Page 8 of Journey to the Elderoak (Daughter of the Earth #2)

A va sat at the dining table, finishing the last bite of the main course and waiting for dessert to arrive.

She wore a dress that put as many of her scars as possible on display.

The deep purple fabric was cinched around her waist, the open back showing each and every scar she had from being whipped.

It also had a slit on the right side where she could reveal a particularly brutal one on her thigh if she so chose.

Staff collected their plates and brought out the berry tarts moments later. Though Ava had practiced her speech in the moon garden with Casimir for hours the night before, she wasn’t fond of talking in front of groups and tried to hide her dread.

Remember what you practiced last night , she encouraged herself. You can do this.

“Your Majesties,” she began, looking directly at the queens. “I’ve thought over our discussion from last night. As you know, my brother sent me here to ask for your help in the war.”

Soren and Astrid watched closely.

She went on, “I’m aware you may think I’m na?ve.

I’ve only been in Eorhan a few months and I’m not well versed in the ways of the fae.

While both my parents were fae, I’m still human.

I imagine it’s hard having someone like me make a case for your kingdom to risk itself in a war. ” She paused and took a breath.

“I wasn’t here when the daemons first arrived.

I didn’t experience the original wars. But since the day I arrived in Eorhan, I’ve endured more horrors than I ever could have imagined.

I spent weeks in the daemon camp surrounded by soldiers and horrific creatures.

I watched a daemon soldier snap the neck of a prisoner right in front of me and laugh.

That same daemon infiltrated Mosshaven a couple of months ago with a team of soldiers and serpents.

They killed citizens right in front of us.

” She gestured between Casimir and Raine on either side of her.

“They will not stop until they get what they want. The scars you’ve noticed are from my imprisonment in Deidamia’s war camp. Where I was tortured for weeks.”

The room was silent, everyone’s attention on her.

“But I survived ,” she said. “This is just a taste of what they’ll do.

You think your kingdom is safe? We thought the same, but Deidamia has proven nowhere is safe.

I don’t know how to be a princess. I don’t know what to do at royal balls or meetings.

But what I do know is this: I would rather be the kind of royalty who dies fighting against evil, than sit back and hide in my castle while innocents are killed.

I will be on the right side of history.” She paused for a few moments. “Which side will you be on?”

That was it. Her speech was done, and her heart would not stop pounding. Casimir gave her an encouraging nod, but the Queens remained quiet, scrutinizing her.

Soren broke the silence. “You’re right. You don’t know the ways of the fae. And you aren’t well versed in court politics.”

Ava swallowed, waiting to be berated for her speech.

“It is strange to have a human practically demand our help,” Soren continued. “Regardless of who your parents were or who your brother is.”

“But we’re impressed at your boldness for asking and will gladly assist Monterre in the war,” said Astrid, taking over. “We are also not the kind of royalty to sit back while innocents are killed.”

Ava blew out a breath, sitting back in her chair. “Thank you.”

“Ava,” Soren said. “We have a confession.”

She gave them a confused look.

Astrid smiled warmly. “The letter your brother sent. He instructed us to be hard on you. To initially refuse. We were always going to say yes but he wanted you to rise to this challenge.”

“What?”

“It was a test,” Soren said. “And you passed.”

Ava huffed a small laugh as she shook her head.

“We’ve known your brother and these two”—Astrid gestured to Raine and Casimir—“for over fifty years. We'll always be on the same side as Monterre. I’m sorry we put you through all that worry.”

“It’s alright,” Ava admitted. “It was good practice for the more challenging kingdoms, I suppose.”

“Indeed,” said Astrid. “Caelestia will be almost impossible and much crueler. Anyway, our answer is yes.”

Ava relaxed, tension leaving her body. She’d done it. She’d made the difficult speech and hadn’t stumbled on her words once. Even though the queens would have said yes anyway, it unleashed a bit of confidence in her. Perhaps she could do this after all.

The rest of the evening had been spent discussing plans for Saxumdale’s armies.

Ava listened as Casimir took charge, slipping into his role as the general as they discussed war strategy.

The planning had started; something was being done.

