Page 48 of Journey to the Elderoak
But you won’t tell Ava because you’re scared.
“Since when did you become well-versed in the ways of fae relationships?”
Since the day you found her in the woods and couldn’t stop obsessing over her,Aro responded.
“Stupid bear,” Casimir muttered out loud.
Aro released a chuff resembling laughter as he ambled off.
“Having a fight with Aro or something?” Ava gave him a suspicious look.
“Or something.” He grinned at her as he leaned over and lifted Luna, cradling her on her back. She licked his face.
Ava was astonished. “I’ve never seen Luna let anyone pick her up.”
“She just likes me better.”
“What do you think you’re doing, Luna?”
Ava tilted her head as she listened to Luna’s reply, her face blushing as she met eyes with Casimir, and looked away. He held back a smile at her discomfort.
Luna jumped from his arms, running in the direction Aro had gone.
“What did Luna say?” Casimir asked as they walked toward the woods.
“She said you need a bath.”
“Uh huh.”
They followed a dirt path weaving through the trees and he glanced at her again, noticing the weariness on her face.
“You look exhausted,” he said.
Her brow knitted. “That’s not something women want to hear.”
“Oh?”
“Women want to hear things like ‘you look beautiful,’ not ‘you look tired.’”
“You always look beautiful,” he said, matter of factly.
She did. Every moment of every day. Whether she was wearing a fancy gown or covered in sweat and dirt, she took his breath away. Her stunning green eyes, the luscious curves ofher body, the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose. He wanted to count them and kiss each one.
“I—” she looked at him, but he was staring ahead as they walked, keeping his expression unreadable. “Oh.”
They made their way through a group of trees opening into a small clearing with a miniature obstacle course in the center. Several low balance beams, stepping stones and small pillars were interspersed throughout the grass.
“This looks like a children’s playground,” Ava said.
“It is.”
“Okay…”
“You rely too much on sight. You need to learn what your body feels like as you make it through the course. It’s about muscle memory.”
“How are we going to do that here?” She looked around the clearing again.
He pulled a piece of fabric from his pocket. “The only way to get better at using your other senses is to remove the one you rely on the most.”
