Treasured by the Dragon (Stonefire Dragons #10) - Jessie Donovan Page 0,45

nodded since she didn't have enough energy to argue about something so trivial when she could possibly lose Daisy forever in the coming weeks.

No. She wouldn't let her go. With everyone at her back, they had to win. They just had to.

And as Bram, Evie, and Alice explained a few things she needed to know ahead of the custody hearing, she merely took strength from Blake's touch and did her best to keep it together. Because when she talked to Daisy about all this, she needed to be strong.

Chapter Sixteen

The next morning, Blake took Dawn and Daisy to the Protector's building for their meeting with the solicitor and tried his best not to let his mixture of anger and uneasiness show. Both of the females in his family needed strength, and he would show it.

His dragon spoke up. Of course we'll be strong for them. Anyone who tries to take them away will have to face me.

As much as I wish you could just shift and eat the horrible aunt, it doesn't work that way anymore.

His beast grunted. There were some good points to the old times. Although I do prefer better hygiene and the fact people aren't constantly trying to hunt us as trophy kills. But eating our enemies was a nice touch hundreds of years ago.

Blake resisted a sigh and focused on ushering Dawn and Daisy into the building and down the hallway.

Once they reached the correct room, he looked at Dawn and murmured, "Ready?" She nodded weakly, and he quickly kissed her forehead. "We'll win, Dawn. I know we will."

Daisy must've heard him because she asked, "What happens if we lose?"

He replied, "We're going to focus on winning. That's more important."

"Okay." Daisy stood taller. "Then let's find a way to win."

She'd taken the news the night before better than he'd expected. But Dawn had explained that Daisy was used to challenges thanks to her problems at school, and even more recently, with her former best friend.

If she was this resilient at eleven, he could only imagine what she'd be like as an adult.

Dawn turned the doorknob, and they entered the room, only to find the brown-haired, pale-skinned Hayley Beckett already sitting at the table with various piles of paper in front of her.

Her messy bun, glasses, and mismatched buttoned cardigan didn't exactly scream a high-powered solicitor, but Blake wasn't going to judge by appearance. He knew better than anyone that focusing on the way someone looked could make people focus on the wrong thing.

She smiled and stood, reaching out her hand to shake. "You must be Blake, Dawn, and Daisy. I'm Hayley Beckett, but please call me Hayley. I'd like to say nice to meet you, but it's not quite the time. So take a seat and let's get started."

Hayley shook Dawn's hand, then Blake’s, and she even shook with Daisy, too.

Once they were all seated, Hayley continued. "The case is unique in that it hasn't happened in England for quite a while. However, if everything Bram told me is true, there are several points in your favor. So let's start with the basics and build up the case, okay? I need you to tell me everything about this woman who filed the complaint as well as what you've done to help Daisy adjust here."

Daisy spoke up before either Blake or Dawn could. "I can tell you some things. Like the bedroom they decorated for me. It has so many dragons, which I love, although I could always do with some more. Not to mention my new house is so close to my best friend, Freddie's. I can see him all the time now, unlike when we lived in Manchester. It's brilliant. It's almost like I'm always on holiday now."

Blake half-expected for Hayley to smile and tell Daisy to be quiet. Instead, the human asked Daisy, "What else did they do for you? Or what else do you like about living on Stonefire?"

"It's hard to remember it all! I have so many books now, new ones I didn't know existed. I also get to go to dragon school and am always surrounded by kids with flashing dragon eyes. Most of them let me ask questions. Only a few don't, but that's okay because not everyone likes me."

Blake jumped in at that. "Who?"

Daisy shrugged. "Mostly the older kids. But they don't like all my questions, or so Freddie tells me. He said that if I waited to ask questions later on, or maybe only once in a while,