She’d learned war was often slow—not always full of battles and fighting, but meetings and strategy and seeking allies.

They had a lot of work ahead of them as they endeavored to rekindle their relationships with the other kingdoms.

Exhausted and eager to be home, Ava had crashed into bed upon returning to their suite, Casimir and Raine following suit, but a sound had awoken her a few moments ago and she rolled over to glance around the dark room.

Before she had a chance to rise, something cold pressed against her neck and a voice sounded in the dark. “Don’t. Move.”

A stone dropped in her stomach when she recognized the voice. Corvus. And he had a dagger to her throat.

“Get up,” he said. “Don’t make a sound.”

She did as he instructed, hands trembling as she folded back the sheets and stood in the bedroom.

He moved behind her and gripped her arm, pressing the dagger harder into her flesh.

The warmth of blood trickled down her neck as the edge of the blade cut her skin.

Ava gasped at the stinging sensation, hoping he hadn’t cut too deep.

“If you scream or struggle, my assassins in the others’ rooms will slit their throats in their sleep.”

Fuck.

“What do you want?” she whispered.

“Oh, I think you know, Ava dear.”

Ava dear. It was what Andras, Deidamia’s second in command, used to call her.

“Andras sent you?”

“Mmm. You’re a smart one.”

“You’re bringing me back, aren’t you?” she asked .

“Here’s what’s going to happen. You will come with me outside. There’s a boat waiting to take us to Deidamia’s camp. If you don’t cooperate, I will not hesitate to kill your friends.”

Her mind raced as she tried to figure out an escape plan. She refused to go back. Did Astrid and Soren know Corvus was working for Deidamia? Surely not. She had to warn them. Maybe he was bluffing. Maybe there was no one waiting to kill Raine and Casimir. But she couldn’t risk it.

“What if someone sees us?” Ava said, trying to stall.

“I’ve already taken care of that. Walk,” he ordered as he pushed her forward.

He removed the dagger from her throat and tightened his grip on her arm as he positioned the weapon at her lower back. “One wrong move and this dagger goes right in your side.”

They entered the living space, but it was empty. Quiet. She begged for Casimir or Raine to wake and notice something was amiss, but didn’t hear anything and wouldn’t risk their lives by making noise.

Corvus pushed her into the hallway, turning right. No guards or soldiers were around. No one to help her. Where was everyone? She scanned the darkness for a solution, a way out.

He led her through a side door with a hidden staircase and shoved her forward. “Walk.”

Perhaps she could trip him and run. But what if he stabbed her in the process? He was much stronger than she was. She needed a distraction.

Reaching ground level, they emerged through another door into a cave under the mountain with a small dock leading to the ocean.

Two soldiers waited next to a boat, eagerly watching.

Ava’s eyes drifted to a set of chains in one of their hands and was almost overwhelmed with fear as her mind returned to the time she’d been put in shackles and thrown into a prison wagon .

She couldn’t fight off three of them and the panic she was keeping at bay threatened to overwhelm her.

She scanned the area and her eyes caught on a familiar raven. Gisela’s.

“Go get help. Hurry ,” she pleaded in her head, though she doubted it could hear her since she could only directly speak to her own animal companion, Luna.

It tilted its head and cawed, flying away. Maybe it had understood. Or maybe it recognized her and saw she was in danger. Either way, she hoped it would somehow bring assistance.

As they approached the boat, Ava squirmed, trying to get away before he got her on board.

Corvus yanked her hair back and pushed the dagger harder, piercing her flesh.

She gasped and stopped moving. He hadn’t cut deep, but the warmth of blood seeped into her nightgown as he pushed her forward, freezing and barefooted.

Corvus shoved her onto the boat, her knees smacking the wooden floor so hard, she cried out. She pushed herself up, scrambling away, but one of the soldiers grabbed her ankle and yanked her back. She screamed and gripped the rail, her fingernails digging into the wood.

With a swift kick to the soldier behind her, she slipped from his grip and clamored over the side of the boat, landing in the icy water with a splash. She inhaled sharply, muscles tensing at the frigid temperature.

