The Dragon and the Queen (The Raven and the Dove Book 3)

by Kaitlyn Davis

  “Land can be replaced—”

  “But not lives. Xander is there. He—”

  “Isn’t worth the world.”

  “He is the world. Don’t you see that, Malek?” Lyana took his hands, letting their magic simmer together as she searched the depths of his slate eyes for a crack, just one glimpse of the man underneath the mantle. “Rafe will need him to keep fighting, to keep going, after we’re gone. And the people will need Rafe to keep their faith alive. The rift won’t be closed tonight. We both know it, and it’s time to stop lying to ourselves. But that doesn’t mean the battle is over. We’ve been looking at this all wrong. The skies have been falling. Your cities have been burning. And we’ve been ignoring it. We’ve been too deep in our magic to pay attention. But you can’t save the world by abandoning the people you love most, whether it be a city full of owls somewhere high above the clouds, a city full of mages floating in the middle of the sea, or a single man whose love will give our greatest champion a reason to continue living. We can’t waste time pushing the rift back another useless inch, not when we can use it to save what matters most—lives. We need to fight for them. I need to fight for them, and I need you to fight with me, for however long we have left. Just this once, Malek, I need you to hear me. I need you to trust me.”

  He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

  Golden magic swelled, spilling through the open balcony into the sky. He stared at her through the haze of their power, his neck muscles strained, his lips flat, his brows set in a hard line even as his soul wavered. A breeze swept in from the outside, loosening a blond lock of hair so it fell over his forehead—and just like that, his carefully crafted walls came undone. All the fear he tried to hide, all the uncertainty, all the loneliness and pain bubbled to the surface as his spirit cried out to her for healing, for help. Her grip on his fingers tightened, as though somehow if she just held on with enough force, she could reach the person he kept hidden deep within. It was just the two of them in this room, and outside the world was dying. He didn’t have to carry the burden alone.

  She was here.

  She was with him.

  “Please, Malek,” Lyana whispered, willing him to listen. “Please, just trust me.”

  48

  Xander

  The ground fell still. In the absence of groaning stone, an eerie silence settled over Rynthos. Dust clouded the air, swirling with the steady flutter of wings. Fissures snaked across the cavern ceiling. Two of the library columns had crumbled to the ground, leaving vast piles of rubble and books scattered across the streets. Soft cries grew louder, becoming shouts and screams as the shock wore off.

  That was bad, Xander thought as he studied the aftermath. That was far worse than it should have been this early on.

  “King Lysander!”

  He spun to find a messenger hovering behind him, garbed in the amber silks of the royal house. Though her speckled brown wings beat steadily, the wringing of her hands gave her anxiousness away.

  It’s about time, he thought wryly. He’d been in the city for two weeks and King Sylas had yet to summon him. Oh, they’d spoken, of course, but only when Xander managed to chase the man down the halls demanding an audience. If the king was finally calling on him, maybe he’d begun to see reason, and none too soon. Xander had been planning to leave come morning. The ravens needed him alive, and even the promise of so many untapped books had done little to assuage his claustrophobia. This visit to the House of Wisdom had been nothing like his last one, lacking all the previous marvel and awe, leaving an emptiness behind. He couldn’t help but wonder if the absence of a certain person by his side made all the difference.

  “King Sylas requests your presence in the throne room immed…” The messenger’s voice trailed off as her jaw fell open, a look of wonder in her eyes. Gasps rose from the ground below, followed by cheers. The single awe-filled word that fell from her lips made his heart stop beating. “Meteria.”

  Xander spun.

  A being as bright as the sun emerged from the rubble. The light emanating from its pores was nearly blinding. All Xander could decipher was the subtle movement of wings within the glow before he had to look away. Dark spots danced across his vision as a sinking feeling twisted his gut. No.

  It was too soon.

  They weren’t ready. He wasn’t ready.

  “Meteria!” The shouts rose. “Meteria will save us!”

  No, she won’t. Nothing can save us now.

