23. Ava #2
Jerrid’s gaze pierced her, asking the same unspoken question. “Spit it out, Ava. What are you thinking?”
“Prince Haryk,” she said, a sickish feeling rising in her gut. “He cast the shadow out once… If anyone could destroy this thing, it would probably be him. But he’s back in Eroth…and you would have to go get him. Tell him that we’re in trouble.”
And leave you here alone? Jerrid’s nostrils flared at the same time Dragon growled, Bad idea. Really bad idea.
“Is it as bad as giving Talos your energy and asking him to fight the creature? If you two join forces for once in your life, you could fly straight to Eroth and be back in a wink.”
“It’ll take longer than a wink, and we’d have to leave you here unprotected. Absolutely not happening.”
“Well, Echo can’t go. Her wings are too badly damaged. And it would take too long for someone to walk. The only reasonable option is for you two to fly to Eroth and tell the prince that his nightmare monster is still on the loose. He’ll come. I know he will.”
“No.” Jerrid shoved himself to his feet and began to pace back and forth, shaking his head as he did so.
Ava rose as well and backed up to give him more room.
“I’m the only one coming up with ideas here.
Either you come up with a better plan, or you’re going to have to choose one of these.
I don’t have any more brilliant ideas hidden in my head.
As you well know, Dragon, because you’re in there poking around. ”
A guilty silence answered her.
“Please. We don’t have a choice.”
It’s still a bad plan…but it’s not as bad as giving Talos more fuel for his flame.
“But what about the connection between us?” Jerrid argued. “We don’t know what will happen if we’re separated from you. What if the distance is too great, and Dragon’s hold on you causes harm?”
“What could it possibly do that it hasn’t already done? And if the distance does happen to snap the bond between us, it will solve a lot of our other problems. I don’t see the issue as a valid concern.”
He scowled in her direction before spinning and pacing away. Silence wrapped around them, a cold and bitter kind that left one feeling raw and vulnerable. Not the cozy sort between comrades. No, this was the silence of frustration and hopelessness.
They were running out of options.
And time.
Ava clenched her fists before opening her palms and pressing them against her thighs. She needed to think of some way to convince Jerrid and Dragon to do this—to do something! Sitting around arguing only gave the shadow more time to regroup and plan its next attack.
It was growing stronger, attacking outside of nightmares.
It was no longer a voice in their dreams.
The next time Jerrid paced in her direction, she stepped forward to intercept him. Holding her breath, she reached for his hand and clutched it tightly. He stared down at their clasped hands for a long moment before shifting his attention to her face, a question in his eyes.
“We need to do something,” she whispered, the words scraping out of her mouth. “We don’t have a choice. We won’t survive much longer if we don’t have help.”
He winced, his eyes flicking closed briefly. “But we can’t leave you and the girls here unprotected. And giving more power to Talos is an absolute no.”
“I won’t be unprotected,” Ava told him. “Echo is here. And Brynja. She’s quite ferocious now, isn’t she?”
Don’t forget Roar, Dragon said dryly. He’s a real scrapper, that one.
“Besides, it’s almost dawn,” Ava reminded them. “I don’t think the shadow is as strong in the light. It always attacked Haryk at nighttime. And it’s been the same with us, hasn’t it? So if you leave immediately—”
“It’s a two-day flight, Ava.”
The words washed over her, icy with cold.
She licked her lips. “We’ll take refuge in the ruins. Stay as far away from the woods as we can. Hole up until you get back.”
We should bring Talos with us. Hand him over to his people.
A part of Ava thrilled to hear him discussing her plan as if it were a possibility, but she didn’t like the idea of them being alone with Talos. “He’ll add extra weight. It would take longer.”
Jerrid shot her a knowing look but didn’t respond. He just stood there, letting her clasp his hand.
Very well. We’ll hand him over when the prince arrives. Then he won’t be our problem anymore—
“What happened?” an angry voice bellowed through the camp.
