The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,34

plug in her throat. Malek had been right. The open ocean was different from the city. Out there, the prophecy seemed little more than words and myth, prattle she could ignore while she focused on learning to use her new power. Here, it seemed as real as her gods, as powerful as Aethios, as terrifying as Vesevios, as double-sided as Taetanos. Here, there was no escaping this destiny she wasn't ready to accept.

Lyana opened her lips, but no sound came. She inhaled sharply, throat dry, chest burning, eyes wide. A shout saved her.

"To the queen!"

"To the king!"

"To the prophecy!"

The words crashed over the crowd like a tidal wave, drowning out the stillness and leaving chaos in their wake. Malek leaned close, his nose brushing her cheek as his breath warmed her skin.

"Hold on."

Deep green magic peppered the air. She recognized it as ferro'kine power just as the metal disk they were standing on lifted free of the deck. Malek placed his arm around her waist and held her tightly to his chest, still pushing his healing force out into the crowd. Lyana wrapped her arms around him, not afraid per se, but aware of her clipped feathers and the very real possibility of falling. Out of habit, her wings adjusted to the slight undulations as they rose over the edge of the ship and above the crowd. Their destination was clearly the smaller boat bobbing in the canal, and as they neared, a circular cutout by the base of the thrones became clear. Malek waited until the metal disk sank fully into the spot before taking his seat. With a gulp, Lyana sat beside him, feeling more of a farce than ever as he rejoined their hands, continuing the illusion of their shared power.

The water in the canal moved with a current made of magic, pushing them deeper into the city. Not once did the crowd thin. The platforms to either side teemed with people. Every bridge they floated past groaned with the weight of moving bodies. At first, Lyana marveled at the architecture—the wooden docks, the elegantly carved rails, the endless canals, the boats of various shapes and sizes, also filled with people. Glowing orbs penetrated the haze, the same light magic she'd seen on the ship. As they drifted deeper into the city, spots of color emerged—islands filled with flowering trees, painted signs above shop doors, intricate designs along peaked rooflines, and windows made of saturated glass. The skies were gray, the hues drab, the air so wet every surface held a sheen, and yet, against all odds, Da'Kin oozed with life.

But as Lyana turned her attention to its citizens, she realized that wasn't quite true. Most of the children they passed were rail thin, their clothes hanging off their feeble forms. Most of the adults had shadows under their eyes, expressions drawn despite their joyous smiles. She'd grown up in a frozen tundra barren of life, the land too harsh for plants or animals, yet her people had never starved. They'd known hardship, but not like this. With its golden sunshine and diverse isles, the world above had been bountiful. Within the comfort of shared peace, all the houses had prospered. The world below was made of little more than ocean and mist.

Questions came unbidden as she forced a smile to her lips, looking everywhere yet nowhere, unable to meet the eyes surrounding her on all sides. What did they eat besides fish? How did they grow crops without sun? How did they find so much wood with no trees? How did they drink when their only water came from the sea? There were so many things she'd taken for granted growing up in her crystal palace—food appearing every night, endless water for baths, all the weapons she could want, all the dresses, all the jewels. Knowing now what hid within the fog, she almost felt greedy, a new sort of shame burning in her chest. All her life she'd yearned for nothing more than adventure—the childish dream of a princess unaware of her own privilege, which she'd given up the moment she and Xander had walked into the sacred nest to make their vows. She'd been prepared to be his queen, with all the responsibility it entailed.

Glancing askance at Malek and the shimmering aura dancing along his skin, Lyana wondered if it would be so different to accept the role of his queen instead. These people needed her, just as the ravens had, and they not