The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,6

of that door?"

With a scowl, he lifted one of his swords, then remembered the scabbards weren't attached to his back and paused. He was, in fact, naked from the waist up, but that wasn't what bothered him. The trousers around his legs were foreign, his feet were bare, and there was nowhere to secure his weapons.

"You were pretty bloodied up, so we took the liberty of changing your clothes for you." She winked. "My offer still stands, by the way. Need a hand?"

"No," he half growled before placing one hilt between his teeth and pushing the door open. The girl's laughter followed him into the dark hall, so he kicked the door shut behind him.

On high alert, Rafe crept forward, fighting to maintain his balance in this swaying world. The ground refused to stay put, and with each step the wooden planks beneath his feet groaned. A globe of soft light hung near the center of the hall, gently illuminating the space. It wasn't fire. It was unlike anything he'd ever seen—pure white and sparkling like…magic.

A door beside him swung open.

Rafe jolted and spun, keeping his blades at the ready, but his only foe proved to be loose hinges. The door swayed with the floor, slipping open then slamming shut, then slipping open, then slamming shut, blocked from fully closing by a wedge of wood. On the other side, he saw the hint of a woman beneath a bundle of blankets, her face hidden in shadow. Golden hair flashed as the door closed. When it glided open again, two black-as-night eyes watched him.

"Could you get that?" she called sleepily before rolling over.

Rafe frowned, but when the door shut again, he lifted the wooden latch and pulled until he heard it click.

"Thank you!"

He shook his head and kept walking forward. Where in the world am I? What the gods is going on?

A flash of natural light through an old door caught his eyes. He strode forward and kicked it open, no longer cautious but anxious to get his bearings. With a crack the wood splintered and the door broke off its hinges, landing on the floor with a loud bang. So much for subtlety. Rafe leapt through the opening, prepared for battle—and stopped cold.

The air was alive with magic.

Yellow streaks flowed with the wind. Blue sparks crackled over the wooden rails to his left and right. Flares of color danced across the sky, breaking up the endless gray. Across the way a woman stood surrounded by red glitter, her fist encased in burning flames as she stared out toward an invisible horizon. To his left, a man knelt by a box of plants with glowing emerald vines snaking up his arms. To his right, another man stood with outstretched hands. Pine-green embers burned at his fingertips and shot overhead.

"You're awake."

Rafe spun toward the voice, lifting his blades. A woman watched him from a raised deck, her hands gripping a spoked wheel. His focus went straight to the caramel-tinted wing behind her left shoulder. It identified her as a hawk, as did the sharp look in her icy blue eyes. There was something familiar about her—something he couldn’t quite place.

"And you broke my door," she added.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"Captain Rokaro, and you're on my ship, The Wanderer."

Ship? Rafe took in his surroundings anew—the sails overhead, the damp wooden rails, the opaque gray coating the sky. The slapping sound in his ears was the crash of water on wood, and the ground was rolling because of waves, which meant…

He was in the Sea of Mist.

Only it was an actual sea, made of water instead.

But the smoke? Where was the smoke? He'd spent his life staring down over the edge of his isle, convinced the world below was a land of never-ending flame, commanded by Vesevios, god of fire, brutal and burning. Now he was here, and it was…wet. Already a fine sheen coated his bare arms, a dampness that clung to his skin. The temperature was warm, but not overly so. Where was the churning volcanic sea? The pit of burning fire?

"Not what you expected?" Captain Rokaro asked as though reading his thoughts. "I thought much the same the first time I woke to find myself here. You'll come to learn that not everything you were taught in the world above can be trusted, especially concerning the things they fear."

"What am I doing here?" Rafe tightened his grip on the swords, not relenting at the coaxing edge in her words. "Do