"I so promise," he and Lyana said in unison.
"Do you promise to uphold the laws of our land, to rule justly and fairly, to treat each man as your brother and each woman as your sister, and to do unto them as you would your own family, keeping love, respect, and duty in your heart?"
"I so promise."
"Do you promise to protect them from all foes seen and unseen, to keep them safe from outside forces seeking corruption, and to root out all enemies who seek to burn our world in flames?"
Xander swallowed as Lyana squeezed his fingers. If he truly wanted to honor this vow as intended, he would slide the dagger from his belt and stab her in the heart right now. But magic wasn't his enemy. The dragons were, and it was them he thought of as the words slipped through his lips. "I so promise."
"Do you promise you have spoken truly, with nothing but the purest intentions to serve your people and your gods, removing all thoughts of private aspirations?"
"I so promise."
"And do the people of the House of Whispers, having borne witness to these solemn vows, entrust your lives and hearts and souls to the man and woman kneeling before you?"
The collective shout came strong, without hesitation. "We do."
"If the gods object, let them do so now."
Xander half expected a lightning bolt to flay him where he knelt. Lyana caught his eye and winked as the moment of silence passed. Where their fingers touched, her pulse raced just as quickly as his.
"Lysander Taetanus and Lyana Aethionus," Helen shouted, her voice not wavering as she placed the crowns upon their heads. "In Taetanos's name, I dub you the King and Queen of the House of Whispers. Rise and face your people."
As they stood, a cheer erupted. The sound crashed over him like a wave threatening to pull him under, their hope almost tangible. He wanted to believe. He needed to believe. But as he looked out at the crowd, all he saw were a thousand mouths he needed to feed and a thousand bodies he needed to shelter. They were refugees on foreign soil, at the mercy of a world he knew would soon come crumbling down. The isle beneath his feet would fall, and the next, and the next, on and on, taking their way of life with it. There was nothing he could do to stop it. Nothing he could do to protect them. No answer he could find in the pages of a book. Lyana would heal the rift and save the world, but what could he do against such impossible odds? A simple raven with no magic in his skin?
A deep, gurgling caw caught his ear.
Another sounded, and another, the calls rising and falling in a melodic rhythm that stirred the bird inside his soul. Xander looked at the sky. Between the magenta-tinted clouds, where the setting sun shone bright as gold, a dark spot emerged. Silhouettes moved like rolling shadow, heralding the night. But it wasn't an omen—it was a sign that made his spirit sing.
The ravens had returned.
Even outside the confines of the sacred nest, no bars or caverns or cages to contain them, the flock had come home. As one, they swooped into the clearing, a fluttering wave of darkness carrying Taetanos's blessing on their obsidian wings. Xander lifted his face toward the sight, breathing in their presence. Feathers made the wind swirl, and that rustling song stirred the hearts of his people. Caws and cries mixed as the House of Whispers cheered.
Lyana squeezed his fingers.
Xander found her gaze. Though the wings on her back were the pure white of a dove, the crown upon her head held the onyx feathers of a raven, and she was now their queen. A soft smile spread her lips and joy lit her eyes, matching the swelling hope inside his chest.
Maybe they would find a way to save them.
Through the gods or through magic, by fate or by chance, he didn’t know. But he didn’t care. Even a woman of prophecy needed a friend, and he could be that friend. He could be that support. And together, through forces unseen or by sheer will alone, they would find a way to save their world.
2
Lyana
There might not have been a coronation banquet or musicians or bountiful gifts to honor the gods, but there was no doubt this was a celebration. Though they dined on berries, nuts, and mushrooms foraged from the forest, it might as well have been the finest feast. Some ravens wore nightgowns and others dirty clothes, but that didn’t matter, and neither did the soot still clinging to their unwashed skin. They sang with abandon and danced in scattered pockets, filling the clearing with unexpected joy. The House of Whispers had long been deemed unworthy, but Lyana saw the truth tonight. They had nothing, and yet they had everything they needed. Their spirits called out to her, not in pain or yearning, but with enough pride and perseverance to make any queen proud.
