Page 52

T hey were back in the dining hall for dinner, sitting at the table with a feast in front of them.

Ava had quickly bathed and changed, washing the swamp from her skin as she thought about what had been revealed.

Cirilla had helped her don a simple white cotton dress with a floral pattern embroidered on the chest and the hemline, a wide leather belt accentuating her waist.

A part of her was excited and curious. What would it be like to be fae? To be a princess? The other part was terrified. She was the one who had to banish the daemon queen forever. No one else could do it. How in the world was she going to accomplish that?

Most of the others had changed as well, wearing simple tunics and pants after they had cleaned up. Everyone appeared exhausted and ravenous, the sounds of them eating and chatting filling the hall.

Ava sat to the right of her brother, across from Casimir once more. Raine was on her other side while Jorrar and Quinn had placed themselves next to Casimir. She glanced across the table and saw he was stoic yet again, back to the cold general it seemed.

“Ava,” Thorne spoke. “You’re the only one who can banish Deidamia.”

Her heart sped up as she sipped her wine. “I don’t know how.”

“We will teach you. And help you to do so,” he replied.

Jorrar cleared his throat. “We don’t know how to create new portals.”

“Our library is old. Surely we can find information there,” Thorne answered.

Ava looked at her brother. “Wait. If we’re related. Why can’t you do it?”

“Portal magic is curious. It is a rare magic that often skips generations. Our mother didn’t have those abilities. Neither do I.”

She pursed her lips. “Oh.” After a moment, she asked, “Can someone explain how Deidamia and Andras got here in the first place? They aren’t from Eorhan, right?”

“There was an old king who craved power,” began Jorrar. “He was messing around with portals and accidentally summoned Andras. Andras promised him power if he allowed his queen and her armies into Eorhan.”

Ava nodded. It was the same story her grandfather used to tell her.

“But Andras had tricked him and the moment he entered Eorhan, killed the king. The war went on for decades as they conquered both Igneothenia and Frosthaven before disappearing in pursuit of you it seems,” he finished.

“So they knew I’d be the one who could send her back?” she asked.

Jorrar shook his head. “We don’t know for sure, but it appears that way. They knew you were important at least. Important enough to pause their war and pursue you instead. A lot of the history surrounding the early years of the war has been lost. Burned or destroyed.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know,” Thorne answered. “My father… our father, wasn’t invested in the history of our kingdom. In the years before he died on the battlefield, he went a bit mad. Firing librarians and destroying texts, seemingly for no reason.”

Strange. Why would her father destroy books that could possibly help them defeat Deidamia? After thinking for a moment, she added, “The book at Grandpa’s farm…”

“What about it?” Thorne replied.

“I think it has instructions on how to create and open portals. And Deidamia has it.” She looked around at the table and caught Casimir narrowing his eyes at her.

“How do you know this? You informed us you couldn’t read it,” asked Thorne as he swirled the wine in his goblet.

She shook her head. “I don’t know for sure, but there were pictures in it. Of portals and archways and symbols. That has to be why Grandpa hid it. To keep it out of their hands.”

“And now they have it,” Casimir said pointedly at her.

“I know that,” Ava bit back, irritated with Casimir’s moodiness.

“Maybe there’s another copy,” said Jorrar. “It wouldn’t hurt to look.”

“We should send you back to get it,” said Casimir, still glaring at her from across the table. “Since you’re the one who gave it to them in the first place.”

Ava tensed, heart racing at the thought of getting anywhere close to that camp.

“No,” said Thorne. “Their camp is too dangerous to infiltrate right now. We must find another way.”

“What if there is no other way?” Casimir said, arms crossed as he glowered at her.

“Then we’ll figure something else out.” Thorne took a sip of wine, then clenched his jaw, obviously frustrated at Casimir’s response. “Right now, entering that camp is off the table.”

Ava couldn’t take it anymore. The hot and cold. The glares across the table. She looked directly at Casimir. “What the fuck is your problem?”

The others tensed as he leaned forward. “You willingly showed the book to Andras. Now our ability to defeat our enemies is in their very hands.”

“I. Didn’t. Know,” she seethed.

“Here we go again,” Raine whispered from beside her.

“You’ve been giving us half-truths since the day we found you in the forest.”

Ava steadied herself, taking a deep breath. “I’ve already apologized. To all of you. What more do you want?” Her voice rose. “I’m here now. And I’m going to help.”

