Lost Crow Conspiracy (Blood Rose Rebellion, Book 2)

by Rosalyn Eves

  “I did not think I would see you again,” I said.

  His eyes slid sideways, meeting mine. “I meant that good-bye when I said it. My time is not entirely my own right now. But—” He stopped.

  I caught the syllable and echoed it back to him, my heart racing with the possibilities in what he did not say. “But?”

  He ducked his head as though afraid to look at me and did not answer.

  A thrill of power ran through me. Whatever he had said to me at Catherine’s flat, he was not indifferent to me. In a little while we would ride to Buda-Pest, where Emilija could be cared for, and Gábor could discharge his duty to Kossuth Lajos by arranging a meeting with Mátyás. Then Mátyás and I would find Noémi, with the others if they chose. On our own, if we must.

  Gábor and I would ride together. I had time, this night and the next and the next, to change his mind about our future. At the very least, to sow doubt about his single-sided decision.

  “Let me see your arm,” Gábor said, and I held my raw arm toward him. He did not flinch but set to cleaning the wound as gently as he could. When he had finished cleaning and wrapping my forearm, he did the same for my shoulder, and the tenderness in his face hurt nearly as much as my injuries.

  Mátyás called us back toward the horses, and we mounted. I settled into place before Gábor, leaning my head against his shoulder, feeling the steady thrum of his heartbeat like a blessing.

  I should have been exhausted and terrified. But that night, riding through the vast, silent waves of grass beneath a starry sky, I was neither.

  I stole glances at Mátyás, riding along beside us.

  Mátyás is alive.

  That he lived didn’t entirely purge the guilt I felt at killing him—but the heaviness that had weighed me down since his death had cracked and fallen away.

  Despite the uncertain future facing us, my heart was light for the first time in months. Armies might be marching on my beloved Hungary, soldiers might even now be hunting for me, there would be a price on my head in Buda-Pest, Vasilisa would doubtless be back and Noémi was missing, but in this moment I was safe, surrounded by two of the people who mattered to me most in all the world. Catherine had told me to find allies—and I had.

  In that moment, it was enough.

  As historical fantasy mixes the real with the supernatural and I have drawn on both historical sources and my imagination for this story, I would like to note what is fictional and what is not in Lost Crow Conspiracy.

  Many of the minor characters (and a few of the secondary) were historical individuals, though their behavior and roles have been fictionalized for the story. Emperor Ferdinand, Archduchess Sophie, Archduke Franz Joseph, Count Karl Grünne, Prince Eszterházy, and Kossuth Lajos all lived in the mid-nineteenth century. Archduchess Sophie was indeed called “the only man at court,” a reflection on the way the court viewed the relatively weak Emperor Ferdinand. She is also rumored to have led a camarilla intent on undermining Hungary’s independence. Prince Eszterházy served as the first foreign minister of Hungary, and Kossuth Lajos was initially minister of finance under Batthyány Lajos, but by the end of 1848, he was acting as president of national defense and generally viewed as the primary leader of Hungary.

  Josip Dragović is loosely modeled on Josip Jelačić, who was, in fact, ban of Croatia, a loyal friend to the Hapsburgs, and a fierce opponent of Kossuth. However, because my version is fairly villainous and Jelačić is viewed as a hero by many people (though not, of course, many Hungarians or historians sympathetic to them), I opted to make him a distinct character. The Red Mantles also existed and were a highly trained and feared military unit—various historical records referred to them as Sereshans or Szeretshaners (possibly derived from Saracens) or Pandours, and the uniform described here comes directly from nineteenth-century reports. The military conflicts described in the book are mostly based on history: Serbians conducted skirmishes in southern Hungary as early as June, and Croatia invaded Hungary in the fall of 1848, officially on their own, but many historians believe they had the support and encouragement of the Hapsburg family. Less than six months after declaring independence in March 1848, Hungary was embroiled in civil war.

  The Congress described here is obviously fictitious, as no praetheria were released in 1847. However, the format for the Congress is modeled on the fascinating Congress of 1814–15 following the Napoleonic Wars, where diplomats from across Europe (and elsewhere) convened to carve up Napoleon’s former territories and haggle over treaty terms.

  Franz Liszt retired from performing in 1847 to focus on composing; I’ve brought him out of retirement for my Congress.

  The praetheria as described here are mostly drawn from Slavic and Hungarian folklore, though some of them (usually the unnamed ones) are my own invention. As is customary with folklore and oral tradition, there are competing versions of most creatures. I’ve tried to tread a middle ground with my descriptions, but some changes have been made for the sake of the story.

