Page 17 of Journey to the Elderoak
Casimir stopped beside her, placing his elbows on the balcony, his arm brushing against hers. “I knew you’d like it.”
They stayed silent for a while as Ava’s mind drifted to the impending war.
“So, what’s next after we return?” she asked.
“You continue your training and hopefully visit the Elderoak soon. Jorrar’s searching our archives for any information that wasn’t destroyed by your father.”
Right. Ava had learned her father, the former King of Monterre, had gone mad, burning texts and firing librarians before he was killed on the battlefield, making it difficult to gather any information that might assist Ava in her task.
“And then?”
“Once you have your full powers, you’ll begin learning how to use your magic as we prepare to march on Deidamia’s army.”
“Why aren’t we doing that now?”
Casimir turned to face her. “Monterre alone doesn’t have enough forces. With two kingdoms already under her control, the rest retreated long ago.”
“Why?”
“I was very young when Deidamia and Andras disappeared, but rumors say Caelestia was the first to abandon the war, forcing the others to follow suit before their losses were too great. Everyone became so concerned with their respectivekingdoms, they stopped working together. We need time to rekindle that.”
“Will we have enough with Saxumdale’s help?” Ava asked.
“Probably not. We will need to approach Caelestia.”
“How big is Deidamia’s army?”
“We aren’t completely sure. I tasked Quinn with gathering a team to assess their forces. We must determine the numbers in the two conquered kingdoms as well.”
“And once I get my powers, we still need to get the book back so I can learn how to make a portal to banish her.”
“Yes.”
The book. The one she’d found at her grandfather’s farm months ago. It was in the daemons’ clutches and until they retrieved it, they wouldn’t know how to open a new portal to send Deidamia back to her realm. Another daunting endeavor in the long list of tasks they had to complete to defeat their enemies.
Someone cleared their throat behind them, and they whipped around, Casimir taking one step in front of Ava with his hand on the pommel of his sword.
Corvus.
“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle the two of you. I hope you’re enjoying our famous gardens,” he said, his hands clasped behind his back.
Ava took a step forward. “Did you need something, Corvus?”
He waved his hand. “Oh no, no. I was just on my nightly walk. Enjoying the breeze of the evening. But I did want to apologize again for what I said earlier this evening. I shouldn’t have brought up what’s obviously a sensitive topic for you.”
“Thank you,” Ava said.
“Have you figured out what you want to say to the queens tomorrow?”
“You’ll find out tomorrow, I suppose,” she replied.
“Alright then. Have a good evening.” Then he was gone.
For some reason, Corvus mentioning her scars again gave her an idea. An idea on how to get the queens to listen.
“Ava,” Casimir interrupted her thoughts. “I see those wheels turning. What are you thinking?”
“I think I know what I want to say tomorrow,” she answered.
