Page 121 of House of the Raven
The cloud disperses into hundreds of ravens all croaking, flapping their wings, and weaving through the chandeliers, obscuring their light.
An unkindness of ravens.
37
VALERIA
“Methinks the Plumanegras lay eggs. How else might they sprout wings and become feathered friends?”
Jester of Castella Royal Court - 1757 DV
Everyone is bowing now, but it’s from fear as the ravens swoop down, talons extended.
In the place where my sister stood just a moment ago, there’s empty space.
How?! How is she doing this?
The question booms in my head as I crouch, avoiding a scratch to the face. We don’t possess the espiritu for that anymore.
Jago throws an arm over me and forces me down. “Did you know?!”
I shake my head. “Amira has no espiritu.”
I’m the only one who ever showed any signs of magical powers, which now I know came from the amulet.
At the thought, my heart seizes.The Eldrystone!Did Amira find it?Oh, gods!That has to be it. But how? Only Cuervo knows exactly where it is, and he would never relinquish it. I’m about to run out of the ballroom to go in search of Cuervo when my ears start ringing, and myheart picks up a desperate rhythm.Gods!Something bad is about to happen.
An explosion rocks the floor.
The very air quivers as espiritu tears through the room with an ear-splitting roar. The chandeliers shatter into a thousand glittering shards, their radiant crystals raining down like deadly hail. The walls groan as they splinter, and the tapestries tear to tatters. The dance floor trembles and cracks, sending guests tumbling. Chaos reigns, a whirlwind of panic and clogging dust. Acrid smoke saturates the air, and the bitter taste of espiritu fills my mouth.
My ears ring. I lift my head and try to see through the cloud of dust. Immediately, I’m transported to that day at the plaza after the veilfallen’s attacked.
“They’re h-ere.” My throat is filled with grit. I cough, looking around. “Jago.” He’s several feet away from me, lying on his back. I crawl in his direction. “Jago!”
He doesn’t answer.
When I reach him, I see blood streaming down his temple. I grab the collar of his jacket and shake him. He moans, eyelids fluttering, though he doesn’t fully open them.
“You’re all right,” I say in relief.
I help him sit up. He’s dazed but is able to steady himself after a few shakes of his head. “What just happened?”
Ravens still croak above, flying in useless circles. But why do that? Why not help? I push the questions away as I assist Jago to a standing position. He steadies himself with the aid of a chair. Turning away from him, I look around at the chaos. Is this Orys’s doing? Or the veilfallen’s?
Danger lurks. Ready yourself.Bastien’s and Esmeralda’s twin warnings ring inside my head like tolling bells. This is what they meant. Gaspar, El Gran Místico, possesses espiritu that grants himforetelling abilities. I’ve seen what he can do. But what about Bastien? How did he…?
My eyes search for him, and my heart and mind war with each other. The former wants him to be all right, unscathed, while the latter brims with suspicion. I don’t see him anywhere. All I see are broken bodies—some frozen in grotesque shapes, others staggering in confusion, trying to find an escape or searching for loved ones.
A hooded shape steps over a body, parting the floating dust particles.
Veilfallen!
The figure throws his hands up in the air and electric espiritu pours forth in a crackling spider web. The still-unbroken chandeliers tremble and refract rainbows of light. The ravens cry out in unison as the electricity hits them, their calls resonating throughout the ballroom. For an instant, they seem suspended in midair, then they plummet and smack the floor one after the other and lie there twitching.
“No!” I cry out. “Amira.” I take several steps toward the closest raven, a small broken shape that is slowly turning to smoke.
I stare in disgust. That wasn’t part of Amira. That was a cheap magic trick. Whirling, I search the top of the marble steps.
