Page 27 of Journey to the Elderoak (Daughter of the Earth #2)

Ava sipped her whiskey. “Fuck. Right. He kissed you?”

“Yes! I just said that.”

Ava put her head in her hand. “Oh…sorry.”

“I think we’re going to have to carry you home,” Quinn chided.

“Why—huh…Who?” She rubbed her face. “Why are you not that drunk?” Ava pointed her finger at Quinn.

Quinn lifted a shoulder. “It seems humans can’t hold their alcohol.”

Ava giggled as she reached for her glass, but Fanya swiped it away. “I’m cutting you off. Thorne will kill us if you drink yourself to death.”

Ava groaned. “…more whiskey…”

“No.” Quinn looked at her across the table. “What’s the deal with you and Cas?”

Fanya gasped. “Cas? Oh…do tell us!”

Ava chewed on her lip. “There’s nothing. I…uh…he’s…what was the question?”

“Are you two sleeping together?” Quinn raised an eyebrow.

Ava pointed in between Quinn and Fanya. “Are you two sleeping together?” Then burst into laughter.

“No, but Quinn is sleeping with your brother,” said Fanya.

“What?” Ava straightened.

“It’s not a big deal. We have fun sometimes, that’s all. He’s quite good in bed.”

“Eww.” Ava shook her head. “I mean…good for you.”

“So, about Cas,” said Fanya.

“Uh—no.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “We are not…have…not…done the sex. We haven’t even kissed. But…he was getting all kissy on my neck on that damn horse.”

“So that’s why you were acting weird,” said Quinn. “And nothing’s happened since?”

Ava flopped her arm on the table. “No. He’s a gentleman or something…

Oh…look at me…” Ava sat up and crossed her arms in poor imitation of Casimir.

“I’m the honorable gen—general. I’m waiting for the right time…

or whatever. Oh…Ava wants me to throw her on the bed and fuck her brains out?

No no no.” She waggled her finger. “Can’t do that. She’s the princess.”

Fanya burst out laughing.

Quinn gave her a naughty grin. “I’m telling him you said that.”

“Oh…no. Please don’t.” She shook her head. “Why did you ask about him? Did he say something?”

“No.” Quinn said. “But the way he looks at you when you aren’t paying attention…”

“How?” interrupted Fanya.

“He gazes. ”

“He does…does not gaze,” slurred Ava.

Quinn gave her a flat look. “I’ve known him since we were children. I’ve never seen him look at anyone like that.”

“Well.” Ava giggled as the alcohol coursed through her body. “He needs to gaze all over my naked body.” She was laughing so hard she almost fell out of her seat.

“I don’t even know what that means,” said Fanya as she brushed her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder, shaking her head.

“Me neither,” said Ava.

Quinn stood and grabbed Ava under her arm. “This is pathetic. I’m taking you back to the castle now.”

“No! More! We—need more…whiskey.”

“No more whiskey,” she scolded, dragging her through the tavern.

The three of them exited into the night, the moon blurry above Ava as she looked at the stars. Fanya bid them goodnight and headed to her home in town near her bakery and Quinn practically carried Ava to the castle.

They made it back and walked through the gardens to the back entrance. Casimir and Raine were sitting outside on the ground against one of the low walls surrounding the training rings.

Quinn stopped before them, her arm around Ava’s waist while Ava leaned into her for support. “Hullo, fae brutuses,” Ava drawled.

Raine burst out laughing. “Oh, fuck. It seems the dainty human can’t handle her alcohol.”

“She’s pathetic. But said some interesting things,” Quinn said, looking pointedly at Casimir.

Ava put her finger on Quinn’s lips. “Shhh…secrets.”

Quinn rolled her eyes and stepped away. “She’s your problem now.”

Ava grabbed Quinn’s face and yanked her closer, placing a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, lady warrior…for a…uhh…a nice evening.”

Quinn’s eyes went wide as Raine couldn’t control himself, doubling over. “We have her, lady warrior,” he teased .

Casimir rose and wrapped his arm around Ava’s waist as Quinn let go and walked off, grumbling under her breath.

“I think she likes me,” said Ava.

Raine stood and shook his head.

Ava looked in between them. “How was…man night? Uhm…sword orgy?”

Casimir laughed beside her as Raine answered, “You are pathetic. It was a lovely evening, thanks for asking.”

“How much did you have to drink?” Casimir asked.

“Umm…whiskey. Lots and lots of whiskey.”

“Okay then,” said Raine as he walked inside. “I’m going to leave you to it. Good luck, Cas.”

