Awakening - Book of Fire (Blood Heritage #1) (35 page)

The serious moment is broken by James, Tanner, and Joanna walking through the door.

"We thought we would come visit you guys and get some of that amazing coffee cake we heard you made to take back to the office"!

?How much time do you have? "Amber asks, "I’ll have to make you another batch. We sold four batches this morning."

"Wow," James says, "I told you it would go over big. Sure we can wait, not much going on at the station now, I'm almost off and this weekend these two are heading out of town to check out a lead on an organization that sets up adoptions out of country. We aren"t letting this case drop, but we have to keep all our research on our own time."

Those two are taking a mini-vacation, they might even run off to Brazil if the information seems legitimate. How amazing would that be? I’ve been saving up my vacation time for something worthwhile. Maybe we can make a double date of it? That snake that bit Allie was from Brazil you know. I did my research, and normally it's one of the most deadly poisonous creatures around. I don't know whether it was meant to be a clue, a warning, or something else, but if it was de-venomed it makes sense it may have been left as a clue.You keep saying someone is helping you along. Maybe someone wants you to know there's something there for you to find. Maybe it's where our missing babies are now, the orphanage where the other girls were taken years ago.

It seems there is a long list of reasons to travel into the jungles of her memories, she is not sure she wants to know the answers badly enough to open the doors of her mind that wide. Amber explains the scheduled meeting with the elders and the importance of timing it just right, she won't be able to leave this weekend, but possibly by Monday she can be ready to head out for a little while.

"Rissa, will you be ok at the shop without me for a while?

"Of course I will, I don't even need to sleep now."
She laughs and the others are left a bit out in the cold. Amber and Rissa don't feel her condition should necessarily become a subject of too much talk. Rissa needs to keep some of her secrets. Though James knows some details of her condition, and has heard some initial speculation he hasn't been too keen on asking for more details. Ignorance is bliss and he is living in heaven. He's not ready to accept that this woman he has known for so long is some kind of life sucking monster.

Amber gets the coffee cake started, pops it in the oven fixing everyone up a cup of coffee for the wait. It will only be about half an hour and it will be good to have a bit more to sell for the afternoon crowd. For some reason everyone seems to think four is an excellent time to get coffee if you work downtown. She still can't figure how they get any sleep at all. She hopes she can catch a ride with James when he leaves, he might be able to drop her off at home, or if she is lucky maybe he won't even need to go back to work except to drop off his friends. He is on the same page smiling at her saying he can call and check in on the way. If he isn't needed they can take Allie to the park for an afternoon run and some social time with the other dogs.

When she pulls the coffee cake out of the oven, the smell wafts throughout the store. It must have been a magnet because at that precise moment the afternoon crowd begins to meander through. Amber cuts half the cake, boxing it up for her waiting friends. She sells the remaining slices within just a few minutes.

"
I don't know what you put in that stuff, but it's addictive,"
one man says as he inhales his still-warm confection. She feels kind of sorry for everyone who thinks it's so special, since it is ultimately one of the most simple concoctions she knows how to make. They must not have anyone in their lives to bake for them she muses. She smiles that the world is still allowing for some things in her life to remain both precious and simple. Amber thanks Rissa for letting her go.

The group leaves together in the cruiser and Joanna and Amber have a great laugh over what it must look like with the two women and the dog in the back seat and the two handsome detectives in the front. What you see is not always what you get. When it comes to cruisers the people in the back might actually be simply going for a ride. Amber realizes halfway through the trip she is trapped, the idea doesn't settle well with her, and she grows quiet. Allie notices her anxiety resting her head in her lap. She knows it's an unnecessary stress, she has control issues. She doesn't like being in any situation where she can't get away if she needs too. It seems after spending her whole life running she has developed an instinct for always having a plan of escape no matter where she is. She always knows where the exits are in a restaurant or store and she usually has a really good idea of who is around her at all times. Her running skills have been honed to a sharp edge and it is difficult to catch her off guard. She suffers through the rest of the ride telling herself she will avoid riding in his work car whenever possible. She shouldn't take any unnecessary risks if it can be avoided.

Once they reach the precinct, the girls grow talkative again. The guys are laughing at some joke the girls have missed, probably for the better and James determines they are free for the afternoon.

"
See you tomorrow
," he says, as Tanner and Joanna head back to work in their separate departments. "
There's a piece of cake here for you too
," he says to Amber, handing her a pretty little box.

"
Oh, I guess I didn't even realize I did that. That’s a good thing, I’m really hungry."
They head for the park to eat their snacks and watch the dog play. She gets along splendidly with other dogs and the park is a wonderful place for her to run off some of her energy. Big dogs need lots of space and stimulation.

They sit quietly for a while in the grass watching the dogs running around their leash free zone. It's a wonder there are no fights. The dogs treat this place as if it's the most splendid activity. They zoom around chasing each other and bounding in circles. They chase frisbees, balls, and tails as the sunshine pours down on them. The park has been designed with a wonderful doggie water fountain providing fresh and clean water for them to drink and splash around in. This truly is a puppy paradise, much like the parks where children play, the doggie parents sit around watching their canine children play, with a mix of pride and concern.

