The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove #2) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,84

before landing on something he liked. "See? Read this here."

Cassi followed the line of his finger, but the words were too small, nothing but blurred shadows of black across a sandy page. In all their time spent together in his library, she'd never actually sat down to read in front of him. Book spines, yes, and maps with large type, but not the meat of the story. Maybe she hadn't wanted to appear weak. Maybe she was self-conscious. She wasn't sure what it was exactly, but her fingers trembled ever so slightly as they dipped into the folds of her skirt and retrieved another item she'd hidden inside. As soon as the glasses slid up her nose, the words became clear.

"Colston Anastos. Aged nine. House of Flight. Witnesses claimed to have seen water floating about him in a blasphemous manner. Suspicions later confirmed in the form of a flood when confronted with the accusations. Beheaded for his crimes."

A plummeting sensation turned her stomach. "Magic?"

"It must've been."

"That's not new, though." She swallowed, carefully measuring her words. "We've always known it exists. You and I more than most."

"True, but I want to know about more than just its existence, and this is a good place to start. Every day my thoughts turn to what happened in the sacred nest, replaying what I saw, trying to understand it, to approach it like a scholar. One man had power unlike anything I could imagine, but the other two were more obvious to compartmentalize—one seemed to manipulate the wind and the other metal. It got me thinking about what kinds of magic there might be, and a book like this might tell us everything we need to know. It might not tell us how to fight magic, but it will tell us what magic is, and that could be half the battle."

"That's…" Her voice failed her, trailing into silence. The words across the page swam despite the clarity her lenses provided. That's genius. That's dangerous. That's too close to a line I'm not sure I should let you cross. In truth, she'd thought Xander's quest for information was foolish from the beginning, believing the only books that might have had value were locked deep underground in vaults only owls could access.

Now she wasn't so sure.

"Smart, right?"

She coughed to clear her throat. "Yes."

"By the way," he murmured cheerfully. "I like your glasses."

"Oh." She shook her head, pressing her fingers to the frame, the nervousness from before nothing but a trite memory. "Really? Lyana always teased me mercilessly."

"No, they—" He paused, studying her face as the edges of his lips quirked. "They suit you."

Despite the dread curling her insides, her heart made the slightest leap at the words, reminding her of the other dangerous game she was playing with this prince—matters of the heart she had no right indulging.

Cassi shut down the feeling, whatever it was, as she read the name again—Colston Anastos. He'd been a hydro'kine, she was sure, but what else? Who had he been, the person and not the mage? What might he have become if he'd been born to the sea instead of the sky? They were questions without answers, but right now, she knew one thing. He was a reminder not only of the world beneath the mist, but of the other souls hidden here in the clouds who needed her help.

There were fewer mages born to the world above, magic tending to flow in bloodlines, but there were still some. What was it Xander had said to her those few weeks ago, when she'd asked him about sacrifices and deals with the gods, about what choices he would and wouldn’t make, which lives he would save? I know in the future I'll have to execute people to maintain our laws, though I don't relish the thought.

Cassi's heart sank.

Malek had been right.

Xander's brother had magic. His mate had magic. But he loved them despite their power. To him, magic was and always would be the enemy. Whether he knew it or not, whether she wanted to face it or not, that made her his enemy too.

"Do you think they have parchment and a quill anywhere?" Xander asked, oblivious to the revelations wrapping around her like binds. "I would love to keep some notes. I wasn't prepared to start researching tonight, but I suppose there's no harm…"

As he stood from the table to search, Cassi read the name one more time, committing it to memory—Colston Anastos. He had no face and no family.