***

CHAPTER 19

Amber Marigold

***

The game was at an impasse. Neither cyng had shown up to school since the date with Owen, and it seemed Amber honestly was given the space to choose. No doubt they hoped she could remove herself from the bet.

Either way, it worked out for the better. Final exams were a month away, and the girl needed all the help she could get. She was in Jessy's room, cursing maths, when Aunt Tessa knocked on the door. Other than a slight limp, she could walk on her own.

"Amber honey, could we talk?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Amber said and followed her aunt out.

They walked to the dining room and sat across from each other at the table. Aunt Tessa clasped her hands together, her expression weighted, while Amber sat stiff as a board. She knows, the girl thought. She knows about my involvement with the Dynast. Why else is she so serious?

"I know," she started, gripping Amber's heart, "what I'm going to ask is too much. I've exhausted all other options. You have every right to refuse me, and I'll understand, but..." She sucked a breath. "I need to borrow a hundred thousand euros."

"Huh?" Amber thought she might have heard wrong.

Aunt Tessa cast her eyes down.

"I would get the money myself, but everything I have saved up is for Jessy, and I can't think of any other way," she clarified. "Of course, I'll pay you back. But as I said, it's completely up to you."

With the words sinking in, Amber managed to breathe again.

"What's the money for?'

Aunt Tessa checked over her shoulder, then sighed. "I can't tell you right now," she said. "All I can say is that it's important."

"Is this related to arresting the bloodlines?"

Her aunt nodded, and it was Amber's turn to sigh. There was likely no other police officer as committed. Borrowing thousands of euros just to do her job? When she could not even earn it back? The girl could only hope to be as selfless as her family.

And though lending the money could threaten Blake and Owen, it was not her problem. She owed them nothing, and this was potentially the third choice she so desperately needed. Avenging her parents did not have to be in blood. She could follow in their footsteps and fight back the right way. Get a shot at putting the bastards responsible behind bars.

"I'll do it," Amber said, reaching to squeeze her aunt's arm. "But promise me you'll catch the bad guys."

They held each other's stare, and both their jaws set.

"I promise," Aunt Tessa said. "Even if it's the last thing I do."

Though there was a smile on Amber's face, it felt stiff. This was what her parents would have wanted. This was what she wanted. Dismissing the emptiness in her chest, she reassured herself even hours later when she was alone in bed. Her phone lit up.

Mr President
So, this is your choice, Marigold?
23:30

The girl did not answer. Instead, she texted her lawyer, asking Mr Lium to get €100 000 released for her aunt. When he asked why, she sent back a single word.

Amber
Justice
23:48

The following week, Monday, Amber still had not seen Blake or Owen, but it was a blessing. She was unsure sure if she could look them in the eye.

In Art class, she moved her seat to the back corner. Though chatting with Lynch was one of the highlights of her day, the girl had no right to stay friendly with someone she possibly betrayed.

"Final exams are around the corner, and you talentless sacs à merde just got your theme," Ms Sauvage said. "Not all that glitters is gold." She kicked her feet up on her desk and took a swig of her wine. "If you'd like a good grade, you need to deliver on creativity. I suggest some of you try a different style as opposed to the one you default towards," she said with a pointed look at Amber.

Everyone chose their canvas from the storage, and Amber went a little bigger this time, opting for an A0 size. She brought it back to her easel and gathered her supplies. Lining her idea out with pencil, she stopped at the sound of scraping wood. When she looked over, Lynch brought his easel with a grin.

"We sitting back here today?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Coolio," he said, setting his canvas up. "Already got your idea?"

Amber continued lining her canvas out. An image had shaped in her head the moment she heard the topic.

"I'm thinking of an ocean at night," she answered, setting her pencil down. She shifted through her blue and purple paint. "With stars above, glittering on the surface. Maybe a boat."

"You always do landscapes."

Amber cocked her head back.

"I guess I do," she said. "I haven't travelled much, so I like to capture places I visit. But I guess Miss Sauvage will have my head if I stick to my guns. Maybe I'll keep the landscape but change the style? I could try expressionism. You?"

Lynch smiled cheekily. "My speciality is nudes," he said. "I think I'll paint a woman with long golden hair that wraps around all the indecent parts." He perked up. "Wanna be my model?"

"Dream on."

The boy laughed, and the both of them started coating their base. Amber used broad strokes to paint her canvas a deep indigo.

"So, do you know if Blake will be coming to school?" she asked.

