Page 61 of Journey to the Elderoak
“Stop talking,” she bit back.
Running a hand through his hair, he remained silent andlet her figure it out on her own. She made it farther than she ever had before. Over the difficult wall and through the other obstacles. She was at the rope climb, the last obstacle. He watched as she pulled herself higher, eyes hard and flickering with anger.
Come on, Ava, he thought, as Aro lumbered up beside him, Luna at his heels. Titus was chasing butterflies in the trees as if he was in a game of tag. Casimir smiled to himself as he recalled the day Ava brought the firefinch home, Aro’s fur soft beneath his fingers as he scratched behind his ears.
She’s struggling, Aro said.
“I know,” he whispered back.
It’s going to get worse before it gets better.
“I know that too.”
Don’t do what you usually do.
“And what would that be?”
Lose your temper and say something you’ll regret.
Casimir grunted. “As if I need an animal to give me advice.”
Aro chuffed and ambled off to the trees.
Ava had almost made it to the top of the rope, a hint of triumph in her eyes, when she lost her grip and fell, cursing to herself.
Casimir ran over. “Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she said, avoiding eye contact.
She rose and walked away, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around. “Why aren’t you sleeping? Tell me about your nightmares. What are they about?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She tried to walk past him, but he stepped in front of her. “It’s none of your business anyway.”
Fury shone in her tear-filled eyes, mixed with pain, grief, and fear. He resisted the urge to whisk her away to take care of her, as he so desperately yearned to do.
“It’s interfering with your training, so it is my business,” hesaid, reaching for her. “Besides, I care about you. I want to help.”
She was silent.
“Please. Talk to me. You can’t keep avoiding it.”
“Talk to you?” she said, voice rising as she looked back at him. “What about you? I know nothing about your past. Are you a hybrid? What happened to your parents? Who’s Elara? Is she your old girlfriend? What happened? You want me to open up, but you’ve been a closed book this entire time.”
He stiffened at the mention of Elara, the mention of his own traumas he loathed to rehash, hands clenched into fists as her words hit him. There was a flash of regret in her eyes the moment she said it, but his temper flared and got the better of him.
“You know what? I’m not going to ask anymore. All you know how to do is push people away.” He turned and walked off, calling after her, “Train with someone else. If you want to spend your time feeling sorry for yourself, don’t let me get in your way.”
He walked back to the castle, ignoring Raine who had remained in the ring, gaping at him as he passed. He knew Raine heard everything and was sure he’d get a lecture later.
What was it you said moments ago? You don’t need an animal to give you advice?Aro asked.
“Shut up.”
Damn animals.
But Aro was right. He shouldn’t have said that. He’d been pushing her to talk about her trauma for weeks. But it wasn’t fair for him to expect her to do the exact thing he wasn’t capable of.
He was a fool.
