The Raven and the Dove (The Raven and the Dove #1) - Kaitlyn Davis Page 0,48

was all the ravens had to show, or if they were hiding something more—the god call these doves and other houses had heard so much about. He let the air thicken until it felt almost suffocating.

Then he released his raven cry.

The guards followed, each having been chosen for this ceremony specially because his ability to unleash the god call.

Gasps of shock and awe filled the silence. The gazes that had been curious turned confused and marveled as their eyes grew blank, unable to focus on the world, pulled somewhere else by the music in his call, a music his god had provided. As the high-pitched shriek bounced from wall to wall, echoing across the chamber, reverberating until it grew so loud even he found it deafening, Rafe got to work.

He had twelve onyx stones in his pocket, soft enough to crumble at his touch. One had a diamond hidden inside, but he had no idea which. That was part of the game. Taetanos was, after all, the god of fate, so he would decide.

While the raven cry lingered, Rafe made his way around the room. Lost in their trances, the other princes and princesses were completely unaware of him as he grabbed their palms, dropping a stone inside each. It was hard for Rafe to tell anything about the royal heirs as they sat behind their feather masks, their expressions emptied by his call. He could tell even less who would be the best match for his brother.

In the back of his mind, he heard Ana’s voice, a sweet, melodious tune promising that the princess of her house would be a good match for him—fierce and charming. And though he’d scoffed at the idea, he couldn’t get it out of his mind now as he circled the room, jumping from prince to princess, depositing his little gift. Drawn by a gut instinct he didn’t quite understand, he found himself stopping at the princess of the House of Peace last, landing softly before her throne and reaching for the hand gently cradled in her lap. He lifted her slender fingers, brows drawing together at how familiar they seemed as he dropped the stone into her palm, and froze. Something in his chest plummeted as he stared at her dark skin, made somehow richer by the onyx rock he’d settled in her hand.

Don’t look up.

Don’t look up.

But he couldn’t stop his gaze from rising. It skimmed the metallic fabric of her gown, the graceful arch of her neck, and traveled over the lush lips below her ivory mask to the emerald eyes open in eager wonder.

Rafe couldn’t move a single muscle.

He remained there, kneeling before her, caught somewhere between horror and disbelief as she blinked a few times, her eyes clearing as the power of the raven cry faded. Soft voices filled the room, and still he remained, a bird who had flown right into a trap he’d never seen coming.

Her eyes began to sparkle with mischief and mirth. A smile curved her lips. With his hand still beneath hers, she formed a fist, crushing the stone he’d so carefully placed. When her fingers opened, a perfect, dazzling diamond sat in the center of the ashy dust.

Somewhere in the world, Taetanos was laughing, Rafe was sure. But when he finally stood, the only sound he heard was the soft giggle spilling from her lips, striking him like a knife to the gut. He stumbled back to the mosaic floor and knelt before the offering basket, holding a gilded dagger above his head like a gift to his own executioner.

20

Lyana

The reveal couldn’t have gone more perfectly had she planned it herself. Well, she had played a part for sure. But Lyana couldn’t help but think the gods must have had a hand in the rest, because the moment was just as divine as the diamond still sparkling in her palm.

Her prince retreated swiftly and knelt with his offering, but the sensation of his fingers lingered on her skin, as did the sight of those eyes growing wide with shock. She had hoped to get a smile out of him, or some sort of sign that he was glad to see her, that her surprise had been a welcome one, anything really, even the slightest wobble of his lips.

Oh well… She sighed softly, undeterred.

The Queen of the House of Whispers spoke loudly, and for some reason, Lyana thought she heard a hint of disapproval in the woman’s tone, as though distaste made her tongue