Dalton, Tymber - Fire and Ice [A Triple Trouble Prequel] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Read Online Free Page A

of your kind, and other shifters, pledge allegiance to me as well?”
    “We can speak for the dragons when we say yes. We do not speak for other shifters, but it is our understanding that they wish no humans harm. They only wish to live their lives in peace. They will ally with humans and other shifters against the cockatrice threat. There are more on the way, and they can speak for themselves when they arrive.”
    “Very good then. I hereby decree that from this day forward, unless proven to have committed a crime, no shifter except a cockatrice shall be molested by humans. They shall be allowed to live in peace as long as they are living peaceably.”
    The knights nodded.

    * * * *

    Zachary and Zaria were quietly talking in their chamber when her maid knocked on the door.
    “Come in,” Zaria called.
    The woman walked in, her head bowed. “Beg your pardon, but your father wishes you both to join him in the large drawing room.”
    The two exchanged a glance. “Both of us?” Zachary clarified.
    “Yes, sir.”
    A chill settled over his soul. “We will be right there,” he said.
    The maid curtsied, then left them.
    Zaria looked frightened. He hated that. He wanted her to feel nothing but joy and love in her life.
    He also hated that he felt frightened. Tales of more massacres had filtered to them through the servants’ whispered discussions in the scullery and back corridors. How much truth could be found in the stories had yet to be determined.
    He grasped her hands in his and squeezed, raising them to his lips to kiss them. “My sweet, beautiful Goddess. I love you.”
    She smiled. Their usual ritual, even though they both knew their love would never take flesh in this life. “I love you, too, Zachary. I always will.”
    He nodded. “In every life.”
    “In every heart.”
    “Forever,” they whispered together.
    He helped her stand. “Come. We cannot keep the king waiting.” Arm in arm, they headed out the door to whatever fate awaited.

    * * * *

    She’d never seen so many of her father’s knights gathered in one place before. Not even at the annual games.
    That they all bore identically grim expressions didn’t bode well.
    She squeezed Zachary’s hand more tightly. “Father? You summoned us?”
    He nodded and walked over to them, standing behind them, his hand on each of their shoulders. “We are suffering from dire times, my child. Many of the prophecies are finally coming to fruition. There is evil advancing across our lands.” He lifted his hand from her shoulder and motioned two strangers over.
    She stared, entranced by the handsome men. One, with blue eyes, blond hair, and a fair expression. The other, exact in build, but with swarthy skin, amber eyes, and brown hair. Her heart fluttered at the sight of them. She’d never seen men so handsome before.
    The two men dropped to one knee before her and bowed their heads. “The Goddess, Zaria,” they said together.
    With a speed she never knew he possessed, Zachary drew the sword from the scabbard of the knight closest to them and stepped between her and the two strangers, with the point of the sword at the throat of the fair one. He also seemed to have grown nearly a foot in height.
    “You get no further,” his voice boomed, “unless you prove to me you are the ones.”
    Neither stranger moved, but the fair one spoke. “We follow our prophecy, Watcher.”
    “Do you promise to protect her?”
    The darker one spoke without looking up. “With our lives. We swear it.”
    “Then say it. Speak the words of the prophecy.” He pulled the tip of the sword back so both men could look up at her.
    Her heart melted. With a set of blue eyes and a set of amber eyes both impaling her soul, the men spoke in unison.
    “Forever in our hearts, eternity in our soul, our one and true we shall cherish and love and defend. Everything we have and are, is yours. But this we swear, our love will never waver, and we will protect you forever and forever, with our