Page 39 of Journey to the Elderoak (Daughter of the Earth #2)

A ro lumbered through the woods, Ava riding on his back as she held Casimir in front of her. It took every ounce of strength to keep him upright as his head lolled back onto her shoulder while he drifted in and out of consciousness.

“We’re almost there,” she assured him as they emerged from the forest and entered the training fields. He groaned in response, his eyes still closed.

Luna appeared, keeping pace next to Aro.

Is he okay? she asked.

“I think so,” Ava replied. “I need to get him to Kai.”

You’re fae now. I knew you would do it. We all did.

“Thank you, Luna. Now let’s get Cas some help.”

I already told Ivy to tell Kai you’re on your way.

“Thank you.”

Ava tried to ignore her worry at Casimir’s injury. She’d panicked when he was injured on the ship, but now it had increased tenfold. Was this the soulbond? Her heart physically hurt seeing him in pain and she was so on edge she felt as though she might attack anyone who came even remotely close .

She spotted Raine talking to some guards and yelled, “Help!”

He rushed over, guards in tow. “What the fuck happened?” he exclaimed, as the guards grabbed Casimir and put his arms around their shoulders, carrying him off.

“Be careful!” she barked at them as she slid off Aro and turned to Raine. “He was bitten. I think there was poison in its bite. I’ll explain the rest later,” she said, following the guards.

Raine grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Tell me now.”

“No. I’m not leaving him.”

He stopped, eyes wide and looked at her a moment before grinning. “You did it.”

“Of course I did,” she said as she hurried to catch up to Casimir. “I’m a big bad fae now, whatever.”

He laughed. “Wow. And you call me insufferable.”

She whirled on him. “Don’t joke with me right now. Cas is hurt. We need to get him to Kai.”

He held up his hands. “Okay, okay. Let’s go.”

She could barely control her rage and fear as she marched through the castle, Raine staying close. They made it to the medical wing, and she threw the double doors open and strode into the sunlit room, windows lining the far wall.

“Kai! Where are you?” she shouted.

Brown curls appeared as his head peeked out from his office. “I’m right here. What happened?”

He rose and gestured for the guards to lay Casimir on a bed. His animal companion—a beautiful deer named Ivy—headed straight for Casimir and hopped onto the bed, nestling in between his legs.

The guards left and Ava paced as Kai examined him. Raine stood back, watching her with concern.

“Well? Fix him,” she snarled at Kai.

“Whoa,” said Raine as he reached for her shoulder, trying to calm her .

Fury boiled over and she turned, pointing her finger in his face. “Don’t touch me.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Kai assured her. He paused, evaluating her. “Ava…you’re…you did it.” He gave her a broad smile.

“I need everyone to stop saying that and fix him!”

Kai tried to hide his amusement. “I am. Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t speak anymore.”

He bustled about in his robes, gathering supplies to extract the poison and help with the pain. Ava couldn’t stop pacing, feeling like she was going to crawl out of her skin. Raine cautiously drew closer.

“Ava,” he whispered, reaching for her tentatively like someone would approach a dangerous animal. “Take a deep breath…your magic…you’re going to lose control…”

She froze and looked at him in confusion. He gestured to her feet. Flowers bloomed where she had been pacing and vines were twisting across the floor.

“I don’t know how to stop it,” she whispered, hands trembling.

He crept closer while Kai worked feverishly. “May I touch you?”

She took a deep breath and nodded. He stood next to her and rubbed her back.

“Focus on breathing right now. Casimir is safe. I promise this is not a life-threatening injury. He’s had much worse, as you’ve seen before.

Breathe in and out and imagine a light outside of you.

Close your eyes.” She did as he instructed.

“There you go. Now visualize the light being pulled back into you. Deep down inside your belly where your magic sleeps. Keep pulling. That’s it. A little more. Good.”

Visualizing the light, the warmth of magic coursed through her and ceased. It didn’t feel out of control anymore. Her trembling stopped and she opened her eyes, relieved the vines and flowers had disappeared.

“What’s happening to me? ”

Raine shared a look with Kai before responding, “Remember how Cas freaked out the other day in the meeting? About you?”

“I was about to do that?”

“Yes.”

Sighing, she walked over to Casimir and sat in a chair next to the bed, pulling it close and taking his hand in hers.

Kai looked at Ava from the other side of the bed. “He’ll be fine. This poison is similar to when your leg was bitten, just stronger.”

“I’m going to get the others, if that’s okay. They need to know what happened,” Raine said.

“Yeah,” she said.

He left the infirmary. The room was empty save for the three of them, no other patients to attend to today.

“How do you feel?” asked Kai, suturing one of the wounds on Casimir’s shoulder.

He had removed Casimir’s shirt and Ava winced as she saw how deep the punctures were from the mandibles of the creature.

“Weird,” she answered. “Stronger. And angrier. I can smell and hear things I never could before. It’s overwhelming.”

“It will take some time, but you’ll get used to it. I promise,” he said. “I’m so proud of you, by the way.” He reached across and squeezed her shoulder. “You’ve come a long way since I first met you.”

Memories flashed through her mind. When she’d met Kai, she was battered and bruised.

Covered in injuries from her torture and being bitten on the leg by one of Deidamia’s horrific monsters.