“Goodbye wolf-man!” shouted Ava, leaning into Casimir, as Raine’s laughter echoed through the castle doors.

Casimir began to walk her inside when she said, “I can walk.”

He let go and crossed his arms, looking down at her. She swayed but remained standing as he cocked his head to the side and nodded toward the door. “Go on then.”

She turned and tried stomping toward the castle, but her feet tangled with each other, and she tripped. Before she hit the ground, she was lifted and thrown over a broad shoulder.

“Hello!” she shouted. “What are you doing?”

“Shh,” Casimir said as he carried her inside. “It’s the middle of the night. You’ll wake the whole castle.”

“The princess is being taken away…the general captured her,” she mumbled to herself. “Taking her to his room…to do naughty things.” She giggled.

She thought she heard Casimir laugh but her brain was fuzzy and limbs heavy. They made it to their suite, and he set her on the couch. “Stay,” he ordered, disappearing into his room. He returned moments later with a small tonic. “This will prevent you from getting sick.”

She took it and choked it down. “That tastes like ass. ”

“I don’t even know what to say to that,” he said, standing in front of her.

She looked at his feet and raked her eyes along his body, pausing on his muscular thighs and what she imagined was between them. She continued higher, inspecting his toned forearms peering from the sleeves of his shirt. His golden eyes were predatory when she met his stare.

“What are you doing?”

“Picturing you naked.” She giggled. “You know, you’re a giant. Like a giant tree that I could climb. Can I climb you? Fuck…I didn’t mean…Did I say that out loud?”

“Yes, you did. And you can climb me another time,” he said, a smirk on his face. “But now it’s time for bed.” He lifted her and walked to the bedroom.

“You know, you carry me a lot…like my own personal chauffeur…” she mumbled.

He gave her a confused look as he laid her on the bed. “Chauffeur?”

“Never mind…human thing…”

“Alright then. Do you need help changing?”

“Yes…no…I don’t know,” she said, head swimming. “What was the question?” He grabbed her calf and removed her boot. She tensed. “What are you doing?”

A corner of his mouth lifted. “Do you want to sleep in your boots?”

“Do you want to sleep in my boots?” She couldn’t control the giggles again.

Casimir shook his head in exasperation as he released her leg and grabbed the other, pulling off her remaining shoe. He rose and walked to her wardrobe, removing a white linen night dress and laid it on the bed.

He reached out a hand. “Can you sit up?”

She grasped it and let him pull, vision fuzzy as she tried to keep herself upright. He reached behind her and unclasped the back of her dress, fingers brushing her bare skin.

“Are you trying to seduce me, general?” she crooned, though it didn’t sound as sexy as it did in her head.

He paused and leaned over her, forehead almost touching hers, hands braced on the bed. “If I were trying to seduce you”—his eyes gleamed—“you’d know it.” He backed away. “Hold out your arms.”

She did as he asked and huffed in frustration. “Why not?”

He raised an eyebrow as he pulled her sleeves, removing the top of her dress, revealing her torso. Her breasts were bound in stretchy fabric, but he didn’t touch her, staying respectful of her bare skin.

“Because you are very drunk.”

“So?”

With her dress pulled down to her waist, he eased the night dress over her head as she slipped her arms through the sleeves. “I don’t take advantage of drunk women,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. “Now, stand.”

She stood and he let her dress fall as he pulled the nightgown on with care. “That’s what men in the human world do,” she mumbled.

He grabbed her chin, tilting her to look at him. “Well, I am not like human men,” he growled. “Besides,” he said as he stepped closer and leaned in, lips barely brushing hers. “I want your head clear, so you’ll remember every moment when I finally spend all night worshiping your body.”

She shivered. “All night?”

“All…fucking…night,” he said hoarsely.

“So, if I wasn’t drunk…What exactly would you be doing?”

“I guess you’ll have to find out another time,” he leaned in to whisper in her ear, and she whimpered. “But it involves figuring out how to get you to make that sound again. And again. And again. ”

She closed her eyes and sucked in a breath as she ached with desire, his thumb brushing her bottom lip. When she opened them, he was watching her greedily, but backed away and pulled back her covers.

“Time to sleep,” he ordered.

She huffed as she stumbled the two feet of distance to the bed. “You’re no fun.”

He tucked the blankets around her and brushed her hair out of her face with care. “Sleep, princess.”

“Bossy general,” she mumbled.

He walked to the door, pausing with his hand on the handle. “I’ll see you at training tomorrow. A hangover is not an excuse to miss.”

She swore she heard him groan and curse under his breath as he shut the door.