Page 60 of Echoes of the Raven
They start toward the door, but I step in front of them. “Please, allow me to explain. After that, you can decide whether or not to help me.” They hesitate long enough for me to entreat them a little further. “Sit down. It’s a lengthy conversation. I can have some tea and pastries brought in.” I rush to the cord hanging in the corner and pull on it, then nod to Jago to help me take care of the refreshments.
Almost immediately, there is a knock at the door, and my cousin takes care of giving instructions to the servant without letting them in. In a matter of minutes, tea and pastries are set on the long, low table in between the sofa and two armchairs where Jago and I sit. Esmeralda and Gaspar have taken their place across from us on the sofa, and despite their reservations about what I’m about to tell them, they’re not being shy about the treats in front of them.
“These are really good,” Esmeralda mumbles through a mouthful of honey and walnut buns.
Jago nods. “Yes! They’re my favorite. I like them with extra honey.”
“Umm, I love honey.” Her lips glisten with the sticky substance, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind that she actually does.
For his part, Gaspar seems to prefer the savory empanadas, and in no time, he’s on his second cup of tea, a heavy dash of cream mixed with it.
In hopes their nerves will ease, I let them enjoy everything and try to wait until they’ve had their fill to begin talking. However, the day is wearing on, and I intend to get out of Nido today. The more time I wait, the more likely Amira is to discover The Eldrystone is missing.
As I explain everything about the Haderia, Esmeralda and Gaspar listen without interruption. I begin by describing what my sister intends to do with the fae. I tell them I tried to stop her, but that the council voted for her idea almost unanimously. I make it clear that there is no stopping this from becoming a reality.
“That’s absolutely horrifying,” Esmeralda declares, “but what does it have to do with us? We’re Romani, not fae. We’re citizens of Castella, not foreigners.”
Gaspar shakes his head and looks sadly in Esmeralda’s direction. “Oh, chavé, I know you’re smarter than that.” Without offering her further clarification, he shifts his attention to me, narrowing his eyes. “You say your sister and all her people want to do this.”
I nod.
“And going west with yourcompanionwill help? You’re not just running off?”
“For me, running away stopped being an option a long time ago,” I answer.
Before Father died, fleeing my life in Nido had seemed like the only way to be happy. Now, the world Amira promises to create doesn’t even seem like the type of place where anyone would be able to find joy. If I’m ever to live the life I want, I have to fix this first.
“I still don’t see how any of this has anything to do with us,” Esmeralda complains. “Your sister wants to fuck with the fae? She can have at it. The veilfallen brought that on themselves. Us?” she turns to Gaspar, “I say we hurry back and get out of this accursed city. We’ve wasted enough time here.”
Gaspar doesn’t move even as Esmeralda stands and glares at him. Instead, he begins to explain what he and I both see very clearly.
“It’ll begin with the fae, but it won’t end there. At first, they’ll check for pointy ears. Long as ya got them, they won’t give a fig if you’re Castellan or some foreigner. But once they’ve rounded them all up, who’s to say they won’t look further. I’m a quarter fae and have a bit of espiritu in me. Most Romani are mixed. No, chavé, this haseverythingto do with us.”
“So what are you saying? That they’ll come after us next? That’s ridiculous,” Esmeralda protests. “How will they prove any of it?”
“When has proof been needed to find us guilty of anything?” he asks.
A pang of shame travels across my chest. I’ve never done any Romani harm, not directly, but I guess that doesn’t matter when, in my privilege, I would always receive the benefit of the doubt, and they would be condemned without question.
Next to me, Jago also appears chagrined by the implication.
“You can’t be serious?” Esmeralda points a finger directly at me. “She’s a half-fae. Same as the queen. It would be hypocrisy.”
“It’s often the ones with the dirty hands pointing fingers,” Gaspar says. “The scales of justice tip unevenly for the Plumanegras and their likes. Absence of proof is enough to damn us while evidence sets them free.”
“Hey!” Jago pushes to the edge of the armchair.
I place a hand on his knee to calm him down. “He’s not wrong, cousin. Not in this instance.”
Jago is red in the face, ready to defend our honor. “We’re not criminals.” The words are a hiss between the cage of his teeth.
“Can you attest for every damn royal?” Gaspar asks.
“Of course not! I’m responsible for myself only, so don’t lump me in with everyone else.”
Gaspar shrugs. “Fair enough, but I still doubt you’d spend a day inside that Haderia if it came to it.”
Jago opens his mouth to keep arguing, but I intervene.
