Page 45 of Kingdom of Flames & Flowers
I wrenched my hand away, glaring.
“RRRRRWWWWWRRRR!”
I jumped badly as the dragon (no, Zariah) roared from somewhere above us, sounding pissed as hell. The accompanying rush of fire followed, and the tower swayed and shook with the force. The castle stones rumbled and vibrated.
Zion didn’t look surprised at all. “He’s in a bit of a temper. Guess you’ll have to stay here for the night.”
My eyes narrowed. “Really?”
Zariah roared again from somewhere above us, rampaging on as the noise and shaking continued.
Zion rolled his eyes. “Maybe it has something to do with the annoying girl and her annoying questions and demanding nature.”
“Or,” I shot back, “it has something to do with the spoiled brat who can’t keep his hands or his cock to himself.”
Zion raised an eyebrow. “I haven’t shown you my cock yet.”
Without waiting for a response from me, he turned around and shucked his shirt off, uncaring as it landed on the floor. He stripped his boots off next and then moved to his pants.
“What are you doing?!” I cried out, caught between the horror he was stripping and a mild fascination of wanting to know if he was identical to his brother ineveryway.
The pants went next, and I grit my teeth and turned around.
“I’m going to bed. Just because you have to stay doesn’t mean I’m giving up my bed. It’s big enough for the both of us.”
The one bed trick. Did he think I was an idiot? That might work on any of the other girls back in the suite, but not me.
“I’ll head back. Zariah won’t hurt me.”
Crossing the room, I grasped the door handle at the same time Zion shouted.
“DON’T!”
Too late. My hand met the scalding hot metal of the door handle, searing my flesh. I gasped in pain, but refused to give in. I fought through the white-hot agony and opened the door.
“MARI! NO!”
A wave of blistering heat covered me, so thick and potent I couldn’t breathe. The floor came up to meet me and the heat cut off as Zion rushed to catch me, one hand around my waist, and pulled me back. His door slammed shut, a barrier between me and the heat.
“You stupid, stupid girl …” he mumbled, but I didn’t care. The heat was gone. “No, don’t touch it.”
He kneeled down on the floor, putting my head in his lap. His naked lap. I tried to roll away, but the pain in my hand made it hard to think, let alone move.
“Too late to get prudish. You’re the idiot who opened the door when I told you it was impossible to pass. I wasn’t trying to be a dick on purpose. This time.”
Was that a joke? I’d laugh if I didn’t feel like I was going to die from the pain in my hand.
“Easy, there. We’re cut off from the castle for the night, so no poultices or ice or anything helpful.”
I cried then. Big, silent tears that snaked down my cheeks and rolled to the floor.
Outside, Zariah the dragon raged on.
“Great, now he’s pissed you’re hurt.” Zion sighed. “What are we going to do with you?”
He carefully picked up my injured hand, wincing at what he saw. I didn’t have the courage to look at it, so I steadfastly stared at the opposite wall. His face lowered toward my burned palm, so close his nose was almost touching. I tensed and tried to pull away, but he held me in place.
“Stop. I just want to see.”
