Read Dragons Against Them (Kingdoms of Fire and Ice Book 2) for Free Online Page B

his world, it was.
    Her world too, she reminded herself. There was no going back now.
    “You, better than anyone, would know how demands of the female Forathian royalty have been met, Blackstone,” said Zayne. “Tell me, did Tristan request you and Rosalind be chaperoned as well, or did your guise as her escort serve to fool all the royal Bennett men?”
    Addie had wondered about her sister’s relationship with Quinn after their coordinated efforts on her kidnapping, but when she’d asked Tristan, he insisted they were just long-time friends. A lie, or was Zayne correct in his jab about the cluelessness of her brother and father? Judging from Quinn’s momentary look of surprise followed by a dark glower, she’d guess the truth was closer to the surface than he wished it to be. She tugged the gown over her head to hide a smirk.
    “As never did you attempt to carry Princess Rosalind off against her father’s orders, the request was unnecessary. I see now, however, we had no need to worry as you prefer to steal from the peasant colonies rather than from another castle.”
    At that, Zayne’s body did tense. Addie placed her hand upon his forearm and spoke up, unable to bite her tongue. “It’s hard to steal what’s freely given. Or is that all you know? Stealing?”
    “Given freely? Have you no honor, woman? Your actions disgrace your father’s crown.”
    A growl rose within Zayne’s chest, his voice venomous. “Be careful how you address my future wife, warrior. And your kingdom’s eldest princess.”
    “She is no princess to my people, Prince Zayne. As for her future as queen, your subjects shall be the judge of that.”
    Zayne rose and came to stand a few feet from him, muscles taut with anger. Quinn’s eyes took on a dim red glow and Addie had to look away, afraid the view might amplify tonight’s assured nightmares. Zayne, however, stood his ground. In the buff.
    “My people, it seems, are more open-minded than those in this kingdom, if what you speak is true of Forath’s many subjects. Or perhaps what I hear are merely the embittered words of a man whose lover has run off without him.”
    “I speak the truth,” said Quinn, superiority in his voice. “Though how you choose to receive it is on your head, not mine.”
    Addie heard the rumble in Zayne’s chest grow and decided it was time to step in before things got out of hand. If a fight broke out, she’d have far more to explain to her father than her initial act of disobedience.
    “Does he know?” She rose, holding her gown’s bodice in place as she was unable to secure its rear laces on her own, and stepped forward. Though Quinn Blackstone would forever give her the heebie-jeebies, so long as Zayne was here, the warrior couldn’t harm her. Wouldn’t try, if he knew what was best for him. The men cast confused gazes upon her as she motioned for Zayne to retie her gown’s back. “My father—does he know we’ve gone?”
    “No.” The glow faded from Quinn’s narrowed eyes. “Prince Tristan sent me to find you before the king grew wise to your ruse.”
    “Good. Then if you two are done with all this ridiculous male posturing, we should head back. The king would be furious with us all if he knew where we were.”
    Zayne finished with her ribbons and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck. “Wise words, my lady.”
    Quinn, however, turned without comment and stalked toward the fading sunlight.
    Good riddance.
    Addie turned to face her betrothed, whose own eyes still glowed amber in silent fury, and reached to cup his cheek. After a long moment, his gaze shifted from their unwelcome intruder down to hers.
    “You shouldn’t let him get under your skin like that,” she said.
    “’Tis impossible not to when he speaks ill of my lady. I should slay him for what he said. Draw a breath of flames and watch him die a slow, painful death.”
    “But you won’t, because then you’d be just as big a bully as he is. And I’m not marrying a