  If I have not been strictly faithful to historical realities, I hope I have at least been true to the spirit of the time and place. Any mistakes are my own.

  Boyar, Ebru, and Kate Fleet. A Social History of Ottoman Istanbul. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.

  Curtis, Benjamin. The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty. New York: Bloomsbury, 2013.

  Deák, István. The Lawful Revolution: Louis Kossuth and The Hungarians, 1848–1849. Phoenix, 2001.

  Degh, Linda, ed. Folktales of Hungary. Translated by Judit Halász. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1965.

  E.O.S. Hungary and Its Revolutions from the Earliest Period to the Nineteenth Century: With a Memoir of Louis Kossuth. Henry G. Bohn, 1854.

  Hanioğlu, M. Şükrü. A Brief History of the Late Ottoman Empire. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2010.

  Hartley, M. The Man Who Saved Austria: The Life and Times of Baron Jellačić. London: Mills & Boon, 1912.

  Jokai, Mór. Hungarian Sketches in Peace and War. 1854.

  Kontler, László. A History of Hungary: Millennium in Central Europe. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

  Lázár, István. Hungary: A Brief History. Corvina, 1997.

  Minamizuka, Shingo. A Social Bandit in Nineteenth-Century Hungary: Rózsa Sándor. East European Monographs, 2008.

  Okey, Robin. The Habsburg Monarchy. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000.

  Shoberl, Frederic. Scenes of the Civil War in Hungary, in 1848 and 1849: With the Personal Adventures of an Austrian Officer in the Army of the Ban of Croatia. Philadelphia: E. H. Butler & Co., 1850.

  Trollope, Frances Milton. Vienna and the Austrians: With Some Account of a Journey Through Swabia, Bavaria, the Tyrol, and the Salzbourg. London: R. Bentley, 1838.

  Wenkstern, Otto von. History of the War in Hungary in 1848 and 1849. London: John Parker and Son, 1859.

  Winkelhofer, Martina. The Everyday Life of the Emperor: Francis Joseph and His Imperial Court. Translated by Jeffrey McCabe. Haymon Verlag, 2012.

  In Hungarian fashion, the surnames are given first, followed by first names, for the Hungarian characters.

  *Denotes real historical person, though fictionalized in this story

  Ákos (AH-kosh): a Hungarian bandit

  Anna Arden: our intrepid heroine

  Catherine Arden: Anna’s older sister

  Charles Arden: Anna’s father

  James Arden: Anna’s younger brother

  Mária Arden: Anna’s mother

  Bahadır Beyzade (buh-HA-deer BAY-zah-duh): a young Turk and friend of Ákos

  Boldogasszony/The Lady (BOHL-dohg-AHS-sohnyuh) (the final component is voiced as a single syllable): The Joyful Woman; the former Hungarian mother-goddess

  Ginny Davies: Anna’s maid and friend

  Dobos Borbála (DOH-bosh BOHR-bah-lah): Hungarian journalist working in Vienna

  Emilija Dragović (eh-MEE-lee-yah DRAH-goh-vitch): Josip Dragović’s daughter

  Josip
Dragović (YOH-seep DRAH-goh-vitch): ban (ruler) of Croatia and leader of the Red Mantles, a highly trained Croatian military unit

  Eszterházy János (ES-ter-haa-zee YAH-nosh): Anna’s great-uncle; Grandmama’s cousin. (The family is most commonly spelled Esterházy now, but in the past used both spellings. I opted for the sz spelling so it’s consistent with Eszterháza, their Hungarian estate.)

  Eszterházy Mátyás (ES-ter-haa-zee MAT-yash): Anna’s third cousin; János’s great-nephew

  Eszterházy Noémi (ES-ter-haa-zee NOH-ay-mee): Mátyás’s sister

  *Eszterházy Pál, Prince (ES-ter-haa-zee PAHL): Noémi’s uncle; Hungary’s foreign minister to Austria, following the revolution

  Fekete László (FEH-keh-teh LAA-sloh): “László the Black,” a bandit living on the Hungarian plains

  Richard Gower: Catherine’s husband, a young diplomat

  *Count Karl Grünne: Archduke Franz Joseph’s valet

  Hadúr (HAH-dur): the former Hungarian god of war

  House of Hapsburg-Lorraine

  *Archduchess Sophie of Austria: Archduke Franz Joseph’s mother, an influential woman in the Austrian court

