House of the Raven (The Eldrystone #1)

22. CHAPTER 22

22

VALERIA

“’Tis the hardest wood I’ve ever handled. My saw barely scratched it before it dulled. Fae blackwood, is it?”

Juanes Hernández - Human Carpenter - 101 DV

A knot forms in my throat, and I nearly choke. Mother’s necklace. River is after Mother’s necklace. Any doubts that he’s working with Orys fly out of my mind.

You’re so stupid, Valeria! One mention of your mother and you forget who you’re dealing with. He wasn’t looking for a weapon when he pawed you. He was looking for the amulet.

I don’t let myself think twice. I turn and sprint up the stairs, taking two at a time. River is after me in an instant, his hand reaching out and nearly catching the back of my skirt. But he’s heavier than me, and one of the steps splinters under his weight, slowing him down.

Reaching the top, I find a decrepit chair sitting in one corner. I pick it up and hurl it at River, who is nearly upon me again. The chair hits him square in the face, and he stumbles back.

I run toward the only source of light in the dark space. It leads me to a broken window. I don’t hesitate. I push through it, scratching my arm in the process, but find a foothold outside, which allows me to shimmy along a narrow ledge.

River sticks his head out and claws at the air, trying to grab me. He throws the window open. Pieces of glass fall out and shatter.

I keep going, my back pressed against the wall as I take small shuffling steps. The next house over is only two stories tall. If I reach it, I can jump onto its roof.

River squeezes his considerable bulk through the window and steps onto the ledge. I move faster and nearly lose my balance. Glancing back once more, I see that he isn’t faring so well. He’s too big for the narrow overhang, and that’s slowing him down.

I finally make it to the end. Leaping sideways, I land on the other house. A couple of roof tiles come loose and clatter over their neighbors, making a racket. Whoever lives here likely just had the fright of their lives.

I climb, stepping gingerly over the tiles. I make it over the apex of the roof and swiftly approach the edge on the other side. This time there aren’t any trees to help me descend, but there are a few bushes below that will cushion my fall.

Carefully, I sit on the edge of the roof, letting my feet dangle. Twisting to take hold of the edge, I slide off. For a couple of seconds, I dangle in front of a second-floor window, but my fingers lose their grip, and I plummet, landing unceremoniously in the middle of what turns out to be a rosebush.

With a whimper, I attempt to disentangle myself from the thorny monster. My skirt rips in some places, and threads get yanked and stretched in others until I finally manage to break free.

I hear River above. A clay tile flies near my head and breaks to pieces on the ground. Limbs tingling with my energy-charged blood, I press my back to the wall and hurry alongside it until I reach the last house on the block and turn the corner .

I’m faced with an open road. Nowhere to hide that I can immediately see. I run, head turning right and left, trying to spot somewhere to conceal my presence. If I just keep running on this open street, River will easily catch me.

My hope has nearly been spent when I hear the trickle of water. I move in that direction and, behind a mound of grass, spot a drain. It is narrow, big enough for me, but not for River. The prospect of climbing inside isn’t palatable, but I’m out of alternatives. Ensconced in there, I can at least keep out of his reach, and who knows… maybe it leads to freedom.

I get closer. The stink of sewer hits my nose like a physical blow.

Gods! I can’t go in there.

But I have to. Holding my breath, I get on my hands and knees and crawl inside the dark, dank sewers. My gag reflex makes me convulse. My head hits the top of the pipe as I jerk. The suffocating stench of filth and decay assaults my senses, finally making me retch and choke on the putrid air. My fingers tremble as I navigate the slippery, muck-covered path. The echoing sounds of distant droplets and the scuttling of unseen creatures in the shadows intensify the dread that gnaws at my mind. As I creep deeper, I can’t help but wonder if escaping River is worth descending into this wretched underworld.

I keep pushing through the darkness, my hands and knees sinking into the thick, lumpy slush. Pushing my mind far away from this place, I imagine I’m crawling through a pleasant brook edged by sweet-smelling flowers.

When I’m far enough into the pipe, I pause and listen. I can’t look back. The space is too tight to do anything but move forward. There’s a trickle ahead, but I think I hear something behind me. I remain in place.

“Where the fuck did you go?” River’s voice is amplified inside the pipe. “Are you in there?”

Gods, please!

He grunts and curses and stomps .

“No. No way that fucking princess went in there.”

I hear retreating steps. He’s leaving. I remain frozen for several long minutes. He seems to be truly gone, but I can’t be sure. Making up my mind, I decide to keep moving forward. Eventually, I come to a fork with a shaft of moonlight cutting through its middle. I glance up and see a hole high above my head. I could climb out that way, but I’m afraid it’s too soon to leave the safety of the pipes.

Three other pipes shoot from this fork. I choose the widest and crawl, crawl, crawl. After ten minutes, I begin to worry. I’m about to turn back around when I spot light up ahead. I hurry forward, and at last, I come out on the other end. Making no noise, I get out of the pipe. I’m on high alert, expecting River to be here waiting for me. I’m not about to let my guard down. I have two very shrewd men after me. Everything is quiet, however.

