Dragons Against Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice #2)(40)

With a low growl, she stalked past him and pulled the door shut behind her. Nothing about the witches’ ways made any sense. None of it, save everyone’s common hatred for her father. And so she focused upon that commonality, lest she do something much less wise.

Like consider listening to her traitorous, racing heart.





Chapter 21





Zayne awoke to the sound of water dripping in heavy splats onto the ground somewhere to his right. Pain stabbed his body from head to toe, and the damp, stale air around him was cold to the point of nearly paralyzing. As the fog of confusion began to clear from his thoughts, his freshest memories came to light. The squire’s message. Adelaide’s frustrations at the announcement of his forthcoming departure. His walk to the clearing.

Tristan.

A growl bubbled in his chest. Damn Addie’s family all to hell. They’d set a trap, and Zayne had walked right into it. He’d been wrong not to follow his own father’s distrust for the Bennett family, shouldn’t have trusted either Jarin or his son. A royal marriage between the two kingdoms alone would nary bring peace to their lands, he could see that now. Though, if he didn’t find a way out of wherever he was, the cold might well kill him before he had a chance to bond with his betrothed.

And he refused to let that happen.

He struggled to sit up and assess his surroundings, but soon found that a blindfold masked his vision and shackles of the coldest metal affixed to his wrists and ankles limited movement. He pulled his arms before him, testing both the distance of slack in the chains and their strength. Neither gave him much hope for an easy escape.

“Save your strength, dragon. No beast of fire has yet escaped these strongholds.”

Jarin. Zayne turned his head toward the voice. “Why the chains, Your Majesty? Worried lest I attempt retreat from a second betrothal?”

A blast of frigid air struck his chest, knocking the breath from his lungs.

“You think this a joke, young Godfrey?”

A second blast struck him, this time the cold like fire against his bare chest. Zayne clenched his teeth to keep from crying out.

“My younger daughter is missing. Captured by your flesh and blood.”

“Not true.”

Another blast. Zayne felt darkness threaten once again.

“But it is. We found the scroll, your very script indicating as much.” Jarin stepped closer and grabbed Zayne by the chin, his grip like the coldest of irons. “Do not play me the fool, boy. Your mother’s family is behind this. And if you ever wish to see Princess Adelaide again, you will take me to them so that I may destroy what’s left of those wretched people once and for all.”

Jarin released Zayne’s jaw with a forceful thrust, slamming his face into the wall he was chained to. As he teetered on the brink of unconsciousness, Zayne pictured the face of his sweet Adelaide and silently vowed to do whatever necessary to see her again, so that he might rescue her from the evil tyrant who was her father. He tried to right himself, but his body refused to comply.

“I suggest you save your strength. We fly tomorrow.”

Zayne was vaguely aware of Jarin’s retreating footsteps, followed by the sound of a door slamming shut and being bolted into place. Alone once again, he slumped to the floor and whispered the name of his one true love.

“Adelaide.”

Darkness washed over him once more.



By dark, Addie was crawling the walls. She’d looked in every nook and cranny of her chambers for a way out, but each time came up empty. And with the castle walls as smooth as they were, there was no climbing down from this high. Or climbing up.

Damn it. If only she could fly. Or had another one of Berinon’s handy magic portals.

And where was Berinon, anyway? It’d been nearly a week since she’d seen him now. Was he done keeping tabs on her? His duties of retrieval were complete, and so he’d washed his hands clean?

She crossed the room and withdrew a black Adidas shoebox from its hiding place behind her bed. Inside was her secret stash of modern possessions—things Berinon had graciously retrieved upon Addie’s request after her first full day in the castle. She lifted the item atop all others—the digital watch that had first tipped her off that the wizard knew more about her world than he’d led them to believe—and traced its smooth face. How often did he go across the portal? she wondered. Hell, maybe he was in her world now. Too bad he hadn’t thought to give her a way to summon him in times of need.

Then again, he had said if she ever needed anything to just ask. She shifted her gaze to the nearest window and watched the breeze gently lift and lower its thin drapes. Had the answer been here the entire time?

Addie returned the watch to her collection and tucked the box behind her bed once more, then hurried to the window and pulled the drapes aside. The muggy night sky was black as pitch, clouds blocking both moon and stars. If she had a way down, tonight would be perfect for an unnoticed escape.

“Psst,” she said in a harsh whisper. “Berinon.”

Silence.

“Berinon, can you hear me? I need your help.”

An owl hooted in the distance.

“Ber, old buddy, old pal?”

Nothing.

Addie ran a hand through her hair. If she spoke any louder, the guards below would surely hear. Or her brother or father. What she really needed was a flare gun. Or Gotham City’s bat signal.