Chapter 21 #2
“We went to see Randall and he said he had a problem at a mountain not far from Grand Junction. He thought it was volcanic activity, but I was sure it wasn’t.
We were attacked by a pack of rogues. He clawed my back, and I kicked him off, but Jayden, he was already a rogue following Derek.
What would have happened if he became gods touched too? ”
“It would have been an absolute shit show for the shifter war that’s coming.” Jayden squeezes me. “You did the right thing. I would have done the exact same in the heat of the moment.”
“So why do I feel so guilty?” I clutch at his shirt.
“Because you’re a good person and you’ve never killed anything but a monster or something that was already dead.
You can’t let the guilt eat at you. He made his choice to become a rogue and follow Derek.
He made the choice to attack you all, knowing full well he might not survive. This wasn’t about you.”
“It doesn’t feel that way.”
“No, I guess it doesn’t. Did I tell you about my time on the streets after my mom died before my father found me and took me to the safe house?” he asks.
“Not really. You kind of glossed over it.” I glance up at his face.
“And with good reason. My powers manifested when I was afraid and alone. A nice woman bought me a kid’s meal from McDonalds one night and a teenager and his friends circled me and were going to take my food.
I hadn’t eaten in I don’t remember how many days and I wanted those chicken nuggets. ” His gaze is far away.
I grip his shirt tighter.
“One of the guys pulled a knife out of his pocket and held it to my throat. I was terrified and my shadows burst out of me, slashing at the teenager until they killed him. That’s how the furies found me. Crying on the ground, covered in the kid’s blood, clutching that damn Happy Meal.”
“Oh gods, Jayden. That’s terrible. You were just a kid, though,” I gasp.
“Oh, I know that now, but at the time I was scared out of my mind. I did something terrible, and it haunted me for a long time. It was a long time before I realized that the choice was taken from me by his choice to pull that knife on me. That rogue took the choice from you when he attacked you.”
I take a deep breath and the weight I’ve been carrying since I killed that rogue lifts from my chest. I glance up at him with a small smile.
“Thank you. I definitely needed that. And I’m sorry you went through that so young.” I wrap my arms around him tighter.
A knock on the door pulls me up short from kissing him and I turn.
“B, I brought food,” Raven calls through the door.
“Dammit, Raven,” Jayden mutters under his breath.
“I need food, Jayden.” I push his chest, laughing.
My stomach takes this as its cue to growl loudly. Jayden sets me down on the bed and moves to the door of my dorm, opening it.
“Oh good. You’re still dressed.” Raven grins. “Our girl expended a ton of magic in the last few days and needs to eat a proper meal before any bedroom activities.”
“Hades, Raven. What the fuck?” Jayden growls.
“You know you love me. So, everything squared away? All good now?”
“Not all good but we’re getting there,” I say with a sigh.
“Food will make everything better.” Raven hands me a plate piled high.
“Not everything but it will shut up my growling stomach.” I pick up a rib and take a bite.
“So, what’s the plan? I feel like a sitting duck here in the academy.” Raven plops down on the bed next to me as the rest of our friends file in with plates of food.
“Did you guys clean out the cafeteria?” I ask.
“Nah, the harpies keep it stocked and will do anything for the prince of the underworld.” Thad chuckles.
“Shut it,” Jayden growls.
“I’m not wrong,” Thad says.
“I don’t know what the plan is at this point. We need to regroup, find out if we lost anyone, and have funeral rites performed if we did. Once that’s done, we shore up our defenses and prepare for the next attack,” I say.
“We have Hephaestus’ army now. Are we sure they are going to attack us again?” Greyson asks. “Maybe the rest of the war is being fought in Olympus?”
“I don’t think that’s the case. I wouldn’t be the one who needs to save everything and then just wait around for the gods to fight the final battle. There has to something more. The queen is going to bring this war to us one way or another.”
“I think you’re right,” Adrian says. “You’re too important not to be a part of the final battle.”
“You haven’t seen it?” I raise a brow at him.
“I’ve seen it, yes, but I can’t tell you anything.” Adrian shrugs. “You know that.”
“Fine. I know you can’t tell us anything.” I flop back on the bed.
“What I can tell you is that we have a little downtime before the final hurdle.”
“Okay, so that’s something the queen never gives me… a break before the storm.” I sit back up and continue to eat in silence.
A bolt of lightning flashes out the window and I wince. The gods are fighting and we’re the only ones who know anything is going on. Will my father be able to defeat his wife? Will they win this war so everything can continue in this world?
“Have you heard anything from Hades?” I ask Jayden.
“No, which is somewhat odd. He would normally be contacting me to tell me everything. It’s bothering me more since Artemis left to go hunt an underworld beast that’s running loose in Olympus.” Jayden rolls his shoulders back with a sigh.
“I’m sure he’s fine. I just wish I knew what was happening. The chaotic weather patterns make me nervous.”
“We’ll know what’s happening soon enough. It’s our time of rest before everything pops off again,” Adrian says.
“And pop off it will,” I mumble.
Jayden threads his fingers through mine as I continue to eat with my other hand. Why couldn’t that have been the final battle? It couldn’t be that easy, though. Just an army of Hephaestus’ automatons wouldn’t deter the queen from what she wants.
“All we can do is rest and prepare for what’s to come, baby.” Jayden squeezes my hand.
“How can we prepare? We have no idea what’s coming next.” I raise the fork with fluffy mashed potatoes and gravy to my lips.
“Just like you said. We rest, then tomorrow we assess the damage, find out if we lost anyone in the night, have the funeral rites for anyone we lost, and then fortify our defenses. That’s all we can do right now.”
“Yeah, you’re right. That’s about all we can do right now.” I lower my shoulders.
Adrian slumps over in his chair, convulsing again, and Thad lowers him to the floor on his back.
“What in Hades is going to happen now?” I huff.
“Who knows? Anything is possible at this point.” Raven leans back against my headboard.
I toss a pillow to Thad. “Put that under his head. Just because he’s having a vision doesn’t mean he has to be uncomfortable.”
Thad places the pillow under Adrian’s head, and we eat in silence as we wait for Adrian to wake from his vision. He finally wakes up, gasping for breath and scanning the room wildly.
“It was my father. The gods are lagging in their fight. We may be called upon sooner rather than later.” Adrian covers his eyes with his elbow.
“Shit. Called upon? For what? Will the fight come to us?” I ask.
“I can’t say much more than that. We just need to be ready. We will be called upon for the end of the battle.” Adrian’s gaze locks on mine.
“What about the underworld beast Artemis is hunting? Does anyone know what it is?” Jayden asks.
“Not exactly an underworld beast, just someone we trapped in Tartarus.” Adrian shrugs.
“We trapped it in Tartarus or the gods?” I gasp.
“We did.” Adrian nods.
“It’s not Typhon, right?” I sit up straighter on the bed.
“You got it in one.” Adrian taps his temple.
“Artemis can’t hunt that asshole alone.”
“She’s not alone. She has Orion with her and she’s a goddess, babe. She’s not weak.” Jayden rubs my back.
“I know but we faced him as a group and barely made it out. She needs help.” I wring my hands together.
What will this new world we are walking into look like without the goddess of the hunt?