The Prophecy ( The Replacement Trials #1)

Chapter 10

Nimue's POV

We had been walking for a while and it was obvious that we were all exhausted. Choosing to set up camp for the night we pitched our tents and listened to the faint sounds of Catarina telling Collin that if he didn't stop singing, she was going to drown him. I felt it was slightly aggressive, but Aura thought it was hilarious. Ignoring her threats, Collin's song continued, and I had to admit that the longer his performance went on the less I felt Catarina's plan was uncalled for.

"We should eat before one of us murders him." Cat grumbles as she edges away from the bard who was too consumed in his song that he hadn't noticed she'd left.

"He's going to attract attention. Unwanted attention specifically. All we can do is hope that the Plague's soldiers aren't roaming around this far into the brush." Aura responds as she ladles out some of Reina's potato and beef stew. The nymph was off searching for nutrients for her hydrangea. The last time she forgot to feed it, she fainted, and Cat had to enchant her plant so that it only needed care roughly once a month. So far, the spell was holding. We had been on the road for two months now and it was hard to believe that these people had become my family. It was nice to sit around a fire and talk without having to hear about how if I worked just that little bit harder, I could almost be like my older sister. She had always been favoured, and it was only amplified when the King acknowledged her ability to create weapons. As a Balkas elf, it was important to have a career that had some significance to the family history, ours being weaponry and being a part of the King's guard. This was my last chance to win the love of my parents.

As we ate, stories of past fights were exchanged, and it surprised me how many times Menidise had been attacked. Apparently not very many people appreciated a banshee showing up to tell you that your death was coming. Evidently, Aura had the most stories since she'd been at the Academy for so long and I was a pretty close second. The least number of adventures came from Collin who's only dangerous encounter was when he died. Menidise lets out a snort when he gives us the rundown for a third time, and I cock my eyebrow at her; waving me off she gives me a look that says she'll tell me later.

"As enjoyable as this conversation is, we should discuss how we're going to go about defeating the Plague. Now that we have more people, we can have more eyes on the dance floor. This ball is our only chance at getting to the entire organization all at once." Only Aura would be thinking about battle when we're trying to bond over past violent encounters. She was always one to take charge and ensure that all possible outcomes were considered. Her teams always returned to the Academy uninjured and accounted for. A skill I was always jealous of since my troops almost always ended up with an injury or two that could have been avoided had I taken into consideration all the possible scenarios.

"Does that mean we get to wear fancy dresses? And dance with strangers?" Catarina bounces in her seat and I can't help but remember the child she resembled when we first met, as much as she tries to appear tough it's becoming increasingly obvious that she isn't as strong as she wants to be and she knows that she never will. My heart went out to her because the poor girl believed that without her magic, she'd be just like every other girl. But in my opinion, she was the glue that held us together. Without her, Reina wouldn't have joined us, I'd be dead, Collin would still be in the same situation he'd been in when we'd found him, trying to find a job, Menidise would be wandering the realm looking for death and Aura would still be toiling in her destructive thoughts.       

"Yes, we get to wear dresses and Collin gets to wear a suit. We get to indulge in sophisticated foods and elegant dances. But, don't forget why we're truly there. To fight and win." Were her last words before she got up and entered her tent. Aura was never someone who enjoyed being in the company of people for a long time and it appeared that her social interaction meter had reached its limit. I shook my head when Reina made a move to go check on her and she sat back down, sulking slightly at the fact that she couldn't follow her maternal instincts. She had become a mother figure to the group. Patting her shoulder, Menidise got up as well, though she didn't head to the tent she shared with Reina, she went for a walk through the woods. No alarm was raised because she couldn't die here, Catarina had spelled us to be impenetrable as long as we stayed near her.