Page 79 of Echoes of the Raven
Once more, he refuses to come clean. I seethe in frustration, but I’m not the only one. Calierin’s face is so red, she appears ready to explode.
“What the fuck do you mean you are on your way to reopen the veil withher?” Calierin demands, pointing at me.
“Just what I said,” Rífíor retorts, his perfect composure lending him a striking air. “Were my words not clear enough?”
“You fucking bastard,” she shouts. “You better not ever let your guard down because I am going to slaughter you. Not even your mother will recognize what is left of you.”
Rífíor returns to the tree and reclines, nonchalantly examining his fingernails, appearing as bored as Jago does during mass. “You already tried and failed—unless you want to try again. This time only your sword against mine.” He gives her an inquiring sidelong glance.
Calierin says nothing. She just fumes, literal smoke coming out of her pointed ears.
“Is that…?” Jago points at the smoke and squints. “Yes, it is. Smoke’s coming out of her ears.”
“What?” Calierin takes a step to one side and looks up. Her hands fly to the sides of her head. “What the fuck is this?”
Behind me, Esmeralda giggles. “She’s boiling mad.”
What in the…? I frown. Rífíor stares at me, then his eyes flick to The Eldrystone, which still hangs from my hand. Is he trying to tell meIcaused that? I glance back toward Calierin, wish the smoke to stop, and, to my surprise, it does.
Saints and feathers!I only had the thought that she was fuming.I didn’t mean to do that. This makes no sense. Back in Nido, the amulet refused to do what I wanted, and now… I have to be more careful with this thing. I shake my head and put the chain back around my neck, the weight of the amulet offering more comfort than I would like.
Kadewyn doesn’t miss my interaction with Rífíor. Suspicious, he peers at the dissipating smoke with a sneer on his handsome, pale face. “You are lying. There is no reopening the veil with that thing.”
“Of course he is lying.” Calierin rolls her eyes.
Rífíor is looking at me, a request etched on his features. I have no trouble deciphering it. He wants me to tell them he isn’t lying. I suppose he’s done it often enough that his word means nothing to them. But why should they believeme? I’m just a human they hate, a member of the family who, in their minds, has kept them subjugated for twenty years.
The question is… do I want them to believe Rífíor? Is there any benefit to having them on our side despite the way I feel about Calierin? I don’t want her anywhere near us, but maybe she and Kadewyn can serve as lookouts for us. They’ve been following the troop since we left Castellina, and they did so unnoticed. They’re good trackers and fighters, so it wouldn’t hurt to have their help, if it came to it. Yet, that’s logic talking. My instinct of self-preservation, however, is saying something completely different. If I’m to heed Father’s advice, I should listen to my gut and stay away from them. But unless I kill them, they’ll continue following us.
There is a part of me that would relish flattening Calierin like a bug. I can almost conjure the image of her body bending at my command, blood soaking the ground as broken bones protrude from her skin. It would be so easy. All I would have to do is wish for it, and it would happen. It’s tempting, so tempting.
Calierin lets out a groan of pain, a hand flying to her ribcage.
Oh, gods!
I’m doing it.
Stop, Valeria.
I take a step back, recoiling from the glimpse of evil my soul has revealed.
Rífíor raises an eyebrow, aware of my intention, but there’s no judgment in his expression.
Clear your mind, Valeria. You’re not a tyrant.
One death on my conscience, no matter how deserving the victim, is enough. I won’t be like these fae. I’m better than that. With a deep breath, I clear my mind.
Calierin sidles toward Kadewyn, a hint of fear in her features. She also seems to know why her ribs felt ready to snap.
“Yes, Rífíor, you’re right. We’re wasting our time,” I say tiredly. “Let’s go.”
I’m starting to turn toward the wagon when the amulet heats up under my tunic. It’s only a momentary flash, but it makes me stop. Hesitantly, I take a step toward the wagon. The same thing happens. As I stand there, puzzled, the chain tugs, pointing in Calierin’s and Kadewyn’s direction.
Is the amulet trying to tell me something?
To make sure I’m not imagining things, I press a hand to my chest and force the amulet down. Once it settles, I try to leave once more, but the same thing happens.
Yes, The Eldrystone does seem to have a mind of its own, which means Niamhara wants me to heed logic over my instinct of self-preservation. As I ponder, it seems to me that I need more than Father’s voice and lessons inside my head to guide me. And why couldn’t that be The Eldrystone? It wouldn’t lead me astray, would it? Besides, I’m trusting it to save my sister from making the worst mistake of her life.