And a queen she was.
Though the crown was light, its symbol was heavy. Still, it didn’t feel like the burden she'd always expected. It felt like a promise—to herself, to these people, to the world. She would save them. She would embrace her destiny and become whatever the world needed her to be.
"Enjoying yourself, raven queen?"
Lyana rolled her eyes at that teasing voice and thrust back her elbow. The resulting grunt brought a grin to her lips as she spun to face her brother. "Why yes, Luka, I am. How kind of you to ask."
Despite his wince, there was no mistaking the questions circling in his familiar honey eyes. Yesterday he'd been concerned as he soared across the clearing and nearly knocked her to the ground with his enthusiastic hug. Now he was demanding.
"I gave you a day," Luka murmured.
Lyana arched her brow. "And not one second more."
"Ana…" he groaned, as frustrated with his little sister as always. But this wasn't the crystal palace, and they weren't children anymore.
"Not here."
"You need to tell me what's going on. The last I heard from Cassi you'd run off with some raven bastard, and now you're here saying you're a herald of the gods? And you're—" He broke off and leaned closer as he flicked his gaze from side to side. Under his breath, he muttered, "And you're healing people out in the open where everyone can see!"
"I said not here," she urged, taking his large hands in hers. The familial touch was a comfort, instantly soothing some broken piece inside them both. So much had changed in the few months they'd been apart, but some things never would, their bond being one. He'd always been privy to her secrets, and even though her secrets were now far grander in scope, she hadn't intended on keeping them from him. "Please, Luka, let me find Xander first. You're right—we need to talk. And now is the perfect time, while the rest of the house is distracted by their merriment."
He held on to her fingers as she tried to turn. "You're not going to run away?"
"No," she answered truthfully. "No, my days of running are over."
Something in her tone must have convinced him. The old Luka would have put up a fight. Or maybe it wasn't he who had changed, but she. The old Lyana would have tried to use charm to skirt around the question. The new Lyana had come to realize that honesty worked just as well, if not better.
When she found Xander across the crowd minutes later, she didn’t even need words. One look into her eyes and he made his excuses. The sea of ravens parted as he strode toward her, making room for their king. The smile on his lips was for show as he took her arm to lead her through the masses.
"I take it your brother demands a meeting."
"Can you blame him?"
"No." He sighed through his teeth, still nodding cordially to the people they passed. "Will he believe our story? He's already been told two different lies. I'm not sure he'll trust a third."
"Then it's a good thing we'll be telling him the truth."
Xander stopped short.
Lyana spun in his hold, turning to face him as she took his hand in both of hers. "He can help us."
"What if he doesn't understand?"
"He will." She squeezed his fingers to emphasize the words. "I've never lied to my brother before—never, Xander. Not about anything serious. He'll be on our side. He'll fight with us."
A shadow passed
over his lavender irises as he wrestled with the news.
Before Xander could respond, a jingling caught Lyana’s ear, subtle at first then louder, until the entire clearing was alive with the sound. The hairs at the back of her neck stood as the steady weight of eyes increased. A groove formed between Xander’s brows and a slow breath slid through his barely parted lips. His features hardened as he tried to mask his emotions, but there was no way to hide from her. Without even using her magic, she sensed the frustration wafting off his spirit.
"They want us to kiss," he murmured, his voice strained.
With a sharp intake of breath, Lyana glanced quickly to the side. Ravens watched them warmly as they held necklaces and daggers and jewels, clanking the metals softly together to form the musical sound now filling the forest. And why not? What did they see, but their king and queen huddled close and holding hands like two lovers in a stolen moment?