Thorne placed his hand on her arm. “That’s enough you two,” he said with irritation in his voice.

She huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair and looked at her brother.

Quinn whispered, “Well, she definitely has the Everwood temper.”

Thorne turned to her. “I do not have a temper.”

“It seems everyone here has a temper,” Ava mumbled, glancing at Casimir.

“I don’t,” Raine blurted and Quinn stifled a laugh.

“Alright, stop,” Jorrar intervened. “Arguing will get us nowhere. Ava will learn how to open and create portals… but first she must get her magic.”

Thorne nodded, appearing cool and collected once more, though his fingers drummed on the table. “Yes. She must begin preparations for the journey.”

“And how do you suggest she do that?” Raine asked. “Since we don’t even know what it entails. ”

“We’ll need to dig into the archives and see if we can find any information about the Elderoak,” Thorne explained. “I’ll have the scribes in the library start looking while Ava begins her training.”

“Training?” Ava asked.

“We won’t allow you to go without proper training.” Thorne turned to her. “We’ll assure you’re ready.”

“And who is going to do the training?” Raine asked.

“Casimir will.”

“What?” Both Ava and Casimir said at the same time.

“I can’t train with him.” She looked at her brother. “He hates me.”

Casimir scoffed. “She’ll never learn.” He turned toward Ava. “You almost shot Quinn earlier today because you refused to listen to me.”

“I was scared,” she shot back.

“This is war. You have no time to be scared, princess .”

“Well, I’ve never been in a war before, general .” She clenched her fists in her lap. “I don’t?—”

“Enough.” Thorne stood up and leaned over the table, temper on full display.

“That is exactly why you two are training together,” he said, voice rising as he pointed at Casimir.

“If you can’t get along, our plan is doomed.

So, figure it out and stop behaving like squabbling children.

Training begins tomorrow. You’re all dismissed. ”

“Fine,” Ava said as she rose and turned on her heel.

As she was about to exit the room, she overheard Thorne say quietly to Raine, “Follow them and make sure they don’t kill each other, please.”

“Got it.”

She strode down the hallway, steps echoing in the corridors, eager to get away from everyone and take time to think. Casimir stomped behind her and she called out to him as she walked. “Stop following me. ”

“I’m not following you. I’m going to my room which just happens to be next to yours, unfortunately,” he bit back.

She groaned and kept walking, reaching the suite. The guards regarded her warily but opened the door and let her pass. She trudged through the living room and reached for her door when Casimir appeared in front of her.

“Move,” she said.

“No.” He crossed his arms.

“Cas, let her by,” Raine said from behind them.

“You stay out of this,” Casimir replied. “I’m not moving until you tell me why you’re so angry,” he said, staring down at her.

“You’re joking right?” she replied. “Why I’m angry? Because I’m sick of you being nice one minute and the next acting like you hate me. Why don’t you tell me why you are so angry?”

He glared at her as he kept his arms crossed. “You appeared out of nowhere and brought back our enemies. You let yourself get tricked and allowed them back. You can understand if I’m a little pissed off.”

“You seem to be forgetting that I didn’t even know of the existence of Eorhan or daemons or fae or any of this until just a couple months ago.

How am I supposed to prevent myself from getting tricked by a daemon if I didn’t even believe they were real?

” She stepped closer, anger overriding logic as she got in the general’s face.

“Don’t blame me for something that isn’t in my control.

You have no idea what I’ve been through,” she said as she poked him in the chest with her finger. “Now let. Me. By.”

He didn’t move and continued looking at her, regarding her so intensely it took every ounce of will she had not to look away.

“Be ready at dawn tomorrow.”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

Finally, he moved out of her way. She opened the door and slammed it closed, Raine’s sigh the last thing she heard before she flung herself onto her bed and shouted into her pillow.

“Cas,” Raine said after Ava slammed the door in his face. “Come sit, let’s talk.”

Casimir walked to the table and sat down, leaning back in his chair. Raine peeked his head out the door to ask the guards to get Cirilla and then walked back in and sat down across from him.

He looked at his best friend, waiting to be lectured.

“What’s going on?” Raine asked him.

Casimir shook his head, drumming his fingers on the table. “I don’t know.”

“Look, I know you have a temper sometimes, but I’ve never seen you act like this. Are you alright?”