"Nah, Owen and him agreed to—" Lynch snapped his mouth shut and smiled again. "I mean, he'll be out of town for a while."

"Right."

After a month of drowning in books, final exams were upon the girl. The whole of June seemed to be an endless loop of three-hour tests in the school hall. And by the end of it, Amber was spent.

Following the last test, she slept for an entire day, exclusively communicating in grunts. Jessy asked her if she wanted to attend the farewell dance, but the idea did not sit so right. She had no attachments to school or anyone from there. Going would have been pointless. They stayed home for movie night instead.

On the 20th of June, the graduation ceremony took place. The girls just finished dressing in Jessy's room, both in blazers and black dresses, when there was a knock on the door. Aunt Tessa popped her head in.

"We should get going soon," she said, eyes darting to Amber. "Wait. Hold still while I fix your cap."

"I'll get Father figure," Jessy offered, leaving the room.

Amber stood still while her aunt fixed her graduation cap. She glanced over and saw herself in the mirror. Her brows drew.

"You excited?" Aunt Tessa asked, fluffing her hair out.

Amber's blood was a sluggish trickle in her veins. She had been half asleep for nearly two months now.

"When do you become an adult?" she asked instead.

"What?"

The question had been on her mind for a while. Ever since meeting Blake and Owen. Learning of the lives they lived.

"Is it when we turn eighteen? But I'm already nineteen and only just finished high school. Is it when we graduate, then? But some kids do that when they're fifteen. What about when we get married? Or get a kid? But does that make the kid that got knocked up in high school an adult? What about people that never graduate and still live with their parents when they're thirty?"

Aunt Tessa had stayed quiet. Slowly, she nodded.

"Adulthood comes at different times for everyone," she said. "But we are adults the day we wish we were children."

The words sunk in.

"I haven't felt like a kid for a while," Amber admitted.

"And do you miss it?"

The answer should have been obvious. Her parents were still there when she was a kid. She had no real worries. As opposed to now, when she risked not only herself but her family too. She had been more exposed to death this last year than her entire life.

And yet, if Amber gave the answer she wanted, she would have been lying.

Finally rewarded with the first hot summer's day, the ceremony was held on the rugby field with a stage covered in white paper flowers. Rows of ivory seats lined up in front of the glass podium. Students sat at the front and parents at the back, eager moms already taking their cameras out. Amber and Jessy sat next to each other, holding hands and only letting go when their names were called to get their certificates.

The principal gave his speech, blabbering on about how this last year would be looked back on as the best time in everyone's lives. Amber was mid-yawn when everyone cheered, and graduation caps went flying. Jessy pulled her up and laughed and whistled along with everyone else. The girl blinked at the bright scene around her, the sun blazing above in a clear sky. And for the first time, clouds would have better fitted her mood.

What was wrong with her?

A group of teachers with big smiles called Jessy over, and Amber walked over to her aunt and uncle.

"We're proud of you," Aunt Tessa said.

"My grades hardly compare to Jessy's, though."

"This was the first time you were in a public school. The change was bound to disrupt you a bit," she consoled, but Amber never had a love for academics, even when she was home-schooled.

"Ah, Miss Marigold, there you are," someone said.

Amber turned to where Ms Sauvage approached them. She wore a red shawl as usual, but with glittering beads at the end.

"Miss Sauvage," Amber greeted. "Visual Art is my only grade worth bragging about."

"I was wary when you pitched your ocean idea, but the stylistic choice saved you. The theme was well met and left me wanting to know more."

"Know more?"

"What's beneath?"

Before Amber could ask further, her teacher added, "In any case, I came to tell you to collect your art. I'd hate for it to gather dust."

"Ah, could I go get it now?"

"The class is open."

"Thanks."

Amber waved her aunt and uncle off, telling them she would be quick. She walked to the school building and stopped by the stairs. There, a group of girls she would likely never see again sat talking. Tan Cam and Rude Jude shared a cigarette while Nerdy Birdy kicked her feet up. Plain Jane sat at the top of the staircase, quiet.

"Congrats for making it this far," Cam snickered.

"Congrats on graduating to you, too," Amber sighed. She passed the girls, and another snide remark was all they gave her.

"Get out of town if you want to live a long life."

A quippy reply was right there, but the warning felt almost genuine. If not for the tone, the words could have been kind.

"Ditto," Amber said instead.

She got to the top and made eye contact with Jane. The girl gave a curt smile.

