I'm baaack! Happy October everybody! Sooo I officially survived 3 exams since the last time I posted, and in celebration I just might post a couple more chapters this week! ;)

Black Moons Daughter: Thank you I'm glad you like it! And I'm sooo happy you like Amberlynn :3

I do not own ROTG, just my OC...enjoy!

Amberlynn didn't think she'd ever be able to shed that cursed parka! Almost immediately upon entering California, she ditched the winter clothes she snagged from some warehouse for a much more comfortable ensemble consisting of a light blue tank top, dark wash Bermuda shorts, and a dark floral print cardigan.

While she and Frost had many disagreements, one thing they most certainly had in common was a mutual hatred for shoes. Those horrendous boots were the first things she kicked as far away as she could, only to retrieve them later because she knew she'd regret it soon as she had to leave Death Valley. But for the time being, Amberlynn made sure to enjoy warmth that she didn't need to use energy to create.

She dug her toes into the still-burning-hot sand as she lied down, placing her hands comfortably behind the back of her head as she took in the sight of the constellations on this cloudless night. Not that there actually would be many clouds to begin with, being in the desert, she thought happily. No matter how many times or how many years she's seen the sky on a clear night, the pure beauty before her both fascinated and calmed her.

"You can come out of hiding, Pitch. I promise you won't get caught like some mortal breaking curfew," she teased while not tearing her eyes away from the sky. Sure enough, a tall, dark figure emerged from behind the dunes, slightly impressed that she knew he was there.

"To be fair, I'd hardly call it 'hiding,' considering I literally just appeared," Pitch countered, failing to hide the slight offense taken by her remark. "How did you know I was back there, anyway?"

"I might not have grown up in California," she explained, "But you better believe that after becoming a spirit, I quickly took to liking the hottest place in the world. There's not a living thing or spirit that comes here that escapes my notice." She sat up and beamed with pride as she added, "I wager I could easily challenge Flora and Fauna on the goings-on of this small region."

With lightning fast speed, her hand snatched down to a small object near her feet. Gently grasping the stinger of a two-inch-long scorpion between her index finger and thumb, she cradled its body in the palm of her hand. Pitch observed in fascination as Amberlynn stared at the wriggling creature, not with fear or even disgust, but rather almost as if it offended her.

"You and yer friends have been little buggers, haven't ye?" she chastised it. "It's quite rude, really. Sneaking up on unsuspecting travelers through the night, poking them with that nasty little venom of yours. And fer what? Going 2 weeks before ye can use yer venom again? I'm gonna let ye go, but why don't ye go be productive and use that weapon of yers on some food and not something that can squish ye, eh?"

Still firmly holding onto the stinger, she flicked the arachnid a few feet away from her and lit a small fire blockade between her and it, just for good measure. After it scurried away, Pitch eyed Amberlynn and said, "I take it this is a…frequent occurrence?"

Amberlynn put out her hand to quench the fire blockade. "Scorpions don't have great vision," she explained, "but most are extremely sensitive to light, thus why they tend to be nocturnal. That particular one was a bark scorpion, most vicious godforsaken creature. One sting can kill a mortal, but a spirit…well, let's just say it's one bloody hell of an experience for a good couple of days."

Upon noticing Pitch subtly examining her for any sting marks (not subtle enough, Amberlynn thought with a faint smile), she stood up and said, "You don't have to worry about me. I wasn't stung. Have been, though, a good few times when I first became a spirit. Mostly if I don't use fire to deter them, I can snatch them off the ground before they strike. Told you I could rival the twin spirits on what goes on around here!"

Pitch shook his head and laughed. "You have reflexes that can beat the strike of a scorpion's tail, but it is your awareness of its presence that you rather pride yourself on? I'm not sure whether to think you are a fool or incredibly humble about your skills. Either way, remind me to not get on your bad side."

"You mean get on my bad side again?" Amberlynn challenged him. Despite her words, the smile and twinkle in her eyes showed him that she was teasing. He raised a brow and retorted, "Would I ever do that to you?"

Without missing a beat, she said, "1843, 1952, and just within this past month." She walked up until she was mere inches from him and, despite her being a head shorter than he, looked him straight in the eyes and crossed her arms. "But who's counting?"

"You're right, absolutely nobody," Pitch replied with a chuckle. "Now tell me, Amberlynn. How would you define 'getting on your bad side'?"

Amberlynn lightly stood on her tiptoes and placed her hands behind her back. "I don't know, you tell me," she replied.

Pitch slowly closed the gap between him and Amberlynn. His hands gently cupped her face, searching her charcoal-ember eyes, which appeared to glow despite her not using her powers. She smiled softly and bit her lower lip, staring with curiosity into his eyes. She noticed they were now completely golden, not a hint of silver.

He began to pull her face toward him, but she quickly turned it to the side and muttered, "We have company." The words barely left her mouth before one of Pitch's Nightmares galloped up to him as quickly as he could. Pitch's eyes became speckled with silver as he turned to his mare. "I trust you have something important to share," he growled. The nightmare whinnied in acknowledgment, and while Amberlynn didn't see the significance of it, Pitch's brows rose up in realization of whatever it said.

"I'm afraid I must make this visit…brief," he said apologetically. He mounted his nightmare and flew off without a moment's hesitation. Confused, Amberlynn looked around, almost expecting somebody to jump out in a "gotcha!" moment.

"Huh," she muttered to herself. "I'm not even going to pretend to understand what just happened, so I guess I'll just move on as if I didn't just almost…kiss…the King of Nightmares. I almost kissed Pitch Black…and I wanted to!"