Dragons Against Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice #2)(18)

“More rules?” demanded Addie. “And what rules are you referring to this time?”

“There are certain chambers I am to avoid unaccompanied until our wedding day has arrived, my lady.” Zayne turned from his flustered fiancée to her brother. “Forgive me, Your Highness. Princess Adelaide sought my presence upon hearing a strange noise outside her window. She sought your counsel first, of course, but was unable to find you.”

Tristan’s eyes narrowed.

“Um, it’s true,” said Addie. “I did hear a noise. A scratching, scraping noise. Like someone was trying to scale the wall outside.”

“Oh?” Tristan’s gaze grew wary. “And did you see anything?”

“No, I was too afraid to look. Which you probably think was silly of me.” She looked to the floor, color clouding her cheeks. Oh, but his angel could be quite the little devil when she felt so moved. If Zayne had not known better, he would have fully believed her.

“Not at all,” said Tristan. “Forgive me for being absent in your time of need, sister. Please, allow me to check the room before you retire for the night.”

“Do you think there could’ve been someone out there?” she asked.

Tristan’s gaze shifted from hers. “No, certainly not. Most likely what you heard was a tree branch scratching the stone on a breeze. But as I can see you are quite upset by the sound, I shall check your chambers for anything out of the ordinary before we all bid each other good night.”

With that he offered them both a small bow, then disappeared into Adelaide’s dimly lit room. It bothered Zayne to know the prince had just lied to his sister, especially when he himself had just promised never to do so. Unfortunately, secrecy and lies were often the ways of royals. Ways he vowed to abandon for Addie’s sake. As his future queen, she deserved to know all that he knew.

And as independent as she was in her former lands, she would surely stand for no less.

“Why would he lie to me?” she whispered.

“To keep you free from worry, my lady.”

She shook her head. “Well, that’s a lost cause.”

“Do not waste your hours consumed by worry, Addie.”

“Easy for you to say. You aren’t stuck inside a foreign castle filled with strangers all day, being lied to about your safety while there are crazy witches outside waiting for the chance to snatch you up and hold you for ransom. Or worse.”

Zayne cupped her delicate face in his hands and waited to speak until her gaze slowly shifted to his. “I pledge to keep you safe from harm, sweet Adelaide. Always.”

“And while that means more to me that you could ever know, you can’t possibly be with me every minute of the day.”

He scanned her silken blue gown. “A shame, that.”

“Don’t try to distract me, I’m being serious.”

He bent to run his lips along the outer edge of her ear, pleased with himself when she shivered in response. “I promised you defense training, and you shall have it.”

“When?”

“Soon. But not from me. And not until you better understand the ways of our kingdoms.”

“Great. So until then, I’m pretty much a sitting duck.” She drew back and cast a dark look upon him. “What if the witches come for me?”

“They will not. But if by some miracle I am wrong, simply do what you do best.”

“What’s that?”

Zayne grinned and pecked a kiss to the tip of her nose. “Why, stumble and scream, of course.”

Addie’s eyes narrowed to mere slits. Before she could rally a rebuttal, however, her brother reemerged from her room, signaling an end to their time together this night. Though the image of her in that gown and the memory of her pressed tight against him would keep Zayne’s mind ensnared by desire for hours.

Curse these rules, and curse the fortnight that separated Adelaide and him from their wedding. But the days would pass soon enough. Besides, a little extra time would allow him to seek answers from his mother about the witches’ true plans involving his betrothed and her family.

After all, the witches were very much a part of his.





Chapter 9





Rosalind awoke with a start.

Daylight? How could it possibly be daylight? She lifted her head and looked around, trying to make sense of the view. Before her was a clean but rustic hut made of wood rather than the familiar stone of Forath Castle. The roof overhead was thatch, the windows mere coverings over open holes. A hint of smoke lingered in the air she breathed, as did the scent of drying herbs.

At least she had not been captured and returned to her father. Not yet, anyway.

Rosalind sat up and grimaced at how every muscle in her body seemed stiffer than ever before. The primitive cot on which she had apparently slept creaked beneath her shifting weight. It was less sturdy than her bed at the castle, but its coverings were just as soft and their colors far more vibrant.

“I was beginning to wonder if ye planned to sleep the day away.”

Jaxon. Even after spending but half a day with the man, she would forever recognize the deep timbre of his voice and its melodious, confident pace. But whenever had she fallen asleep? And how had she gotten here?

Rosalind pulled the cot’s quilt to her bosom, unused to feeling such a lack of control. And though fury raced through her like fire on the driest of fields, one dark look cast at the man sitting hearthside across the room from her only served to stoke her ire. Because he was beautiful, strikingly so, and her traitorous pulse raced at the sight of him.