The drain has brought me to a section of the Manzanar River. When I confirm there’s no one around, I walk along the bank, upriver and away from the drainage where the current is clean. Heaving from my own stench, I entirely submerge my body in the cool water, dunking my head and scrubbing everywhere. While still submerged, I take off my clothes, one garment at a time, and scrub and scrub until my hands hurt.

It’s a near-impossible feat getting back into my wet clothes, but I manage. Feeling weighed down, I trudge out of the water and discover a secluded spot along the shore—a small open space encircled by dense bushes. I settle down, reassured that I’m well-concealed from view, shielded from anyone passing along the pathways that run on both sides of the river.

After a few minutes sitting there, I start to shiver. It’s warm during the day, but summer evenings can be cool. My teeth rattle, and my arms tremble even as I tightly hug my legs. I lie on my side, curled up into a ball, and wish for warmth that never comes. What does come, however, is sleep. At last, I drift away but take my shivers with me into a host of feverish nightmares.

I wake up with a jolt and scramble backward on hands and knees. There’s a figure sitting next to me. I get tangled in a heavy coat that’s been draped over me.

Blinking, I clear my sleep-blurred vision. “Jago?”

“The one and only,” he says, wrinkling his nose. “What an unsightly princess you are.”

“Jago!” I lurch forward and throw myself on top of him.

My arms wrap around his neck, and he teeters precariously but braces himself with one arm as he hugs me with the other.

“It’s good to see you too, Val.” He thumps my back. “Even if you abandoned me to that good-looking bastardo.” He holds me at arm’s length. “Though judging by your state, it seems I got the better end of the deal.”

“How are you here?” I ask.

“A little bird told me where to find you.”

“Cuervo!” I glance around, looking for him. He’s nowhere to be found.

“He flew off a little while ago. I’ve been here for almost two hours. I hated to wake you up, you looked so cozy in your… nature bed. Quite the statement for you. I doubt it’ll become a fashion with nobility, though. Unlike those raven earrings you used to make. Vanity only goes so far.”

“Stop all your nonsense and tell me what happened?”

“ I want to know what happened to you. How did you end up here, smelling like a latrine? ”

I shake my head. “You go first. “

“All right, don’t get feisty. After you jumped off the horse, Bastien, naturally, caught up with me. The devil jumped from his horse to mine and knocked me senseless to the ground. I hit my head and cracked it open. Bled all over the place, too. But maybe it was worth it. I had a good roll with him and got to feel all his delicate and not-so-delicate bits.”

I wrinkle my nose in disgust. “I’m not interested in hearing about that.”

“You should be. The man is… hard.”

“Focus, please.”

“All right, all right. He threatened to strangle me if I didn’t tell him where you were. I have the bruises to prove it.” Jago pulls his collar down and shows me the dark finger marks that circle his neck.

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugs. “Don’t be so sorry. I gave in and told him you’d jumped off by that boulder, and he got back on his horse and went looking for you. I thought for sure he was going to find you. I’ve been holding my breath for days.”

“So then what? Everyone came back to Castellina?”

He nods. “Everyone, including your betrothed.”

“Don’t call him that. He’s nothing to me. Besides, I knew he was here.”

He raises his eyebrows.

“Bastien told me. He found me last night. That’s why I ended up here.”

“He found you? How?”

“I was betrayed. That troop of Romani that was in Alsur, I rode here with them.”

“You trusted a bunch of Romani? Are you insane?”

I hate that I want to rise up to their defense even after what Esmeralda did, yet a part of me does. I still want to believe that people are good: Romani, fae, humans, all of us. Father couldn’t be right. However, it’s not so easy to believe after what happened.

“It was stupid of me, I know,” I say. “I didn’t think they would recognize me, but they did, and… well, they also know I’m… half-fae.”

“You’re what?!”

I nod.

“So…” he speaks carefully, “your mother… she was…”

I nod again. “I’m sorry I never told you. Father made Amira and I promise.”

Jago rubs the back of his head as he stares at the ground in shock. “I’m going to need a lot of time to process this, you little half-batracia .” He gives me a sidelong glance and a smirk.

“Hey!” I punch him. “I hate that word.”

He holds both hands up in apology for the awful joke, but I’m relieved there’s no real judgement in his voice. Why did I ever fear he would think less of me?

“If the council finds out…” He trails off.

“I know, and now that Romani troop knows.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, all right? Who’s going to believe them if they claim such a thing against a Plumanegra princess?”

Maybe, he’s right. “I just don’t understand how they recognized me.”

“Oh, Val. The entire city knows who you are.” His eyes are sad. “You’re like their pet princess. They watch over you, make sure no one bothers you.”

“You knew that?!” Tears waver in my eyes.

He nods gently. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to disillusion you.”

“Father was right,” I say absently. He could see me for the na?ve fool that I am.

“About what?”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“What now?”

