Page 42 of House of the Raven
It had to be Amira. She told him about the secret passages. How could she? Now Guardia Bastien and the others, all non-Plumanegras, know of their existence.
As I seethe in frustration, I find my feelings toward my sister morphing. She’s doing this. She killed Father. She deserves to—
I shake my head. No, I can’t lose trust in her. She isn’t responsible for this mess. She’s being manipulated by that miserable sorcerer, and I’m going to find a way to stop him. I won’t give up, no matter what. He wants that necklace, and that’s my leverage. He believes I have it and thought I would take it with me to Aldalous. He has no idea I overheard the conversation with Emerito.
Maybe Amira won’t send me away. Maybe she only threatened to do so in order to unearth the necklace.
The thought fills me with hope. Perhaps in the morning, I will find that she’s changed her mind, and a different scheme will be in place.
But why not simply ask me where it is?
That question has been ringing inside my head for a while now. The most logical answer is that she doesn’t want me to know the necklace is important. But why not try some sort of subterfuge? Something like…“Say, Val, do you remember Mother’s necklace? I was thinking about it the other day, and I haven’t seen it in so long that I can’t remember what color it is. Do you still have it?”
Anything along those lines would make more sense than all of this. There’s only one explanation. This indirect approach means she really, really, really doesn’t want me to know how important the necklace is.
After much pacing and worrying, I develop a headache. Reluctantly, I remove my boots and lie down. I beg for sleep if only to stop my mind from whirring, but it doesn’t come. Dawn finds me sitting on a chair out on the balcony. Sunlight breaks through the clouds, cheery and warm—so at odds with the way I feel.
Cuervo finds me there. He lands on the railing and looks at me askance.
I lean forward, sitting at the edge of my chair. “Are you hurt?”
He opens his wings to demonstrate nothing happened to him.
“I’m glad. That was stupid. Don’t ever do that again, all right?”
He makes a sound like a huff.
“I mean it, you hardhead.”
Cuervo turns around and fans his tail feathers as if to scorn me for trying to tell him what to do.
“Watch it, Don Cuervo!” I shake my head. “That’s all I need, a foolish bird taunting me.”
With another huff, he leaps off the railing and flies away.
Sometimes I’m happy he has a mind of his own. Sometimes… not so much.
With a sigh, I get up and stretch my stiff body. I’ve just reentered my room when my door bursts open and Emerito waltzes in.
“Haven’t you heard of knocking first?” I demand.
He ignores me, then waves a group of man servants in. “Take those three trunks and load them on the carriage.” He points at the luggage stacked in the corner, then talks in my general direction. “We leave in an hour. Plenty of time for you to get ready.”
“Pathetic meddler,”I mutter under my breath.
His eyes flash to mine.
I give him a simpering smile. He has always doted on Amira, ever since she was little. He was waiting for the day she became queen. No doubt, he’s the happiest man alive now. The closest adviser to the queen.
For the first time, I wonder if he has anything to do with Father’s death and if he does…
“Emerito,” I say, pronouncing his name with care and gravity.
My tone catches his attention, which is exactly what I want.
“Can I ask you a question?” I incline my head to one side, pointing to a corner away from the servants.
At first, he seems annoyed, but in the end, curiosity gets the better of him. Hands behind his back, he approaches me.
