Page 37 of Journey to the Elderoak (Daughter of the Earth #2)

Crawling, she made it to the center of the clearing, retrieving and sheathing her dagger along the way.

Her leg was bleeding profusely, the pain increasing as the poison continued through her body.

She sat on the ground and cut two more pieces of fabric from the bottom of her tunic.

She gasped through gritted teeth as she wrapped one around her thigh, staunching the flow of blood as she tied it as tightly as she could stand.

The other she tried to wrap around her shoulder, under and around her arm, attempting to keep it in place.

Her pain was so intense, the warmth of tears streamed down her face as she rose, swaying on her feet.

Though she still wore her leather armor, it was as if it didn’t matter, the claws and fangs from the creatures had pierced right through it.

“How am I going to do the rest of this?” she croaked, worried she’d be dead before she even made it to the tree.

She had to hurry.

Limping across the clearing, she walked to a path which had appeared out of nowhere.

The reward for completing the challenge.

Back in the dense forest, shiny onyx leaves encapsulating the walkway, she trudged on.

Nothing happened for almost an hour. Sweat drenched her tunic as she continued, slower and slower, taking frequent breaks to lean against a tree and catch her breath.

Tremors racked her body and her muscles tensed.

Feverish and hot, she blinked through her tears as she hobbled through the woods.

As she continued, doubts crept into her mind. Whether it was her own fears or worries, or some new trick of the tree, she started questioning herself. Could she do this? Would she ever make it?

You can’t do it, Ava, her own voice sounded in her head.

You’re weak. You’re not brave enough. Not strong enough.

Not good enough. You’re anxious all the time.

You’re awkward. How could anyone love someone like you?

How could Casimir want to be with you? You’re pathetic.

You will never be able to defeat Deidamia.

Turn around. Go back. You’ll never make it to the tree.

“No,” she whispered as she shook her head and pushed herself further, through her tears. “I have to.”

She walked down the path, ignoring the uncertainties brewing within, when someone appeared in front of her.

Andras.

She froze as he strode toward her. “Hello, Ava dear.” He tilted his head, black hair flowing over his shoulders as he gave her a feline smile. “Did you miss me?”

“You’re not real,” she whispered. But was he? No. This had to be another trick.

But then his hand was on her throat, and he was squeezing.

She clawed at his arm, but he was too strong. As her vision began to fade, he let go and she collapsed, clutching her throat and coughing.

“Come with me,” he said as he turned and walked ahead. “There’s something I want to show you.”

What? She stood and turned around, considering returning the way she came.

But there was no path back through the clearing, the trees blocking her yet again.

Forward was the only way out. Andras’ back was to her, and she unsheathed her sword and ran at him.

Ava fell forward as her sword went through his body as if he was a wraith. His figure shimmered, and reformed.

He looked at her over her shoulder, eyes full of fury. “Come.”

She limped behind him, hands trembling at the nearness of her abuser. Though she knew now it wasn’t truly him, he was terrifying even in this form. The trees opened into another clearing and Andras waved his hand in front of him.

“Look,” he said.

Before her was Mosshaven. But not the Mosshaven she knew.

It was engulfed in flames, and citizens were running through the streets, screaming.

Daemon soldiers marched in between homes and cut down anyone in their paths.

The roads were bathed in blood and Ava sank to her knees as she witnessed the scene.

“No,” she cried, reaching out as if she could help. As if she could stop the massacre.

Andras waved his hand and the scene changed.

The castle sat before her, pikes in front of it.

And on top of those pikes…we re heads. Nausea churned in her gut as she looked at the faces.

Thorne. Raine. Quinn. Jorrar. She screamed.

Fanya and Kai. Cirilla and Pax. Even the chef in the kitchens, Derris, and the gnome who ran the animal rescue.

All dead.

“Please…stop,” she sobbed.

The scene changed again and there was Casimir, strapped to a table. Being tortured by The Scourge like she had been. He was barely conscious as they stabbed him in the gut with a dagger.

She rose and ran to the scene, but it disappeared, leaving her alone in the empty clearing. Her body trembled as horror overtook her.

“Ava dear,” Andras crooned.

She turned and looked at him, unable to stop her crying. “What is this?” she gasped in between panicked breaths.

“The future.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I won’t let that happen.”

He walked in front of her, pacing, hands clasped behind his back.

“Na?ve girl. You think you can defeat us? Two ancient beings with an army of thousands ?” he seethed, turning toward her and walking closer.

“These plans are already in motion.” She trembled at his words.

“And when we arrive in Mosshaven, we will kill every single one of your friends and make you watch. Then I will torture your love in front of your very eyes. You are only one person. You can’t save Eorhan. You’re weak .”

