Page 40 of Journey to the Elderoak
“Cas.”
“Oh.” She tilted her head. “Is it?”
“Usually, you call me Casimir or general, or brute, or other colorful words…” Only his close friends called him Cas, but hearing it on Ava’s lips did something to him. He longed for her to do it again.
She laughed. “Well don’t get used to it, general.”
He shook his head and smiled as he poured her a cup of tea and one for himself.
Sapphira arrived with the food and set it down before disappearing again, Casimir thanking her. The plates in front of them were covered in tomato and cucumber sandwiches, cheeses, fruits and pastries. The perfect compliments to the flavors of their teas.
“Eat.” He took her plate and piled it with sandwiches.
“Bossy,” she replied before she took a sip. “This is so good.”
He set her plate in front of her and sipped his own tea, looking over his floral teacup at her. “You didn’t eat breakfast.”
“I—oh.” She paused. “I guess I didn’t. I was…distracted this morning.”
He served himself some food. “Because of your nightmare?”
Her eyes snapped to his. “I never told you I had a nightmare.”
“I used to have them too. I recognized that look on your face this morning.”
Ava took a bite of a sandwich, remaining silent.
“Do you want to tell me what it was about?” he asked.
“Nope.”
“Fine,” he said, and changed the subject. “Do you like living in Mosshaven?”
“I’ve been here for I don’t even know how long, and you’re just now asking me this?”
“Two months and twenty days,” he said.
“What?”
“That’s how long it’s been since you arrived in Mosshaven and met with your brother for the first time.”
She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. “Okay…it’s weird you remember that.”
He lifted a shoulder. “I remember a lot. So, tell me how you like it here.”
Her suspicion turned into a smile, genuine joy on her face. “I love it.”
That smile had disarmed him the first time he saw it and he remembered the exact moment. It had been a couple of days after they found her in the woods. They were sitting around the fire and Raine had told Ava about taking her on a tour of the city. The relief and joy on her face had transformed her and though she was dirty and bruised, he’d been enchanted. It was the exact smile she was giving him now. One, he realized, he didn’t often see on her face anymore.
“What?” she asked as she caught him watching her.
“Nothing. You were saying you love Mosshaven…”
She looked at him suspiciously but continued in between bites of food. “Yes. It feels like home, like I belong here.”
“Of course you belong here,” he said. “It’s where your family’s from. Even though you’re still technically human, your fae nature recognizes the earth kingdom and your heritage.”
“I’ve never really had that before. It’s…well, it’s wonderful.”