"Next time," she said with a wave.

Amber left without responding.

Echoing footsteps were her only company for the rest of her walk. As promised, the class was open, and she skulked inside towards her canvas propped against the wall. She paused to stare.

It might have been her favourite piece yet.

Half her size in length, dark, twisting waves took up the majority of the canvas. To the girl's credit, she avoided using black and stuck with deep blues and purples. Using thick strokes of paint, she created a 3D effect for the rippling waves. A bed sailed the water, mast and all. But the highlight of the piece was the bright stars adorning the swirling sky, glittering golden reflections across the inky surface.

What's beneath?

Amber stared at the art piece as though she really could see beneath the surface. But, of course, it was too dark.

Sighing, she took hold of the canvas and removed it from the wall, setting it on the floor. About to carry it off, she stopped when a maroon envelope fell from the back.

Huh?

Amber left her art and crouched down to pick the envelope up. Her name was written in golden cursive. Gulping, she carefully tore it open, revealing thick parchment. Her breath hitched.

𝐓𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐲𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞
𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐥
𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟏𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐮𝐠𝐮𝐬𝐭 - 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐎'𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞
𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫.

For the first time in weeks, her blood rushed. Fingers tingling and heart racing, she turned the letter over.

An extra note was scribbled.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭.

𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞?

He wanted to provoke her. Amber gripped the letter until it crumpled in her hands, and she thought her eyes alone could set it ablaze. She had a million and three reasons to forget about this. To walk away. Nothing good could come from opening this box. But Xavier was dead right with his bet. No way could she be content.

"Dammit," she cursed herself. "Dammit."

"You okay?"

Amber turned around to where Lynch knocked on the door. His cap fought against curls to stay on his head.

"I'm fine," she said, unsure if it was true. "I'm fine," she repeated.

"Miss Sauvage asked me to come collect my art," he explained. "You were basically hyperventilating... Is something wrong?"

Amber looked down, her eye catching the swirling dark ocean.

"I... I don't want to change," she whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a box. I could reach out and open it, but what frightens me is not what's inside. It's who I'll be once I find out."

"Change isn't always bad," Lynch offered.

Amber inhaled, her breath uneven. "But I don't want to lose myself. I don't want to lose my morals and what I stand for. Already, I have doubts. Are people who kill truly bad? What if they had no choice? Three months ago, I wouldn't have bothered asking. And I'm afraid that what's in the box will push me over the edge, and I'll end up the very person I swore to stop."

Sure, East and West were not entirely evil if you got to know them, but what they did was still wrong. Drugs, prostitution, murder... There was no justifying any of that. And if Amber continued the game they were all playing, she might end up worse.

What's beneath?

The girl could feel it. A slumbering part of her that just needed the right excuse to wake up.

"Hey, whatever happens," Lynch interrupted her. "You'll always be the girl who didn't judge me because I'm in a bloodline or I'm younger than everyone." Big brown eyes bore into her so earnestly she could accept his words as nothing but the truth.

"Thanks, Lynch," she said with the tiniest smile.

Her heart twisted. She could not let Xavier go. Her parents did not raise her to turn her back. She was taught to fight, to race, to defend. Not once was she taught to run. And even so, she could not risk her family. Her shoulders sagged.

"So, Blake and Owen graduated without attending exams. Yet they couldn't bother collecting their certificates?" Amber asked.

"Ah, yeah, most of West and East are at James' Waltz right now. I'm holding the fort in Tygerwel until Blake gets back."

"Will you guys be attending the Northern Ball?"

"Yip. Why?"

Amber picked up her canvas and headed for the door.

"I've been invited, but I won't go."

She said her goodbyes to the boy and wished him luck before leaving. Back at home, she threw the invitation away and her heart with it. And though it killed her not to find answers for her parents, she would die for the family she had left. She would die a thousand and three times over.

"What's wrong?" Jessy asked.

"Huh?" Amber looked over.

It was Thursday, end of July, and Amber had not seen someone from the Dynast for just over a month now. She suspected that she would stop running into them after graduation, but the reality of it was still a surprise.

"You don't like the place?" Jessy asked.

Amber glanced around, sharing a patient smile with the real estate agent. The apartment was great. Two bedrooms, an open kitchen, and a bathroom the girls could share. Having it around the corner of the university was a bonus too. Though Amber was not going to study like her cousin, they still agreed to share a place. It was actually Aunt Tessa's suggestion to invest in properties.

