Page 34 of Heart of Fire (Royal Ice Dragons #3)

HANNA

Carriage wheels moved swiftly and near-silently over the perfectly paved surface in front of the mansion as a line of white and gold carriages moved into place. My sister usually preferred to fly, so I shot her a swift glance, wondering if she’d chosen the carriages because of a threat.

But she was deep in conversation with several blushing, curtsying nobles.

“Unlike in my kingdom, yours seems fond of your nobles,” Dare said, almost under his breath.

“It’s more complicated than that,” I whispered back to him.

No ruler ever pleased every faction.

Damyn strode toward us and gave me a quick smile; Zehr and Branok saw him moving and came to flank him. I had the strangest urge to grab Dare’s hand, which I resisted.

“You’ll come back to the castle, and I’ll tell you everything I know about the House of Restoration,” Damyn told me.

Zehr sighed. “You could ask .”

Damyn raised a chiseled dark eyebrow. “Why would I disrespect her by pretending it was a request?”

“The kids will be over the moon to see you,” Branok told me.

The thought of being enveloped by my little nieces and nephews warmed me, but…

“I don’t want to get distracted.”

“Well, love is a big distraction.” Branok’s tone was pointed. It usually was. “You learn to work with it.”

“Third carriage,” Damyn told us, nodding toward it before he moved back to offer Honor his arm. None of the nobles noticed that she had subtly signaled him.

Zehr rolled his eyes. “I could have you back in the castle in a heartbeat. I’m underutilized.”

“Zehr,” Honor called toward him, holding out one jeweled hand. “Beloved husband, light of my life.”

He muttered under his breath. “I serve an insane queen.”

But he went.

When he took her hand, she told him, “You know it’s true.”

“It is true. But I would remind you that I’m supposed to be the monster. It’s odd for you to call me light of my life when I am one with the darkness,” he said dryly.

Honor threw back her head and laughed as the four of them swept toward the carriage. “It’s adorable that you say those things with a straight face.”

Besides me, Dare said quietly, “Are they always like this?”

“Yes.”

“They’re a lot to live up to, aren’t they?”

“Yes.” I took his arm in mine, and together we moved toward the carriage, although it felt awkward between us. I was keenly aware of their laughter, and of what a miracle it was that they were still so happy together and closer than ever after all these years. “In every way.”

He glanced at me. “I don’t think Kaelan, Thorne, and I have ever laughed as much in a year as they did tonight.”

I squeezed his arm. I didn’t know what to say to him. And then, as he handed me up into the carriage, it came to me. “Maybe being happy can be a learned skill.”

Dare just smiled, a bit grimly, and rose into the carriage after me.

The two of us were alone. He settled in beside me, so close that his bicep brushed my shoulder. I felt an unexpected swell of heat.

“I don’t know how to talk to kids,” Dare blurted out abruptly.

I frowned. “You were a kid. What did you like to talk to adults about?”

“My parents were murdered when I was ten years old.”

“Fair point.”

It was unexpectedly touching that he worried about the impression he would make on my nieces and nephews.

“Ask them about their games, sports, weapons.”

“Weapons?”

“They are royal children. They’re being raised to handle weapons.”

Dare considered that. “Is their training hard?”

“I don’t think they would realize even if it was hard. Between Honor, Talisyn, Caldren, Zehr, Damyn, Branok, Lynx, Jaik, and Arren, they are…extremely loved. They’re doted on. So, while they might push them in training as they get older, it’s not…” I bit my lip, trying to figure out how not to push against any of his childhood bruises, and failing. Their childhood training had been brutal and relentless and soaked in shame. “While the work itself might be painful, at times, there’s joy in one-on-one training with someone who wants you to be your best because they already think you’re wonderful.”

“And that’s what you experienced.” It was almost an accusation.

“Yes.” The word came out a whisper.

“No wonder you’re incredible.”

I glanced at him sharply. He’d said the words easily, as if they were a simple fact.

“You’re being too nice to me again,” I told him. “It makes me nervous.”

He scoffed. “If you want me to be rude to you, Hanna, I’ll tell you the truth. You seem to have these wounds around being given the world, about being so very loved and coddled. You can’t even see yourself properly because you’re insecure over…what? Being fucking adored ?”

He didn’t sound angry. He just sounded perplexed.

“You make it sound so stupid.”

“We all have our wounds,” he said. “I know your life wasn’t always easy, that you feel you owe them a debt and have been driven to repay it, but…gods’ sake, I have a hard time finding any sympathy.”

The words were so blunt and honest that a startled laugh burst out of me, like a winged thing taking flight.

His brows arched in surprise, and then he was laughing too.

“I guess I don’t often find much sympathy,” he admitted. “So you can’t be too offended.”

When he was laughing like that, I just wanted to kiss the corners of that perfect mouth, to soften his lips against mine. He looked so handsome and free.