She collapsed to her knees and put her head in her hands. He was right. She couldn’t do this. Everyone was depending on her and she would fail. She sobbed and slumped to the ground, curling around herself. Andras disappeared and the sky darkened as vines grew from the ground and slithered over her.

What was happening?

Unable to keep going, she continued to cry. She had failed. The forest was going to take her and there was nothing she could do. The scenes of Mosshaven continuously replayed in her head. She couldn’t stop it. They would all die because of her.

Her fault. Her fault. Her fault.

Lost in a fog of uncertainty, she hardly noticed the vines working their way further around her body. It was a tender caress, the forest calling to her. Luring her in. Join me , it seemed to say. Your place is in the earth with me.

Yes. That’s where she needed to be. Deep within the forest where she would be safe. She closed her eyes and allowed the vines to tighten.

Just go ahead and take me , she thought.

Because if she gave up, if she allowed the woods to take her body and soul, she wouldn’t have to face her enemies. She wouldn’t have to watch her loved ones being murdered and tortured. She could be at peace.

Out of nowhere, she heard a voice far away in her head. Jorrar. “You can’t go around it. You must go through it.”

She opened her eyes. Another voice. Thorne. “Take your rightful place as fae. Demand it.”

Raine’s voice sounded next. “You’re our missing piece, Ava.”

Her mother. “Crush them. When they stand in your way, crush them.”

“Don’t question yourself,” said Quinn.

As the voices of her loved ones spoke to her, she knew she couldn’t give up. Succumbing wouldn’t stop the future. It would only ensure it.

A sob released itself from her throat as she struggled against the vines. Then she heard Luna, Fanya and Kai. All encouraging her, all telling her they believed in her. She fought harder, struggling against the vines and reached for her dagger.

Casimir’s voice. “I knew then and there I would tear apart the world to protect you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give you to ensure your happiness. ”

If she gave up now, she’d let him down. She would let them all down.

“ I’ll be waiting here for you, love.”

And he was. He was alone in the woods, waiting for her to return. She couldn’t surrender to her fears. Refused to.

Her lungs burned as she let out a deafening scream, full of rage and fury.

All her traumas, doubts and insecurities; she let them escape.

She writhed and fought against her bindings as she pushed past her terror.

For too long she’d succumbed to her nerves.

For too long she’d run from her fears. It was time.

Time to take what was hers. Time to face her task and stop running.

Time to become who she was truly meant to be.

The conversation she had with her mother in Deidamia’s camp revealed itself, a reminder of what she’d been through.

“My little bird,” her mother had said. “You’ve always thought you weren’t strong enough. That you weren’t good enough. But I’m going to remind you that you are. You are always enough.”

She was done questioning herself. There was no room for that any longer.

She was Ava Everwood, sister to the King of Monterre. Daughter of a powerful King and Queen. And Eorhan’s only hope at survival.

Her fingers reached the dagger, and she cut herself free. With trembling hands, she pulled the vines off and stood. Dizzy, exhausted, and in tremendous pain, she limped across the clearing. A path appeared in between the trees.

She closed her eyes and yelled, “Where is this fucking tree?”

What was the purpose of that obstacle? That task? To face her fears and doubts, she supposed. To trick her into questioning herself and force her to surrender.

“Keep your wits about you,” her brother had said. And she almost hadn’t .

Ava blinked through her blurry vision as she kept on.

She wasn’t going to let those scenes come to pass.

Refused. No more lives of her loved ones would end at the hands of Deidamia and Andras.

She wouldn’t balk at fighting them. Not when she knew what they’d planned.

When she got out of here—and she would get out of here—she would learn how to use her magic and would banish Deidamia.

And kill anyone in her way.

She stumbled along the path, dizziness overwhelming her. The poison and blood loss were becoming dangerous, and she was running out of time. The further she went, the more the Elderoak pulled her. The tug she had been feeling all these months called to her.

It was close.

There. The trees opened around her, revealing the Elderoak.

It was exactly as she saw it in her dreams. Massive.

The trunk nearly twenty feet wide and two hundred feet tall, its canopy smothered the other trees.

A golden light shone around it and vines hung from its boughs, pink and purple flowers blooming among the green.

She was barely twenty feet away when she collapsed, vision fading.

“No,” she wheezed.

Victory was within reach; she was so close. Her shoulder throbbed and her leg was numb. She reached with her left arm and dragged her way to the tree, crying through the pounding in her head. She crept closer, nails digging into the dirt as she willed herself further.

Almost there.

With one last pull, she collapsed, fingers brushing a root peeking from the dirt. She shivered as the poison overcame her.

Breathing one last breath, her body stilled, her heart stopped, and then there was nothing.