Amber catches a glimpse of a man sitting off by himself, a camera in his hand and a hooded sweatshirt pulled up over his head. He doesn't have good intentions. He is scouting out animals to steal for his dogfight ring. Amber sees his thoughts and plans playing out in her mind. It's as if she can jump inside his head. When his focus lands on Allie, she loses her ability to remain still. Standing she walks directly over to him. She stares into his eyes and with venom in her voice tells him to leave and to never come back. He's not smart enough to feel the power behind her threat asking her with a sharp smart tone, "
And what are you going to do about it if I don't?"

Amber puts a hand out laying it on his shoulder.. before he can push her away, he begins to feel the burning in his head, a searing pain as if a red-hot poker has been pushed into his eye socket. His heart immediately begins pumping hard within the confines of his chest. He is helpless to move away from her. James thinks it looks as if she's having a heated conversation with the man, until his knees buckle and he begins crying and begging for mercy. She stands over him, her face as cold as stone.

"
Don't ever come back here again," she says "and if I ever see you near another dog, I will finish what I started."
James is at her side immediately and he is worried, but doesn't really grasp the situation. She will have to explain some of it to him later.

She grimly smiles at the man telling him it is a pleasure to meet him and she is terribly sorry he isn't feeling well. Perhaps next time we meet, you will be feeling better. She calls Allie to her side walking off with James. The little dog responds immediately and falls into step with her on the way back to the car. Amber has taken from him, and with whatever she has pulled out of him, her energy level has increased. She feels vibrant and unstoppable. That was actually quite fun, she thinks to herself. She wonders if this is similar to what is happening with Rissa.

Later Amber sees the results of her actions causing her to think a little more before making a move in the future. She realizes the connection she has made drawing on this man, she can feel his terror and his demise. She was right, he had been there to pick up a couple of dogs, and he had every intention of letting them fight to the death; what Amber hadn't known was the fact he wasn't a willing participant in the games. His brother is a part of a gang running the circuit, who buried himself in an insurmountable pile of debt betting on the dogs. The two boys were forced into trading dogs as payoff so they wouldn't be killed. Wasn't the life of a couple dogs insignificant in comparison to the lives of he and his brother? He felt there was no other choice, though he hated the fights, knew it was wrong...what else could he possibly do? Amber feels a tinge of guilt, but only for a moment.

The fear Amber felt when she touched him was not any fear of her, she should have known he had no reason to fear her. He was afraid for his brother, and for himself. He knew that if he didn't bring the dogs to them before the end of the day they would not see tomorrow. Amber saved the dogs and their owners from great suffering, but had sentenced the two men to death. Though they were in over their heads and would likely have suffered the same end without her interference, could she feel justified in her part of it? They had died a terrible death, but nothing more gruesome than they had intended for the animals they attempted to steal.

Without new dogs, the ringmaster entertained his friends forcing the brothers to face one of the champion dogs in place of the animals they failed to procure. "
The show must go on,
" he says, laughing as the brothers are slashed and ripped apart by the gnashing teeth of ferocious creatures that have learned well what it takes to survive. They didn't stand a chance against the onslaught without any weapons or means to protect themselves. The dogs punished the men for all the suffering and anguish they endured snarling and foaming in fear and anger. But to Amber it was nothing more than they had wished to put her baby through. It was nothing more than they deserved.

The more she thinks about it, the more sure she becomes that no matter what the cost, she will protect Allie, she doesn't care how many not-so-innocent people die to keep her dog from experiencing the horrors of the ring. They put themselves in that life, and that choice took their lives, not her. She will protect those she loves without mercy, without remorse and without hesitation. She knows what the leader looks like, and this is a small town. She will stop this suffering and force him to face what he is doing. The anger wells up inside her and she can see its flames flickering in her eyes when she looks in the mirror. There is a fire growing within her that is raging hotter and hotter. She will someday have to let it burn, or it will eat her up inside. Her anger and fear feeding the fire and every moment bringing her one step closer to losing control.

Amber keeps the incident and all its implications to herself. She doesn't want him to know the extent of her abilities. She doesn't want him to fear her. She really doesn't even know what she is capable of, but what she knows is enough to handle this alone. She lets Allie bathe her in kisses and then she turns her attention to James. He is always there now, next to her, a beacon of peace and a reminder that she has a reason to live. His body luring her into a place outside herself where nothing exists except for the feelings he produces within her. She feels she can watch her body from above and float on the clouds of euphoria that his touch brings; the absolute abandon he coaxes out of her, one tender kiss at a time, bringing tears to her eyes.

She is kissing him, and then she is alone. Her wrists and ankles tied to the four corners of a tiny bed in a dingy room, she whimpers, she screams but no one answers. She is cold, but she cannot reach down to move the flimsy sheet that is crumpled beside her to cover her body. She feels panic rise up inside her, feels helplessness as if she never escaped this dark place. She can't go back, won't go back, he is dead...isn't he...NO don't touch me!

Emily has come for a visit, she has opened doors and windows on a time best forgotten. She can't let the past die in peace, can't go unavenged. She wants payback. She wants to be recognized and put to rest with dignity. She doesn't want to die in this cold and lonely place, deserted and forgotten. She is still here inside, deep within the locked compartments of Amber's mind. "
Let Me Go
"... she screams, and James, startled tries to put his arm around her.

The breath catches sharp in Amber’s chest, she pulls away from him attempting to get herself together. She feels the blood running down her lip where she has bitten it.. hard. Amber takes only a moment to regain her composure.