Page 73 of The Prince's Mage

Marcella sprinted across the room to do so, flinging it open as Gavril chased the raven toward it. The silver feathers on his back were burned into her sight as it cawed sharply while flying past her and out the window. The second it was out, she slammed the window shut, leaning against the glass to hold herself up as the thundering of her heart was the only thing she could hear. The silver feathers were all she could see.

“Marcella?”

His confusion was evident in his voice, but her throat was too tight for words. So she just turned on her heel and threw herself into his arms. He softly ran his hand over her hair and asked, “What is it? What’s wrong? It was just a bird. You have nothing to fear from it. Why are you shaking?”

She had everything to fear from it.

And if she told him—

“You—” Her tongue was still heavy and her throat fighting every word that escaped. “You would not understand.”

“Deliciae,try me.”

She could feel her heart slamming against her chest, trying to break free and throw itself at his feet. He seemed to love her more than she had ever imagined anyone could love. Could he love her enough to forgive her for the illusion she’d created?

What if she told him? Would he believe any word from her lips after she revealed so many of them had been false?

“Ravens—they are—Amongst my people—” Marcella stuttered, burying her head deeper into his chest. “They are… They are a bad omen. Ravens, they used to be all silver until Dhelnir corrupted them and turned them as black as the Abyss. They feast on rotting flesh; they are not natural. They mean destruction. Failure. Death.”

Her courage failed her.

She was destined not only to fail everyone around her but herself as well.

He gently pulled her closer, brushing a hand down her back. “It is gone now. Maybe it is a coincidence. Maybe it is not always an omen. Sometimes birds just fly into places they do not belong. It has nothing to do with you,deliciae, because you are not a failure.”

She nodded into his chest.

It hadn’t been a lie. Just an illusion. She’d left out that only normal black ravens were bad omens. Silver-backed ravens were blessed messengers.

When Asentai had seen what Dhelnir had done to the creatures, she’d cried and the tears that fell on the ravens’ backs washed away the corruption and left their back feathers silver as they’d originally been. She took the ones she’d redeemed and used them as her messengers and now so did the temple and Marcella’s people.

That night… as Marcella lay awake in Gavril’s arms, staring at the window, she supposed now silver-backed ravens were actually a bad omen. At least for her.

They meant destruction. Failure. Death.

So did armies.

Chapter26

GAVRIL

Gavril, despite being particularly inclined to hope, also worried. He worried about Marcella. He worried about Nikias hovering around them under the excuse that he needed to be there as part of the plan. He worried that there was something Marcella wasn’t telling him.

She was jumpier than he’d ever seen her, always looking over her shoulder.

He blamed Nikias.

But every time he offered to do something about him, Marcella insisted she could handle him existing near her, that she knew she was safe because of him.

The first few times, it had taken every ounce of self-control he had not to kiss her. Now he actually thought about the words. Was she lying to placate him?

How could she be acting like she expected to be attacked at any moment and still claim to feel safe with him?

That morning, a few weeks after Nikias had agreed to help them, Nikias actually wasn’t with them since he still had his duties as crown prince to attend to. Usually he just brought his reports with him and read them and worked while Gavril and Aimilia taught Marcella.

Today, however, he wasn’t there when Gavril and Marcella arrived. Aimilia was beaming as she fussed with her tea set. She looked over her shoulder at them and said, “It’s a beautiful morning, isn’t it?”

“Where’s Nikias?” Gavril asked as she and Marcella headed for the table.

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