  *Archduke Franz Joseph of Austria: Emperor Ferdinand’s nephew and heir to the Austrian Empire

  *Emperor Ferdinand of Austria: head of the Hapsburg royal family; emperor of Austria and king of Hungary

  Hunger: leader of the praetheria in Vienna; a sárkány (Hungarian shapeshifting dragon)

  *Kossuth Lajos (KOH-shoot LAH-yosh): political reformer and leader of the liberal party in Hungary

  Kovács Gábor (KOH-vatch GAH-bor): a young Romani man

  *Count Pavel Medem (PAH-vehl MEH-dehm): Russian ambassador to Vienna in 1848

  *Petőfi Sándor (PEH-toh-fee SHAHN-dor): a poet and revolutionary; considered by many to be Hungary’s national poet and was influential in the March 1848 uprising

  *John Ponsonby, 1st Viscount Ponsonby: British ambassador to Vienna, 1846–1850

  William Skala (SKAA-luh): a Polish-Scottish revolutionary

  Vasilisa (VAH-see-lee-sah): a young praetherian woman, undetermined variety

  Zhivka (ZHEEV-kuh): a samodiva (woodland maiden with an affinity for fire); can pass as human

  Zrínyi Irína (ZREEN-yee EE-ree-nah): Anna’s grandmother, now deceased

  Zrínyi Pál (ZREEN-yee PAHL): Anna’s uncle; Mária’s younger brother

  PRAETHERIA

  Some of the praetheria in the book are inspired by characters from folklore (predominantly Eastern European and Slavic), others are invented. Capitalized names belong to individual praetheria.

  Borevit (BOHR-eh-veet): a wood demon, subservient to Chernobog

  Chernobog (CHER-nuh-bog): the “black god” and a demon of the underworld

  domovoi (DOHM-uh-voy): a protective house spirit, small, masculine, covered in hair with a long beard. Warm touch means prosperity ahead; cold touch means danger. Can be a trickster, but protects the house. Can shapeshift into small animals.

  Fair One/Szépasszony (SEHP-ahs-sohnyuh) (the final component is voiced as a single syllable): a female demon with long hair and a white dress, often appearing during hailstorms and prone to seducing young men; might pass as human

  fene (FEH-neh): a Hungarian evil spirit

  guta (GUH-tah): a Hungarian demon who beats his victims to death; often associated with strokes, heart attacks, or sudden paralysis

  leshy (LEH-shee): a Slavic forest spirit, often characterized by blue skin and a green beard, here described with bark-textured skin

  lidérc (LEE-dehrts): a succubus-like creature with goose feet, believed to steal your breath while you sleep

  samodiva (SAHM-oh-dee-vah): woodland maidens with an affinity for fire, sometimes having the ability to fly. Some can pass as human. Related to vila.

  sárkány (SHAR-kahnyuh) (the final component is voiced as a single syllable): a Hungarian shapeshifting dragon; can pass as human

  Svarog (SVAR-ohg): the Slavic sky god, often depicted with four heads (two male, two female); can pass as human

  vila (VEE-lah): in Slavic folklore, fairy-like warriors, often believed to seduce or entrap unwary men. Sometimes related to samodiva.

  vodanoj (VOH-dah-noy): a male water sprite, often held responsible for drownings (also vodník, vodyanoy)

  a fene egye meg (uh FEH-neh EH-djuh meg): let the fene eat it—“Damn it!”

  a pokolba (uh POH-kohl-buh): to the hell; equivalent of “Oh, hell!” or “Damn it!”

  bácsi (BAH-chee): loosely “uncle,” a term of respect for older men

  Buda-Pest (BOO-dah-PESHT): what we now think of as one city used to be two separate cities (they officially joined in 1873). Buda, on the west side of the Duna, was the home of many of the wealthy elite; Pest, on the east side, was a younger, more energetic city.

  csárda (CHAR-duh): a country inn

  Duna (DOO-nah): the Danube River

  Eszterháza (ES-ter-haa-zuh): a formerly rich estate belonging to the Eszterházy family, but largely neglected by 1847. The palace on the estate was known as the Hungarian Versailles.

  gulyás (GOO-yahsh): cowboy; also the name given to the plains stew from which we get goulash

  hajrá (HIE-rah): a Hungarian exclamation meaning roughly “Onward!”

