will follow you.”
“Okay.”
“Ring me when you can talk without someone listening in.”
“If that’s ever possible.” She returned her phone to her pocket, momentarily closing her eyes. How was she going to manage six weeks of this? It was far worse than she’d expected it to be. Pushing away from the wall, she opened the door again. “Okay, I’m ready.”
The walk to the front of the building was made in silence and they stepped outside to find the rest of their class standing around waiting. Stanley drove up several minutes later in a black minibus and they all piled inside. Amber sat in the back row next to Roy, who didn’t look happy with that arrangement. Well she wasn’t happy either. Why couldn’t she just go home? Why did everyone have to demand so much of her all the time? She stared out the window, hoping that Chait was able to keep track of her.
By the time they’d finished at the archery range, Amber was ready to murder someone. Probably her grandfather for putting her in this situation. She leaned her head against the minibus window, once again sitting in the back row with a disgruntled Roy. Archery wasn’t her thing and Stanley had delighted in pointing that out. So had Josephine, who she’d learned was the oldest of the group at twenty and was Dominic’s sister. Yet another relative she didn’t need. Jennifer and Oliver were both eighteen while Dominic, Roy and Wheeler were her age. Seventeen.
While they’d been at the archery range, Alsandair had momentarily appeared out of the Void, gathered her arrows from the target and then a minute later reappeared near her. He’d given her the arrows with a wink. “Chait’s here too.” Then he’d disappeared back into the Void, leaving angry Knights complaining about her bringing dragons onto their turf. She didn’t know whether to feel better that Ronan had two Golds watching her or worried that he thought she needed two.
They arrived back in time for dinner and afterwards, Amber asked Roy to show her to her room. When they reached her door, she asked, “Where’s your room?”
He pointed down the corridor. “Last door on the right.”
“Okay.” She stepped into her room, closing the door to lean against the wall. She’d begun to think the day would never end and she still had another one to get through. Not to mention another five weeks after this one. She was never going to survive it.
Crossing the room, she looked out the barred window, checking the space between the bars with her hands. It didn’t even look like she’d be able to fit through them by turning into a goshawk. She was stuck in this building until Monday morning. It felt like an eternity.
Dropping onto her still unmade bed, she called Ronan.
“Can you talk?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there anyone with you?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean no one’s listening.”
“Is it important? Do I need to know about it urgently?”
Amber thought for a minute. “No, I don’t think so.” At least she hoped not.
“I’ll talk to you Monday morning.”
“Kade is collecting me.”
“Not anymore.”
Amber glared at the phone when Ronan disconnected. She was tempted to ring him back, but knew it would be a waste of time. Ronan wasn’t about to listen. He’d already made up his mind. Rising, she grabbed her bag and headed for the bathroom to shower before bed.
When she finally made it to bed, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling in the darkened room. She sent a text message to Kade letting him know that Ronan had changed their plans and that she was going to bed. Once he’d replied, telling her goodnight, she dropped her phone on the floor and rolled to her side, tucking her arm under her head. The bed was too small and the room too quiet. She missed Kade, even though he took up most of the space in bed. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep. It took ages before she fell asleep, frequently waking through the night to unfamiliar sounds.
The next
“Okay.”
“Ring me when you can talk without someone listening in.”
“If that’s ever possible.” She returned her phone to her pocket, momentarily closing her eyes. How was she going to manage six weeks of this? It was far worse than she’d expected it to be. Pushing away from the wall, she opened the door again. “Okay, I’m ready.”
The walk to the front of the building was made in silence and they stepped outside to find the rest of their class standing around waiting. Stanley drove up several minutes later in a black minibus and they all piled inside. Amber sat in the back row next to Roy, who didn’t look happy with that arrangement. Well she wasn’t happy either. Why couldn’t she just go home? Why did everyone have to demand so much of her all the time? She stared out the window, hoping that Chait was able to keep track of her.
By the time they’d finished at the archery range, Amber was ready to murder someone. Probably her grandfather for putting her in this situation. She leaned her head against the minibus window, once again sitting in the back row with a disgruntled Roy. Archery wasn’t her thing and Stanley had delighted in pointing that out. So had Josephine, who she’d learned was the oldest of the group at twenty and was Dominic’s sister. Yet another relative she didn’t need. Jennifer and Oliver were both eighteen while Dominic, Roy and Wheeler were her age. Seventeen.
While they’d been at the archery range, Alsandair had momentarily appeared out of the Void, gathered her arrows from the target and then a minute later reappeared near her. He’d given her the arrows with a wink. “Chait’s here too.” Then he’d disappeared back into the Void, leaving angry Knights complaining about her bringing dragons onto their turf. She didn’t know whether to feel better that Ronan had two Golds watching her or worried that he thought she needed two.
They arrived back in time for dinner and afterwards, Amber asked Roy to show her to her room. When they reached her door, she asked, “Where’s your room?”
He pointed down the corridor. “Last door on the right.”
“Okay.” She stepped into her room, closing the door to lean against the wall. She’d begun to think the day would never end and she still had another one to get through. Not to mention another five weeks after this one. She was never going to survive it.
Crossing the room, she looked out the barred window, checking the space between the bars with her hands. It didn’t even look like she’d be able to fit through them by turning into a goshawk. She was stuck in this building until Monday morning. It felt like an eternity.
Dropping onto her still unmade bed, she called Ronan.
“Can you talk?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is there anyone with you?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean no one’s listening.”
“Is it important? Do I need to know about it urgently?”
Amber thought for a minute. “No, I don’t think so.” At least she hoped not.
“I’ll talk to you Monday morning.”
“Kade is collecting me.”
“Not anymore.”
Amber glared at the phone when Ronan disconnected. She was tempted to ring him back, but knew it would be a waste of time. Ronan wasn’t about to listen. He’d already made up his mind. Rising, she grabbed her bag and headed for the bathroom to shower before bed.
When she finally made it to bed, she lay awake, staring at the ceiling in the darkened room. She sent a text message to Kade letting him know that Ronan had changed their plans and that she was going to bed. Once he’d replied, telling her goodnight, she dropped her phone on the floor and rolled to her side, tucking her arm under her head. The bed was too small and the room too quiet. She missed Kade, even though he took up most of the space in bed. Closing her eyes, she tried to sleep. It took ages before she fell asleep, frequently waking through the night to unfamiliar sounds.
The next
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