The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,73

and touched him, a focused look in her eyes and not a single ounce of hesitation.

"When I saw all the weapons your mother had made, it became obvious to me that she was trying to pretend you were no different from everyone else. She was trying to make you fit the weapons," Cassi continued softly, a distracted sort of quality to her voice while she concentrated on securing the guards. She normally seemed so careful about everything she said, each word precisely chosen to maintain the walls around her heart. Right now, she seemed open and honest, perhaps just as strangely comfortable as he. "When, really, the weapons should have been made to fit you. You'll never be an expert swordsman or an archer, and it's not because of your hand. It's because you lack the drive to become one. You don’t want to learn how to attack people, how to cut them or maim them or deliver a killing blow. You're not a soldier or a guard or a fighter—"

"I think I was enjoying this more before you started talking."

Cassi rolled her eyes. "Let me finish."

"By all means, continue describing my shortcomings in excruciating detail. There's nothing I find more enjoyable than listening to you list all the qualities I lack."

"I never said they were shortcomings." She tightened the final strap and looked across the narrow space between them. "You're kind, Xander. You have a tender heart, a noble one. I bet the first thing you thought after that raven attacked you was, What did I do to deserve this? when most people in your position would've cursed his name and demanded his head. I meant it as a compliment when I said you'd never be a fighter. The world would be a far better place if there were more people like you in it, and less people like me. But there aren't. So the best thing I can teach you is how to protect yourself, and the best thing I can do is give you weapons that increase the possibility of your survival, ones designed not to attack, but to defend."

They stared at each other for a moment, breath mingling in the silence, until a single word escaped his lips. "Oh."

"Yes, oh." She huffed and stepped back, giving them much-needed air. Why was she so annoyed? Why wasn't he? Before he had time to understand, she sighed, releasing whatever emotion stirred within her. "I wasn't— I mean, I didn't—" She turned toward the window, as though worried he might see something in her eyes she didn’t want to reveal. "We all have differences we need to learn to work with. Why do you think I picked archery? My sight is best at far distances, and I can see well in the dark when others can't. Both advantages, yes. But I'm also a woman, which means it's in my best interest to pick a weapon that provides a safe distance because half of my foes are probably stronger or bigger than me. And my wings are cumbersome in a close fight, not made for agility but for soaring. Most of all, arrows match my personality, sneaking in unseen rather than facing things head-on—just like Lyana's daggers match hers, flitting and flighty, full of too many options and too much excitement, the outlet she needs. And Rafe was drawn to his swords for the same reason. They provide a steadiness he lacks, and the exercises focus his mind, giving his isolation a purpose. We each have weapons that are best suited to us, and all I meant to say was I think these will be best suited to you. They're sturdy and dependable and easy to underestimate, which in turn makes them more powerful than anyone would ever expect." Cassi swallowed, silvery eyes inscrutable before she blinked the headiness away. "Anyway, how do they feel?"

He wasn't sure what to make of her words or the sentiment thickening the air between them. Instead of trying, he bent his elbows and rolled his arms, testing the guards. The metal molded perfectly around his forearms and biceps, like a second skin, while the looser sections at his elbows allowed for movement. They were heavy, but not overly so, an extra weight he could easily get used to. "Good."

"I told Helen to have the blacksmith incorporate some filigree into the design, so they appear ceremonial from the outside, something you could wear to any formal occasion without people thinking twice. But they're crafted from