The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,44

weapon turned on him, which was exactly why he had to get out there. The note thrown into his library had been a threat, but instead of instilling terror, it had given Xander newfound purpose. Before he could focus all his energy on the mysterious man with magic, he needed to show his face outside these stone walls and prove to his people that he was still the prince they knew. No matter what had happened on his mating day, he would never abandon them. He just needed to round up an escort first—hence his focused march toward the barracks.

Perhaps if he'd been paying more attention, he would have noticed the movement in the shadows and the subtle shifting of feathers before an attack.

Alas, he was caught completely unawares.

Fingers grabbed his good hand, twisted his arm behind his back, and pressed him forward so he stumbled chest first into the nearest wall. A blade dug into his throat, the metal cool against his skin. The motions were rough, but the touch was soft and feminine.

Xander sighed. "Cassi, is this really necessary?"

She said nothing. The point of her dagger angled a little deeper as she breathed easily behind him, the warmth of her body sinking into his back—not entirely unwelcome despite the circumstances.

"Cassi, I don't have time for this right now."

"Do you think that would stay an assassin's hand?"

"Then it's a good thing no one is trying to kill me."

"Yet."

Xander snorted and tried to wrestle his arm free. It was no use. "Cassi. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I asked for lessons."

He could feel her shrug against his wings. "I warned you I'm not the most conventional teacher, but I'm effective."

"And what exactly am I supposed to be learning?"

"You tell me."

Xander turned his head to the side, his cheekbone digging somewhat painfully into the stones as Cassi relentlessly pushed into his back. A grin widened her lips. "You're enjoying this."

"It's not every day I hold a prince entirely at my mercy." She leaned over a little, finding his eyes, a wicked gleam lighting hers. "Now, tell me how you'd escape."

"If I knew that, I would've done so already."

"Don't think of it as swordplay. Think of it like a riddle. You're good at solving those."

Xander frowned but tried to reason through it, testing different muscles. Distantly, he knew this was the most undignified position in which he'd ever found himself. To his surprise, he didn't care. Sometimes it was nice to feel a little less like a royal and a little more like a regular man—a lesson Cassi seemed all too pleased to impart. While he went through the options, he held her gaze, trying to distract her. "So, do you like the book?"

"Hmph." She rolled her eyes. "Tassos is a fool. He made it halfway around the world, beyond the Sea of Mist, over the mountains, to a great ocean, and then couldn't wait for the storm to pass before launching over its waters? He deserved to drown. And don't even get me started on Nyara, betraying the secrets of her people to pull him from the waves to save his life. As soon as he wakes up, he's going to deceive her. I know it."

"You're enjoying it then?"

She muttered a begrudging, "Maybe."

"Come on," Xander implored, unable to stifle his grin. "You don't think it's at all poetic for a man of the sky to fall for a woman of the sea?"

"She has a tail." Cassi wrinkled her nose. "Where would they live? It's impractical."

"That's why it's romantic. They love each other despite the obstacles stacked against them. They love each other even as it ruins them."

"Why must love destroy you to be real?" She frowned, a dark shadow passing over her luminous eyes. "Why can't it save you instead?"

He didn't have an answer to her question. The pieces of his heart were still shattered and rattling in the hollow cage of his ribs. Love should be easy—as simple as breathing, as steadfast as his pulse, as lovely as slipping into a beautiful dream. Too often it wasn't, as his own sorry life had proved.

In the silence, her breath brushed his cheek, the warmth making his skin tingle. His throat was tight when he finally managed to give a response, one meant to lighten the mood. "Because that would make for a rather boring read."

Cassi returned from her thoughts to focus sharply on him. "Stop trying to distract me, and tell me how you'll escape my hold."

"If