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C asimir reluctantly allowed Ava to ride on Aro the next day.

Raine had walked next to her most of the time, keeping her entertained with stories of debauchery from his younger years.

The others had rolled their eyes when he told her about the time he got caught with the daughter of one of the lords of a local village.

Raine had frantically pulled his pants back up as he fled into the woods, the girl’s father shouting obscenities behind him.

“That was before I was named a captain though,” he’d said as he winked at her.

“Like your rank has stopped your ridiculous behavior,” Quinn had called out from in front of them.

Ava had decided then, that she liked Raine. He seemed to have forgiven her for stabbing him and was funny, considerate and appeared to want to be her friend. She hoped his kindness wasn’t a ruse.

Tonight, they’d allowed her to join them for dinner, and she watched them curiously. Clearing her throat, she dared to ask a question. “So… um. What’s it like in Mosshaven?”

She’d remained mostly quiet after the first night where she’d bit back at both Quinn and Casimir and the four warriors looked at her, surprised she had broken the silence.

Jorrar answered, “It’s beautiful. More beautiful than anything you could ever imagine.

” He spoke of it with a reverence so great, it moved her.

“The city was built into nature itself. There are trees and flowers and plants everywhere you look. Our kingdom specializes in farming, and we provide a large portion of crops to trade with the other kingdoms. Our farmers are proud and incredibly talented. The food there is so good, it will make you cry.”

“Better than your stew?” she asked, attempting a joke.

The four warriors were silent, taken aback by her jab. She froze and blushed, worried she had offended them. But Raine started laughing, soon joined by Jorrar. Even Casimir was wearing a small smirk, shaking his head. Quinn tried to suppress a smile, glancing at Ava.

“Yes,” Jorrar responded. “ Much better than my stew.”

Raine tilted his head and asked in his smooth voice, “Do you like sweets, Ava?”

She smiled. A genuine smile for the first time in what felt like forever. “Yes,” she said. “They’re my absolute favorite.”

“Well, we have every pastry, tart, cake, pie, cookie you could imagine. Things that you could only invent in your wildest dreams. One bite and its pure ecstasy,” Raine explained, eyes twinkling.

“Ew, are you turned on?” said Quinn.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”

She glared at him. “Gross.”

Ava laughed quietly, quickly clamping her hand over her mouth. “Sorry,” she said, stifling herself.

“Don’t be sorry,” said Jorrar. “The two of them are always like that.”

“Insufferable is what they are,” mumbled Casimir .

“Can it, you big lout,” said Raine. “You’d be bored out of your mind without our entertainment.”

Casimir shrugged.

This felt good. Sitting with people around the fire, laughing and enjoying their fellowship together.

Ava had never truly had this. The ease of the way they were with one another.

These fae were bonded deeply, loyal to the end.

She could see beneath the jabs and laughter that they truly cared for each other, would give their lives for each other, and she longed for it. Craved it.

Ava listened to their banter as she ate her bowl of dinner quietly, smiling to herself and surprised she was finding joy in this. Even if she was still technically their prisoner.

Braving another question, she asked, “So… are any of you… you know… together?”

Choking on a mouthful of stew, Casimir blanched. “Together? Us?” He shook his head and made a disgusted face. He pointed to himself. “Me?” Then looked at the others. “With them? Never.”

Quinn was smiling broadly, the first time Ava had seen genuine joy on her face, and Jorrar grinned. Raine looked put out and scoffed at Casimir. “Is imagining yourself with us so bad?”

Casimir looked at his friends. “You’re old enough to be my grandfather,” he said pointing at Jorrar. “You’re a downright jerk most of the time,” he said to Quinn, who grinned even wider. “And you…” he gestured to Raine. “You’re just…you.”

Raine waved his hands. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, you grumpy asshole?”

Ava tried to hide her smile as she watched the taunting unfold.

Casimir continued. “You’re a vain, preening man who can barely stand to get his precious hair dirty. ”

The other two laughed at Raine’s expense and his thunderstruck expression.

“It’s true,” Quinn said. “You were just complaining the other day about how muddy your boots were.”

“They’re fine fae leather,” he retorted. “I wanted them to last.” He lifted his foot and inspected his boot in the firelight.

“See?” said Casimir. “Vain.”

“Well, it’s your loss,” said Raine, looking at his friends. “I’ve been told I’m quite the lover.”

“That’s probably because you’ll bed anyone who looks your way,” said Quinn.

“I welcome all.”

Casimir shook his head as the teasing died down.

“So, what about you?” Raine turned to Ava. “Do you have someone back home waiting for you? A lost love or something like that?”

Ava’s heart leapt in her throat as she thought about Henry. “I…” she wasn’t sure what to say, or if she even wanted to say anything. “Not anymore.”

Jorrar leaned forward and asked softly, “What happened?”

Ava shook her head. “He wasn’t who I thought he was. But I don’t want to talk about it.”

