Page 23 of Echoes of the Raven
Capitán Quiñones—a man of fifty with dark chestnut hair streaked with silver at the temples—approaches me as soon as I arrive. He is the leader of the Guardia Real, a towering figure with broad shoulders and chiseled physique that speaks of years spent honing his strength and skill in combat.
“Princess Valeria, this is the situation…” he starts debriefing me the way he used to address Father, and I’m grateful for his direct approach, “a fae male infiltrated the palace. We don’t know exactly how, but some suspect it was through a secret passage the queen recently revealed to a number of guards. I just learned of its existence a moment ago, and I’m flabbergasted no one thought to inform me of this security risk. Headswill roll, I assure you!” He punches a fist into his hand, cheeks red with anger and maybe shame. “But moving on from this disgraceful oversight, a few guards attempted to stop him. They paid with their lives.” He inhales sharply, clearly affected by the loss of life. “I must admit… this person must be skilled, Your Highness, and he must have knowledge of the palace to easily evade our posted sentinels and find the queen’s bedchamber.”
“I suspect you’re correct, Capitán Quiñones,” I respond, slowly buttressing my spine so I can stand straighter in the face of the capitán and his guardias, who are regarding me warily, appearing unsure of whether or not I’ll be capable of handling this crisis.
He nods. “We don’t know the situation behind that door. As soon as he stole inside, he barricaded himself. Then the queen spoke and ordered everyone to remain outside and fetch you. She said only you will be allowed inside.”
“What do you think I should do?” I ask.
“Let’s start by talking,” he says. “See if we can accomplish anything that way. The queen is already at risk. Putting you in the same situation is the last thing I want to do.”
“All right.”
The path opens before me as the guardias move aside. The first thing I notice is blood staining the carpet, the walls. Its coppery scent stings my nostrils, reminding me of the ruthless person I’m dealing with. More people lost their lives today because of him.
Hesitantly, I stand in front of the door. I raise my free hand to knock, then put it back down. Instead, I clear my throat.
Capitán Quiñones nods encouragingly.
“Amira,” I call, “I’m here. Can you tell me if you’re all right?”
“Val!” she exclaims from behind the door, relief coloring her tone. There’s a pause, then she adds, “Yes, I’m all right.”
“Who’s in there with you?” I ask.
Another pause, then the sounds of furniture being dragged.
“You… need to come inside. Only you. No one else.”
I grab the doorknob, spurred by the panic in my sister’s voice.
Capitán Quiñones shakes his head adamantly. “Tell her you won’t come in unless you understand the situation fully.”
I do as he instructs.
We wait for an answer. My heart’s rhythm intensifies with every passing second. I stare pointedly at the captain.
He mouths, “Be patient.”
The hilt of my dagger is covered in sweat. I switch it to my other hand and wipe the sweat off on my robe.
At last, Amira speaks. “He has a dagger to my throat, and he says he’ll… use it if you don’t come in alone. Immediately. No more talking. He says you know he means it.”
Ignoring Capitan Quiñones’s advice and every instinct in my body, I turn the doorknob and go inside, hastily shutting the door behind me as the captain makes a futile protest.
The scene inside freezes the blood in my veins. Amira’s desk sits in the middle of the room, while she stands on the other side, Rífíor holding none other than my raven dagger to her throat. So he was the one who took it. It angers me to see my father’s dagger in Rífíor’s filthy hands, but that is the least of my concerns.
My sister’s eyes are wide, and I know I’ve never seen her more scared in her entire life. What Orys did to her was much worse than this, of course, but she was barely conscious through any of it. Right now, however, her panic and beseeching expression reveal she dearly fears for her life.
Behind her, Rífíor looks like a mad person. His black hair stands on end, his sharp features are stained by soot, and his eyes are bloodshot. His grim expression makes me more certain that he won’t hesitate to take my sister from me. He’s clearly beyond reasoning, beyond control.
“You know why I am here,” he says in a hoarse voice. “Do not make me explain myself.” He tightens his hold on Amira, making her gasp.
I hold a hand up. “Don’t hurt her. I’ll give you what you want.”
The words are out of my mouth of their own accord. I know giving him The Eldrystone is a mistake, but at this moment, I don’t care about anything but my sister’s safety.
Taking a step back, I take hold of the doorknob and turn.
