in her voice. That hadn’t worked as well as she’d hoped. “Well, it’s so lovely here I just can’t help but be in a good mood.”
“Was there a reason for your call?”
“Of course there was. All the drama while I was visiting you completely made me forget. I turn seventeen in ten days.” She tried not to think about what had happened during her visit, but the sight of a dagger stuck in Rian was still clear in her mind.
“Good for you. Ring me then and I’ll try and remember to wish you a happy birthday.”
Amber laughed, trying to keep her worries from colouring the tone of her voice. “I was actually hoping you’d come to my party.” Her smile grew wider when there was silence on the other end of the phone. Maybe he was thinking about it.
“Why?”
Her heart plummeted. Obviously he wasn’t. “What do you mean why?” She struggled to think of a logical reason other than she was terrified that she’d turned him into an enemy. None came to mind.
“Why would you invite me to your party?”
“I’ve invited all my friends. Well, the non-human ones anyway.”
“Try again, Amber. Why are you inviting me to your party?”
Still no answer came to mind. “Because you’re actually kind of likeable when you’re not being a bastard.”
“I thought I was one all the time.”
“Oh, you have your fleeting moments where you either forget or you actually let your nice side out to play.”
Ronan snorted in disbelief. “I don’t have a nice side. Why don’t you ask Rian?”
“I’ve already talked to Rian about you.” Maybe sidetracking him would make him forget he wanted to know why she’d invited him. Or at least give her time to come up with a reason. She hadn’t expected him to demand why.
“And what did he have to say?”
“That you’re extremely loyal.”
“Try again. I’m not buying that one either.”
Amber laughed, still playing for time. “To yourself.”
“Much better.”
“So, are you going to come to my party?”
“What are you planning?”
“Food, music, dancing.”
“And what else?”
“Ronan, I’m not planning anything to harm you. Why would I?”
“But you are after something. Don’t tell me you’re hoping to be friends.” The last word was said like it was poison. “Not after you stole my son.”
“Of course not. I was told you don’t have friends. So maybe we can just be sociable enemies.”
“I will get to the bottom of this. I’ll ring you back shortly.”
Amber stared at the phone in her hand and wondered what he planned to do. She looked over to Rian.
“He is going to ring his Gold Dragons to see what they have to say.”
Amber nodded. She guessed they’d report everything to Ronan. Her phone rang and she nearly dropped it. She took a deep breath when she saw Ronan’s name on the display.
“That was quick. Did they have anything interesting to tell you?” There was no way she was going to let him know how worried she was.
“I won’t let you out of the deal. You will help me get my lands back or you and yours will die.”
It took all her willpower to keep her tone even and not beg him to leave her friends and family alone. “That part isn’t the problem. It just hit me earlier that I wouldn’t be able to kill anyone so I wondered how much use I’d be.”
“What’s your game?”
“Honestly?”
“That would be a change.”
It was probably too soon to tell him that he was the only ally she was certain of. A pity she’d failed at coming up with a valid reason. “I have no idea. But it didn’t seem right you were the only one who hadn’t been invited.” When the silence stretched out, Amber asked, “Are you still there?”
“Unity. You’re right. I do need to be there. People need to see me linked with you. There might be hope for you after all.”
“God forbid.” Amber smiled as she said the words, relieved he’d created a plausible reason for her.
“Give it a century and you might even be able to
“Was there a reason for your call?”
“Of course there was. All the drama while I was visiting you completely made me forget. I turn seventeen in ten days.” She tried not to think about what had happened during her visit, but the sight of a dagger stuck in Rian was still clear in her mind.
“Good for you. Ring me then and I’ll try and remember to wish you a happy birthday.”
Amber laughed, trying to keep her worries from colouring the tone of her voice. “I was actually hoping you’d come to my party.” Her smile grew wider when there was silence on the other end of the phone. Maybe he was thinking about it.
“Why?”
Her heart plummeted. Obviously he wasn’t. “What do you mean why?” She struggled to think of a logical reason other than she was terrified that she’d turned him into an enemy. None came to mind.
“Why would you invite me to your party?”
“I’ve invited all my friends. Well, the non-human ones anyway.”
“Try again, Amber. Why are you inviting me to your party?”
Still no answer came to mind. “Because you’re actually kind of likeable when you’re not being a bastard.”
“I thought I was one all the time.”
“Oh, you have your fleeting moments where you either forget or you actually let your nice side out to play.”
Ronan snorted in disbelief. “I don’t have a nice side. Why don’t you ask Rian?”
“I’ve already talked to Rian about you.” Maybe sidetracking him would make him forget he wanted to know why she’d invited him. Or at least give her time to come up with a reason. She hadn’t expected him to demand why.
“And what did he have to say?”
“That you’re extremely loyal.”
“Try again. I’m not buying that one either.”
Amber laughed, still playing for time. “To yourself.”
“Much better.”
“So, are you going to come to my party?”
“What are you planning?”
“Food, music, dancing.”
“And what else?”
“Ronan, I’m not planning anything to harm you. Why would I?”
“But you are after something. Don’t tell me you’re hoping to be friends.” The last word was said like it was poison. “Not after you stole my son.”
“Of course not. I was told you don’t have friends. So maybe we can just be sociable enemies.”
“I will get to the bottom of this. I’ll ring you back shortly.”
Amber stared at the phone in her hand and wondered what he planned to do. She looked over to Rian.
“He is going to ring his Gold Dragons to see what they have to say.”
Amber nodded. She guessed they’d report everything to Ronan. Her phone rang and she nearly dropped it. She took a deep breath when she saw Ronan’s name on the display.
“That was quick. Did they have anything interesting to tell you?” There was no way she was going to let him know how worried she was.
“I won’t let you out of the deal. You will help me get my lands back or you and yours will die.”
It took all her willpower to keep her tone even and not beg him to leave her friends and family alone. “That part isn’t the problem. It just hit me earlier that I wouldn’t be able to kill anyone so I wondered how much use I’d be.”
“What’s your game?”
“Honestly?”
“That would be a change.”
It was probably too soon to tell him that he was the only ally she was certain of. A pity she’d failed at coming up with a valid reason. “I have no idea. But it didn’t seem right you were the only one who hadn’t been invited.” When the silence stretched out, Amber asked, “Are you still there?”
“Unity. You’re right. I do need to be there. People need to see me linked with you. There might be hope for you after all.”
“God forbid.” Amber smiled as she said the words, relieved he’d created a plausible reason for her.
“Give it a century and you might even be able to
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