Page 35 of House of the Raven
I make it to my bedchamber, and after making sure I’m alone, lock the door behind me. Through the open balcony doors, I search for Cuervo. He is not there.
Walking outside, I pull the necklace from its hiding place. Trying to convince myself that what I’m about to do is the best option, I click my tongue three times to call him. “Tch, tch, tch.”
Cuervo immediately swoops down from the battlements high above me, where he likes to perch. He lands on the railing.
“Hello, gentle don,” I say.
“Hello, gentle señorita,” he croaks.
I smile, then click my tongue once in approval. “Tch.”
“I need you to do me a favor.” I stretch my hand out and show him the necklace.
“Treasure,” he croaks.
“Yes. Very special treasure. I need you to hide it away from Nido. Do you understand?”
“Hide,” he echoes.
“That’s right. Hide it where no one but you can find it. Do you understand?” I ask again.
He inclines his head to one side, appearing unsure.
“Hide it. Only Cuervo can find it. Do you understand?” I insist.
After a moment of pondering, he croaks, “Safe.”
“Yes! Safe!” I’m relieved. I know he gets it. “It’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone.” I press a finger to my lips.
“Shh.”
“That’s right, you clever bird. Now go.”
He wraps his claws around the jewel and lunges into the sky, the chain glinting in the sun as he becomes nothing but a speck.
A stab of trepidation makes me place a hand on my chest. I don’t know what I have just entrusted to a bird. The necklace could hold greatsignificance, and now it’s beyond my grasp. For all I know, my mother’s heirloom is on its way to becoming nothing but a memory.
But the truth is, I don’t actually believe that. I have faith in Cuervo, but if the necklace were to become lost, who is to say it’s not for the best?
10
VALERIA
“No more bunnies, lad. ‘Tis bear pelts the fae traders be seekin’. They ain’t got no bears in Tirnanog.”
Juan Quiñones - Human Trader - 163 DV
Hand hovering near the dagger strapped to my thigh, I navigate Nido’s labyrinthine corridors, my footsteps echoing through empty halls and shadowed alcoves. Each room I enter seems to conceal a threat, the disfigured sorcerer mumbling spells as he pulls the invisible strings that control my sister. My heart races as I search behind closed doors, lumbering furniture, and hidden passages.
Where is Orys?
The palace is a sprawling maze with no beginning or end. Each room I finish scanning seems to immediately transform into a new hiding place, leaving me to wonder when I’ll ever complete a search in one room before I need to check it again. Doubt gnaws at me with every step. Is he really here? Or am I chasing a phantom? The vastness of the castle threatens to swallow my determination, and I fear that my task is futile.
As I approach Amira’s bedchamber, my resolve strengthens. Maybe that’s where Orys Kelakian is hiding. She’s still busy in the council roomand will be for days to come. I hope the new responsibilities sour in her mouth.
I expect a guard stationed by her door. When I realize the corridor is empty, I turn the nob and anticipate it will be locked. But the door offers no resistance, and I enter her room without trouble.
Inside, everything is tidy and in its rightful place. I notice nothing out of order, not even a quill on her desk. My own reflection in the full-length mirror tucked in the corner startles me. I resemble the very phantom I’m attempting to locate.