They nodded their understanding, and didn’t bring it up again.

“Well, Ava,” Raine said. “How about I show you around Mosshaven and we have a tasting tour of all the sugar we can handle? My sister owns a bakery, and she’s very talented.”

Ava smiled. “I’d like that.”

Casimir turned serious. “Raine… we can’t be promising tours for her. She’s technically our prisoner.”

Raine rolled his eyes. “Yes yes, but I’m sure we can find time for fun.”

Eventually, most of them retired to their tents, leaving her alone with Casimir, who was taking first watch as he so frequently did.

She sat in silence, staring at the fire and listened to the symphony of the forest. The breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, providing a soothing sound occasionally interrupted by the faint call of an owl, while the crackle of the flames whispered as they devoured the wood.

She looked up and caught Casimir watching her, seated on the log to her right.

She met his stare. “What?”

His golden eyes reflected the fire before them as he answered, “You’re not like I thought you’d be.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “What does that mean?”

“You’re just… different.”

“Is that a good or a bad thing?”

He raised an eyebrow at her as he leaned his elbows on his knees and continued to stare. “I haven’t decided yet.”

They sat in silence for a moment unable to break eye contact.

“Does it bother you that Aro likes me?” she asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.” He kept looking at her. “Because you’re hiding things from us.” She stared at him, silent. “Tell me what you’re hiding,” he tried again, eyes boring into hers.

“Not yet,” she said, fidgeting with a loose thread on her pants.

“Why not?”

“Would you?” she asked.

“Would I what?”

She sighed, looking toward the fire. “If you were thrown into a world you never knew. Filled with beings you didn’t even know existed, tortured, and then captured by a group of warriors…” She looked back at him. “Would you trust them? ”

His eyes softened, almost imperceptibly. “I suppose not.”

“Exactly,” she said. After a few moments of silence, she added, “He was there. At the army camp.”

“What? Who?”

“Aro,” she said, and his eyes widened.

“What do you mean, he was there?”

“When I escaped. I heard growling and I saw him. I think he was creating a distraction…” she explained. “To help me.”

Casimir looked confused as he shook his head. “Why would he do that?”

“I don’t know. Ask him,” she said. “You can talk to him, right?”

“Of course I can talk to him.”

“Then ask him.” She pushed herself up, putting all her weight on her good leg. “I should get some sleep. I need to be well rested in case I have an execution to look forward to tomorrow.”

He stared at her with bewilderment but didn’t reply, handing her the large tree branch Raine had found for her to use as a makeshift crutch. Using it for assistance, she hobbled over to her bedroll, now placed in between two of their tents for more protection.

Before she had a chance to make her way to the ground, Casimir interrupted her. “Take my tent.”

She turned to him. “What?”

“Use my tent,” he repeated.

“Why?”

“You’ll feel safer with walls around you.”

“I’m not scared,” she whispered.

Casimir raised an eyebrow. “You’re not a very good liar, you know.”

She glared at him.

He nodded and gestured toward his tent. “Sleep well. ”

“Thank you,” she said as she lifted the flaps and crawled into the small tent.

There wasn’t much inside the brown canvas quarters.

A bedroll topped with a soft fur beckoned her from the corner.

She hobbled over and lay down, pulling a thin blanket over her that smelled of dirt and the hint of cedar and sage.

She had barely closed her eyes before she was dragged into a deep slumber, embraced by the comforting scent and feeling safe for the first time in weeks.

With Ava asleep in his tent, Casimir stared at the fire and thought about what had transpired the last several days.

He no longer thought she should be executed, it was obvious she wanted nothing to do with Deidamia and Andras, but he was unsure what the next steps were.

They needed whatever information she had, and though he understood why she was reluctant to trust them, not having answers irritated him.

It was his responsibility to ensure the safety of his kingdom and she was making it difficult to accomplish this.

Her behavior had surprised him. He was expecting a terrified, whimpering girl who cowered at the sight of the warriors.

Instead, he found a sassy woman who tried to hold her ground even though she was nervous and lost in a world strange to her.

Who had killed a helwraith with a bow and arrow in a single shot.

Who stabbed Raine, one of his captains and his best friend.

She had noticed him watching her at the fire.

His eyes caught on her fair delicate face dusted with freckles, her piercing green eyes framed by long lashes that matched her strawberry blonde locks, flowing over her rounded ears.

She was much taller than he expected a human to be and could tell she had ample curves if she hadn’t been so starved in Deidamia’s camp.

While she was still dirty and bruised, he admitted she was beautiful.

She exasperated him and yet he was equal parts intrigued.

Then there was Aro, who had never let anyone even touch him besides Casimir, and he hadn’t even hesitated to save her life and let her ride on him.

And was he really at the camp when she escaped?

When he had asked him about it, Aro just replied ‘Ava is special,’ and wouldn’t say anything else.

Damn animals and their secrets.