"I like it," Amber answered.

"Then why aren't you excited?"

"I am excited."

"Tch. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me, Amber."

Amber ducked her head.

"I'm sorry," she said and turned to the agent. "We'll take it. Please send the details to my lawyer. Mister Lium will handle it."

"Wait, are you sure?" Jessy asked. "One hundred percent?"

"I'm positive."

"OMG. We're doing it!" The girl smothered her with a hug and Amber held on to her cousin, to that familiar smell.

Beat, she pleaded her heart. Beat, you useless organ.

After signing some papers and scheduling a meeting with her lawyer, they greeted the agent and headed out. Walking down the apartment steps, Jessy grabbed Amber's shoulder. The girl turned, and with the way the sun sunk in the distance, her cousin was set alight with all the colours of a hell-bent fire.

"Let's go," she said.

"Go where?" Amber asked, two steps below Jessy.

"The Northern ball. It's tomorrow, right?"

"How do you know?"

Jessy sighed.

"Amber, you're not the only one struggling to let go. You've turned your back on revenge for family. I've turned my back on love. We're both damned, but we're damned together. You don't have to bottle up around me." She reached to hold her hands, gripping tightly. "Enrique asked me to be his date. I turned him down, and I've tried to forget, but... it's hard without closure. I get how you feel. So, let's... Let's go. One last night. If we find answers, we get our closure and leave. If we don't, we take the buffet table and leave."

Amber laughed.

"There'll be buffet tables?"

"Of course."

"Well, why the hell did nobody tell me?" she asked. "Screw family if there's food."

The girls laughed it off, but Amber's leg had not stopped shaking the whole ride back to Tygerwel. She had a nervous grin she fought to hide, and when they passed the welcoming sign with its bullet holes, her act slipped for the briefest of seconds.

Back home, Jessy raved about what they would wear and settled on the dress she would have worn to the farewell dance. Walking into the kitchen, Uncle Anton and Aunt Tessa sat by the island, drinking a glass of champagne with matching grins.

"What are we celebrating?" Amber asked.

"I made some tanned bread on my own!" Uncle Anton said.

"Congrats, Father figure." Jessy shook her head at the supposed toast, scorched to the point of barely being edible.

"Oh, ignore the overgrown baby," Aunt Tessa said. "I just got some good news, is all."

"Ooh, what is it?" Amber asked.

"You'll find out on Sunday," she grinned. "I don't want to spoil the surprise."

The girls headed upstairs and to their rooms.After closing the door, Amber froze in her tracks. A black box lay on her bed.She approached it with slow steps and removed the lid. Inside, a letter lay ona bed of red tissue paper.

𝙸 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍.

𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚘, 𝙸'𝚖 𝚌𝚞𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚞𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚖𝚎𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚐𝚘𝚕𝚍.

— 𝙰 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚊𝚛 𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚛

Clutching the letter to her chest, she whipped her head around her room for evidence of the unknown number.

They were right here.

With nothing that stood out, she returned her attention to the box and carefully pulled apart the tissue paper, drawing out a gasp from her lips. A dress of the finest, purest gold she had ever seen lay neatly folded. Her fingers trailed over the delicate material, cold to the touch and unlike anything the girl had ever worn. She took out her phone.

Amber
Will you be at the ball?
18:02

Mr President
I told you, Marigold. I'm not one to miss a party.
18:02

Her brows were drawn when Jessy walked into the room.

"Whoa, where'd you get that?"

"Unknown number," Amber answered, eyes still on her phone.

Jessy made a sound.

"They were here?" She looked around and grimaced. "Urgh. Creepy. At least this works out, I guess. Anyway, Enrique's going to be my date, but who's yours?"

Amber set her phone down, looking up at Jessy.

"Do you keep contact with the West?"

"You're choosing Blake?"

"Eww, no. I want Lynch's number."

"Oh, hahaha, sure. I still have it."

The girl released a breath when the number did not match up with Mr President. She sent the boy a text.

Amber
Hey I know this is last minute but could you do me a massive favour?
18:13

Lynch
Who this and what you want? 0-0
18:14

Amber
Oh haha sorry its Amber from art. I decided to go to the northern ball. Are you willing to be my date?
18:14

Lynch
Omg omh omg. Amber! I'm at the mall. Got my hair treated. Of course I'll go! I can't believe ur asking me lol. Wait wait I can get a matching tie! What u wearing? Like dress? What colour? >.<
18:15

Amber giggled at her phone screen.