"It’s a silly tradition of our house," he continued softly. "For newly mated pairs. But you don't—"
"Shh," Lyana cut him off and lifted her hand to his cheek. No thrill shot down her spine at the contact. His gaze didn't burn through her. Though he was her king, they both knew he wasn't the man she wanted. And what did Xander want? Not her, not anymore. The infatuation was gone from his eyes, and for that she was grateful, but they were still back where they'd started. In matters of politics, their own wants and desires counted little. "It's all right."
She arched up on her toes, prepared to peck his lips.
At the last second, it was Xander who turned and presented her with his cheek. She pressed a kiss to his skin and held it for a beat as hurt cut across his soul, flaring like a comet through the sky. Xander pulled back, not meeting her eyes as he flushed. Their people, she was sure, found his apparent bashfulness endearing. But she knew the truth. He wasn't embarrassed. He was pained. Maybe this was the most frustrating part of her magic—she sensed his emotions, but not their roots. Did her betrayal still sting? Was he reminded of Rafe? Or was there another secret buried behind his defenses that made him hurt?
Physical wounds were so easy to heal.
Matters of the heart, however, were beyond even her formidable power.
They smiled and waved, playing their parts until the attention died down. Then Xander leaned close to whisper in her ear.
"I want to tell Helen."
Her first instinct was to object—his captain of the guards was a wild card. She knew nothing of Lyana's magic, and it was anyone's guess how she'd react. But Xander trusted the woman, and Lyana had to trust him. If not, she'd be just as bad as Malek, spitting demands without offering any concessions of her own. Xander deserved someone to confide in, someone aside from the princess who'd utterly shattered his heart.
"Meet us in the woods," she said instead. "In the spot where I found you reading. We'll be there in ten minutes."
They parted ways.
Lyana found Luka and they slipped away from the celebration into the shadows of the forest, where Xander and Helen were already waiting. Then she and Xander told them…everything. About the prophecy naming her the Queen Bred of Snow. About Malek and his magic and his world beneath the mist. About the dragons and the rift and the spell holding the isles aloft. About the coming destruction and the new world full of elemental power into which their people would soon be thrust.
"And what will you tell everyone else?" Luka asked, one of his many questions. But Lyana preferred his obvious concern and disbelief to Helen's stony silence.
"What we told the ravens last night," Xander said, flicking his gaze toward his captain before returning it to her brother. "That the gods are weakening and they can no longer fight off Vesevios's advances, which is why they gave Lyana the power to fight on their behalf. That war is coming and our people need to be prepared. That another isle will fall, then another. That more dragons will come, and they are the enemy, not magic. That we need to stop executing our own people out of fear and start understanding how they can help fight a battle we currently have no possible way to win."
"And you think the people will simply nod and go along with what you say?" Luka asked, turning to Lyana. "With all we've been raised to believe?"
"No, of course not." She sighed. "Does that mean we shouldn't try?"
"I didn't say—"
"This is happening, Luka, whether our people believe it or not. I can feel the rift eating away at our world. I can feel the decay. The god stones are failing. The isles will fall. We can sit by and do nothing, or we can fight to preserve at least some shred of the world we've all come to love. I choose to fight. What do you choose?"
His lips pursed. After a moment, all the tension leaked from his body. "I choose to fight, Ana. Of course I choose to fight."
"And you?" She turned to Helen, meeting shrewd brown eyes that gave nothing away. "What will you do?"
"The same thing I've always done. Serve my house."
"Am I not the queen of said house?"
"For now."
Lyana glared at Xander, who proceeded to roll his eyes.
"Give us a minute, please," he said before jutting his chin to the side.
While he and his captain walked away, deep in argument, Lyana turned to her brother. "There's something else I need you to do."
He arched his brows. "I should've seen this coming."
"The House of Peace will be the last to fall, Luka," she said, her tone pleading as she threaded her dark fingers through his. "Please, I need you and your soldiers to go home. Mother and Father won't understand the truth of what I've told you, but at least you can speak on my behalf—on the world's behalf. I need you to make sure the storage rooms are filled. Make sure all the guest quarters in the outer ring are fully stocked and ready to house refugees. They won’t be enough to hold everyone comfortably, or even at all, but every house will at least have some place to start. And on that note, see if we can get more shelters built. I want to stop this before Sphaira is the last city standing, but I'm not sure how yet and I'm not sure when I'll know. We need to be prepared, and if the rest of the isles fall away, we need to make sure our frozen tundra of a home has some way to shelter the survivors."
