"Of course not." Thank the gods lies came so easily to her lips. "And what are you talking about? A war?"
"That's why I was going to your room. The dove prince, he—"
Cassi clamped a hand over his mouth, silencing him as the jingle of keys made its way to her ear. "Someone's coming."
The echoes stemmed from a spot around the bend, the soft light of which had allowed her to spot Xander. They weren't far from the entrance of the tunnels, but if an archivist had just stepped inside, they had no chance to get out unseen.
To their right, only darkness waited. It wasn't far to the first fork in the hall, but could the two of them be quiet enough to hide? And if they were caught, what then? It was one thing to have an owl snooping around the vaults, even one as unwelcome as her, but it was another thing entirely to have the prince of a foreign realm sneaking around their most sacred corridors.
What to do? What to do?
Think, Cassi. Think.
Beneath her palm, Xander moved his lips as though to speak. She clasped his cheeks harder, trying to ignore the subtle brush of their skin, the way it almost felt like a kiss.
A kiss?
A kiss!
Cassi stumbled forward into Xander's chest and pushed him until his back hit the wall. With her hand still covering his mouth, she leaned close to his ear. "Don’t say a word. Tuck your wings as close to your back as you can and hide your face against my neck. Please, trust me. Just go with it."
33
Xander
At first, he had no idea what she was doing. Xander froze as her palm slid from his lips to his cheek, then up into his hair, gripping the back of his head. Her other hand clutched his chest, pulling him closer even as she pressed him against the wall. The uneven stones pushed uncomfortably into his feathers, but he jammed his wings as tightly together as he could, following her lead.
"Ca—"
"Shh," she whispered, her breath brushing over his open mouth, leaving him warm and tingling.
In the darkness, he couldn't see her face, but knowing she was right there did something to his blood he couldn't quite explain. Her nose grazed his, the brief contact making his heart lurch. The subtle shuffle of feathers was the only clue he had that she was lifting her wings, stretching them high and wide, like a curtain to shield his body. Then he understood.
She's protecting me.
"Put your left arm around my waist, and hide your right one between us."
He listened, sliding his hand across her slender back and trying to ignore how natural the gesture felt as he held her close. Despite the clothes between them, his body warmed with a heat he tried desperately to suppress, a feat that proved impossible as she gently arched his head so his face nuzzled her neck. He folded his lips into his mouth to keep from kissing her skin, swallowing a gulp as she positioned herself in the same manner, not taking the same precaution. Her breath washed over him like an undulating tide, stirring memories of the vivid dream he'd been unable to shake, of the two of them sitting side by side on a sandy shore.
Velvet-soft lips brushed against him while she spoke. "When I give you the signal, run."
Then she sighed. He was so close he felt the subtle vibrations work their way up her throat, a tingle slipping down his spine in response. The light in the corridor brightened enough for him to discern the golden glow playing softly against her skin, the loose hairs in her braid flashing bronze. She sighed again, wriggling gently against him. He bit his lips to stifle a very real groan.
Pull yourself together.
She's only acting.
This is pretend.
Then why did it feel so real? Why could he feel her pulse racing beneath his nose, the drum, drum, drum moving faster with each passing second? Was he only imagining that the hand she still held against the base of his neck was growing warmer?
Cassi sighed again.
Just as he was about to lose himself in the lie, a giggle spilled from her lips, so high-pitched and girlish he barely contained the laugh surging up his throat. She pinched the back of his neck in response, which only made his body shake more. She giggled again, but this time her body trembled with true mirth, the sound a deep rumble in her throat.
What in Taetanos's name was happening?
This was ridiculous. This was absurd. This was perhaps the most fun he'd ever had while breaking the rules.
A stern cough interrupted their rendezvous, and they froze. Again, Xander wasn't sure what was real and what was fake, but he was suddenly reminded that he was a prince trespassing on foreign grounds. His heart thundered, no longer with passion or pleasure, but fear. The doves were already furious with him and his kingdom. The ravens couldn't afford to earn the owls' ire too.
Gods alive, what was I thinking following her in here? I should've waited in her rooms. I should've stayed outside. When did I lose my sense? What if this man recognizes me?
What would Lyana think?
That last rambling thought took him by surprise. What would Lyana think? Did she have a right to think anything when he'd caught her with his brother the night before their mating ceremony? That had been real. This was just pretend. Wasn't it? Or was it? Did that even matter? Lyana had been kidnapped. She was trapped in some foreign world with an evil man. And he was here, pressed up against her best friend, feeling things no mated man should feel with another woman. What was he doing? What—
Cassi touched her lips to his neck, a kiss so soft he might have imagined it if the shape of her mouth hadn't lingered on his skin, the spot burning as though hot iron had pressed against him. Before he could do anything, she shoved him to the side as she spun around, twisting her wings so they crashed into the archivist and sent his lantern skidding across the stones.
Xander ran.
Muffled voices followed him, one angry and one frightened, a sure sign Cassi was playing her part well. When he burst through the exit, he stayed low, sprinting for the nearest column. Luckily, the city was still in that quiet part of night. The streets close by were empty, but taking to the air would be too noticeable. Having always lived as one raven among many, he found it strange to be in a place where his wings were so conspicuous. Funnily enough, Cassi must have had the same feeling now too, except for the first time in her life she blended in.
Rather than stand out in the open, he hid inside a library room, leaving the door slightly ajar while he waited for her to reappear. Before long, she emerged from the tunnel, her black-and-white speckled wings stark against the russet backdrop.
"Psst," he whispered as she neared. "Psst."
She found him immediately, needing no more prompting than the briefest whisper, reminding Xander once again of her lethal grace. Though she stepped easily, a slight sway to her hips, those eyes couldn't hide their cunning. Cassi was sharp, and he'd do well to remember that, especially with the doves knocking on his door, people to whom she owed far more loyalty than to him.
As she approached, he slinked back into the shadows of the room, remaining out of sight while she slipped inside. Despite the hint of light seeping in beneath the door, he couldn't see anything until she flicked on the lantern. Leather-bound books and cramped shelves surrounded them, the same as every day before, yet something felt different. He couldn’t quite say what.
"Are you all right?"