Oh, god it’s so damn cold.

Once she got past the freezing shock she began to swim to the other side of the channel when a desperate idea hit her. If the raven had truly understood her, maybe another creature would. Like the mice who helped her escape Deidamia’s camp. It was worth a try.

Ava screamed inside her mind, asking for help from any nearby animal who could hear .

“You imbecile!” Corvus called from shore. “Get her back!”

“Please! Please, hear me! I need help!”

Ignoring the numbness creeping in, she continued her frantic swim. A splash sounded behind her and she glanced over her shoulder to see a soldier closing in. Kicking her feet harder, she pushed herself to near exhaustion, desperate to evade his pursuit.

Reaching the other side of the channel, Ava clung to the wall, searching the water for an escape route. The soldier on the shore began to yell, pointing at the water with fear in his eyes.

His companion paused, following his wide-eyed stare, face going slack as he screamed, “Ocean drake!”

No idea what an ocean drake was, Ava remained in her spot, scanning the black water.

The soldier had turned around, frantically swimming back to shore, when a giant tail covered in shiny cerulean scales, erupted from the waves and slammed into the boat, demolishing it and throwing his partner into the water.

He screamed, trying to escape, swimming past the now lifeless body floating on the surface.

“It’s coming after me! Oh—” His pleas were cut off as a monstrous head erupted from below, clamping down on the soldier’s arm with jagged teeth, and dragging him beneath the waves.

Had his creature heard her cries for help? Would it eat her too? Bright blue scales shimmered as the snake-like animal swam through the blood from its kill.

Hypothermia loomed as Ava’s muscles started to lock up. Cold and losing feeling in her extremities, she needed to get out of the water. Now. She pushed off the wall and swam, but the ocean drake appeared below and pushed her above the surface.

It was letting her ride it .

“Oh my god, I can’t believe this is happening,” she muttered as she gripped a set of horns on top of its large head.

Her fingers ached, almost numb, as it swam her the short distance back to shore. She climbed off and collapsed onto the stone floor, breathless. Rolling over, she looked at the creature who was studying her with bright reptilian eyes.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

It gave her a subtle nod and disappeared below the surface. It was gone.

After allowing herself a few moments to catch her breath, she climbed off the ground and looked for the door leading inside.

She glanced down at her hands, noting the pallor of her skin. The tips of her fingers were tinted blue, and she couldn’t control the violent trembling. Spying the door, she padded toward it when someone grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head into a nearby stone wall.

Pain burst through her forehead as the warmth of blood trickled down her brow. She cried out and crumpled to the ground, fighting through the sudden dizziness.

“How did you call that ocean drake?” Corvus seethed.

Shit. She’d assumed he’d been killed in the attack from the creature. Scrambling to her feet, she searched for something she could use as a weapon and turned to face him.

His expression was full of rage.

She bolted for the door, but rocks erupted in front of her, blocking her path.

How was she supposed to fight against someone with magic?

She turned, running a different direction but Corvus used his magic yet again, this time raising the floor beneath her feet.

Her hands hit the ground as she stumbled over the obstacle, scraping her palms raw.

Back on her feet, she sprinted away, but Corvus was faster and blocked her path, back handing her across the face. On the ground again, her head spun as her vision blurred, the ceiling fuzzy above her.

“Andras only said to bring you in alive,” he snarled. “He didn’t say you had to be conscious.”

She groaned, clutching her face as she searched for anything to help. He lunged for her, but she rolled at the last second and snatched a sharp rock that had broken loose from Corvus’ magic.

As she was about to rise, he landed on top of her, hands on her throat. Ava raised her arm, like Quinn had taught her, and slashed with perfect aim despite her still shaking hands.

Blood gushed from Corvus’ throat, the sticky liquid warm against her cold skin, painting her nightgown red.

She screamed as he clutched his throat and leaned back.

Ava scrambled out from beneath him, still clutching the makeshift weapon.

He gurgled and gasped, trying to form words.

She rose and backed away, unable to tear her eyes from the gruesome scene.

With a few more wet breaths, he collapsed face first, twitching before he stilled.

He was dead.