“I have no idea,” he replied. “I just can’t stop thinking about Elara,” he whispered as he pulled out the fox figurine he kept in his pocket. He set it on the table and looked at Raine. Ava’s appearance was reopening old wounds that he didn’t want to examine again.

“It’s not your fault, Cas. You must stop blaming yourself. And you can’t blame Ava. She had nothing to do with what happened in the past. She wasn’t even born yet,” he answered.

The door opened and Cirilla entered. “You asked for me?”

“Yes. Could you bring us some wine?” Raine asked.

“Of course,” she nodded and left the room.

Waiting for Cirilla to leave, Casimir answered, “I know. I’m not blaming her. I’m just… so angry.”

“That Deidamia is back?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Raine leaned back, crossing his ankle over his knee. “So am I. We all are.”

“And you don’t think Ava played a part in that?”

“Of course she did,” Raine said, interrupted by Cirilla returning and setting down two goblets and a pitcher of wine. Raine thanked her, poured the two of them their drinks and sipped his, thinking for a moment. “Yes, she played a part in their return, but I don’t blame her for it.”

“How can you not? If she’d never found the portal or let herself get tricked, they never would have come back in the first place. We could have remained living in peace.”

“Have we truly been living in peace, Cas? Her armies have been here ever since she departed. Sure, they haven’t been able to conquer completely without her, but they’ve done plenty of damage.

Ava arriving here with Deidamia and Andras in tow was fate.

The only way we can truly be rid of them forever. ”

“How is it fate?” Casimir asked.

Raine shrugged. “You think it’s a coincidence the one person who could banish Deidamia forever arrived with them? And the fact that she’s our princess? This is big.”

Casimir grunted as he sipped his wine and thought, unsure how to respond.

Raine leaned forward. “I know it’s strange, but she’s Thorne’s sister.

It makes so much sense. No one ever found Queen Aurelia’s body and Ava looks exactly like her, and like Thorne.

Lord Pellas had the ability to open portals, and everyone knows he opened one and fled, they just didn’t know where to. Or that Aurelia was with him.”

Casimir sighed and looked at his friend, picking up the wooden fox and placing it back in his pocket. “You truly like her, don’t you?”

Raine smiled. “I do. A lot.”

“Why?”

“She’s funny and kind and cares about others. She’s determined and stubborn. Fanya told me she ran to an injured hobgoblin last night and held his hand while he died. That she didn’t even hesitate. And then when that soldier had Fanya cornered, Ava stabbed him and distracted him, saving her life.”

“She really did those things?” Casimir asked, surprised. He’d been so caught up in battle, he hadn’t known what else happened until Aro told him she was cornered.

Raine gave him a knowing smile.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I know you don’t actually hate her.” Raine’s smile widened. “I’m not an idiot.”

Casimir grimaced. “Fine. I don’t hate her.”

“And?”

“And what?”

Raine began laughing. “I’ve known you for nearly eighty years, Cas.”

“So?”

“Women don’t usually fluster you,” he said. “And Ava flusters you.”

Casimir shook his head. “That doesn’t mean anything.”

“You pretend to hate her because you’re scared,” said Raine.

“No,” said Casimir. “I don’t even know her well enough to care one way or the other.”

“Sure,” said Raine. “You keep telling yourself that.”

Casimir glared at him.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun,” said his friend. “And now, the two of you have to train together.”

“You’re relentless.” Casimir rose and began to walk to his room.

“You think I’m relentless now?” Raine loudly said. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

“Goodnight, Raine.” Casimir entered his quarters and shut the door, the sound of Raine’s laughter echoing in the living room.

Pacing in front of his fireplace, he realized Raine was right.

Ava did fluster him. There was something about her that both irritated and intrigued him.

For someone who was so nervous all the time, she sure knew how to stand up for herself when it came to him.

She had no problem yelling back or arguing with him, though most others wouldn’t dream of going toe to toe with the general.

For some reason, he liked it.

And the fact that she had jumped into action and helped during the battle? He’d assumed she was cowering under a table, not helping the injured or stabbing a daemon soldier.

Then there was the moment she disappeared in the swamp. He’d never felt panic like that before and had frantically searched until he found her being dragged under the water. He didn’t even hesitate to rescue her and when he pulled her out, something in him had clicked.

Something he would ignore and not look at yet because they had a war to fight. And he had to get her ready.