The Raven and the Dove (The Raven and the Dove #1) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,28

doors of the palace were still open when they got back, though the traffic had died down. Lyana was sure one of the guards had recognized her, even as she dropped her hood low, almost to her nose. Perhaps they knew it was their princess sneaking into and out of the palace at all times of day and just kept quiet, a silent pact to give her some freedom while they could. Some of them were her friends, and the others had spent their lives watching her grow up. They were acquainted with the spirit that lived inside of her—the spirit with wild wings that time would slowly clip away, the spirit they could help keep alive a little while longer.

Lyana followed Cassi to her room, pausing just outside the door.

“Tell Luka I send my good night,” she said, even as Cassi widened her eyes in silent protest. They didn’t speak much about what went on between her friend and her brother, but it was there. And it would end tonight, that much Lyana knew. Come tomorrow evening, he would be on his way to finding his mate, just like her. And after their vows to the gods, there was nothing more important than the vows they would make to their mates, to honor and protect and love. To be faithful. “Tell him he doesn’t have to worry about me and I’m not afraid of what tomorrow will bring, not anymore.”

Something sad flickered in Cassi's eyes, but Lyana let it go. One thing she’d learned about her friend was that if she wanted to talk, she would. And if she didn’t, no amount of pressure would make her.

“I will,” Cassi whispered, then opened her door and slipped inside.

Lyana waited a moment before retreating to her rooms. When she laid her head on the pillow, her body was too abuzz with energy for rest. Her gaze drifted to the crystal walls on the far side of her room and the slightly fuzzy view of the night. She stared at the stars until they became so bright, so all-encompassing, that she could see nothing else. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep, mind empty of everything but the clear and open sky.

12

Cassi

Cassi stood from the bed and looked down at Luka, at his large ashy feathers, at her own body curled underneath his protective princely wing.

Dreamwalking was an odd magic.

She felt solid, but right now she was little more than spirit and air, a soft wind, a light caress, invisible to the naked eye. Her body was asleep, right there on the bed, with her speckled wings snug against her back as she lay on her side, face pressed against Luka’s chest, using his heat to keep warm. But her spirit was here, wide awake and ready for the trip ahead, one she had made many times before. The only visible sign of her magic was the glow emanating from her heart, a silvery sheen that was currently hidden beneath the cotton fibers of her shirt.

Even if she weren’t wearing anything, she wouldn’t have worried about Luka noticing the glittery aura. He had no magic, which meant he couldn’t see it either. If Lyana had been there instead of her brother, Cassi would have made sure to wear a second layer, one with long sleeves that covered her from wrist to throat—just in case.

As it was, she turned toward the crystal wall, unconcerned. In the daylight, the stones kept her in, but in these midnight hours, nothing could contain her. One flap of her spirit wings, and she jumped through the solid stone and into the dark sky.

Sometimes her soul had wings. Sometimes she flew without them.

Tonight, her imaginary owl feathers sliced through the cool air as she raced for the edge, moving faster than her body could, fueled by the power of her mind. When she reached the open channel between the inner and outer rings of the isle of the House of Peace, Cassi dove. Straight down. Not a bit of fear or hesitation as her spirit dropped, plummeting thousands of feet.

The Sea of Mist came upon her fast.

Within minutes, she was surrounded by a hazy fog, unable to see anything but clouds, unable to smell anything but the salty ocean churning below. The waves grew louder. Only when she felt the water in the air, heavy and dense, did she slow down.

At night, it was impossible to see anything in the darkness. She’d come a few times during an afternoon