I keep shaking my head. I have no idea. All along, I thought that I could hide in Castellina, but as everyone’s pet princess , what hope is there of blending in unnoticed?

Pressing a hand over my eyes, I fight back the tears.

“Hey, hey.” Jago pulls my hand away, then wraps me in a hug.

“Maybe I’m deluding myself. Maybe I’m meant to go to Alsur with Don Justo and bury my head in the sand. I can’t go against Amira and the entirety of the Guardia Real.”

“We don’t have to figure it out right now. You need to rest, clean up, eat, then you’ll feel much better. We can find an out-of-the-way inn. There, we can regroup, then you’ll know what to do.”

“Will I?”

“Of course.”

I sigh. “I also need to figure out how to evade River?”

“River? As in the leader of the veilfallen?”

I nod.

“What does he have to do with any of this?”

“Hells if I know.”

“I’m so confused.”

After I explain everything, Jago is flabbergasted. “This plot is thick as Bastien’s arms, Val.”

“I wouldn’t know about that.”

We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, then I say, “Your plan sounds good. I need to think.”

“Good.” He climbs to his feet and offers me a hand. “Maybe we’ll think of something on the way to this little inn I know.”

I’m wrapped in a sheet, my hair loose, wet, and smelling of lavender. My stomach is full, and the sweet, yet spicy taste of anise still lingers in my mouth. Jago is out, getting me new clothes, and Cuervo stands on the windowsill, shifting his weight from one talon to the other.

“Thank you, Cuervo. That was the best tomato soup and the best bath I’ve had in my entire life, and I owe it all to you.”

“Val, friend,” he croaks.

“You’re my friend, too.” I reach out and pet his neck with the back of my index finger.

“Oh, Cuervo, what do I do? How do I free my sister?”

I still refuse to believe she’s doing all of this of her own volition. She loves me and loved Father and only Orys is to blame. And all because of my mother’s necklace.

“Necklace,” Cuervo croaks as if reading my mind.

Doing a double take, I look at him in surprise.

“Yes, Cuervo. The necklace is the key. The necklace that River called an amulet .”

“Amulet,” he repeats.

“Yes, amulet. Are you keeping it safe?” I ask.

He bobs his head up and down.

I pace the room, the length of the sheet trailing behind me. “What is so special about that necklace? Maybe it’s worth a fortune.” I shake my head. “No, that’s not it.” I’ve seen some of the courtiers wear far more valuable pieces. “Maybe it has some sort of power like I initially thought? But if it does, why did Father let it be my toy after Mother died? I have to find out more. But how?”

Frustrated, I collapse on the bed, lay my head down, and get some much-needed rest.

When Jago returns with my clothes, I’m awake. My hair is dry, cascading in waves over my shoulders. He has two paper-wrapped bundles, which he sets on the dresser that sits in the corner .

“I got some of your favorite leggings and tunics from Woven Whimsy Wear. Also, a dress in case you decide you need a real disguise.” He winks. “I think everything will fit. I have your measurements, cousin.”

“What time is it?” I ask. There’s no clock in the room, and I’ve completely lost track. When I woke up, a possible plan was sitting in front of me, some crazy idea I must’ve hatched in my dreams. Now, I’m restless to act.

“Thirteen hours.”

“Good. We still have time.”

“Time for what?”

“. We’re going to the library.”

He scratches his head, making his blond hair stand on end. “Not my favorite place. Why the library?”

“To see if there’s anything I can find out about Mother’s necklace.”

“Why would the library have information on your mother’s necklace?” He clearly thinks this specific outing will be a waste of time.

At first glance, it does seem that way, but the more I think about it, the more convinced I become. “If the fae want that necklace so desperately, it means it’s important.”

“I’m not denying that, but the library? You’re overreaching.”

“Maybe, but what if it’s that important?”

“Important enough to warrant a book or a scroll being written about it?”

I nod. “It sounds ludicrous, I know, but it’s the only idea I have.”

He sighs. “All right, but do I have to come?”

I give him a narrow-eyed glare.

“Fine, fine, I’ll help you fetch books, but you do the reading. Deal?”

“Deal.” We shake on it. I have a feeling he’s going to be busy, running up and down the stacks to get me what I need, anyway.

“I don’t mean to rush you or anything,” he says carefully, “but what do we do after that? Is your plan more… fleshed out? ”

“It is.” I smile, cocking my head to one side.

“You minx. What have you concocted?”

“I’ll tell you all about it after I change.”

I shoo him out of the room and dress quickly. Once I’m ready, I open the door and drag Jago back inside.

“Hey, this is one of my nicest jackets.” He smooths the lapels I carelessly crumpled. He blinks and looks me up and down. “The dress, huh?”

“You said I needed a real disguise. Do you think this will fool Castellina’s nosey dwellers?”

He smiles. “I got something else for you.” He reaches for the unopened package. “One more small touch and no one will know who you are.” He pulls out a small tin of brown paste and proceeds to cover the white streak in my hair.