  Hapsburgs: the imperial family of Austria-Hungary, formally Hapsburg-Lorraine. In 1847, they were ruled by Emperor Ferdinand. Today, the spelling “Habsburg” is more frequently used, but “Hapsburg” was a common nineteenth-century spelling.

  honvéd (HOHN-vaid): soldier; also the name for the 1848 Hungarian army

  hűhó (HOO-hoh): hullabaloo

  kocsma (KOHCH-muh): a tavern or pub

  kutya: (KOOT-yah): dog

  praetertheria (PRAY-ter-ther-ee-ah) or praetheria (PRAY-ther-ee-ah): scientific terminology used as a hold-all for any supernatural creature released from the Binding spell. Praetheria for plural; praetherian for singular and adjective.

  puszta (POO-stuh): Hungarian plains

  Romani (roh-MAH-nee): referring to Roma (Gypsy) culture and language, also to the people themselves

  táltos (TAHL-tohsh): Hungarian shapeshifter and shaman

  LUMINATE ORDERS

  Animanti: manipulates living bodies. Common spells: healing, animal persuasion, sometimes invisibility. Less common: shapeshifting, necromancy.

  Coremancer: manipulates the mind and heart. Common spells: truth spells, spell re-creation, persuasion, emotional manipulation. Less common: dreams and foresight.

  Elementalist (formerly Alchemist): manipulates nonliving substances (light, weather, fire, water, earth, etc.). Most popular order. Common spells: weather magic, illusions, hidings, firestorms, water manipulation. Less common: firesmiths.

  Lucifera: manipulates forces (gravity, space, time, magnetism). Common spells: telekinesis, portals, flight. Less common: temporal manipulation.

  Somehow, I can find the words for a novel, but struggle to find the right words to say thank you. This book is infinitely better for the smart and compassionate people who added their talents to mine.

  Thanks to my superstar agent, Josh Adams, and my inimitable editor, Michelle Frey. And to the wonderful people at team Knopf, particularly Marisa DiNovis, Allison Judd, Lisa Leventer, Artie Bennett, and Dawn Ryan. Ray Shappell and Agent Bob once again created a stunning cover.

  I would never have made it this far without my writing group, who are the sisters of my heart: Helen Boswell, Tasha Seegmiller, Erin Shakespear, and Elaine Vickers. Thanks are also due to my beta readers: Rebecca Sachiko Burton, Carlee Franklin Karanovic, Mara Rutherford, Summer Spence, and K. Kazul Wolf.

  I am also deeply indebted to readers and friends who helped me with details of Hungarian culture and linguistics, Romani culture, Islam, and nineteenth-century Viennese history, including Kovács Ildikó, Szabó Katalin, Békefi Miklós, Glonczi Ernő, Dr. Elizabeth Jevtic-Somlai, Dr. Hussein Samha, Hadi Alharthi, and Dr. Blair Holmes. Dr. Dave Lunt answered my random ques
tions about Latin, and Michael Bacera gave me great tips on climbing. If there are still mistakes in the story, they are mine.

  So many more people offered encouragement in hundreds of small and large ways: Jenilyn Tolley, Karin Holmes Bean, Elly Blake, Stephanie Garber, McKelle George, Jeff Giles, Heather Harris Bergevin, Melanie Jacobson, E. K. Johnston, Emily King, Mackenzi Lee, Yamile Méndez, Jolene Perry, Joy Sterrantino, Erin Summerill, Katie Purdie, Becky Wallace, my Pitch Wars Table of Trust, Sisters in Writing, Class of 2k17, my fellow 2017 debuts, and the extraordinary book bloggers who have championed Blood Rose Rebellion, especially Krysti at YA and Wine and Sarah at the Clever Reader.

  My family has my endless gratitude for their constant support, even if my youngest once responded to the appearance of my book on a store shelf with “Oh no, Mom. It’s your book!” They’ve handled my deadlines with more grace than I have.

  Lastly, to readers. This book wouldn’t exist without you.

  ROSALYN EVES grew up in the Rocky Mountains, dividing her time between reading books and bossing her siblings into performing her dramatic scripts. As an adult, she still counts the telling and reading of stories as one of her favorite things to do. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys spending time with her chemistry-professor husband and three children, watching British period pieces, or hiking through the splendid landscape of southern Utah, where she lives.

  She has a PhD in English from Penn State, which means she also endeavors to inspire college students with a love for the language. Sometimes it even works.

  Lost Crow Conspiracy is the second installment of Rosalyn’s Blood Rose Rebellion trilogy. Find out more at rosalyneves.com and on Twitter at @RosalynEves.

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