.

She leaned against him when he draped an arm around her shoulders. “I forgot to ask before. Did we win?”

Kade guided Amber inside. “They have to argue all their findings. It’ll take a few days for them to decide.”

“Where did Maira and the other two warriors go?” Amber stumbled on the stairs.

“Our warriors will take turns patrolling the area for the next forty eight hours to make sure every last wyvern was dealt with. Occasionally stragglers return to the nest.” Kade waited by his bed as Rian pulled the linen back.

“I need,” Amber yawned. “A wash.”

“It can wait.”

“Hungry too.” Her head hit the pillow and she didn’t hear Kade’s reply.

Amber woke with the sun, trying not to groan and wake Kade who slept beside her in dragon form. Every muscle in her body ached. Even her stomach. It was so empty she almost felt sick. Beside her Kade became human as he slowly woke.

“Sorry.” Amber rested her palm against his cheek, surprised to see her hands and arms were clean. She guessed she’d been more tired than she’d thought.

Kade turned his head so his lips grazed her palm. “Feel any better?”

“Worse. I need to soak for a week.”

“Your bath will be ready in a couple of minutes.”

Amber looked towards the door where Rian rose from a mattress on the floor. “Tell me you didn’t sleep there last night.”

Rian moved away from the door as it opened and two women entered, taking away the mattress and bedding. “Your bath is ready.”

“Rian? Did you sleep there last night?”

“You told me I was to say I did not sleep there last night.” Rian strode across the room and pulled out a change of clothes for Amber.

Amber staggered out of the bed, grabbing the clothes Rian held out to her. “We will talk about this. You’re not lying across my door. How comfortable is that for a place to sleep?” When Rian continued to remain quiet and expressionless under her glare she growled and spun on her heel, slamming both the bedroom door and bathroom one behind her. “Damn warriors,” she muttered, knowing they could hear her.

Her mood improved dramatically when she slid into the bath and saw the plate of bacon and eggs set on a small table beside the tub. By the time she emerged from the bathroom, she felt almost human. It had helped that she’d figured out how to use her healing ability to take the stiffness from her muscles.

Back in Kade’s room, Crystal sat on the bed waiting for her, the ruby lying in the middle of her crossed legs. “I was beginning to think you might have drowned.”

“Glad to see you worried enough to check on me.”

Crystal grinned. “Did you know we get a share in that hoard once it’s valued and shared out evenly?”

Amber looked to Kade who nodded. She turned back to Crystal. “What will I do with part of a hoard?”

Crystal continued as if she hadn’t heard. “And you can choose to have the value in gold, dollars or pick out some of the jewels.”

Amber waved a hand in front of Crystal’s face. “Are you still in there or have I lost you to that ruby?”

“Seriously. This is like a dream. Castles. Dragons. Pretty rocks.” She held the ruby up. “Please don’t pinch me because if I’m sleeping I’d rather not wake up.”

Amber laughed, dropping onto the bed beside Crystal. She spared a glance for Kade and Rian and wondered what they were silently plotting. Deciding she’d deal with them later, she turned back to Crystal. “No dream. See.” She pinched Crystal.

“Hey!” Crystal squealed, slapping at Amber’s hand.

Kade approached the bed. “How about we go for a long walk? Unless you two had something else planned?”

“Why?” Amber looked between Kade and Rian and her eyes narrowed as she tried to figure out what was behind the offer.

“Because there’s a lovely little creek I played in when I was a kid. I thought you might like to see it.”

“That sounds cool.” Crystal grinned. “If I can bring my new toy.”

Rian rummaged around in the wardrobe then strode to the bed to drop a black drawstring bag in Crystal’s lap. He turned to Kade. “Do you need me to collect anything?”

“A blanket and something for morning tea,” Kade said.

Crystal popped the ruby in the bag. “Make that heaps of food. I’m starved.”

It seemed like everyone wanted to go. Amber sighed. So much for having a lazy day. “I don’t suppose we can get to the creek by car.”

“We don’t have cars. Can you ride a horse?”

“I love horses.” Crystal hopped off the bed. “I’ll run and tell Flinn where I’m going.”

“Try not to invite him,” Kade called after her.

“I can’t ride,” Amber said.

“You can sit behind me then.”

Amber leaned back, her arms spreading out to the side as her head hit the mattress. “Only if I can be completely unenergetic.”

