Dragons Against Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice #2)
Kyra Jacobs
Dedication
To my amazing beta readers—never could I have done this without you.
Chapter 1
Adelaide Miller stood at her chamber window, watching the hive of activity below in awe. Servants of all shapes, sizes, and ages milled about, dutifully fulfilling their roles assigned by the Forath Monarchy. She’d heard the phrase “it takes a village” before, but had no idea how much truth was in it. Not before she’d moved into a castle of her own, anyway.
Technically it wasn’t her castle, though. It belonged to her family, the Bennetts, this kingdom’s ruling family. Up until a few weeks ago, she hadn’t known they existed either. But that was before she’d traveled from Indiana to Hertfordshire, England, taken a tumble during a jogging mishap, and landed in an alternate, medieval-like realm where men could transform into dragons, sparring monarchs ruled its two kingdoms, and powerful wizards watched over them all.
At first, she had every intention of finding her way back home. No electricity, no denim, no Maroon 5—who would want to live like that? But then she’d fallen head over heels for a man who, by every definition, was way out of her league: Prince Zayne Godfrey of Edana, the last golden dragon shifter and heir to his kingdom’s throne. Edana had been thrust to the cusp of war when Zayne chose Addie over his betrothed, Princess Rosalind of rival kingdom Forath. As would be expected, Rosalind hadn’t taken kindly to coming in second to Addie. Had taken it even harder when, after ordering Addie be kidnapped, she’d discovered the shocking truth that Addie was actually her long-lost—and presumed dead—half sister.
In a single afternoon, Addie had regained a father, discovered she had a twin brother, Tristan, and unintentionally driven off a half sister. A sister who yet remained on the lam…and had the rest of Addie’s family worried sick.
Her gaze shifted to the dense woods that surrounded the castle. Wherever could Rosalind be?
“I have come to recognize that look in your eyes, daughter, but I hold fast to my decision. It is too dangerous for you to venture beyond the castle walls.”
Addie turned to spy her father, King Jarin, approaching and offered him a sheepish grin. She still wasn’t quite sure how to act around the man—he was a king, after all. And though the resemblance between Addie and her twin brother, Tristan, was undeniable, her father’s coloring was vastly different. Where her hair was pure blonde, his was the darkest of browns. French roast, hold the cream. Deep hazel eyes, so different from her own light blues, stared her down now, imploring her to heed his words. But following the rules wasn’t a trait Addie came by naturally.
“I know. I just…everything is still so new to me. I want to soak it all in, learn as much as I can.”
“And you shall, once Rosalind has returned and my peace of mind is restored.”
He came to stand beside her as his focus shifted to the tree-lined horizon, and Addie felt a fresh pinprick of guilt. If it weren’t for her, Rosalind would still be here. Heck, she might even be married to Zayne by now and the treaty of peace between the two kingdoms already signed.
But Addie’s planned wedding to Zayne would still ensure a pledge of peace between the lands, so that couldn’t be the reason Rosalind had run off in a huff. And since there was no love lost between Rosalind and Zayne, that couldn’t have been her reason for running off either. So why go? Did she really hate the idea of having a sister that much? Or was Rosalind still too embarrassed about having Addie kidnapped, intending to exchange her for Zayne’s hand in marriage?
Addie thanked her lucky stars for the millionth time that Zayne and Edana’s high wizard Berinon had arrived before her imprisonment had gotten any uglier. Being chained to a wooden rack overnight had not and never would be her idea of fun. But this was a different realm, run by different rules—something Addie was still getting used to.
As were her family’s dynamics.
“I’ve made a mess of things, haven’t I?”
“No, Adelaide.” Her father sighed. “Your sister…she has my temper. Though while I presume her initial disappearance was of her own doing, I fear returning may no longer be within her control.”
Addie took a step back from the window, her gaze shifting to the horizon too. It seemed like every time she started to settle into this place, something tried to reach out and bite her. First the wolves that had attacked her when she first fell into this realm, then the kidnapping… What other enemies might be lurking out there, waiting for any of them to make a wrong move? A shiver zigzagged down her spine.
“You think she’s been captured?” she said.
“Until Rosalind either returns to us or is found, I must consider the possibility.”
His hand cupped her chin, and though it was a fatherly gesture, Addie made a conscious effort not to flinch from his touch. The father she’d grown up with, the one she’d believed to be her real father until learning the truth in this very castle only weeks ago, had never been gentle with her. Or affectionate. No, theirs had been a relationship of convenience—it was convenient for him to punish her for merely breathing, so she’d found it convenient to remain out of his reach. Photography had become her frequent companion, a pastime that had grown into a lucrative career before she’d tumbled into this world and into the arms of Prince Charming.