The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,47

into his side. Pain flared, followed by a warmth spreading across his jacket. Blood. His blood. Xander jerked in surprise, disbelief outweighing the ache as a heavy body wrestled him to the floor, crushing him against the rug. Instinct took over—instincts he wasn't aware he possessed—and Xander threw his right elbow into the assailant, remembering Cassi's advice. The man groaned but didn't let go. Still, his grip loosened just enough for a scream to break through.

"Help!" he cried. "He—"

"Be still," a deep voice growled as the arm clamped tighter.

Think, he thought. Think. My mind is my greatest weapon. What can I do?

He needed time. He needed an opening, a distraction. With a burst of inspiration, Xander kicked his desk as hard as he could. The books stacked near its edge toppled over to land heavily on both him and the stranger, and the arm around his neck slackened. Xander slipped his hand beneath the man's elbow, freeing the pressure on his vocal cords. Just as he opened his mouth to scream, his attacker howled and let go.

Xander scrambled forward, glancing back to find the hilt of a blade protruding from the man's thigh—a hilt he recognized, one he'd held only just this morning. Whipping toward the door, he found Cassi at the frame, lethal and poised to strike.

The stranger stumbled through the torn curtain, falling out the window and into the night. Without a moment's hesitation, Cassi vaulted over Xander and dove after him.

15

Cassi

It was Malek. Not physically, she knew, but the attack had her king's name written all over it, a message drawn in blood. Xander would be fine. If the man had wanted the prince dead, he would be. No—this was something else. Not an assassination attempt, but a reminder of her king's power, the very same power she was now even more determined to defy.

The attacker's ebony wings blended into the night. Though he was little more than a shadow on the move, Cassi's sharp owl eyes tracked him through the darkness. He dove as soon as he reached the edge of the castle, plummeting toward the Sea of Mist. Cassi followed, her predatory wings far faster than his in a free fall. The jagged cliffs of the isle passed in a blur. Just as she was about to catch up, the man cut to the side, swooping under an outcropping of stone. Cassi copied the maneuver, but her wings weren't quite as agile. By the time she reached the spot, he was gone.

What?

A hand wrapped around her ankle. Cassi kicked wildly and flapped her wings. The fingers clamped down harder.

"Stop fighting, I want to talk," the man ordered.

"Then why'd you run away?"

"To make sure we weren't followed."

As if to prove his point, he let go. Cassi whirled around, surprised to find the entrance to a shallow cave. The stranger stood inside, looking not at her but at her dagger, which was still lodged in his thigh. With a gasp, he pulled it out, then wrapped a length of torn fabric around the wound to slow the bleeding.

She didn’t apologize. Instead, she landed beside him on the ledge and crossed her arms. "Who are you?"

"That's not important."

"It's important to me."

The whites of his eyes caught the moonlight as he looked up. "I'm you, Kasiandra, as you're meant to be."

She'd known, of course, that he had to be another of Malek's spies, a dreamwalker caught between two worlds, not quite of either. Still, her lips parted in surprise. All her life, she'd felt alone with her secrets, yet here was a man who carried the same burdens, and he'd been so close. A raven. Living in the House of Whispers this entire time. And never once had her king mentioned his name. Never once had he given her the chance to talk to this man who might have understood her.

Now, they stood on opposing sides.

"Why did Malek send you?"

"The king wishes to speak to you. He says he's waited long enough, and his patience is wearing thin."

That's not my problem. Cassi clenched her jaw, taking in the sapphire glow of the mist and the endless stretch of stars across the sky. A whole world rested at her fingertips. Why then did she feel so ensnared?

"You could have killed Xander tonight." She returned her attention to the man silently watching her, his expression a lesson in control.

"Those weren't my orders."

"Why? What game is he playing? What does he want from me?"

"Obedience."

Cassi snorted, though the lump in her throat betrayed