Kai had shown her compassion as he healed her, providing reassurance in a place when she’d felt scared and alone.

It was the first time she’d felt safe in weeks.

“Thank you. It feels like it was so long ago. I can’t believe the journey’s done. ”

“Yes. Yes, it is,” he said. “I’m finished. He should wake within the hour. Are you injured? You seem to have quite a bit of blood on you.”

She shook her head. “I was, but the Elderoak healed me. I’m fine, I promise.”

“Alright. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” she said as Kai left.

She scooted her chair even closer, butting it up against the bed. Holding Casimir’s hand in her lap, she reached with her other and brushed a strand of hair out of his face, tracing his jaw with the tips of her fingers.

Moments later, the doors burst open, and Thorne barged in, Raine, Quinn and Jorrar on his heels. “What in The Mother’s name happened?” He looked at her accusingly.

Jumping from her chair, she strode toward her brother. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

He stilled as he noticed her ears, her demeanor. “You did it.” He pulled her into a hug, but she pushed him off.

“Don’t touch me,” she said as she backed away, adrenaline coursing through her again.

Raine placed himself in between them, his back to Ava. “She’s…adjusting…and Cas is hurt…”

Thorne stopped, understanding on his face.

Raine turned around as the other three watched. “Are you alright? Do you need to take a moment?”

She took a deep breath. “No. I’m fine now, I think. Sorry.”

Raine stepped out of the way and Quinn approached, stopped before her, and grinned. “I knew you’d do it.”

Ava smiled back. Her eyes met with Jorrar and he nodded with admiration.

“You stink by the way,” said Quinn.

Ava gave her an exasperated look and returned to the chair next to Casimir’s bed, holding his hand again. The other three grabbed their own seats and pulled them around the bed, watching her.

“Alright,” said Thorne. “What happened?”

“Well, I made it to the tree. It was…awful.” She didn’t want to tell them the details, especially the visions about the potential future should she fail.

She couldn’t bear the fear on their faces if they knew what Andras and Deidamia had planned.

“Anyway, that’s not important. On our way back home, we ran into these creatures. Like giant black flying insects.”

Raine cursed. “Are these the same creatures we fought that day in Oakshire?” he asked the others.

“Cas said he fought them before. I think so,” Ava answered.

“What are they doing here?” asked Quinn.

Thorne shook his head. “I don’t know but they shouldn’t be this close to Mosshaven. That’s concerning.”

“One of them bit him on the shoulder and he couldn’t access his magic,” she said.

Thorne turned to the others. “You never told me their bite could nullify magical abilities.”

“We didn’t know,” said Jorrar. “None of us were bitten.”

“How many were there, Ava?”

“Four.”

Raine looked shocked. “The two of you killed four of them? The four of us could barely kill three.”

“Umm…yeah. I guess we did.”

“How?” asked Thorne.

“The first one, I shot in the eye with an arrow and when it fell Casimir finished it off with his sword. Another, he trapped in a root ball, and I impaled it. The third picked me up and tried to carry me away, but I was able to get my dagger under its belly and gutted it all over me.” She grimaced at the memory.

“ That’s why you stink,” said Quinn.

“Yes. It was disgusting. The last one bit Cas but Aro showed up and I used myself as bait. Then Aro killed it as it flew for me.”

Raine gave a loud laugh.

“What?” Ava asked.

“You killed more of them than Cas,” he said.

“I suppose I did.”

He looked pleased. “Impressive.”

A noise sounded from the bed. She whipped her head toward Casimir whose eyes were open as he quietly laughed.

“You’re awake.” She gasped.

Thorne stood. “It’s time we leave them alone. We need to speak at dinner in a couple of hours about the ball tomorrow.”

“See you later.”

They left and she turned back to him. Alone in the infirmary, Kai was nowhere to be seen. He had bandaged Casimir’s shoulder and put it in a sling to prevent movement.

“How are you feeling?” she asked as she squeezed his hand.

“I’ve had worse,” he said, smiling at her. “How did you get me back?”

“I dragged your ass onto Aro’s back and he took us home. You’re really damn heavy.”

“It’s all the muscles.”

She gave him a flat look. “Are you okay? Are you in pain?”

“Not much. I’m fine. Seriously. This will finish healing in a day and I’ll be as good as new tomorrow. Are you alright? You look…stressed.”

“I was worried about you. And I kind of lost control a bit…you know…I yelled at everyone. Yelled at Kai to hurry and heal you.” Her face flushed with embarrassment. “And all the heightened senses are overwhelming. Everything smells and I can hear things I couldn’t before.”

“You lost control because I was hurt?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Of course I did,” she said. “Don’t look so smug. ”

He smiled even bigger as he ran his thumb across her hand. “Smell and sound aren’t the only senses that are more intense, you know.”

She pulled her hand away, crossed her arms and looked at him. “Nice try. You’re injured. I smell like a pile of rotten garbage, and we have dinner in a couple hours.”

“We still haven’t gotten the chance to finish what we started the other day,” he said, staring at her.

“I know,” she whispered. “When you’re healed.”

“Alright then.” He settled back into the bed.

She leaned over and gave him a light kiss on his cheek.

“You’re right. You do stink. You should go bathe.”

“Rude.” She scoffed as she stood. “But you’re right. I’m about to go do that. I’ll see you at dinner.”