The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,125

Lyana, that he was like a brother to her—well, she had to try.

Wasting no time, Cassi imagined the scent of Malek's spirit. He was the King Born in Fire, but his soul had never smelled of smoke and ash to her, nor did it contain the salty essence of the sea. Even now, despite all that had passed between them, he was all open fields and endless skies, fresh grass and crisp air, as alluring as a flower, as dangerous as a wolf, drawing up the memories of youthful intrigue and fun, their long-ago laughter echoing in her ears.

Her spirit flew out the open window and sank into the mist, the world passing in a blur of bright stars and deep shadows, then endless gray fog. In a flash, she was floating above Da'Kin. Instead of leading her to the castle, as she assumed it would, her magic pulled her sideways, past groaning wood and flowing canals, toward the outskirts of the city. She found Malek beside a towering warehouse, the sort normally used to store food. His photo'kine, Kal, chased the shadows away as the two of them marched along wet planks toward the backside of the building. As they turned the corner, she found Jacinta and Nyomi waiting by the far end, power dancing along their palms, the green and blue sparks vibrant against the fog. Cassi dropped into the space between them, her spirit hovering at eye level.

Malek spared her a glance. "Not now, Kasiandra."

With a frown on his lips, he proceeded to walk right through her. Cassi grimaced. She was nothing but air and fog, invisible to all except him, but she still felt him. For a moment, his soul, his scent, his body mixed with hers, stunning her senses. It was different from passing through rock or wood, sentient in a way that left her reeling. Her mind sank into his, almost like falling into a dream but with none of the control. His thoughts spun through her head, making her dizzy.

Rafe.

Cassi froze.

The name lingered. Though the thought wasn't her own, she couldn't shake it free. The word clawed at her, digging in like a bear burrowing for the winter and making home beneath her skin.

Rafe. Why is he thinking about Rafe?

Malek was halfway down the building. Cassi soared past him and once again dropped into the space before his eyes, begging to be seen. Malek arched a brow and said nothing, not slowing his deliberate march toward the two mages waiting at the other end. When he passed through her, Cassi reached for his mind with her power. His magic whipped out, dislodging her, but not before an image cut across her thoughts. Rafe, sitting in a plush, high-backed chair, his hands gripping the arms with uncontained fury, the muscles in his neck straining against invisible binds. On the table beside him, a set of bound and bloodied wings, black feathers crusted over and glistening in the firelight.

Rafe was in Malek's office.

When? Why?

Cassi didn't bother being polite. This time she darted after her king, forcing her spirit into him in a way that felt brutal and wrong, but no worse than his magic stealing her sky.

Dragon.

Rafe.

Dragon.

Rafe.

All she caught were two words swirling in his soul. He gripped her with his power, the touch suffocating as he jerked her from his mind. With a gasp, she let go and he flung her across the fog.

Cassi had come tonight to help Malek, to warn him about a bird within his midst, to try to protect just one of her childhood friends. But all thoughts of Elias fled as she raced through the mist, her spirit a dagger crafted to pierce her king's defenses.

It was too late. He anticipated her attack, his spirit rising around him like a shield. She bounced from his skin and rebounded into the sea. By the time she emerged from the water, the door to a small back room was already opening. Kal's mage light cut through the darkness, revealing a figure slouched in the corner with his knees pulled into his chest and his face hidden behind crossed arms. The muscles in his body were slack with sleep. His dark hair spilled over his forehead as his shoulders rose and fell in a gentle rhythm.

Malek turned to Jacinta with a nod. The mage stepped forward and—

Rafe attacked.

Uncoiling like a spring, he launched through the air with the grace of a raven in flight and reached for the king. His chest expanded