Kade leaned over her, his hands resting on the bed, one on either side of her. He slowly smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”

Amber wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. “And I bet I could make you forget about picnics.”

“Tempting.”

Amber’s eyes closed as their lips met and she could have throttled Crystal when she burst back into the room minutes later. Kade grinned down at her and then leaned back so he could offer her a hand up. Amber reluctantly took it, letting him pull her to her feet.

Kade’s lips brushed her ear, his words quieter than a whisper. “You can mess with my memory later.”

Amber couldn’t resist a smile as he moved back, his eyes meeting hers. She nodded before she walked towards Crystal who waited impatiently.

“I can’t leave you two alone for a minute without you finding the nearest bed. Or not even bothering with one.” Crystal shook her head in mock disapproval.

“What did Flinn say?” Kade asked.

“Stop carrying that bloody rock around.”

“About you joining us for a picnic,” Kade prompted.

“That was it. I said I was going on a picnic with you and he just growled at me and said that.”

Amber shook her head. Flinn was hard to understand sometimes. Well, maybe most of the time. They stepped out into the courtyard as Maira landed, a strange dragon with her. The dragon became a tall gangly man with black hair and a narrow, pointed face. He stepped forward, holding out an envelope to Kade.

Maira continued to stand where she’d landed. “I intercepted the messenger on my way in from my patrol, but he wouldn’t let me deliver the letters. Said he needed to hand them over in person.”

“You were out all night?” Amber asked.

Maira shook her head. Her eyes watched Kade as he opened the letter. “We swapped over every three hours.” She took a step forward. “How long does it take to read a letter?”

The messenger withdrew another two envelopes. “I also need to see Shannon and Flinn.”

Kade gestured towards a man who entered the courtyard.

“If you will follow me, sir.” The man held the door open and waited for the messenger to precede him.

“You’re deliberately doing this, aren’t you?” Maira tried to read the letter over Kade’s shoulder but he closed it with a smile. The smile became a grin and he handed the letter to Maira. She squealed when she read it. “Our share of the hoard is a hundred thousand? Sweet!”

“How many shares are there?” Amber asked.

“Three. One for each Gold Dragon,” Kade said.

“Do I get to pick out a pretty rock too?” Maira’s eyes slid towards Crystal and then back to Kade, her smile pure mischief.

Kade took the letter from her and tucked it back in the envelope. He turned to Amber. “Do you want a souvenir from your first hoard?”

“I don’t know. Maybe something little that I could wear on a necklace.” Amber shrugged. “I don’t know.”

Rian chose that moment to lead two saddled horses with bulging saddlebags into the courtyard. He handed the reins of one horse to Kade and led the other to Crystal. She reached up to pat the horse.

“You know, just because I love horses, it doesn’t mean I can ride them.” Crystal continued to stroke the horse.

“I can.” Rian swung up on the horse and held out a hand to Crystal. He helped her swing up behind him.

Kade also mounted, waiting for Amber to join him. When she continued to stare up at him, he grinned. “You could walk if you want.”

Amber sighed, reaching for his hand. She tried to smother the shriek that escaped and clung to Kade once she was seated. Her arms tightened around him as they started to move off. “This doesn’t feel safe.”

Kade laughed. “This from the girl who rides dragons with no parachute.”

“Yeah, I know. But a horse just doesn’t feel as steady. Besides, it doesn’t understand me.”

“How do you know? Have you tried talking to her?”

“Idiot,” Amber muttered.

“Hold on.” Kade urged the horse forward and they broke into a slow canter. Soon they were galloping across the rolling countryside, following a stream to where it forked off into a shady glade, becoming a little nosier as it tumbled over rocks.

Kade noticed Amber’s smile when he helped her down. “Did you like it after all?”

“I like going fast. Slow just made me feel like I was going to slide right off.”

Hearing her, Crystal came to stand beside Amber, her arm going around her waist. “How am I ever going to manage to return home after this holiday? It’s going to kill me. I’ve actually been thinking of quitting school early.”

“Crystal! No! What about uni?”

“Oh, I’m not going.”

“What are you going to do instead?” Amber dropped down onto the blanket Rian spread in front of them.

