Dragons Against Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice #2)(7)
Rosalind watched the flames in stunned silence. Never before had she seen such a thing. Did the witches possess even greater powers than she’d been raised to believe? Unease washed over her anew.
“Very well,” she said. “You have made your point. Show me the way to your village, and I shall present your leader with a most favorable proposition.”
“And if our leader is displeased with your offering?” the younger man asked.
“Then return me here to where you found me, and I shall pay you handsomely for your services.”
The russet-haired man met her gaze anew, his glow brighter beneath a lifted brow. “And what if it is not money we desire?”
Forgive me, Quinn. My actions are ever for us. She offered the man an alluring smile. “Then I shall find another method of repayment that pleases you, good sir.”
“Indeed.” He turned and spoke in a low voice with his companion, then returned his attention to her once more. The glow had gone from his gaze, replaced now by a dark and detached look. “Finish your meal quickly, then meet us by the stream so that we may be on our way.”
She watched them depart, then lowered herself on quaking knees to the log beside the fire. Was she mad to be considering their offer? What if they asked of her something which she was unprepared to offer? Though if she did nothing, the throne in Edana would soon slip out of reach for good.
With trembling hands, Rosalind set her skewered fish above the flames once more and prayed that she would not find the same fate.
Chapter 3
Addie clamped her eyes shut and bit back a panicked cry as the golden dragon above her angled toward the ground. She preferred to ride on Zayne’s back, secure between his shoulder blades while holding tight to the golden spikes that served as his mane, not being carried off like his next meal. Unfortunately, their abrupt departure had left her travel options limited. It was either allow Zayne’s talons to secure her for the ride or miss their chance to leave altogether. And no way was she going to let that happen, not when she so desperately desired an escape—no matter how short a one it might be—from castle life.
Being a princess was proving to be more difficult than she’d thought.
The dragon landed in one smooth motion on his rear feet and carefully lowered her to the ground. Though she knew he would keep her safe at all costs in the air, Addie always felt an immediate rush of relief when her feet met good old terra firma once again. She stepped aside to allow room for his front feet to settle as well and scanned their new surroundings as she waited for her pulse to slow.
The kingdom of Forath was far less picturesque than Zayne’s endlessly green Edana, with much of it covered in dense forest or stark, unwelcoming stone. Today, however, Zayne had brought them to a place of unexpected beauty. They stood perched on a ledge high upon a cliff whose sheer face was split off to their left by a majestic waterfall. Mist hung in the air around them, casting rainbows of light about the space and providing moisture for the lush clusters of moss and exotic pink and white blossoms that grew from every available nook and cranny. Behind them was the opening to a large cave, high enough from the ground to ensure only those with wings—and their passengers—would gain access. Addie felt for a moment like she was looking out over a tropical paradise in the Caribbean, not a scene from an alternate form of the UK.
The dragon curled his tail protectively around her and lowered his face before hers. She raised a hand to stroke his long, golden nose, her gaze fixed upon the breathtaking view.
“Oh, Zayne, it’s beautiful. But…are we still in Forath?”
The dragon’s head dipped in agreement.
A sigh escaped her. “My father will be furious if Tristan tattles on me, you know.”
Zayne issued a heated snort, and the air around them began to whip and swirl. In the next moment, he stood before her in all his full—and naked—glory. A thrill ran through her as he pulled her close, sliding one hand around her waist and the other up into her hair. He smelled of cloves and sunshine, the scent familiar and soothing.
“I harbor no fear of either King Jarin or his son.” Zayne inhaled deeply, then gave her hair a tug, tipping her face upward. His topaz eyes were aglow with desire. He pressed a kiss to the hollow beneath her ear, and his fiery touch sent shivers of anticipation down her spine.
“You don’t say.”
She grinned at the breathy sound of her voice, at how amazingly lucky she was to have a man like Zayne look at her with such desire. Like she was his whole world, his first thought upon waking and last thought before succumbing to sleep in the night. Whatever had she done to deserve him?
“I needed to see you with my own eyes,” Zayne murmured, his lips whispering along her neck. “To know you were safe.”
“Aye.”
Usually her attempt at his dialect would elicit a chuckle. Today, his grip on her tightened, pulling her closer still. She felt his hardened length through the fabric of her gown, and desire began to consume her in a slow burn.
“It pains me to be away from you, my lady.”
He kissed her, then, gently at first. Tentatively. But as she pulled him closer, unable to help herself from urging him on, gentleness gave way to more passionate, demanding kisses. Addie reveled in the feeling. Drowned in it and pushed all other worries aside.
“I need you, sweet Adelaide. To taste you, to feel you beneath me.”