Page 8 of Raisa's Cursed Ravens
“The taste of freedom,” Rune says, his voice soft. “And the weight of chains.”
I catch his gaze and nod. “We let her slip out, just long enough to be caught with us. The king will lock her in the tower again.”
My brothers stir uneasily at the thought of her locked in the tower. The same violent thoughts echo in my mind, but if we want her to follow us willingly, there is no other choice.
Talon grins, his teeth white against the mud on his chin. “Another battle with the king’s men?”
“No blood,” Bran snaps. “Not in front of her. We’re not monsters.”
“Speak for yourself,” I mutter, earning a chuckle from Sable.
Onyx steps up. “If she’s scared, she’ll never go along with us, Shade.”
I turn to face him, eye to eye. “You think I don’t know that? I’ve been watching over her since she was old enough to walk. I know what makes her run. I know what makes her freeze. I know what she wants.”
He holds my gaze a moment, then nods and backs down. Smart.
Rune picks at moss on a branch. “The magic in the forest is strongest this time of year. Once she leaves, we can take her anywhere. No one will be able to find her, not even the king.”
Talon’s lip curls. “I still say we just grab her and be done with it.”
“No,” I say, my voice sharp as a blade. “She has to want to leave with us. If she doesn’t, we’ll never break the curse.”
That silences my brothers. Every one of us hates the curse, but I hate it most. I’ve felt the weight of it since it was spoken into existence, felt the way it locks my bones, binds my blood, makes me half a thing when I could be whole. The only way out is through her. And I want out.
Talon paces, his muscles bunching under his skin. “So we lure her. And then what?”
I let the question hang, scanning their faces. All of us are hungry for something—freedom, revenge, purpose, maybe. But when it comes down to it, we’re all the same. We want to be real again, and we want her.
“When she’s out, we keep her moving,” I say. “Never let her get comfortable. Never let her look back. She won’t know what she is until she’s far out of his reach.”
Bran murmurs, “You’re sure you’re right about her?”
“Positive.” I press my thumb into my palm, feeling the skin split until a trickle of blood oozes out. “Look how much she’s already accomplished.”
No one says anything as they stare at my hand. They can’t. They were all there the day she whispered change into existence, partially freeing us. For the first time that day, we were more than monsters, chained forever to wing and feather. We were human again. At least, partially.
Eventually, Rune flicks his twig away. “Then we’d better make sure she’s able to slip out and get her taste of freedom.”
Sable smirks, already plotting. “I can keep the guards chasing phantoms next time she tries the gate. They won’t notice she’s missing until she’s gone.”
“Good,” I say, looking at each brother in turn. “We need to deal with the gate to allow her to escape. Sable, Onyx, and Bran, when she makes her move, you take the guards on the south wall. Grim and Talon, you watch the orchard. Rune, you’re with me at the gate in case the king’s magic has any surprises.”
Everyone nods except Grim, who scowls but says nothing. But he’ll do as he’s told. He always does.
“Any questions?” I ask.
Talon barks a laugh. “What happens if she doesn’t take the bait?”
I bare my teeth again, letting the rage shimmer under my skin. “She will. If she wants to live, she will.”
It’s not a threat on her life, but simply a statement of reality. Her future depends on breaking the curse as much as ours does. My brothers know this. She wasn’t made to be her father’s broken, obedient doll. She was meant to change fate and break kingdoms. And we’ll help her do.
My brothers scatter, melting into the woods with a rustle of leaves. I wait until the last shadow is gone before I let myself unclench.
I close my eyes and picture Raisa in her room, twisting my black feather between her fingers, not knowing how close we are. Not knowing she’s already halfway ours.
She craves freedom. We’ll give it to her.
