Chapter 20
“We have to find the others,” I shout over the crashing of blades and screaming.
A few demigods spot us and cheers ring out through our allies.
“You’re back.” Sara jogs over to us. “Just in time too; our forces are lagging. They don’t know how to do this like you guys.”
“That’s okay, we brought reinforcements.” I crack my whip at a lizard demon attempting to claw Sara’s back.
“Shit. Thanks for that. I got distracted.” Sara whirls around just as the demon crumbles to ash. “We’ve just been hoping for a miracle. The queen threw everything at us at once.”
“It hasn’t been a picnic for us either. I’ll have to tell you about it another time.” I scan the battlefield but there’s no sign of Jayden or the others. “Where’s Jayden?”
“Would you believe that this isn’t the front lines? This is what spilled through the line.” Sara waves her sword around.
“Is Jayden on the front?” I ask. “Of course he is; he will always do what needs to be done.”
“Yeah, we tried to convince him to stay back but he refused. He’s stubborn.” Sara swings her blade as we move through monsters and demigods to get to the front lines.
“Yeah, like me. I always lead from the front.” I flick my whip at a demon who is ganging up with another demon on an Apollo kid I don’t know.
“That’s the sign of a great leader.” Sara slashes at another demon sneaking up behind Brody.
“You’re back.” Brody spins toward us. “With Hephaestus.”
I grip the charm to call the automatons to me. “Help the demigods who are under attack by monsters only. Leave all humans alone.”
The automatons spread out through the courtyard, attacking demons and monsters as they come across them. Brody glances at me, impressed we managed to come back with an army, but the monsters back away from the new threat.
“How many demigods came to fight for the queen?” I ask.
“Not many. The shifters and the first group of automatons you sent have steered clear of them for the most part and a few of us have taken to just knocking them out and putting them in the dungeon.” Sara raises her shield as a demon attempts to claw her face and I flick my whip, disintegrating it.
“Good. We can’t be sure that they’re here of their own free will or if they are being controlled.” I step over a fallen log covered in ash and Raven grunts behind me.
“You would think they would be focused on the battle going on than slapping me with their branches,” Raven growls.
“At this point, I think it’s a game to them. I don’t even think they remember why they were mad.” I duck a branch that swings toward my head.
“At least they’re here. It was weird being in the forest and not encountering a single dryad or feeling their presence.” Kira shivers.
Sara leads us deeper into the forest close to the wards where I witnessed the first Ares student leaving under Hera’s control. The clash of metal against flesh and the scent of burning wood assault my senses the closer we get to the front lines.
The second we cross the tree line, I scan the battlefield for any sign of Jayden or the others. Whispers turn to cheers as the demigods on our side spot us coming.
“Help them with the monsters only,” I command Hephaestus’ army.
The monsters freeze as the golden automatons advance on them before they pop out of existence without putting up another fight.
“I knew you would get here on time.” I whirl to find Adrian, bow and quiver strapped to his back and mud on his face.
“How did you guys do? Has anyone died?” I ask, scanning the battlefield.
“We’ve had a few serious injuries, but I don’t know about any casualties. I have been here killing monsters the whole time.” Adrian shrugs.
“That is the best use of your time.” I nod. “Have you seen Jayden, Thad, or Dax?”
“No, I have been with the archers in the trees, providing cover for our forces. I’m sure they’re fine, though. Especially now that the hammer is back with Hephaestus and you have his automaton army.”
“You saw all this, didn’t you?” I wave him forward so we can wade through the demigods to find Jayden and the others.
“It was only in a couple timelines. I had to be careful of what I said. The monsters may have retreated, but there are still dangers to face. I’m just not sure which way this will go.”
“Well, I don’t want to know. I’m going to operate under the belief that they retreated to regroup but will be back.” I glance over at an Athena girl holding a boy up, trying to limp off the battlefield. “We need to triage people and get them to the healers.”
“I’ll go help her. Jayden is probably at the very front of the battle. He wouldn’t listen when we asked him to hang back as the leader who needed to make decisions.” Adrian shakes his head and jogs off.
“Stubborn,” I growl.
“Like you wouldn’t do the same?” Raven bumps my shoulder.
“Yeah, I definitely would but he would throw a fit about needing me protected and blah, blah, blah.”
“Like that ever stops you. There were plenty of times on this trip we asked you not to risk yourself and you always did,” Raven scoffs.
Several demigods wave at us with wide smiles as they greet us on the battlefield.
