Free Dragon Blood 3: Surety by Avril Sabine Page A

go.
    “Are you fine?”
Rian asked Amber.
    She nodded, sitting at the large table in the middle of the room. “I need some advice.”
    Rian sat across from her. “What is wrong?” He sent a quick look in his father’s direction.
    Amber started to reassure Rian that his father wasn’t the problem this time, but decided she didn’t know that for certain. Instead she told Rian and Jasper about the negotiation meeting.
    “Not Doneele,” Jasper said. “If you give them Doneele, Isleen will go with her.”
    “Oh Jasper, you’re not.” Amber stared worriedly at her brother.
    “You can’t talk. What about Kade?”
    She started to argue, but Ronan cut her off. “Good. It’s settled. Paili’s egg will be used.”
    “Nothing has been decided,” Amber said.
    “I was thinking we should name her. We can’t keep calling her the egg,” Jasper said.
    “No.” Ronan slammed a hand against the table. “Name it and she,” he gestured towards Amber, “will never want to part with it.”
    “Name the child, make the exchange,” Rian said.
    “What?” Amber couldn’t believe Rian was siding with his father so quickly. “But we don’t know they’ll take care of her.”
    “I was thinking Topaz. There’s an imperial topaz that’s a golden orange colour and well…” Jasper’s voice trailed off.
    “Claiming her with a name linking her to you and your sister is a good strategy.” Ronan nodded.
    “I d-”
    Amber kicked her brother who was sitting next to her.
“Shut up. Let him think what he wants. It makes you look stronger in his eyes.”
    “I didn’t think of that reason,”
Jasper told her.
    “So?”
Amber turned her attention to Ronan. “How do we protect Topaz?
    “Send a guardian with her,” Rian said.
    Jasper spoke at almost the same time. “Shared custody.”
    “Guardian?” Amber asked.
    “Like Isleen is for Doneele,” Rian explained before he turned to Jasper. “What do you mean by shared custody?”
    “We have Topaz for two weeks out of every thirteen.”
    “And if her guardian or Topaz complain about the way she’s treated then she returns to our care,” Amber said.
    “Children always complain about their parents or those who raise them.” Ronan sent a pointed look towards his son before his gaze returned to Amber.
    “Complaints of mistreatment, force or harm. And it’s her choice if she marries any of them. All they’re getting is the chance to try and convince her one of them would make her a good husband,” Amber said.
    “It’s settled then?” Ronan’s gaze travelled around the table.
    “Yes,” Jasper said.
    When Amber didn’t answer, Ronan stared at her. “Well?”
    “Are you sure Topaz will be safe?”
    “With her bloodlines, she’ll be adored, spoiled and treated like a queen. Paili came from a long line of Golds,” Ronan said. “One of the purest lines.”
    Amber hesitated.
    “She would be safer in their care than yours. They would go to a great deal of trouble to protect her and woo her,” Rian said to Amber.
    She trusted Rian’s advice a lot more than she trusted Ronan’s. “Okay. It’s settled.”
    Ronan rose from the table. “Finally. I’ll return you home.” His gaze moved from Amber to Jasper. “Alsandair will be here shortly to take you home.” Looking at Amber again, he held out his hand.
    “One moment. Have you seen Shannon? Her family sent a message here looking for her,” Rian said.
    “No.” Amber turned to her brother. “Jay?”
    Jasper shook his head. “Haven’t seen her in ages.”
    Ronan took Amber’s arm. “Let me know if no one can find her.”
    Before Amber could protest, Ronan was taking her through the Void again and she found herself back at his place, in his bathroom. “What are we doing here? I thought you were taking me home.”
    He turned on the tap. “In a minute. Don’t give your grandmother that message.”
    “I wasn’t going to.”
    “Good. We don’t need the Knights hunting us down.
    In case Ronan still