Page 115 of Whispers of the Elderoak

“We won’t allow you to go without proper training.” Thorne turned to her. “We’ll assure you’re ready.”

“And who is going to do the training?” Raine asked.

“Casimir will.”

“What?” Both Ava and Casimir said at the same time.

“I can’t train with him.” She looked at her brother. “He hates me.”

Casimir scoffed. “She’ll never learn.” He turned toward Ava. “You almost shot Quinn earlier today because you refused to listen to me.”

“I was scared,” she shot back.

“This is war. You have no time to be scared,princess.”

“Well, I’ve never been in a war before,general.” She clenched her fists in her lap. “I don’t?—”

“Enough.” Thorne stood up and leaned over the table, temper on full display. “That is exactly why you two are training together,” he said, voice rising as he pointed at Casimir. “If you can’t get along, our plan is doomed. So,figure it outand stop behaving like squabbling children. Training begins tomorrow. You’re all dismissed.”

“Fine,” Ava said as she rose and turned on her heel.

As she was about to exit the room, she overheard Thorne say quietly to Raine, “Follow them and make sure they don’t kill each other, please.”

“Got it.”

She strode down the hallway, steps echoing in the corridors, eager to get away from everyone and take time to think. Casimir stomped behind her and she called out to him as she walked. “Stop following me.”

“I’m not following you. I’m going to my room which just happens to be next to yours, unfortunately,” he bit back.

She groaned and kept walking, reaching the suite. The guards regarded her warily but opened the door and let her pass. She trudged through the living room and reached for her door when Casimir appeared in front of her.

“Move,” she said.

“No.” He crossed his arms.

“Cas, let her by,” Raine said from behind them.

“You stay out of this,” Casimir replied. “I’m not moving until you tell me why you’re so angry,” he said, staring down at her.

“You’re joking right?” she replied. “WhyI’mangry? Because I’m sick of you being nice one minute and the next acting like you hate me. Why don’t you tell me whyyouare so angry?”

He glared at her as he kept his arms crossed. “You appeared out of nowhere and brought back our enemies. You let yourself get tricked and allowed them back. You can understand if I’m a little pissed off.”

“You seem to be forgetting that I didn’t even know of the existence of Eorhan or daemons or fae or any of this until just a couple months ago. How am I supposed to prevent myself from getting tricked by a daemon if I didn’t even believe they were real?” She stepped closer, anger overriding logic as she got in the general’s face. “Don’t blame me for something that isn’t in my control. You have noideawhat I’ve been through,” she said as she poked him in the chest with her finger. “Now let. Me. By.”

He didn’t move and continued looking at her, regarding her so intensely it took every ounce of will she had not to look away.

“Be ready at dawn tomorrow.”

“Fine.” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

Finally, he moved out of her way. She opened the door and slammed it closed, Raine’s sigh the last thing she heardbefore she flung herself onto her bed and shouted into her pillow.

“Cas,”Raine said after Ava slammed the door in his face. “Come sit, let’s talk.”

Casimir walked to the table and sat down, leaning back in his chair. Raine peeked his head out the door to ask the guards to get Cirilla and then walked back in and sat down across from him.

He looked at his best friend, waiting to be lectured.

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