Amber
Thank you so much. And the dress is gold :D
18:15

Lynch
Awesome! *dances in public* Its goin to be so pretty! Also I'll pick u up with a limo if u want? How does 19:30 sound? :D :D :D
18:15

Amber
Sounds perfect ;)
18:15

With dates and dresses for both girls sorted, everything was set for the next night. Jessy insisted they cuddle together, and though Amber agreed, she would be lying if she said she managed some shut-eye. The next day, they were trying to devise an excuse for where they were going, but Aunt Tessa left to handle matters in the city, saving them the worry.

At 7 p.m. they both finished dressing. Jessy wore a purple so dark that it might have been black, with a tight fit and plunging V-line. She was curling her high ponytail when she angled to Amber.

"Man, I love this dress. But yours is stealing the show."

Amber turned to the mirror, gulping. The dress honestly was beyond words. If the material was godly, the cut was divine. Thin straps held up a simple design that clung to her waist and ass, where golden material poured onto the floor and pooled behind her. But the highlight was the slit, riding up her leg as far as it could go.

She glanced away when her stomach started turning.

"I feel... like someone else."

"Let's finish your hair."

To show off the exposed back, Jessy figured a low bun with loose strands at the front would work best. When it came to makeup, a brawl nearly broke out to draw a cat-eye on Amber, and the girl sat sulking while gold was applied to her eyelid. After agreeing on lip gloss, they were ready. The doorbell rang.

Rushing downstairs, Amber told her cousin to get the door while she aimed for the garage. She opened Blue Jay's boot, reaching below the spare tyre to get what she needed. Prepared for the night, she went to wave Jessy off. A buff boy who could only be Enrique escorted her to his car. They left just as a limousine pulled up.

Amber could not help the grin that came over her when Lynch hopped out of the car. He skipped towards her, then stopped to gape.

"Uh, who are you?" he asked.

She snorted.

"Stop playing around. It's Amber."

"Amber? Oh God, I should've used conditioner for this."

"Oh, shush," she said and not-so-gracefully got in the limo, Lynch right behind. They drove off.

"Amber, you're... You look like a goddess..."

"I look like a big pot of gold," she laughed. "Damn, you should've dressed as a Leprechaun, and we could've matched!"

Lynch smiled, but his eyes stayed still.

"You should've asked someone else to be your date... You're literally a piece of the sun, and I'm... I'm just a tiny little comet."

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, leaning over to fix his golden bowtie. "You might be a comet, but your hair is the galaxy."

The boy's expression melted, his ears turning red.

"You're too good for this world," he said, and Amber's smile faded. Before he could notice, he turned to his pocket. "Oh, wait, before I forget, I got you something while I was at the mall."

"Lynch, I think something bad might happen tonight..."

The boy pulled out a tiny brown box and sent Amber a wink. "Oh, the North might try something," he said. "But we've got it covered. Don't worry. We have an informant. Here, take this." He handed her the box.

Removing the lid, a soft smile crept up Amber's lips. A delicate golden chain with a simple amber stone lay nestled inside.

"Lynch... I love it," she said. "Could you put it on for me?"

"Of course!"

The girl turned around while Lynch clasped the necklace around her neck. The simplicity of it was a perfect match for her dress.

For the rest of the ride, the boy chatted away, telling all kinds of stories he had. Arriving at Isabella, they spent a while in the line of cars leading up to the mansion. By the time they got to the front, the sun had sunk behind the mountains, drowning the world in night. Amber pressed her hands down to suppress the tingles.

A valet opened their door, and Lynch jumped out to offer his hand for the girl. She smiled, taking her first step out and thanking whatever gods were listening that she did not A) trip, B) tear her dress, or C) get hit by pigeon poop. C had been a fear of hers for a while now.

"Are you ready?" Lynch asked, hooking their arms.

"No, I'm Amber," she said with an awkward chuckle.

They passed through the door and into the devil's home.

Beyond the foyer, the entrance to the ballroom was just below those crescent-shaped stairs. The last time she was here... Blood red roses decorated the house as though to remind her what had happened. She struggled to swallow the knot in her throat, and when they stood atop the steps leading down to the ballroom, the girl thought she would pass out. Glittering gowns and tailored tuxedos danced across the black and white chequered floor. It might have been her imagination, but Amber could have sworn everyone stopped to stare at her.

A night to remember, the letter had said. She did not doubt it.  

***