Read Online Dragon Blood 3: Surety by Avril Sabine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Avril Sabine
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behalf.”
“People change. It’s been forty years since you’ve seen family and friends,” Amber said.
“If she has allied herself with dragons, that woman would be as dead to me as my son.”
Had her grandfather just threatened her? Did he know who she was? She was conscious of the dragons watching her. “We aren’t interested in your past, only how you can be of use to us in the future.”
“I’m a worn out old man, no use to anyone.”
“Quiet.” Irvin hit Charles in the back and he lurched forward, barely keeping his feet. “He’s valuable. If someone could break into his mind without destroying it, all the secrets of the Knights would be laid out for them.”
“How many have tried?” Ronan asked.
“None with great experience. We are only a small clan,” Blair said.
“A Goldless clan,” Ronan said.
Anger flushed Irvin’s face. “Our father is Gold.”
“Yet none of his offspring or his grandchildren are.” Ronan’s tone remained even. “Your clan would dissolve if your father was to die.”
Blair’s hand reached for the empty scabbard at his side. “Is that a threat?”
Chapter Nine
Ronan shook his head. “Merely an observation.”
“We are in negotiations for a Gold bride for one of our sons,” Blair said. “Our situation isn’t desperate and it has no bearing on these negotiations.”
“I’ve heard that the Gold bride you’ve been wooing has many suitors to choose from. You have eight sons between you both, don’t you?” Ronan asked.
“And a daughter,” Blair said.
“What if I could provide a possible Gold bride for you?”
“We would want a guarantee,” Irvin said.
“No guarantee. The raising of a female Gold and, if one of your sons could convince her when she is of age, a marriage,” Ronan said.
Amber wanted to ask where Ronan would get a young Gold female. Then she realised, she had two in her keeping. She wanted to tell him no. Wanted to bring an end to the negotiations. But she couldn’t, they had to maintain a united front. How long had he been planning this? Damn dragon couldn’t stop plotting and planning and keeping secrets from her. It was an effort to keep her expression neutral and her body relaxed.
“You could guarantee we’d have the complete raising of her?” Blair asked.
Ronan shook his head. “No. There’s likely to be conditions from the other party involved, but if you were willing to exchange your prisoner for the possibility of a Gold bride, I can start negotiations with the other party.”
“We’ll discuss this with our father,” Irvin said.
“Shall we say this meeting is at an end?” Blair asked.
“Amber.”
She met her grandfather’s sharp blue eyes.
“I wish I could tell that woman that mourning is for the weak. The only emotion of value in these situations is revenge.”
Revenge against who, she wanted to ask. Ronan spoke before she could think of a way to word her question.
“The meeting is ended.” Ronan grabbed hold of Amber and took them away, through the Void.
She looked around at the bathroom she’d never seen before. “Where are we? This isn’t Kade’s place. And I hope you weren’t thinking about Doneele or Paili’s egg when you were talking about brides. That isn’t going to happen.”
Ronan turned on a tap. “My place. And why isn’t it going to happen?”
“You can’t sell people.”
“I’m not. They’ll have complete freedom of choice.”
“No.” Amber glared at him.
Ronan shrugged. “Then I’ll ask Jasper.”
“No you won’t. They’re mine.”
Ronan laughed. “So you can’t sell people, but you can own them. How proud you make me feel of my teaching abilities at times. You’re becoming more of a dragon every day.”
Amber’s anger evaporated as quickly as it had come and she was unable to meet Ronan’s eyes. She didn’t want to be a dragon. She wanted to be herself, not something Ronan made her. “They’re not for sale.”
“They would treat either one
“People change. It’s been forty years since you’ve seen family and friends,” Amber said.
“If she has allied herself with dragons, that woman would be as dead to me as my son.”
Had her grandfather just threatened her? Did he know who she was? She was conscious of the dragons watching her. “We aren’t interested in your past, only how you can be of use to us in the future.”
“I’m a worn out old man, no use to anyone.”
“Quiet.” Irvin hit Charles in the back and he lurched forward, barely keeping his feet. “He’s valuable. If someone could break into his mind without destroying it, all the secrets of the Knights would be laid out for them.”
“How many have tried?” Ronan asked.
“None with great experience. We are only a small clan,” Blair said.
“A Goldless clan,” Ronan said.
Anger flushed Irvin’s face. “Our father is Gold.”
“Yet none of his offspring or his grandchildren are.” Ronan’s tone remained even. “Your clan would dissolve if your father was to die.”
Blair’s hand reached for the empty scabbard at his side. “Is that a threat?”
Chapter Nine
Ronan shook his head. “Merely an observation.”
“We are in negotiations for a Gold bride for one of our sons,” Blair said. “Our situation isn’t desperate and it has no bearing on these negotiations.”
“I’ve heard that the Gold bride you’ve been wooing has many suitors to choose from. You have eight sons between you both, don’t you?” Ronan asked.
“And a daughter,” Blair said.
“What if I could provide a possible Gold bride for you?”
“We would want a guarantee,” Irvin said.
“No guarantee. The raising of a female Gold and, if one of your sons could convince her when she is of age, a marriage,” Ronan said.
Amber wanted to ask where Ronan would get a young Gold female. Then she realised, she had two in her keeping. She wanted to tell him no. Wanted to bring an end to the negotiations. But she couldn’t, they had to maintain a united front. How long had he been planning this? Damn dragon couldn’t stop plotting and planning and keeping secrets from her. It was an effort to keep her expression neutral and her body relaxed.
“You could guarantee we’d have the complete raising of her?” Blair asked.
Ronan shook his head. “No. There’s likely to be conditions from the other party involved, but if you were willing to exchange your prisoner for the possibility of a Gold bride, I can start negotiations with the other party.”
“We’ll discuss this with our father,” Irvin said.
“Shall we say this meeting is at an end?” Blair asked.
“Amber.”
She met her grandfather’s sharp blue eyes.
“I wish I could tell that woman that mourning is for the weak. The only emotion of value in these situations is revenge.”
Revenge against who, she wanted to ask. Ronan spoke before she could think of a way to word her question.
“The meeting is ended.” Ronan grabbed hold of Amber and took them away, through the Void.
She looked around at the bathroom she’d never seen before. “Where are we? This isn’t Kade’s place. And I hope you weren’t thinking about Doneele or Paili’s egg when you were talking about brides. That isn’t going to happen.”
Ronan turned on a tap. “My place. And why isn’t it going to happen?”
“You can’t sell people.”
“I’m not. They’ll have complete freedom of choice.”
“No.” Amber glared at him.
Ronan shrugged. “Then I’ll ask Jasper.”
“No you won’t. They’re mine.”
Ronan laughed. “So you can’t sell people, but you can own them. How proud you make me feel of my teaching abilities at times. You’re becoming more of a dragon every day.”
Amber’s anger evaporated as quickly as it had come and she was unable to meet Ronan’s eyes. She didn’t want to be a dragon. She wanted to be herself, not something Ronan made her. “They’re not for sale.”
“They would treat either one
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