Page 14 of House of the Raven
He shrugs. “That isn’t saying much.”
“I’ve been out there, Jago. I know the city. I can make my own way.”
A drawn-out sigh leaves him. “That is terribly naïve. You’ve been to the destroyed espiritu sites, the shops on Colmenar Street, a few of the upscale taverns, some of the monuments, and that is it. You’ve never been to the outskirts of the city. That’s where real Castellan life goes on for the majority of people.”
“True. I can’t deny that, but that’s one of the first things I will correct.”
“All right. Fine.” He shakes his hands at the heavens and rolls his eyes. “Where are you going to live? What are you going to eat?”
“I’m not poor, Jago.”
He scoffs. “You think your father is going to give you money so you can play house with the rubble?”
“I have a few valuable things that belong to me. I can sell them to get started, then I’ll… make jewelry and sellit. I don’t need much.”
“Val, Val, Val!” He pulls on his dirty blond hair. “You know thatTarta de Santiagoyou like so much? Almonds cost an arm, a leg,anda testicle. This tunic you’re wearing,” he tugs at the fabric of my sleeve, “that is Malagasy silk, not homespun. That bed,” he gestures to my large canopied bed, “It’s made of fae blackwood from trees foundonly in Tirnagog, and has a swan down feather mattress. You haven’t the faintest idea what you need.”
“I don’t care about material things and you know that.”
At this moment, I hate him, hate him because his words have sliced through my resolve and have infected me with fear, increasing my doubts. What if he’s right? What if I’m so spoiled and used to this comfortable life that I don’t even know it?
I shake my head. No, I won’t let him dissuade me. I can’t keep going like this. I just can’t.
“All right, how about this?” he says. “Have you thought about Nana? You’ll destroy her!”
Gods, I could punch him in the teeth. This is a blow below the belt. Nana practically raised Amira, Jago, and me. She was there when Jago’s father and my mother were alive, but after they died, her presence became ubiquitous. She made sure we ate, bathed, got to our lessons on time, had enough sleep and playtime. She also read to us, healed our scrapes, wiped our runny noses, loved us. She became our mother. I love her to death and don’t want to cause her any heartache. Still, I think she will understand.
“My mind is made up, Jago,” I say with resolve. “You might be right about everything, but if I keep living like this, under Father’s thumb, I will wither like a leaf. And at the end of my life, when I look back, not following this instinct for freedom will be my biggest regret.”
“Oh, Val.” His face softens, and his honey-colored eyes fill with warmth. He pulls me into an embrace and squeezes me tightly. His chin settles on top of my head as a huge sigh fills his strong chest. “What are we going to do?”
I push away. “We?”
Jago nods. “Yes, we.” A short pause. “Do you think you can teach me how to make some of those pretty necklaces that were a sensation with all the female servants?”
My eyes fill with tears. A year ago, I made necklaces for all the women who work in Nido. I used the prettiest shells I collected in the summer palace and spent weeks working on them.
“They were just humoring me.” I fight back the tears.
“Oh, no, they were not. They wouldn’t still wear them if they didn’t think they’re the greatest thing since the invention of the windmill.”
A tear manages to sneak out and streak down my cheek. “You would really come with me?”
“To the end of the world.”
“You idiot.” I punch him in the arm.
“Ow, what was that for?” He rubs the spot in exaggerated circles.
“All those things you were saying I’m going to miss, you were talking about yourself, weren’t you?”
He gives me a sad smile. After thinking for a moment, he says, “Only partly.”
5
VALERIA
“Creatures with pointed ears are at my doorstep. They must be devils, even if they look like angels.”