  “Get out!” he shouted as loudly as he could, refusing to let the despair blackening his soul win. He wouldn’t stop fighting. He couldn’t. “Get out while you still can!”

  No one listened.

  No one heard.

  Every face in Rynthos was turned toward the radiant figure slowly rising higher and higher over the city, pulled like moths to a flame, trapped by their reverence. If he didn’t know better, he would have been sucked in too, but all Xander saw in that pure, pulsing ivory was their doom. He turned toward the exit, shouting as he soared above the streets.

  “Get out! Get out!”

  The seconds ticked on, stretching like a bowstring, the tension mounting in the air as he watched them, and they watched it, and it hovered in place, waiting like a notched arrow for a target.

  “Get out!”

  Snap!

  The creature flew across the air with the speed of a shooting star and disappeared into the entrance of the tunnel leading to the open skies above. Xander chased after it, but he already knew he would be too late. Before he even made it halfway across the city, the House of Wisdom plummeted. He dove with it, all too aware of the yawning ceiling overhead even with his focus securely latched on the dark opening of the exit. The isle fell still. He couldn’t gauge how far they’d dropped, but it didn’t matter. This was only the beginning.

  “Get out,” he shouted. “Get to the sky!”

  Once more, the city dropped.

  Xander plunged, nearly slamming into a building as the isle suddenly steadied. Screams reverberated off the walls, echoing eerily across the cavern. The air turned to chaos, nothing but a mass of beating wings as the owls took flight. But there was nowhere to go, nowhere to run. As one, they raced for the tunnel. Feathers slapped his legs. A foot slammed into his head. Wings muddied his view, mixing with the dusty air until he could neither see nor breathe. Owls were solitary creatures. They were hunters. They didn’t think like a flock. They fought for themselves, pushing and shoving to get one extra inch closer. They were more broadly built and faster flyers. Xander quickly fell behind.

  No. He pushed his way through the throng. I need to see Rafe. I need to make sure he knows I love him. And I need to see Cassi. I need to tell her all the things I never got to say. I need to tell Lyana the people believe in her. I need to lead the ravens through the coming war. I need to get out. I need— I need—

  The isle fell.

  In the mess, Xander didn’t notice until it was too late. He collapsed his wings to his back, colliding with feathers and limbs as he dropped. It wasn’t fast enough. Something hard struck the back of his skull. Stars burst across his vision, and he vanished into darkness.

  49

  Rafe

  They arrived in a pack—black, blue, and green wings sifting through the fog as half a dozen dragons flew at their backs. Rafe’s throat ran dry at the sight. Instead of charging the castle, they circled Da’Kin, spewing fire in a flaming arch across the sky. The people ran in fear until the streets and canals stood empty, leaving an eerie silence broken only by shattering roars, each one making the air itself tremble.

  The creatures weren’t hiding anymore, and they weren’t rushing, which begged the question of what exactly they were doing. Every time he faced them, their strategy grew more sophisticated, as though the human parts deep inside of them were finally waking up.

  He didn’t like it.

  They were strong enough as is.

  “Get ready,” Rafe said to the mages standing at attention by
his side, the king’s most prized warriors. Still, he could smell their fear.

  Kal leaned closer. “What are they doing?”

  “I’m not sure.” Rafe frowned, pushing on the mental connection, but their minds were blocked. He could sense them there, but he couldn’t break into their thoughts or their communication with each other. All he knew was that the light creature was coming. Its spirit was still unguarded and open as it raced eagerly across the sky. “Just be ready.”

  As one, the creatures dove, green and black disappearing into the city and blue slipping beneath the sea. The dragons flew up, vanishing into the mist. Magic shot into the air as the mages stationed across Da’Kin readied themselves. They waited, the rainbow display growing brighter and brighter with each passing second. Rafe’s stomach tightened with hunger, the power calling out to the dragon in his soul.

  That’s when he finally understood.

  “The mages!” he shouted. “We have to warn them!”

  It was too late.