Many walk around, lifting up friends with injuries and helping them to the healers.
Dax jogs up and doesn’t say a word; he just picks up Kira and spins her around in a circle.
Kira laughs as she grips Dax tighter, burying her face in his neck. I turn away, giving them privacy.
“You’re really here. Really safe,” Dax says with a sigh.
“I was never in any danger. Beth made sure that none of us were in danger but her.”
“Jayden was not pleased. He sparred with me or Thad the entire time to get out his anger at the injuries she sustained,” Dax says with a laugh. “You’re in big trouble.”
“Yeah, yeah. Where is he?” I ask.
“Last I saw him, he was fighting the Nemean lion with his shadow chains.” Dax points to the line of the wards.
“Of course she sent that asshole back here.” I shake my head.
“She sent them all over again,” he says. “If Thad hadn’t stepped in, I would have made a mess with the hydra.”
“That bastard is tricky. I nearly messed that one up too. Don’t feel bad.” I pat his shoulder.
“Beth.” I snap my head in Jayden’s direction as I hear his voice.
Shadows wrap around me, and I’m hauled into a muscled chest. Jayden’s lips crash down on mine, and I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer. My fingers thread through his hair as he deepens the kiss.
“I missed you so much,” I breathe against his lips.
“You’ve only been gone a few days.” He chuckles. “But yeah, that was torture. Never again. You go into battle, I’m at your side.”
“No arguments here.” I bury my face in his neck.
“I’m glad to see you in one piece. I swear you scared a few decades off my life calling me while you were bleeding and shit.” Jayden’s arms tighten around me.
“You look like you fared better than I did. You’re not injured after fighting all those monsters?” I glance down his body, and from what I can see, he’s in one piece.
“I’m fine but we’re running low on the elixir. The Gorgons ran amok through our front line before we could take them out, and that’s the only thing that can heal the stone.” Jayden sets me on my feet.
“Yeah, we have a bottle we haven’t used a lot of it because we can’t use it too much. Day one I had to take it.” I wince.
“I’m gonna find out how much of that was necessity and how much was you being reckless,” Jayden whispers in my ear, making me shiver.
“It was all necessary. I don’t want to talk about this now. Where did you put the statues?” I glance away from him.
“What happened? Why don’t you want to talk about it?” He grips my arms.
“Not now, Jayden. We need to help our friends. We can talk about this later.” I turn away from him, not wanting to discuss the shifter incident but knowing it’s going to weigh on me forever.
I grab the medical bag from Greyson and start toward the academic building where the healers’ office is located before Jayden catches up to me. He turns me around and we head for the dorms instead.
“The academic building is toast. They went for that first, probably knowing that’s where our healers were.” Jayden steers me along.
Thad jogs up, yelling, “They fully retreated, and I didn’t see why.”
Jayden tugs me forward into Thad’s line of sight. “Beth brought us an army.”
“Beth, you made it,” Thad shouts and wraps me in a friendly hug. “This guy was insufferable while you were gone.”
“Dax said something similar.” I chuckle. “Where are the students who got turned to stone?”
“We have them on the first floor of the dorm building in the common area. We couldn’t send them to the healers because of the fire.” Thad points back over his shoulder.
“How many of them are there?” I ask.
“Ten demigods and several monsters were hit with the Gorgon’s sight, but we smashed the monsters into pieces.” Jayden squeezes my hand.
“Okay, let’s save our friends from stone and then regroup.” I run a hand through my hair. “Where are the wolves? We’re going to need to check on them.”
“They are camped out on the other side of the wards. They are really sensitive to them and don’t like being inside them unless they’re in battle,” Thad says.
“Okay. We’ll check on them after we heal these guys.” I push through the front doors to the dorm building. “Wow.”
There are more than ten demigods turned to stone. I glance between all of them, spotting Jackson among the statues. I race over to him and pull the bottle out of the bag. I unstop it and press three drops of the red liquid to his lips before taking a step back.
Stone crumbles around Jackson and falls to the floor. Jackson stiffens and lunges for me, but Jayden blocks the blow with his sword.
“Jackson, it’s over. The battle is won. Beth is on our side.” Jayden shoves him back.
“Beth? Shit. That’s fucking disorienting.” Jackson shakes his head.
“All good. Just glad we already figured out the antidote in that first battle all those months ago.” I wipe the dust from his shoulder.
“Where is Sara? Have you seen her?” Jackson asks.