The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,171
we could do before the isle fell."
Xander opened his mouth, then closed it, swallowing before he opened his mouth to silence once more. He was the boy who always knew just what to say, and now he was a man made speechless by grief.
"You did what you could," Lyana offered Helen, raising her voice so everyone could hear and strengthening the alluring pull of her magic. "All of you did what you could in the face of impossible horror. I know you're tired and confused. I know you're frightened and hurt. But Prince Lysander and I are here with the blessing of the gods to lead you through this terrible time. On the day of our mating ceremony, Taetanos welcomed me into the spirit realm and brought me before the gods. That's where I've been these long weeks. That's why I left. But now I'm back, and Aethios has gifted me the power to save you. If you would have us, we would be your king and queen. If you would have us, we would be the light to guide you through the dark."
At first, nothing happened. The ravens were wary and exhausted. They didn’t know what to believe. But then the girl from the ruins of Pylaeon stepped forward with her mother and baby brother, faith a light in her eyes, making her glow beneath the stars. As one, all three knelt, bowing their heads to the ground. Beside them stood another man Lyana and Xander had saved. He knelt too. Then the next, and the next, starting with those they'd rescued and then spreading until the entire House of Whispers circled them, their foreheads touching the grass, not a sound in the clearing but the subtle rustling of feathers and leaves as a breeze swept through.
Lyana glanced at Xander. He stared back at her.
Are you sure? his caring eyes seemed to ask.
Are you?
Together, they lifted their clasped hands above their heads. A cheer erupted, full of so much hope and promise it stirred the rising sun.
57
Rafe
A blur of shadows and blood filled his vision. Red droplets glinted beneath the night sky. Tendrils of darkness swirled in the air. His clawed hand wrapped around a pale neck, and then his ebony scales slashed. Screams and screeches filled his ears, the chaos of movement, then silence.
Gilded metalwork arched overhead, the vast open air visible through the bars. With a leap, he pumped his wings and soared up, up, up, breaking through the cage as though it were little more than paper. Ravens surrounded him on all sides, their cries loud, the whoosh of the wind through their feathers even louder.
As they continued to arch into the sky, he banked left, pulled by a power calling out his name. He raced over the forest until the land gave way to sky, revealing the thick white blanket stretched out below, enshrouding what lay beneath. He dove, the distance disappearing in seconds as he sank within the foggy folds, blending into the night. The ship broke through the mist with sudden clarity, a phantom cutting across the waves.
He had to get inside.
Sticking to shadows and dim corners, he swam through the sea of darkness as swiftly as a spirit and snuck into the ship, then moved through unlit corridors and black-cloaked crevices until he was in the room. A boy slept on a bed, his dark hair spilling over his pale skin. They weren't the same, not quite, but he still smelled of fire and smoke, as familiar as a dream. He reached out his hand, his onyx scales silky as they closed the distance, and lightly ran his claw along that smooth cheek, waiting, waiting—
Rafe woke with a gasp and jerked his hand to his cheek. A line tingled across his skin, burning beneath his palm, almost as though it had been scratched. Heart thundering, he rolled off the bed and landed on his feet before scanning the room, but it was empty.
A nightmare, he thought, shaking his head. It was just a nightmare.
It had felt so real.
He half expected to see scales along his fingers, deep obsidian and oozing darkness, but his fingers were just that, fingers. No claws. No bloodstains. Just plain pale skin. Rafe shrugged off the heavy blanket across his shoulders, letting it drop to the ground with a thunk as he crossed the room to press his nose against the small circular window. Outside, waves slapped the sides of the ship in a soothing rhythm. The last thing he remembered was flying over Da'Kin in search of the ship. Then his vision had gone black and his memory blank until waking up here. Brighty must have found him. She must have brought him back.
I'm not a beast.
I'm not a monster.
The words quieted the pounding in his chest. For a moment, he'd thought maybe the dragon had won. That he truly had become all the things he feared. But the bloody massacre hadn't been real. He'd slashed no throats. He'd ended no lives. He'd saved Lyana from her king, then she'd saved Xander, and everything was fine. It was just a dream—a horrible, horrible dream.
Right?
The hairs on the back of his neck stood. Rafe rolled his shoulders, the window catching the reflection of flames as his wings shifted along with his muscles. A tickle slipped down his spine, the sense of being watched.
He spun.
There was nothing behind him but deep, impenetrable shadow.
Thank you for reading!
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I hope you enjoyed my novel, The Hunter and the Mage! If you have a moment, please consider leaving a review. Even a few words can make a huge difference in someone deciding to give my book a chance.
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The Dragon and the Queen will go on sale on June 21st 2021, and is currently available to preorder on Amazon!
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Thank you!
About the Author
Bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world.
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