Crystal joined her, tucking her legs under herself. “Help Flinn.” She grinned. “I’ve already warned him that if he doesn’t treat me right that I bet there’s more than a thousand other Gold Dragons who’d love my help.”

“Probably way more than a thousand,” Amber said.

“And I know you’d come looking for me if I seemed to drop out of existence.”

“Of course I would.” Amber glanced towards Kade and Rian who leaned against trees not far from them.

“We all would,” Kade said.

“See. I’ll be fine. But Flinn keeps harping on about me finishing year twelve since he has to. I tried to point out that not everyone does finish it, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“Well, whatever happens, I’ll look out for you.” Amber grinned. “You and your pretty rock.”

Crystal grinned back. “I know, isn’t it just awesome?”

Amber couldn’t help laughing. “Can you imagine what your parents will say if they find it?”

“I’ll tell them Flinn gave it to me.” Her eyes danced with suppressed laughter. “And you can bet they won’t be thinking saintly thoughts.”

Amber’s reply was interrupted by the sound of dragon wings. She turned to look up into the sky. A large blue and silver dragon, flanked by two other dragons, flew down. A look towards Kade and Rian showed that Ronan was expected.

Her first thought was to rise to her feet, but then decided it was better to remain relaxed. “Ronan, so nice of you to join our picnic. Although your son is a bit slack at serving.” She sent a pointed looked towards Rian who brought one of the saddlebags over and started to unpack food and drinks. It would have been nice if they’d warned her Ronan was joining them. She was definitely going to have to say something about that to Kade later.

“It was your choice to keep him. If you get sick of him you can always send him back to me to deal with.” Ronan stretched out on the edge of the picnic blanket, picking up an apple.

“He’s a bit of a diamond in the rough.” Amber shrugged slightly. “Oh well, I guess they do say diamonds are forever.”

Ronan smiled. “Nice turn of phrase. But I wouldn’t start getting too cocky. I don’t think you’re up to playing with the grown ups yet.”

“What choice do I have?”

“A good point.” Ronan took a bite from the apple.

“Other than looking for a feed, was there a reason you decided to join us today?” Amber tried to keep her words light, but curiosity was eating away at her.

Ronan turned to Crystal. “How many people can you see, including yourself?”

Crystal looked around. “Seven.”

Ronan nodded before his gaze returned to Amber. “The proof is authentic.”

“What’s wrong with you people? Paili is meant to be Kiani’s ally. Someone really needs to teach all of you what that means.” Amber wanted to pace. Instead she managed to stay on the blanket.

“Don’t try and change our society. It won’t work. You’ll just end up disillusioned and then dead.” Ronan tossed the apple core into the trees. He looked over to Kade. “Kiani needs to be informed. Quietly. And we need to make our alliance a little more public.”

Kade nodded. “I’ll invite my parents and some of my family to dine with us tomorrow night. We should know by then how our test went. That’ll make a good excuse for the meal. Celebration or commiseration, either will do. Did you wish to join us or wait until Amber’s party?”

Ronan tapped his finger on his chin. “I’ll wait. I think that’ll make a better impression. Surely you can keep her safe for six more days.”

“That might be best. We don’t want to risk Paili wondering what we might have learned by making too many changes too quickly,” Kade said.

Amber tried not to ask, but she couldn’t resist. “What have you done with Daray?”

“He’s still where you last saw him.”

“What are you going to do with him?”

“You can’t have him.”

She mightn’t have asked, but she’d considered it. “I didn’t ask for him.”

“Amber, he’s your enemy.” Ronan’s voice was filled with exaggerated patience.

“I know that.” Maybe. “What are you going to do with him?”

Ronan rose to his feet. “I’ll see you at your party.”

“Ronan-”

“It’s not up for discussion.” He smiled. “Will you save a dance for an old man?”

“Can you dance?”

“A waltz.” Ronan sprang into the air as he turned into a dragon and was soon flanked by his warriors as he flew away.

Amber’s mouth dropped open. “I can’t waltz. Don’t tell me that’s the only dance you do at your parties.”

Kade grinned. “No, we do the minuet too.”

“I don’t even know what the hell that is.”

“Please tell me you’re joking,” Crystal said. “I don’t know what it is either.”

“Lucky there’s plenty of time for dance lessons then.” Kade joined them on the blanket, helping himself to a slice of cake as he ignored both expressions of shock.