Page 128 of House of the Raven
“You could have made all of this much easier on yourself, if you had not decided to keep the amulet to yourself. It does not belong to you, princess.”
“It does.” My words slice the air with the conviction of an expertly wielded rapier. “My mother gave it to me.”
“It was not hers in the first place. But I have no time for this. Enough! Give me the amulet now or watch your sister die.”
I glance up. Amira isn’t struggling anymore. She’s limp, probably unconscious from shock. Gods know I cannot let her die, but I can’t allow the veilfallen to gain the power that The Eldrystone would give them. This male is heartless. He would destroy us all. The veilfallen despise Castella. They blame humans for their exile. I cannot allow this sort of power to fall into his hands.
“Tch, tch, tch.” I shake my head. “I’m afraid I can’t let you have it.”
Loyal as always, Cuervo did not leave and find safety. Instead, he responds to my call by swooping back into the ballroom like a flyingarrow. We’ve played tossing games many times, the two of us, and when I lob the amulet up in the air, my timing is perfect.
River’s dark eyes follow the jewel’s upward trajectory. He lurches forward, hand outstretched, ready to catch it.
Cuervo beats his wings, dives down, and snatches the amulet as if it were prey. With The Eldrystone grasped securely in his talon, he darts away and flies through the doors at the top of the stairs. Volleys of magic and arrows chase after him, barely missing him, but he makes it out, taking the object of Bastien’s—no, River’s—real lust with him.
“You bitch,” the female who holds my sister with her magic cries out. “She dies.” Pulling her hand back, she cuts off the magic’ flow.
My sister plummets.
Without thinking, I run and position myself right under her. As she rushes in my direction, I know there’s no saving her. But it doesn’t matter—not when I’ll go with her, and River will never have The Eldrystone.
At least, the Plumanegra sisters’ deaths will mean that much.
“Stop her fall,” River’s command is unequivocal. “Stop her!” He repeats when the female ignores his order.
Too late, she lifts a hand and releases a burst of magic.
It’s not enough.
Amira crashes on top of me, and the world goes dark.
40
RIVER
“Loreleia and Simón made my already miserable life unbearable. I harbored thoughts of repaying the favor, but with their absence, perhaps their children can bear the weight of retribution.”
Rífíor - Veilfallen Leader - 21 AV
Valeria sleeps, strapped to the cot in the corner. Calierin’s magic didn’t slow Amira’s descent in time to avoid a collision. Despite the clash, the young queen seemed fine when we pulled her off her sister. Valeria, on the other hand, suffered a broken collarbone, and perhaps a concussion. Calierin mended the broken bone, and I’ve been watching Valeria closely, ever since we left Nido.
Nothing can happen to her.
Not until she tells me where that damn bird took The Eldrystone.
I searched her bedchamber before making our escape, but Cuervo was nowhere to be seen. That creature has been nothing but trouble since the beginning. I should have snapped his neck when I had the chance.
We left Queen Amira in the rubble. I’m sure her people came to help her and will set her right. She never was of any importance to me. Calierin and the others are angry because I didn’t let them kill her. In their minds, that was our goal for invading Nido, but I deceived them, and nowthey’re demanding an explanation. I still don’t know what to tell them. How to keep the amulet’s nature a secret from them after what they witnessed, after they supported me in Nido, despite the way I changed our plans.
The last thing I need is more people vying to possess The Eldrystone.
At least Orys Kelakian is gone. He was always a blight on my kind. I know enough about him to be glad he is no more. Over two decades ago, he left Tirnanog to escape punishment for his crimes. When he unexpectedly attacked Nido the very day I installed myself as a guard, I thought he only wanted revenge, but when I realized he was also after The Eldrystone, things grew more complicated.
As best as I could, considering how busy I was with Valeria, I tried to keep an eye out for him. I imagined he was puppeteering Amira from afar or within, but it didn’t occur to me that he was posing as her closest adviser. I didn’t know Orys had that level of power. It is uncommon for anyone to pose as another person for an extended period of time, and he did it for hours on end during our journey to Alsur, so I discounted him.
He was skilled and powerful. I have to give him that. But of course, no one is a match for The Eldrystone.
Simón Plumanegra’s death was unexpected. I had hoped to be the one to bring about his demise, but that satisfaction was denied to me. Nevertheless, Orys’s intervention provided me with valuable insights into who possessed the amulet. He had come to confront Valeria because she was the one who thwarted his initial assault, the very person who disfigured him and the reason he was incapacitated for over a decade. There was only one way an eight-year-old child could have accomplished such a feat: she had worn The Eldrystone on the fateful day that Loreleia Elhice died.
