27. TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SIX

D avina sat atop the tall walls that were being built around Castellum Island. The Chief Leaders lifted a mandate that required the help of all Leaders, Soldiers, and Apprentices to help build the walls for extra protection against Raven and her Predators.

She didn't meet with the King that day because of her blinding frustration with her reality that she couldn't find the right words to speak out loud. And because she had to focus on being ready for any kind of attack from the Main Predators. In every Predator ambush, it seemed as if their Dark Mistress knew the exact strategy that Davina planned for battle.

A golden sunset was painted before her as she tried to make sense of her desperation. The bright orange hues of the sun shined over the ripple of the oceans.

Perhaps the King had made a mistake in choosing her to lead the army. That annoying thought returned to her mind, she groaned.

After the engagement announcement, the people's usual scornful looks and comments ceased.

However, Davina knew some people were losing their patience. There was word that several Bellatormans were beginning to pilgrim out of the islands to reach faraway lands. Those loyal to the King remained.

She was surprised her mother and stepfather hadn't boarded with her siblings on those ships.

Davina spotted a blonde-haired girl in a pretty blue gown with a basket of red roses between her arms. Davina gagged as the red hue of the roses made her think of love.

Love. What a horrible word.

She no longer believed she'd ever have a chance at love because of her engagement to Isaiah, who seemed to be growing restless for their wedding.

Somehow, she always found a way out of the conversation about their wedding, but she feared her excuses were beginning to grow scarce.

Anxiety tormented her as she recalled that she would have to share a home, a bedroom, and a life with a man she couldn't bring herself to love.

There hadn't even been any plans for the wedding. She had to make haste with the matrimonial preparations because Isaiah kept his word about helping her with her parents and with the rumors. Although she was forbidden to see her siblings by her parents, she continued to watch over them from a distance. Whenever she couldn't, Isaiah would provide the best guards for them.

Davina became aware of his feelings for her the moment he decided to announce to the islands of their betrothal. Or to be more specific, after she burned Ron's hand. She couldn't stop thinking about what Ron had told her that day she began to recall all those times when Isaiah would glance at her longingly.

And the words he spoke since he helped her against the Predators seemed too raw for them to be a performance.

"Mr. Isaiah sent me to give you these, miss." Her sweet voice interrupted Davina's meditation.

Why did they have to send her with the flowers?

Davina gulped. The flowers must've been another one of his attempts to impress her into marrying him soon. She jumped off the wall with ease, landing near Ashira's figure. The Captain found it hard not to roll her eyes at the girl's squirming.

Without a single drop of regret, Davina snatched the basket from her hands. Ashira slightly gasped. She opened the little card that hung from the basket and read…

You are more beautiful than the entire valley of roses from Somerlane.

Isaiah's words would have been appreciated by her if it hadn't been for the last word that read Somerlane.

Somerlane Lake, where her relationship with Ron went downhill. Her chest heaved as she recalled Ron's words and many poetic declarations.

"Are you okay, miss? Shall I get you some water? Or should I call Mr. Isaiah?" Ashira's eyes widened, reaching for Davina. Davina shook her head as she slammed the card into the basket, quickly handing it back to Ashira.

"No, I'm fine. Just get these back to my house in Basalt."

"Yes, miss." Ashira nodded as she fixed the basket carefully over her brown leather satchel.

Ron's voice pounded in her mind as she leaned against the wall for support.

You are more precious than all of the fields of flowers in Bellatorm and any of the treasures that we may find within the deep oceans that surround us.

The sweet kiss that they almost shared by the lake rushed into her mind like a whirlwind of pain. The way her lips brushed against his. The look of love and tenderness in his eyes. His acts of service and his comforting words.

Why couldn't she forget about him once and for all? Davina shook her head as she ran a hand over her temple.

"Not now," she whispered to herself. "No, no, no. Not today."

A marriage plan was never something she dreamed about. Not when she grew up in the home in which she lived. Davina believed that when the time would come, with the man that she loved, she'd pick out all those options without a second thought and be happy about it. But she wasn't.

Davina closed her eyes, pressuring herself to turn off all the emotions that were flooding into her chest.

Silence filled her mind once she focused on the beat of her heart, the air that was traveling through her nostrils, and into her lungs.

She had to focus on her fiancé.

After slowing down the palpitations in her chest, she decided to head for the training rooms of the fortress to blow off all the negative energy she had bouncing around inside of her. Best it be with a sandbag than with anyone else. Possibly even Ashira now that she thought about it.

Davina was walking toward the steps of Castellum when two figures by the Mistran Bridge caught her eye.

She'd never mistake his dark hair with anyone else's. Her breath hitched.

It was Ron with Ashira. Caleb had told her that they were a couple, but this was the first time she had seen them with her own eyes. She didn't want to believe it, but there it was. The basket that Isaiah had given Davina sat above the sandy floor.

The little blonde knew about Ron and Davina. Everyone knew. Yet, Ashira always acted so innocently whenever she was sent by Isaiah to give messages to her. The Captain wondered which of her secrets did Ron tell the girl. Which of her vulnerabilities were known to the world because of him?

Ron had his alluring smirk over his face as he looked at Ashira who was wearing a smile that seemed to be a little too perfect. Her blonde hair ran in waves, similar to her power of controlling water element. She was everything Davina wasn't. Long blonde hair, blue eyes, thin, and sweet.

Jealousy pierced Davina's heart.

Ashira pulled out a cloth from her satchel. Brown little stains covered parts of the rag. Davina's eyes grew dark as she smelled the butter and chocolate from where she stood. Ashira dared to bake him chocolate chip cookies, their favorite. Exactly how Davina used to.

The blonde girl laughed.

Davina focused on the white fabric in Ashira's hands.

A smirk appeared over Davina's face when she saw the baked goods turn hard as rock and black as Raven's soul before they fell out of Ashira's hands and onto the sand.

"I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened. I swear they weren't like this when I took them out of the oven."

Davina gazed upon the flowers that Isaiah had gifted to her and decided to do just the same. Smoke began to smother the basket as the roses wilted and died in color. Ashira shrieked and began to fan the flowers.

"These were for Miss Davina. I'm going to get punished," Ashira cried.

"It's okay, don't worry. We'll see what we can do about it right now," Ron reassured her as he kneeled to help pick up the burnt cookies from the sand, setting them back into the white towel.

As he dusted off the sand from the white fabric, Ron looked around before he locked eyes with Davina. He shook his head as disappointment flashed through his eyes.

Her smirk remained on her lips as she lifted her hand and slowly waved. She could almost hear him sighing as she turned and walked up the stoned staircase.

The victorious moment she rejoiced in ended when several Neptulus Soldiers ran out of Castellum and toward the Neptulan Bridge. Davina's smirk fell slowly as their boots clicked over the graveled steps. She rushed to the nearest Neptulan Soldier, grabbing the woman's arm.

"What happening? Why is everyone rushing to Neptulus?"Davina asked.

The woman's blonde braids whipped as she looked to her native Bridge and then at Davina. "The Dark Mistress sent Lowly Predators to Neptulus. I'm sorry, Captain, but I must go."

The Neptulan freed herself from Davina's grip.

"I'm going with you!" Davina yelled.

"It's best you don't. We were told to head to our island to identify the deceased Lowlys," the blue-uniformed Soldier explained before running after the rest of her Neptulan neighbors.

Davina sighed before rubbing her eyes. "Magnar, help me."