The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,74

the strongest steel, able to withstand any sword, and most importantly, they hide a secret."

"A secret?"

"I thought a lot about what you said that day in the hall, about how I'd left your right side unguarded when I jumped you, and how you'd elbow me in the ribs to break loose. The truth is, I didn’t leave you that opening on purpose. It was a mistake, one you were smart enough to notice. And it got me thinking that it's the sort of mistake a lot of people might make, the sort of mistake you could take advantage of."

Xander narrowed his eyes. "How so?"

"Bend your elbow like this," she said, lifting her forearm so it pressed against her biceps. "Not too close to your face, make sure there's empty space above the guard. Good. Now, turn your fist so it faces out like this."

He rotated his forearm and click. Xander flinched as a blade sprang free, slicing into the empty space above his shoulder. He returned his focus to Cassi, finding a wide grin across her lips.

"Neat trick, right?"

A puff of air escaped his lips, something between a laugh and a relieved sigh. Thank the gods she'd told him to move his arm. Two inches to the left and he might be missing an ear.

"If someone is holding you from behind, you could stab them before they ever saw it coming. And there's another blade at your elbow, in case you missed it, so you could also catch an assailant on their side. It's on a spring, so all you have to do is push the blades back inside the guards and they'll be hidden again. We thought about a button release, but that might be too cumbersome in a real fight, so we came up with this instead. It'll only release with your arm fully bent, because the first latch is in the nook of your elbow, and the second latch is unhooked by the turn of your wrist. It's unnatural enough I didn’t think the motion would ever happen by chance, but I could change it if you think something else would work better."

He twisted his arm to see the sharp point protruding from his elbow, then used the metal guard on his other arm to press the blades back in. They were on the same gear, it seemed, because pushing one in also moved the other back into place. When they were re-secured, he bent and flailed his arm, trying to unleash them, but the design was flawless. After lifting his forearm, he twisted his wrist and click—the blades sprang free. That subtle ring of metal made him feel powerful. Perhaps not like a warrior who could chase down a dragon, but in his own way, that of a prince who was stronger than the world might have him believe.

Xander met Cassi's eyes over the sharp point of the blade, acutely aware of how much careful thought had gone into this gift, the hours of planning, the sheer consideration. "They're perfect."

The rosy hue flooding her cheeks might have seemed a trick of the light if she hadn't glanced away to hide it. "Shall we run through some defensive exercises? Just in case any more ravens decide to come smashing through the windows?"

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh?" She turned back to him. "Why?"

"The owls replied to our request. I was going to come find you. We leave for the House of Wisdom in the morning, so the rest of the evening should probably be spent preparing for our departure." Was there a little disappointment on her face? Did he want there to be? "Though I suppose one quick lesson couldn't hurt."

"I can be quick."

"Then—"

He broke off as the ground beneath them trembled. With a pump of his wings, he was in the air. So was Cassi. They hovered by the window as the castle shook. Books toppled from the shelves, landing with heavy thuds against the floor. Dust collected in the sky above the city, the debris from the attack and the soot from the fires stirred by the vibrations. Just as he was about to fling open the latch and race outside, it was over.

"An earthquake?" Cassi asked, voice thick with disbelief.

"Same as the last." His tone was grim.

"The last? What do you mean?"

"Didn't you feel it? Two weeks ago? It woke me in the night. I thought it was just a lingering effect from everything that had happened in the sacred nest, but now…" Out the