When the Raven Calls

Chapter 17

I WAS UP AND MOVING towards the door before my mind could catch up with me, pausing only long enough to grab a deep blue cloak off of the floor. I ran into the hall, blinking away stars, only to be confronted with a blazing room below.

"GET UP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, panicked, searching for a way out of the house that wasn't on fire.

A moment later, the closest thing I have to a family came streaming out of their rooms, surprised and terrified.

"How the hell did a fire start?" Syrena demanded, looking at me.

"Now is so not the time," I snapped, beyond sick of people blaming things on me. I started down the stairs, moving as fast I could while thinking logically.

We made it outside without any casualties other than a few scorch marks on clothing and flushed faces, thankfully. I looked around, double then triple-checking to make sure that everyone was alive.

"Good thing we all made it out alive," I said, breathing in the clean air, relieved.

"Yeah, that could've been way worse," Syrena agreed, still watching me cautiously.

"How can you be so callous?!" Macey demanded, tear-stricken. "There were books in there!"

In the background, I heard Thomas and Aria consoling her while Chris cracked jokes, but my attention was solely on the figure disappearing into the night. He or she--they were already too far away for me to tell--wore a cloak that was so dark red it was nearly black, but before they had turned away, I had seen a symbol, glowing with a bruised purple light. It was sort of like a trident, with tips curling outwards, but instead of a center spike, there was a dot in the middle.

"Did you guys see that?" I asked, my eyes straining to see he/she.

"See what?" Syrena asked, looking after me.

"There was some person standing across the street, watching the house burn, and when they saw us come out, they just... walked away."

"Maybe they just wanted to know if there were any survivors," Aria said, coming to stand by me.

"And, I mean, you did meet an ancient, all-powerful goddess. Maybe she sent someone to make sure you survive--like a guardian," Thomas suggested, smiling at me.

"Maybe," I said, forcing a smile. They moved across the street, still talking about where we should go and what we should do, and I followed numbly.

I couldn't shake the feeling that the fire was just the beginning, and that whoever the cloaked figure was, they weren't here to make sure we survived.

***

"WE SHOULD GET out of town, and fast," Chris said, looking around at us.

"What are you talking about?" Macey asked, shocked. "This is home."

"No, this was home. Then home burnt down, and..." He glanced at Aria. "For all we know, all the documents proving that we're the Thieves Guild, that we rescue Tainted prisoners, and that we work with the Raven survived."

We sat in silence for a moment, his words sinking in.

"No," I said. They all looked at me, and I pushed away my uncomfort. "We saw the house burn down--I doubt paper would've survived that. We should be cautious, be we don't need to consider ourselves fugitives. I do think we should get out of town, though--maybe we should go up to Juramust. I know they're holding ten times more prisoners in the palace."

"You're kidding," Thomas said, staring at me in disbelief. "We have enough to deal with without going to the capitol, where they kill the Tainted on sight. In case you've forgotten, all these people we rescue are there because they have powers like you."

I looked around the tavern, hoping his voice wouldn't carry. I didn't need to worry--the only other person on this floor was an aging guard who had fallen asleep on duty half an hour ago.

"Just announce it to the whole world, why don't you?" Macey said sarcastically, coming to my rescue. Thomas at least had the decency to look guilty, but he didn't back down.

"We shouldn't go to Juramust."

"I'm with Thomas," Aria said. Macey and I sent her twin looks of disbelief, and she looked like she was holding back a laugh. "I know it's easy to forget, but I am a cop. Even if those papers are burnt, they aren't above using Tainted people's gifts to find out what they said if they have cause to suspect anything was off about the fire or the people who lived there--meaning you guys. Our best bet is to get out of the country, probably to Neanoting--there's no way we're getting across Evaren's borders."

This time it was Syrena who spoke up, scoffing. "You're saying there's someone out there whose special ability is to know what was on burned pieces of paper?"

"Are you willing to bet your life there isn't?" Aria asked, meeting her gaze.

"Okay, so you want us to get out the country, wouldn't it be a better idea to get of a boat for Winihan?" she asked, talking about the island nation to the east of us. She was right--it would be a short boat trip, but Winihan had a certain... reputation, mainly one for being a pirate's den and being one of if not the largest illegal drug manufacturing areas.

Aria raised her eyebrows, and Macey flushed. "Not for the opium! I just meant it'd be easier and faster. How, exactly, do you plan on getting to Naenoting, anyways? That's a few weeks' journey on foot, and we don't have a way to get there any faster."

"Macey, we're a Thieves Guild. Do you really think it'd be so hard to steal a few horses?"

"No, I just think this is a kinda pointless plan. What are we going to do when we get there, just sit around and twiddle our thumbs?"

I looked between her and Aria, curious to see which of the sisters would come out on top this time.

"No, but we don't need to know that yet. Even with horses, it'll take a week to get there, a week in which we can make a final plan."

Macey scowled, but didn't make further protests. I, however, did. "Where would we go in Naenoting? I doubt they'll just let us sit around on the border."

"I was thinking Caerin," she said. I wasn't sure whether or not I should laugh.

"That's at least another week! During all of this time, what exactly do you think will happen to the Tainted Lupaina's forces capture? Who will pass information to the Raven?"

"I think the mysterious, highly-funded, well-connected organization will be fine without four teenagers," she said dryly. "Besides, I have a way that will only take a matter of days."

She took a deep breath, collecting herself. "We should cut through Evaren."

There was an uproar of activity, and the guard in the corner stirred but didn't quite wake up.

"Are you insane?" Thomas demanded.

"Hear her out," Chris said, watching us all thoughtfully.

"You have contacts in the Raven, and they move escaped slaves all the time, most of them to Caerin. I assume they use the Isodel River, but the how isn't important right now--the point is that they can move people under the radar. After everything that's happened, if you ask for transportation, I'm sure they'd provide it."

There was silence for a moment, everyone considering what she said.

"Fine," I said grudgingly. "But we do need to figure out what we're going to do."

"Agreed," Chris said, smiling grimly at us. "But first, we've got some horses to steal.