upset. Or maybe just scared. I was too young to tell. I only know that they pleaded and cried for me to change back, and I tried. I tried so hard. I tried for days, and then in a moment of frustration, I broke the mirror.”
Her eyes closed, recalling her own panic. “By the time my mother was able to buy a new one…” The words stuck in her throat, forcing her to whisper. “I couldn’t really remember what I looked like. At least, not enough to change back.”
Silence fell over the campsite, but for the crackle and hiss of the flames. The Raven was silent as Leisa battled her tears and eventually held them back.
“So I hate it,” she said finally. “I’ve stolen my sister’s identity, and I bought my magic with the loss of my family. It’s always seemed to me like a useless trick that left me alone in the world, without even a face to call my own. At least until I can find my parents and ask them if that was why they left me. So for now, I live in the palace, and I try to be useful. Try to repay King Soren for taking me in. And I only ever use my magic in the service of Farhall. If there is a true need.”
After the pause that followed, Leisa heard a sigh. “There is nothing more human than treating magic as though it can be fixed or should be punished. Magic is simply another way of seeing and interacting with the world. A part of you—neither good nor bad, and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. You were only a child. Someone should have taught you, guided you in discovering your gift, not punished you, or silenced you for possessing it.”
He did not condemn her. Maybe it was only because he needed her, but his acceptance was still a relief.
Though there was still one question that continued to nag at her. “You keep calling me ‘human,’” Leisa said finally. “Why?”
The Raven let out a brief, mirthless chuckle. “I suppose it is unfair to ask for promises until you know the truth of who you are aiding.”
“No,” she countered firmly. “That’s not why I asked. Don’t judge us all by Garimore’s standards.”
A sigh escaped him. “Even outside of Garimore, I suspect my welcome would be harsh.”
Leisa made a dismissive sound. “You’re not judging me for who I am, so why should I judge you? Maybe you should tell me the truth before you make up your mind about how I’m going to react.”
“You’re still barely able to sit up,” he said coolly. “I would rather not frighten you to death by showing you my face. Perhaps we can discuss this again in the morning.”
But Leisa didn’t want to wait. She was already awake, already nervous. She would never be able to sleep with his vague hints turning over in her mind, so she decided to prove him wrong and rose to her knees.
The world spun in circles again, and she would have tipped over if he hadn’t moved more swiftly than humanly possible and caught her by her shoulders.
Than humanly possible…
She looked up into the shadows of his hood and found the banked glow of his eyes watching her warily.
“Just tell me,” she whispered.
She might have been afraid, but he was touching her, so she felt his reluctance through their link. Felt his fear of her rejection. Fear that she would refuse to help him if she knew the truth.
So while he knelt there in front of her, holding her shoulders in that gentle but unbreakable grip, she reached up, slowly, giving him every chance to pull away or object.
He didn’t move. She wasn’t sure whether he even breathed.
She pulled his hood back.
And gasped. A quick breathy sound that made him freeze, as if trying not to startle her further.
“No,” she said quickly. “Don’t. Please. I’m not afraid. Just surprised.”
And he couldn’t call her a liar, because their link made it plain that she told the truth.
She was very surprised indeed. Shocked, and more than a little intimidated. Leisa had never felt so small and grubby and helpless as she did when she realized that hood had been hiding the most beautiful man she’d ever seen.
No. Not a man. Not a human anyway. His face was sculpted with a breathtaking precision that drew her gaze at the same time it reminded her that he was entirely other. His shoulder-length hair was braided away from