Hey, I've editted this chapter, and i'd like to thank Pourtoujourmort for giving me the idea to replace Niko with a novice, as i used Niko only coz i had no better ideas. So thank you heaps!

Chapter Eleven

Even Sandry was shocked at the words she'd just spoken. She hadn't meant to it had just happened.

"You…me…what?" Briar said, his shock overcoming common sense.

"I love you." Sandry replied simply.

"As in…"

"Yes." Sandry said, and they both fell into silence as Briar digested this information.

"For how long?" He asked calmly.

"Long enough."
Briar bit his lip. "Look Sandry, I'm sorry, but I – "

"I know you don't feel the same way." Sandry replied, hoping the pain she was feeling didn't show on her face. "You love Amber."

"She hates me." Briar replied gloomily.

"No she doesn't." Sandry replied, biting her tongue.

"What?" Briar said.

"She was the one I got drunk with last night." Sandry replied, looking down in embarrassment.

"Oh." Briar replied beginning to realize there were no more surprises left.

"And she was miserable because she thought you hated her." Sandry said.

"What?" briar said, and his head looked like it was about to pop off from shock. "There is nothing left that would surprise me."

"Just one more thing." Sandry replied, dreading what she was about to say.

"What?"

"Briar, I'm really sorry – "

"What is it?"

"I…I kissed Amber."

"What?" Briar yelled out, jumping off the bed.

"I'm sorry." Sandry said, standing up too.

"You're sorry? You made out with my girlfriend!"

"Ex-girlfriend!" Sandry hissed defensively.

"That I was still in love with!"

"How the hell was I supposed to know that?" Sandry asked angrily. "You wouldn't talk to me about it…you shut me out."

"Oh, so you thought kissing Amber would make me open up?"

"Well it did, didn't it!" Sandry shrieked.

Briar looked at her angrily. "I hate you."

Sandry felt like he'd hit her, as he turned and walked away. She slid to the ground in utter defeat.

Dean was walking alone, stealing from a few people, but too depressed and angry to really focus. He hated her so much at that moment.

Why'd she do this to me? He thought angrily. Why'd she have to steal the girl I wanted …

His rational brain was telling him that Amber didn't know that Sandry was the girl, just as he hadn't known that the girl was Sandry, but he didn't care. She was his best friend, and friends didn't do that to each other.

But then, he thought grimly. Maybe I don't really know Amber very well…In fact, I don't know her at all. Not anymore.

Amber went out with only one goal, to make everything right again. Achieving that goal was harder than she had expected. She had to make things right with Briar, Sandry and Dean. She didn't want to speak to Briar until she'd sorted out the mess with Sandry and Dean, and she didn't want to talk to Dean until she'd fixed things with Sandry. So Amber went out to find Sandry. It was after she'd left that Amber realized she had no idea where Sandry, or even Briar, lived. So she went round the marketplace with the hope of finding her, which was a false hope. She knew Sandry probably wouldn't be going out today, not after last night. So Amber went round the marketplace trying to find people that might be able to help her.

Sandry's like Briar, so she's a…mage? Amber groaned to herself as she tried to remember anything that would help her find Sandry. So if Sandry's a mage, than I need to ask another mage about her.

Amber sighed, still not knowing what she was going to do. She was so preoccupied that she stopped paying attention to what she was doing and ran into a man.

With all the dignity she could hold she looked at him and glared. "Watch where you're going."

"Sorry." He said looking down at her, but also looked at her fearfully.

Amebr glared at him, then she realized he was wearing clothes with the symbol of Winding Circle, the place where mages work and train.

"Wait a minute, are you from Winding Circle?" She asked, curiously.

He nodded smugly. "Yes I am."

"So, you're a mage?" Amber said, realizing that she was acting a bit stupid, but decided she didn't care, as long as she found out what she needed to know.

"Yes, I'm a novice mage." She waited for him to say more, then realized he wasn't going to.

"Do you know a girl called Sandry?" Amber asked eagerly. "She's a mage at Winding circle and she has an adopted brother Briar―"

"Of course I know Sandry." He interrupted, his voice full of awe. 'There is no one at Winding Circle who hasn't heard of those mages. They're well known and feared for their power."

Amber was a bit shocked at hearing this as she had known Briar and Sandry were mages, but hearing about their power from this novice made her realize just how much power they possessed.

"Can you tell me where she is? Sandry, I mean." Amber asked, trying to sound less eager.

He looked at her as though he was pondering it, which just irritated Amber. She could tell this boy rarely had any power so he was seizing any opportunity to have some.

"Why should I?" He asked. "I mean, I don't know you or what you want with Sandry."

Amber sighed, frustrated with being nice, she shoved him against a wall, putting her hand around his throat. "Because I'm frustrated and if you don't I'll have to do something I really don't want to do."

Amber felt him trembling and let him go. "Are you going to take me to Sandry?"

The boy nodded grimly, his face pale with fear. "Follow me."

Briar hit a wall in anger. How could Sandry do that to him? Hell, how could Amber do that too him?

He leant against the wall in frustration, tears streaming down his face, much to his shame. Amber still loved him. Sandry loves him. Sandry kissed Amber. Amber kissed Sandry…

Where did he fit into all of this? It was all so confusing. All he knew was that he could never forgive Sandry…ever.

Amber swallowed hard as she stood outside the building called Discipline. The boy had been true to his word, and brought her up here. He even tried to be friendly, but he was too afraid of her for it to really work and if he'd known what she'd done to Briar and Sandry he probably wouldn't have attempted to be so kind

She swallowed the lump in her throat and knocked on the door. She waited for a while as she heard people moving around and voices coming from inside. The door was opened by a red haired girl, who was holding a book in one hand, and looked fairly cross at being disturbed.

"What do you want?" She asked.

Amber grinned slightly. She'd been around lots of impatient and grumpy people, so this girl didn't scare her in the slightest.

"Is Sandry hear?" Amber asked.

"Uh…" The girl paused, not quite sure how to reply.

"Who is it?" Another voice called out, and another girl came to stand next to the redhead. This girl had chocolate coloured skin, and looked like she'd once been a trader.

"Tris, whose this?" The girl asked the redhead.

"She's looking for Sandry." The girl, Tris replied.

"Oh." The girl said, and they were both silent for a moment, as though having a silent conversation. They both looked worried, but then smiled weakly, and acknowledged Amber again.

"Come in." The dark skinned girl said, smiling.

"I'm Daja, and this is Tris."

Amber walked into the house, not smiling at all. "I'm Amber. Where's Sandry?"

Okay, I'll end there. Next chapter will be up soon. Thank you everyone who reviewed the last chapter:

Alenor- Yes, very complicated love story…its so much fun. Thank you for reviewing, and things will be very interesting…

DominionJewel- Thank you for the review, it's always nice being reviewed

Pourtoujourmort- You're like my most dedicated reviewer at the moment. Thank you so much

Gasert- Look Tris and Daja make a slight appearance in this one. They may appear in it more, I haven't decided yet…

Psycholioness- Yay, you're back. I've missed your reviews…and thank you for correcting the mistakes in my past chapters, I've fixed them.

Thank you all, I love all you guys.

Okay, bye bye

Luv Aliah