Page 63 of Echoes of the Raven
“Excellent. I will see you later. I have some matters to attend to.” She and Renata make their way down the corridor, barely concerned with me.
I keep going and glance over my shoulder as they turn down a passage that leads to the vault. My heart skips a beat.
The vault is not the only thing in that direction, Val.
There’s no reason for Amira to retrieve The Eldrystone—not when she can’t wield it, not when her hand is still wrapped ina bandage. I have to repeat the same mantra several times until I believe it. I’m tempted to follow them to make sure I’m safe, but I have too much to do.
Over the next hour, I go about with my heart in my throat. I expect to see guards charging in my direction with orders from Amira to apprehend me. But once a suitable amount of time passes after our encounter, I relax. It’s only then that my hands grow steady as I gather rope, a tinderbox, and other things for our packs. It is only then that I can return to my bedchamber to go over my plan one more time.
One important piece of the puzzle is for me to talk to Cuervo and get him to understand that tonight, we will be leaving Castellina. One thing that weighs heavily on me is that Father hasn’t had a proper funeral.
Forgive me, Father.
He would disapprove terribly of what I’m about to do. He would want me to stand behind my sister, no matter what. But I also know that Mother would feel differently. I have a duty to her, too. It’s no easy task, but I push these worries away and focus on the path ahead.
A few times I’m tempted to ask Cuervo to retrieve the amulet, but in the end, I decide against the idea. It’s too risky to carry the jewel with me as we exit Nido. We might be discovered as we make our escape, and Amira might take it back. There’s also the possibility that Rífíor might see it and be tempted by it. He gave it up before, but time in a cell might have changed his mind about that.
No, I need to keep The Eldrystone away from him for as long as possible.
When I call Cuervo, he flies around in circles sweeping over Nido’s battlements above me. From a distance, we must look like nothing but grains of rice atop a huge gray mountain to him. The palace’s sheer size is a testament to the Plumanegra’s power and wealth. It took over a century to build this place, to mine the huge rocks and transport them here, to place them atop each other and shape them into what they are now: the most massive building in the entire realm.
At last, my friend alights upon the balcony railing. His ebony feathers glisten in the fading sunlight, displaying iridescent hues of blue and purple that surpass any painter’s palette. He skips from talon to talon, head bobbing.
“We travel tonight,” I tell him.
We’ve traveled many times, so he knows what this means. His wings spread wide as he flaps them a few times. He hovers over the railing for an instant. It’s his way of telling me he’s excited about the news.
“Make sure to follow me,” I say.
I know he’ll vigilantly watch the palace’s perimeter to make sure he doesn’t overlook my departure.
“One more thing, Cuervo. You have to bring the treasure with you. Do you understand?”
He inclines his beak, and it touches his chest as he bows. He understands.
“But keep it safe.” He can hide it when he’s not flying and following us. “Safe, do you understand?”
Once more, he bows.
“You are the best of friends, Cuervo.” I bow back, feeling the utmost respect for him.
Sometime after midnight, I quickly make it to the dimly illuminated steps that lead to Rífíor and, perhaps, my doom.
When I get to the bottom, I discover both guards on duty peacefully asleep, just as intended. A part of my plan entailed discreetly administering a sedative into their evening meal, a job well done by Jago. He knows the young woman responsible for distributing dinner to numerous guards throughout the palace—they had a fling at some point. Jago’s role involved intercepting her en route to the dungeons and engaging her in conversation to divert her attention while he slipped the soporific into the food.
I remove the keys to the cell from the hook on the wall and walk sideways between the two slumped guards. They snore and appear content and lost in pretty dreams. I mean to keep walking with firm steps, but I come to a sudden halt, my breaths growing rapid and my heart hammering behind my ribs. I hate that the thought of seeing him makes me feel this way. I hate that I need him in order to do this. I want to leave him behind bars to rot for all his crimes, including those against me.
After a few deep breaths, I get my emotions under control and keep going. Even though I walk lightly, my steps echo across the cavernous space, surely alerting Rífíor to the presence of an untimely visitor. Yet, when I appear, he makes no attempt to glance in my direction.
He still looks like a literal statue, sitting motionless in that way that only the fae can. In the dim light, with all the colors muted, it truly appears as if he’s made of stone, an imposing sculpture chiseled by a master. The sight is unnerving and sends a shiver running down my spine.
My hand is firm as I place the key to the lock, turn it, and pull the door open. Rusted hinges whine, setting my teeth on edge. In fact, my entire body is on edge. I wrap my hand around the hilt of the raven dagger at my belt.
“You’re coming with me,” I say.
No reaction. He simply stares at the wall across from him.
I know I have to say something to shock him out of his stupor, something to rattle what he thinks he knows. Otherwise, we’ll sit here all night.