  Ripples tore through the canals as water barraged the streets, wave after wave pounding the ships stationed along the edge, their masts tipping precariously to the side even as hydro’kines attempted to calm the swells. Green magic lit the skies and an entire building blasted apart, sending the mages inside it flying. On the other side of the city, a swathe of darkness swallowed a garrison whole. One by one, the colorful sparks of magic died out, first red, then blue, then yellow, until there was nothing left but shadow. Eventually that faded too, leaving an empty wooden building creaking along the canals, no sign of movement or life. He didn’t want to know what scene was now painted within those walls.

  “We have to help!”

  Rafe’s scream was lost to the roaring as the dragons descended, diving toward the city like comets falling from the skies. They crushed buildings beneath their flaming bodies, then burned the rubble to smithereens.

  “We have to do something,” he tried again.

  Fingers gripped his arm firmly. Jacinta stood by his side, her expression strained as she stared out at the city. “We stay with the king and queen.”

  “They’re ripping our army to shreds.”

  “Our mages were trained for this.”

  “No one was trained for this.”

  Ferro’kine magic pulled at the buttons on his jacket, forcing him to turn from the scene. Her deep brown eyes regarded him sternly. “That’s what they want—don’t you see? They want you to leave the king and queen unguarded.”

  Rafe clenched his teeth, torn between his instincts and his intellect. The longer the creatures stalled, the more time Lyana had to save the House of Wisdom. It would give Xander a better shot at survival. It would give the world a fighting chance. But with each passing second, the mages of Da’Kin were rapidly disappearing, and what would happen when no one was left? Surely that only made them weaker. They might win today, but what would they do the next time a dragon showed up? The next time those creatures came? How long would they last then?

  “I’m going after the shadow creature.”

  “Alone?” Kal interrupted.

  Jacinta tightened her hold on his arm. “Rafe—”

  “Stay here and keep an eye out for the other two. You know how to fight them. And keep your fire shields close. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Rafe!”

  He was already airborne, flying toward the black cloud around a nearby garrison. Shrouded in darkness, he couldn’t see where he was going, but he could hear the screams and he could feel the savage apathy of the shadow monster. One by one, the mages were struck down, their magic fading from his senses. With his hands outstretched, Rafe searched for a window or a door, any way to get inside, the fire in his wings providing the briefest hint of light. His fingers touched glass and he punched through the surface, not caring when warm blood trickled down his forearm.

  “Fight me!” he shouted as he forced his way through the tight opening of the window. “Face me!”

  Wicked delight lit the creature’s soul. In a flash it was there, too quickly for Rafe to react. Claws dug into his abdomen as he flew back, the pain searing as his jacket quickly got soaked with blood. Beneath his skin, magic flared, rushing to the spot. Talons scraped down his spine, but he caught the scream behind clenched teeth and rolled, kicking out with his feet. They connected. A hiss sounded to his left. Rafe gripped the raven dagger at his waist, the gift from Xander, and dove toward the spot. His hands brushed sharp scales and he plunged the blade blindly in the dark.

  The shadows receded.

  The creature was right next to him, gripping the hilt of the blade lodged in its shoulder. Its head snapped up as its magic vanished, leaving it exposed. Before Rafe had time to attack, the demon rushed him. Ebony wings thrashing, it gripped Rafe by the jacket and flew across the room to slam his back into the wall. The flames caught dry wood and fire ignited.

  “Get out!” Rafe shouted, for the first time noticing the crimson splashes and splatters on the walls. Bodies littered the floor. “If anyone’s alive, get out now!”

  Sharp claws reached for his throat and he went for the dagger, twisting it then ripping it free. With a howl, the creature dropped him. Rafe took the opening and dug his shoulder into the beast’s chest. They fell to the floor, a mess of scales and wings as the fire blazed brighter around them. Smoke drew a haze across the room. Crackling and grunts filled the silence as they wrestled, unbothered by the heat. No matter how the creature cut him, he healed, but Rafe couldn’t say the same for it. If he could just get an opening, one fatal blow was all it would take. One good strike.

