"When I saw all the weapons your mother had made, it became obvious to me that she was trying to pretend you were no different from everyone else. She was trying to make you fit the weapons," Cassi continued softly, a distracted sort of quality to her voice while she concentrated on securing the guards. She normally seemed so careful about everything she said, each word precisely chosen to maintain the walls around her heart. Right now, she seemed open and honest, perhaps just as strangely comfortable as he. "When, really, the weapons should have been made to fit you. You'll never be an expert swordsman or an archer, and it's not because of your hand. It's because you lack the drive to become one. You don’t want to learn how to attack people, how to cut them or maim them or deliver a killing blow. You're not a soldier or a guard or a fighter—"
"I think I was enjoying this more before you started talking."
Cassi rolled her eyes. "Let me finish."
"By all means, continue describing my shortcomings in excruciating detail. There's nothing I find more enjoyable than listening to you list all the qualities I lack."
"I never said they were shortcomings." She tightened the final strap and looked across the narrow space between them. "You're kind, Xander. You have a tender heart, a noble one. I bet the first thing you thought after that raven attacked you was, What did I do to deserve this? when most people in your position would've cursed his name and demanded his head. I meant it as a compliment when I said you'd never be a fighter. The world would be a far better place if there were more people like you in it, and less people like me. But there aren't. So the best thing I can teach you is how to protect yourself, and the best thing I can do is give you weapons that increase the possibility of your survival, ones designed not to attack, but to defend."
They stared at each other for a moment, breath mingling in the silence, until a single word escaped his lips. "Oh."
"Yes, oh." She huffed and stepped back, giving them much-needed air. Why was she so annoyed? Why wasn't he? Before he had time to understand, she sighed, releasing whatever emotion stirred within her. "I wasn't— I mean, I didn't—" She turned toward the window, as though worried he might see something in her eyes she didn’t want to reveal. "We all have differences we need to learn to work with. Why do you think I picked archery? My sight is best at far distances, and I can see well in the dark when others can't. Both advantages, yes. But I'm also a woman, which means it's in my best interest to pick a weapon that provides a safe distance because half of my foes are probably stronger or bigger than me. And my wings are cumbersome in a close fight, not made for agility but for soaring. Most of all, arrows match my personality, sneaking in unseen rather than facing things head-on—just like Lyana's daggers match hers, flitting and flighty, full of too many options and too much excitement, the outlet she needs. And Rafe was drawn to his swords for the same reason. They provide a steadiness he lacks, and the exercises focus his mind, giving his isolation a purpose. We each have weapons that are best suited to us, and all I meant to say was I think these will be best suited to you. They're sturdy and dependable and easy to underestimate, which in turn makes them more powerful than anyone would ever expect." Cassi swallowed, silvery eyes inscrutable before she blinked the headiness away. "Anyway, how do they feel?"
He wasn't sure what to make of her words or the sentiment thickening the air between them. Instead of trying, he bent his elbows and rolled his arms, testing the guards. The metal molded perfectly around his forearms and biceps, like a second skin, while the looser sections at his elbows allowed for movement. They were heavy, but not overly so, an extra weight he could easily get used to. "Good."
"I told Helen to have the blacksmith incorporate some filigree into the design, so they appear ceremonial from the outside, something you could wear to any formal occasion without people thinking twice. But they're crafted from the strongest steel, able to withstand any sword, and most importantly, they hide a secret."
"A secret?"
"I thought a lot about what you said that day in the hall, about how I'd left your right side unguarded when I jumped you, and how you'd elbow me in the ribs to break loose. The truth is, I didn’t leave you that opening on purpose. It was a mistake, one you were smart enough to notice. And it got me thinking that it's the sort of mistake a lot of people might make, the sort of mistake you could take advantage of."
Xander narrowed his eyes. "How so?"
"Bend your elbow like this," she said, lifting her forearm so it pressed against her biceps. "Not too close to your face, make sure there's empty space above the guard. Good. Now, turn your fist so it faces out like this."
He rotated his forearm and click. Xander flinched as a blade sprang free, slicing into the empty space above his shoulder. He returned his focus to Cassi, finding a wide grin across her lips.
"Neat trick, right?"
A puff of air escaped his lips, something between a laugh and a relieved sigh. Thank the gods she'd told him to move his arm. Two inches to the left and he might be missing an ear.
"If someone is holding you from behind, you could stab them before they ever saw it coming. And there's another blade at your elbow, in case you missed it, so you could also catch an assailant on their side. It's on a spring, so all you have to do is push the blades back inside the guards and they'll be hidden again. We thought about a button release, but that might be too cumbersome in a real fight, so we came up with this instead. It'll only release with your arm fully bent, because the first latch is in the nook of your elbow, and the second latch is unhooked by the turn of your wrist. It's unnatural enough I didn’t think the motion would ever happen by chance, but I could change it if you think something else would work better."
He twisted his arm to see the sharp point protruding from his elbow, then used the metal guard on his other arm to press the blades back in. They were on the same gear, it seemed, because pushing one in also moved the other back into place. When they were re-secured, he bent and flailed his arm, trying to unleash them, but the design was flawless. After lifting his forearm, he twisted his wrist and click—the blades sprang free. That subtle ring of metal made him feel powerful. Perhaps not like a warrior who could chase down a dragon, but in his own way, that of a prince who was stronger than the world might have him believe.
Xander met Cassi's eyes over the sharp point of the blade, acutely aware of how much careful thought had gone into this gift, the hours of planning, the sheer consideration. "They're perfect."
The rosy hue flooding her cheeks might have seemed a trick of the light if she hadn't glanced away to hide it. "Shall we run through some defensive exercises? Just in case any more ravens decide to come smashing through the windows?"
"That shouldn't be a problem."
"Oh?" She turned back to him. "Why?"
"The owls replied to our request. I was going to come find you. We leave for the House of Wisdom in the morning, so the rest of the evening should probably be spent preparing for our departure." Was there a little disappointment on her face? Did he want there to be? "Though I suppose one quick lesson couldn't hurt."