"I'll do what I can," he answered solemnly. Lowering his gaze to their joined hands, he tenderly brushed his thumb over hers. Then, with a deep breath, he looked up. "I missed you, you know. I wasn't prepared for that. I thought it would be a relief to stop worrying about you, to stop concerning myself with the trouble you were getting into, but it didn't stop. It just got worse. And now you're here, standing before me with all the same brazen confidence you always had, but it's like I'm seeing someone else. And I like her, Ana. I can't wait to see all the glorious things you'll do."
"But?" She could hear the word in his tone.
"But I'm scared. So much is happening so fast. Do you ever wish we could go back to those carefree days as children, flying around the palace with Cassi and Elias at our heels?"
"I do, Luka." She smiled at the memories of the four of them running wild through the crystal halls. But those days were gone, and there was no way to get them back. Too much had happened, both good and bad. She wouldn't give up meeting Rafe or studying her magic or finally feeling comfortable in her own skin for anything. "We'll have them again—just a slightly more mature version."
Luka grinned.
"I'll make sure Cassi and Elias are safe. Malek won't hurt them, I swear it."
"I believe you. I always have."
"I know."
She began to pull away, but he stopped her.
"Oh, I forgot to mention. Some of the female soldiers offered to redo your braids. They said it would be an honor. I thought maybe you might miss some of the comforts of home."
She did. Oh, how she missed being among the doves, surrounded by people who knew how to properly comb through her hair and apply the right salves to her skin, who looked like her and understood the subtle differences in the way her body worked. But there was no time—at least, not tonight.
Lyana lifted her gaze toward the sky, looking not at the stars, but at the spirit hovering unseen in the branches overhead, her soul as familiar as a sister's despite everything that had happened between them. Cassi was here, and she'd been waiting long enough.
"Tomorrow, Luka. Tell them thank you, please. I'll stop by in the morning before you leave. Tonight, all I want to do is sleep."
3
Cassi
All I want to do is sleep.
Was that an invitation? A warning? Cassi had spent most of the afternoon hovering above the tree line, watching the revelry. She'd tried to ignore the little pang in her heart as Xander and Lyana were crowned. But as the day wore on, the ache only worsened. She'd tried to tell herself it was a yearning to be beside them, a yearning for her body, a yearning for her old life even if it had been a lie. But that hadn't explained her selfish flare of satisfaction when Xander had turned his cheek to Lyana's kiss.
She was a horrible friend. Maybe she'd always been a horrible friend. But right now, she was a horrible friend in possession of important information that could possibly change the fate of the world, so she was a horrible friend whom her queen would have to face.
When Lyana fell asleep, Cassi dove into her dreams.
Though her queen shared the same aethi'kine magic as Malek, her mind couldn't have been more different. There was no struggle for control. Cassi touched Lyana's spirit, and just like that she was welcomed inside. Rather than fighting her, Lyana's magic worked with her as a guiding force, helping to calm her friend's chaotic thoughts. As the room came into view, Cassi wasn't entirely sure which one of them had spun the image, but it fit. They were back in Lyana's old bedchambers at the crystal palace, standing beside the translucent walls and looking out at the city as it sparkled like a gemstone beneath the setting sun.
"Cass—"
"Please," she cut in hastily, taking her queen’s hand and drawing her somewhat guarded gaze. "Please. I'm not sure if you want to see me, and I don't blame you, but I had to come. I had to. Something happened, something terrible, and no one knows about it but me. Please, just listen to what I have to tell you, and then you never need to speak to me again."
The Dragon and the Queen (The Raven and the Dove Book 3) Page 2