Dragon Blood (Completed)

Fly or Fall

"Oh, Prince Ryder, it's cute that you think you have any say in what I do." Paige turned the full force of her condescension on him.

"Are you sure about this?" Byran asked.

"Yes."

"As you wish, My Queen." The fact that Byran was willing to go through with the plan told Zane one of three things. Either Byran was desperate for the answers Paige could possibly get, he was afraid to defy the queen, or he was a criminal himself, and didn't care about Paige's life.

"Okay, good." Paige smiled.

"Get me a uniform." Zane looked at the closest Bluescale guard, whose eyes bulged before he ran off to fill Zane's request. "If he does anything I don't like, I'm pulling you out of there." Zane hated the plan, but he was not willing to leave her side.

"Just make it look good so if you're overreacting, it won't be weird when you bring me back."

Zane glared down at her for a moment before she said something that had the whole guard on edge and backing away from her.

"So who's going to hit me?"

"No, Paige," Zane said fiercely, angry at the very Idea. His mind flashed back a few days before when he'd watched his guard hit her. He didn't think he could stand by and watch it happen again, not even under these circumstances.

Zane looked around. None of the guards looked like they were willing to step up for the job either. Not even Byran, who stood with a look of horror on his face.

"Ash," Paige said, looking at her personal guard.

"Please, My Queen, don't ask this of me. I have sworn to defend you, and I'll do that at the expense of my own life. But I can't do this."

Paige studied him for a moment, then turned to the others and saw the same reluctance in their eyes.

"If he doesn't believe I'm in just as much trouble as he is, it's going to be harder to get him to trust me," Paige said.

"I'll do it," Ryder volunteered.

"You just might win me over yet," Paige said, but there was something in her eyes that told Zane that just the opposite would result. He didn't understand what she was doing or why she held such a grudge against his brother, but Zane knew if Ryder laid a hand on her, her attitude toward him would only deteriorate.

He stepped up to her, then stopped. He just stood there looking at her, unmoving.

"What's the matter, Prince of Orangeclaw? Can't commit to the hard choice?" Ryder balled his fist tightly and clenched his jaw.

"Don't do it, Ryder," Zane warned.

"Why? Are you going to step up, Your Majesty?" she challenged. There was a light sheen of sweat forming on her brow, and her breathing was a little more rapid than anyone else's. Whatever Maze was giving her for energy seemed to be burning through her system and wearing off quickly.

"No!" Zane gripped her arm. "No one here is going to hit you. You're lucky we are even letting you go in there." He leaned in close, whispering, "I won't let you hate him because you are being a fool."

"Oh, come on, you know he wants to." She looked past Zane to Ryder.

"Because he would be doing it for the wrong reason." Zane knew she'd offended and angered him at every turn, pushing him away since they had met.