  The house exploded.

  Water tore through the floorboards, launching Rafe and the creature up through the burning ceiling and into the sky. As the torrent encircled him, the shadow beast broke free. He tried to follow, but the liquid wrapped around him like chains. Blue sparks cut across the stream. Just as quickly, the gushing spew vanished and he fell through the fog until his wings caught the air. High atop the castle, Nyomi’s glowing fingers spun. By her side, Kal sent a beam of pure light across the sky. It missed.

  Where is it? Where is it?

  Rafe pulled on the bond at the back of his mind, sensing something to his right. A moving sliver of darkness caught his eye and he raced for the spot.

  Watch me, Kal. Watch me.

  The photo’kine must have sensed his call because the next moment, a blinding ivory wave stole his sight. Pain stung at the back of his thoughts as his ears filled with a wail. Rafe surged ahead, his invinci magic providing a cooling relief as the energy bit into his exposed skin. His hand found an ankle. The creature kicked him away. Rafe pumped his wings, stretching his arm as far as it could go. His fingers brushed scales—

  Something slammed into him from the side.

  Arms enveloped his waist as talons dug into his back. Together they crashed into the streets below, slamming hard against the moist wooden planks. Rafe expected to find darkness, but when he opened his eyes, they burned from the glow.

  The light creature was here.

  It charged, on him in a heartbeat. Rafe closed his eyes, the glare still so bright his world turned red, and blindly reached out with his hands. Claws slashed his shoulder, then his stomach. Hands gripped him by the waist and tossed him. Rafe rolled over the ground, his wings crunching painfully. Teeth dug into his calf and pulled. He screamed as his flesh split. The attacks came too fast for him to think. Magic rushed beneath his skin, but he feared it might not be enough. The scent of copper filled his nose as he rolled in a pool of his own blood, the liquid sticky against his hands. More gurgled in the back of his throat. Rafe coughed, tasting iron.

  The shadow beast had never left him so outmatched.

  Why? Why?

  Realization dawned—because he himself was part shadow.

  No time to think, Rafe reached deep inside, remembering the bird still housed within his soul, and released his raven cry. The magic spilled from his lips and flooded into the world. A
wail sounded. The blinding light dimmed enough for Rafe to slip open his eyes. The white creature gripped its ears, shaking its head as his raven power fuddled its mind. The only way to fight light was with darkness, and he released his cry again, uncaring of who else might be caught in its path. The beast before him was the only thing that mattered and the more Rafe pushed his raven magic into the world, the more it faltered, whipping its head from side to side, its distress funneling through the bond.

  Pushing off on all fours, Rafe staggered forward. The creature shifted its wings, but so confused, it couldn’t fly. The darkness stole its thoughts and its control. It stumbled and dropped to its knees along the street, ivory scales staining red with Rafe’s blood, still pooled below. He reached for the twin blades strapped to his back, cursing his magic for reacting so slowly as his muscles screamed at him to rest.

  But he couldn’t.

  There was no time.

  With each step he released a new cry, the sound stretching across the sky. Any moment, the shadow monster would come to save its brethren, and he couldn’t fight them both. Rafe limped closer, only stopping when the creature was within reach of his swords. A hilt in each hand, he crossed the metal in an x. Then, in one swift move, he slashed with all the strength he could muster.

  The bond was the first thing to sever. Next went the head, sliding slowly from the creature’s shoulders to hit the ground with a thunk. And last, the body, falling lifelessly to the side. Ivory liquid spilled across the wooden planks, turning the blood on the streets pink as they mixed. In the back of his thoughts, the other creatures wailed.

  Rafe smiled.

  I guess they can be killed, after all.

  He swayed and dropped his sword points to the ground to keep from falling, taking a few precious moments to breathe as his magic coursed through him. When he finally looked up, the castle was gone. No golden power lit the skies, no rainbow sparks. The center of Da’Kin was a raging swarm of shadow.