Chapter 49 #2
She needed something to keep her busy. A distraction to occupy her mind while she tried to make sense of everything. Ending up back at the healers’ tent, she went inside.
Kai sat at a work table, Jorrar beside him.
“Ava,” Kai said. “Do you need something?”
She wrung her hands together. “Actually, I came to see if you needed any help…”
“Let’s see.” He gestured to a pile of cloth before him. “The bandages could be sorted by size. Would you do that?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
She stepped up to the table and began to work, keeping her breathing even and focusing on the texture and feel of the fabrics. After a moment, Jorrar stood and faced her. “Are you alright?”
“I just needed a moment to think.”
“About?”
She laid a square atop one of the same size, then picked up another. “Nothing…everything…” A pause. “Back in the human world, when I felt anxious, keeping my hands busy helped. Whether it was cleaning, cooking or organizing. Sometimes just getting up and doing something helped me work through it.”
“And you’re feeling that way now.”
“Yes. Listening to all the planning got a little overwhelming. We’re outnumbered, Jorrar. It feels like every time we succeed, more bad news follows.”
“Such is the nature of war,” he said.
“I know. I’m trying to remember that, but it’s not easy.”
“It’s never easy,” Kai said. “It wasn’t easy nearly a century ago and it isn’t easy now.”
“How will we win when we’re so outnumbered?” she finally blurted the question plaguing her as she leaned forward, bracing her hands on the table.
The pitter patter of rain sounded on the canvas above, the clouds opening up. Jorrar and Kai looked at one another before turning back to her.
“Wars have been won with worse odds, Ava,” Jorrar said quietly. “No matter how daunting it seems, there is always hope.”
A clap of thunder startled Ava awake, followed by the steady drumming of rain.
She rolled over, facing Casimir sound asleep beside her, his arm thrown over her waist. Tempted to stroke his hair, she held back, not wanting to interrupt his much needed rest after tonight’s earlier confrontation.
Instead, she allowed herself to study his face. His strong, bearded jaw. The scar along his neck—a reminder of his sister’s and mother’s deaths when he was only a boy. The lashes hiding his golden eyes. Eyes that had always looked at her with such intensity.
She felt so lucky to have found him. Her soulmate.
The man she loved so deeply she couldn’t even put her feelings into words.
Her mind was brought back to that strange fortune teller back in Piney Hollow—the small town in which her grandfather’s farm resided.
You will find your true love soon. He will always keep you safe, the woman had said.
He is part of your path forward. Though at the time, Ava hadn’t wanted to believe her…
now…well, now she knew the woman had been talking about Casimir.
And she had been right.
Ava settled beneath the blankets, wiggling closer until she was tucked beneath his chin. Casimir grunted and tightened his grip, still breathing deeply. They’d only been asleep a couple hours, so she closed her eyes, hoping to get at least a little more rest before dawn.
Eyes heavy, she began to drift off, when someone opened the flaps of her tent. Ava sat up and met the panicked eyes of Quinn. “They’re here. Now.”
“What?” Ava shook Casimir’s shoulder. “Cas. Wake up.”
He sat up abruptly at the panic in her voice. “What happened?” his voice was still gravelly.
“We’re surrounded,” Quinn said.
Casimir was on his feet in a heartbeat, donning his armor. Ava did the same.
“Surrounded? How is that possible? We had eyes on their army the whole time. We would have seen them moving,” said Casimir.
Raine stepped in behind Quinn. “This tent is too small for all four of us.”
“Then get the fuck out,” Casimir snapped.
Raine said, “Andras cloaked the army.”
“He what?” Casimir shouted.
Ava’s heart would not stop racing. They were here. The battle was happening. Right now. In the middle of the night. She was going to be sick. Not yet, not yet, not yet. They hadn’t prepared for this possibility.
“Luna,” Ava cried.
I know. Try to stay calm. You can do this.
“He cloaked them. With some other special secret power he has,” Raine said. “No one could see them coming until we were already surrounded.”
“Are they in the camp?” Casimir said.
“Not yet,” Quinn replied. “We must rally and meet them at the edge.”
And just like that, their plans went out the window. They wouldn’t be able to organize and sneak up on the daemons. Wouldn’t be able to structure their army the way they’d painstakingly planned. Now they would be fighting just to get free of their advances.
A flash of lightning and another crack of thunder made Ava jump.
And they’d be doing it in the middle of a storm. Oh god.
Jorrar stepped into the tent as Ava buckled her armor together and reached for her sword. Thorne was close behind him.
“Why is everyone in our godsdamned tent?” Casimir almost yelled.
He’s stressed, Luna said.
“I can see that.”
“Casimir,” Jorrar said, always calm and collected. “Take a deep breath. We’ll leave your tent. We just needed to inform you of the situation.”
“Consider me informed.”
Alone again, Casimir yanked Ava against him, one arm around her waist while the other tucked her head beneath his chin.
His breathing had picked up, his fear so intense she could feel it through their bond.
Being able to sense his terror had her on the verge of tears, but she willed them away, forcing herself to keep it together.
There was no time for that.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled his scent. He nuzzled into her hair and did the same. They didn’t speak. Didn’t need to. Just held each other, both of their hearts racing in tandem.
Casimir pulled away first, taking a deep breath and taking Ava’s face in his hands. “Do you remember your role?”
She nodded, throat still tight.
“We will be with you until we learn where Andras is. But as soon as we get wind he’s headed your way, we’ll disappear.”
“I know.”
He pulled her into a gentle kiss, saying everything with the way his lips met hers, the way his tongue danced against her own. They broke apart.
“Time to go.”