They spun, still holding hands, as Brynja stalked toward them.
“Finnr said there was another attack?”
Ava breathed a ragged sigh as the human girl came up to them. “Yes, and I think Jerrid should go for help. He can fly to Eroth and bring back the one person who has fought this thing and lived to tell the tale.”
Brynja raked her with a suspicious look. “You want to send to Eroth for help? Are you crazy? I cannot allow that—”
“You don’t have a choice,” Ava interrupted. “If you try to handle this on your own, that thing is going to pick off the girls one by one until no one is left. I need you to trust me. Things are changing in Eroth. Prince Haryk is changing things. He hates the treaty. I’ve heard him say it.”
The human girl’s jaw tightened, and something akin to panic sparked in her eyes. Ava understood the pressure she was under. It was her job to protect the girls in this camp, and she didn’t take it lightly.
Ava settled a hand on the girl’s forearm. “Brynja. Please. We can trust him.”
“I don’t know him,” the girl said stiffly, avoiding Ava’s gaze. “I can’t trust him.”
The flicker of hope that had begun to take life in Ava’s chest fizzled into smoke. “Things will never improve if we don’t try to work together. You and me. Our people. Our kingdoms.”
“We can’t control what kings decree,” Jerrid said, clearing his throat before continuing, “but we can control what we ourselves choose to do. I have chosen to trust Ava. She fought Talos to help protect the camp, and she drove back the shadow. She has earned a voice here.”
It’s about time. In case it isn’t obvious, I trust you, too, Meat Pasty.
Jerrid turned to Ava, darkness and fire swirling in his gaze. “I’m going to Eroth for help.”
Tears pricked behind her eyes, but Ava blinked them back. Now wasn’t the time to show weakness or uncertainty. They had decided their path, and now they needed to each do their part.
“I suggest we get everyone away from the trees, especially during the night hours. The monster is strongest during those times,” Ava said, turning to Brynja. “Do you have enough storage rooms in the ruins where we can stay until Jerrid returns?”
Brynja frowned but nodded. “And what of Talos? Do we leave him to his fate? I won’t leave someone out there to guard him if it puts them in danger.”
“We could bring him to the ruins. At least there would be a lot of us to watch him.”
The human pursed her lips but didn’t argue. That had to be a good sign.
“Jerrid will need food and water for the trip.”
His head lifted. “I won’t need much. I don’t plan to stop.”
Ava opened her mouth to scold him but then clamped her lips tightly together. What other choice did he have if he stood a chance of bringing help in time? So, she merely nodded that she understood.
Brynja left to get him the supplies while Jerrid said goodbye to Echo. She glared at him through her glittering eyes, furious at being left behind, but in the end, she settled her head onto her folded front claws with a huff of annoyed acceptance. Ava gave her neck a gentle pat to console her.
She understood how the dragon felt.
Ava? Dragon’s voice whispered in the corner of her mind, unusually strained.
She turned toward Jerrid, but he wasn’t looking at her, absorbed in stroking Echo’s sharp cheekbones as he whispered to her.
Yes? she replied cautiously, watching to see if Jerrid reacted.
He can’t hear us. I shut him out. Dragon stirred closer to the core of her thoughts. I don’t want him to know.
Ava’s heart began to thud loudly. What don’t you want him to know?
When we shift, Dragon began in a raspy whisper, I’m going to have to leave you. I won’t be able to stay. A complete shift will require all my focus. And the distance… Do you understand what I am saying?
Ava worked hard to still her breathing, to control her thoughts, because she did understand what he was saying, and she didn’t want him to know how much it terrified her.
I understand.
Something warm and soothing flooded through her thoughts. It reached to every corner of her mind, intimate and gentle.
We’ll come back, Meat Pasty, he promised. For you. We’ll come back for you.
She faked a smile, but inside she wanted to scream.
Dragon was going to leave her thoughts, and she’d have no way to protect herself or the girls in the camp.
She’d be a sitting duck.