Dragons Against Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice #2)(5)
As if reading his mind, she shifted against him, teasing his length. Had they been alone, the temptation to take her now, here in the stables, might have been too great to resist. The thought of her naked body stretched out willingly beneath him spurred Zayne to cease his battle of words and hasten their retreat.
“Because to fly often is not only good for the soul, but also serves to strengthen your wings and keep your battle skills keen.”
“Of course. But as Adelaide cannot fly, she need not join you. It is her studies that should be my sister’s primary focus prior to your upcoming wedding.”
“Then I shall tutor her on your family’s lineage while we are away, as I am well versed in the subject.” He leaned down farther, pressing a kiss to the hollow beneath her ear. She shivered in his arms as he murmured, “A few hours is all it should take.”
“It won’t take anywhere near that long,” Addie whispered.
Her breathy, musical voice spoke to the beast within. Three days was all that had passed since he’d seen her last, yet it seemed an eternity. His bed had felt empty, her soft skin achingly absent alongside his. Zayne took several more steps toward the door, guiding her with him. Tristan, however, continued to follow.
"I have every confidence in your tutoring skills, Prince Zayne, but my father issued strict orders that Princess Adelaide shall not leave the grounds unaccompanied."
Addie tensed in Zayne’s arms. Of course a decree limiting her travels would create such a reaction in his free-spirited nymph. When they first met a few short weeks ago, she had been traveling alone. To now be restricted by King Jarin’s rules was undoubtedly difficult for her.
Ah, but he had ways to help ease her mind from these anxieties. Ways his body craved as much as the next breath. “An understandable decree, and one I pledge to uphold as her royal escort.”
“That is Blackstone’s assignment,” Tristan said. “Not yours.”
“Please, Tristan,” said Addie.
“Is Blackstone no longer your personal guard, then, my lord?” asked Zayne.
Tristan’s eyes narrowed and remained fixed upon him, ignoring his sister’s plea. “He has been assigned to protect the royal family, Adelaide included.”
“A difficult task when the prince and princess are in different locations, is it not?”
“Indeed. But as we are both here at the present, I feel he is quite capable of offering protection to us both.”
“I have no doubt in his abilities.” Zayne gripped Adelaide tighter with one hand and shoved the stable’s rear door wide with his other. “Unfortunately for you, the present has now passed.”
As he summoned his transformation, the air around them began to whip and swirl, masking their escape in a cloud of dust and straw. The beast within wasn’t to be denied, and not a soul in Forath Castle could stop them. In an instant, they were airborne, Adelaide safe and secure in his taloned grasp.
Chapter 2
Princess Rosalind wove through the dense underbrush that blanketed Forath’s northern region, with a large trout hooked on one thumb. She hated having to hunt for her own food nearly as much as she hated having to trade her royal gown for a filthy peasant’s disguise. Still, it was a far better option than returning home to watch their family’s newest arrival claim the throne that, until two fortnights ago, had been within Rosalind’s reach.
The uninvited image of her half sister, Adelaide, forced its way into her thoughts once again, stirring a fresh surge of resentment within Rosalind. Why? Why after all these years had the princess chosen to return now?
Rosalind’s stomach rumbled painfully as she drew near the outer branches of a thicket she had napped within earlier. Rest was best sought during the day, when eyes and ears were most active. Besides, a fire in broad daylight for cooking would be out of the question, its trail of smoke sending an alert to Forath’s soldiers, whose search for her undoubtedly continued.
Searching out of duty, she was certain. Nothing more. For though her father cared little for her, he would never allow her to simply leave, even if his most prized possession had recently made a spectacular reappearance at Forath Castle.
A spectacular, unexpected reappearance, jeopardizing Rosalind’s carefully constructed plan to capture rival kingdom Edana’s throne. She had bowed to her father’s wishes, pledged to play her part in the nonsense of an arranged marriage, but the sacrifice would not be hers alone. No, once she’d wed their rogue prince, Rosalind planned to kill off Edana’s royalty one by one until she was all that remained. As their ruling queen, she would bring Quinn alongside her, fortify their army, and take down her father.
Then and only then might she finally find peace—by way of vengeance. But first, she had a fiancé to reclaim.
Rosalind retrieved a sturdy branch she’d fashioned into a crude spear earlier and skewered the trout, then set it aside to free her hands for fire making. A bit of smoke would not draw attention in the graying skies now, especially this deep in the forest. If her estimates were correct, she was but a day’s travels from the next village, perhaps two. A mere blink of the eye in time compared to the weeks she had spent traveling thus far. No matter either way, so long as she might finally find someone who knew the way to the witch clan. Once there, she believed her bumps and bruises, scrapes and cuts would be well worth the effort. For between the witches’ magic and her cunning, she soon would resume her betrothal to Prince Zayne and put her plan into motion.