Page 27 of Kingdom of Ashes & Bone
His face went slack, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he went silent.
I had a few guesses.
“Yeah, I heard. I get it now, though. You having to obey the queen is some sort of weird dragon hierarchy thing, isn’t it?”
Both boys’ shoulders loosened with relief. “Something like that,” Zion confirmed while Zariah grumpily kicked an ember that had rolled out of the fire.
Fire.
I stood up fast and shot toward the cave opening, intending on looking back toward the kingdom where I knew the mud quarter was. Or had been.
I didn’t get that far.
Down below me were dozens of campfires—like stars that had fallen from the heavens and lit the harsh, unforgiving landscape with their glow. How long had I been out? The entire day? Two days?
“Are they—”
“Zariah and I worked together with Zephyr to get the survivors out. Zariah kept the queen distracted while I ushered out as many as I could. Zephyr is down there now, seeing to them. You’ve been out a day and a half.”
I whipped around to face them, emotion tightening my throat. “Is that how you got injured?” I managed to Zariah, my voice wobbling.
“Technically, though it’s hisfault he couldn’t see through the smoke and flew face first into a wall,” Zion supplied helpfully, smirking at his brother.
I didn’t listen any further. I ran and leaped at Zariah, wrapping my arms around him and seizing his lips with mine.
His muscles tightened then relaxed around me as he eagerly devoured me, both of us lost in the kiss as teeth scraped and fingers grasped.
Zion huffed behind us, but I paid him no mind.
My fingernails raked through Zariah's hair, a small growl rumbling from his chest he held me tightly to him. He turned and slammed my back up against the cave wall, the pressure delicious as I felt him rub and push against me.
“Shejusthealed! Aren’t you being a bit—”
Zion cut himself off as Zariah left my lips and attacked my neck and collarbone, his dragon fangs pushing from his gums and leaving a fiery trail as he bit and nipped. I caught Zion’s eye over Zariah’s shoulder, watching the uncontrollable shift from silver to gold with fascination. Every muscle in his body looked taut, as though he were about to explode.
And yet he stayed, allowing Zariah and I our moment.
I reached a hand out to him over Zariah’s shoulder, and he came toward me like a puppet called by its master.
I pulled Zion beside me and kissed him.
“Get behind her,” he growled at Zion, and soon I was surrounded on both sides by warmth.
“Hold her.”
Zion’s arms went underneath my armpits as Zariah went low, his large hands pinning my hips against Zion. I hooked my arms around Zion’s neck and held on for dear life.
More secure, Zion let one hand drift down and underneath my tunic, gently skimming one hand over a nipple as I shuddered against him. Zariah had my pants off two seconds later, leaving me bare to the cold air.
With one heave, Zariah was on his knees before me, lifting me up and setting me down on his shoulders. Zion leaned me back so I faced the cave ceiling, and Zariah stuck his nose into my core and licked.
Zion bent down and claimed my mouth, muffling my groans and cries as Zariah nipped and sucked. Zion’s hand on my breast grew more forceful, pinching and rolling my nipple as his fangs descended into my mouth. Boldly, I wrapped my tongue around one, and felt him nearly drop me.
“Zephyr said you injured him. Naughty girl, breaking his ribs like that. Even if he is our half-brother.”
My eyes rolled back into my head as Zariah added his fingers, spreading me open before him and rubbing maddening circles with one hand while thrusting in and out with the other. And all the while his tongue kept swirling and stroking …
“He’s … kinda … a dick. He’s fine, isn’t he?” I choked out, my thoughts as scrambled as the dirt mash my mother used to make when we ran out of real food.