And he was still my husband, so I kissed him.

He turned into me, deepening the kiss without hesitation. One of his arms came around my waist and drew me to straddle him. I moved with him easily, feeling the stiff skirt of my gown pressed between us, feeling him palm my breast through the boning of my corset, feeling the aching need he had for me.

I was still kissing him when the carriage rolled to a stop.

* * *

As soon as I slipped out of the carriage, I was mobbed by children.

“How did you get here so quickly?” I laughed as Kasia and Kaiden, the five-year-old twins, threw themselves into my arms.

As I hugged them back, two-year-old Masen was behind them, trying to slip between them to get to me. I picked him up and kissed his round little cheeks. He was a little bit sticky; Masen always was.

“Masen, meet my friend Dare,” I told him, twisting as much as I could with both Kasia and Kaiden firmly anchored to me.

Masen reached chubby little arms to Dare.

Dare looked slightly pale. I’d never seen him look so visibly nervous before.

“He likes you!” I exclaimed. “Come on, Dare, enjoy the moment. Usually people have to warm to you. If they ever do.”

Reluctantly, Dare reached out and picked up Masen. He held him gingerly under the arms, wincing—he must have discovered the stickiness—and then Masen grinned at him, a wide full-hearted grin, complete with dimples. Even Dare had to smile back.

Lysander, the tallest, golden-haired boy, was carrying Inoria, the baby. He leaned over and hugged me in a brief, manly way, and I ducked my head to hide my smile as I took Inoria from him.

Inoria looked up at me and made a startled sound before pushing away with her arms. Lysander grabbed her back.

“I haven’t been gone that long,” I said. She didn’t remember me?

“She’s just a grump lately. She can’t stand strangers,” Lysander said, turning her around and kissing her little cheek. She cuddled up against his chest, still staring at me with big, reproachful eyes. Something ached in my chest. I should never be a stranger . To her, he said, “You get it from your papa, don’t you?”

Briden was missing, and then I saw him and Xera coming out of the shadows. She had the slightly dazed look and the sharp intake of breath that always accompanied shadow travel. That explained how they had all gotten here so quickly.

I wasn’t sure if Honor wanted to keep his powers a secret, so I kept my mouth shut as I hugged Briden and Xera. Xera was seven, all freckles and a mass of dark curly hair that could not be tamed any more than she could.

“All right, give your aunt a path to make it into the castle, at least,” Honor said in exasperation. She held an arm out to me.

“Do you want him back?” Dare asked me, slightly desperately as everyone started for the castle and he was still holding Masen. “What if I drop him?”

“He’ll bounce, like all Honor’s children. They’re resilient.”

But as I followed them toward the castle, it bothered me that Inoria had seemed scared of me.

Well, I’d slip her cakes, endure the scolding of my brothers-in-law, and win back her affection.

* * *

Before we left the castle that night, I procured Honor’s reluctant blessing, along with a lot of demands that I wouldn’t slip off to the Ice Kingdom without telling her where I was going.

“Do you promise not to send stalkers after me?” I asked.

Honor burst into a laugh as if I had asked for something ridiculous. “No. And even if I did, you’d have to procure that promise nine times over. I’m not the only one who loves you.”

I pulled a face, though I felt a strange mix of warmth and guilt and resentment all mixed up together when it came to my family.

“I have Dare and Kaelan and Thorne to look after me,” I said.

“I have questions,” she told me. “But I know you need to focus now. So we can talk later, yes?”

“If we must,” I said sweetly.

“I can have Branok put you back where he found you,” she said just as sweetly.

But all our banter felt fond. I hated the thought they would all be discussing me tonight, but that was also just a part of having family.

“Do you want Zehr to bring you back?” Honor asked me as we hugged goodbye.

I shook my head. “I have some people to visit here.”

“Don’t start any wars.” She tapped my nose once.

“I’ve never.”

“Barely.”

Once Dare and I were out on the street, I could practically feel us being watched from the castle, or from the shadows, or maybe from everywhere.

I tucked my hand through his arm as I warned him, “Don’t assume that we’re alone.”

“For the entirety of the time we’re on the Isle?” His brows arched.

“Yes.”

“I can’t wait to go home. Which, given the mess waiting for us there, is pretty incredible.”

“You’re going to like what I say next even less. You need to let me go on my own. Trissa won’t talk to me with you there.”

He blew out a slow breath, then nodded. “I understand.”

“She’s a spy. You can’t shadow me, or?—”

“Hanna. I understand.” His gaze held mine. “We have the bond. You can call me in if you need me.”

He trusted me to handle myself.

I leaned up onto my toes, bracing myself with a hand on his chest, and brushed a kiss against his cheek. It was softer than our usual kisses.

Somehow, things felt so uncertain between us and so sure at the same time.