The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,14

to side, mocking him. "What do you know about Lyana?"

"I know," he said again, with more emphasis.

She, of course, understood exactly what he was implying, but if she gave in too easily, it would be suspect. No matter what happened, Lyana was her best friend, and she wouldn't give up her secrets so easily, not without a little something in return. "I'm afraid I don't—"

"Look, Cassi," Xander cut in, a bit of frustration evident. She tried not to grin, though the edges of her lips twitched nonetheless. She was used to seeing him from a distance, the perfect prince, but she liked him better this way, not quite so proper. "I understand that you're in a foreign house, surrounded by people you hardly know. I understand that you spent far more time with my brother than with me. I understand we're still relative strangers. But I meant what I said—you're safe in my home. And I’d like us to be friends. You can trust me. I promise we're on the same side."

There he was again, speaking with a voice full of conviction and far too alluring. But he was also naïve, which was a weakness she could use, though she hated herself, just a little, for how quickly that thought came to mind. "What side is that?"

"The side that wants to keep Lyana safe, to bring her home."

"I'll tell you what I know, but only on one condition." Cassi paused as his brows drew together. It was a gamble, sure, but she needed to see how freely Xander would give up the information her king would kill for. And the closer she could get to him, the less he would suspect her. "You tell me what happened to Lyana first."

His lips flattened into a thin line, but he didn't look away. Neither did she. Their battle of wills lasted for a few prolonged seconds. Then he told her everything—how a mysterious man with magic infiltrated the sacred nest, how he was stabbed, how Lyana fought the strangers off to bring him back from the brink of death. That last little detail made her smile. Malek must've been furious yet at the same time fascinated to have his own magic used against him. A devious little part of Cassi wished she had been there to see him beaten at his own game. Mostly, she wished she had been there to see her best friend, her queen of prophecy, finally come into her power.

"You seem impressed," Xander murmured after he finished.

Inwardly, Cassi winced. Outwardly, she cleared her features, cursing herself for letting her mask fall for even a moment. "Lyana's strong."

"So you're not worried for her?"

"I didn’t say that," she replied sharply, injecting a little fear into her tone. The sentiment was somewhat true—part of her was terrified of what would happen to Lyana the longer she stayed beneath the mist, of who Malek would turn her into without Cassi there to ground her. But what could she do now anyway? Lyana would never forgive her for the lies, for the betrayals. Their friendship was over, and sooner or later, Cassi would be forced to face that ugly truth. "I only meant she can handle herself. She'll be all right until we find her."

He nodded, a distant, hopeful expression on his face.

Cassi capitalized on the moment. "Who else have you told?"

"About Lyana?" he asked, refocusing on her. "No one. I told my mother and Helen about the man and the magic, but they're sworn to secrecy. We want to keep it as contained as possible until we know more."

Good.

She added Helen and Queen Mariam to her mental list—she'd have to watch them too, just in case. Malek had been right. Murder would be much easier, at least in theory. But she couldn't imagine Xander's warm lavender eyes as lifeless. Keeping him from learning the truth would be difficult, but not impossible. The only impossibility was the idea of snatching the dagger from her belt and plunging it into his heart right now. Everything else was within reach.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," Cassi said. "And thank you for keeping Lyana's secret. Ask what you want, and I'll tell you everything I know."

Xander sighed, a bit of relief softening his hard edges. "They met that day with the dragon? Lyana saved him. How?"

"Lyana and I were hiding in a cave beneath the sky bridge when the dragon came. We saw Rafe fight it, and we saw him get hurt. She flew out