Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Raven clings to Greyson as they pick through the grove of peach trees. Luckily, no dryads come fuck with her or I might lose my shit right now.
“I don’t think we should stop and rest. We’re so close to Florida.” I lean back in my seat.
“You can barely hold your eyes open and I swear your stomach snarled at me a minute ago,” Jayden says.
“I used too much magic. I can sleep while we move.” I shrug.
“We’re all tired and hungry, baby. That giant wouldn’t go down easy, even for the nine of us. He was a beast.” Jayden reaches over, squeezing my thigh.
“I get it, but Hades did us a solid getting us this close and I hate slowing down when we’re this close.” My stomach chooses this moment to rumble, loud and angry.
Damn it. My own body is betraying me.
“Food first and then somewhere to rest. I’m not taking no for an answer,” Jayden growls.
“Are mom and dad arguing again?” Raven attempts to joke but it’s a broken whisper.
My heart aches that much more for my friend. “How are you, bestie?”
“I understand it now. The terror and why you suffered so much after the mission for the trident,” she croaks.
This is bullshit. I never wanted her to understand my terror and pain. Because I knew she would have to live through it to truly understand.
“I’m so sorry that you do.” Tears burn the backs of my eyes as I speak but I refuse to let them fall. “I didn’t want you to understand it.”
The SUV is silent as we stare at each other. Jayden pulls me into his lap across the center console and presses a kiss to my temple.
“Hey, guys? I’m here. You guys did what needed to be done to save me. We all watch each other’s backs. Always.” Greyson waves a hand at us.
“There for a bit she thought you were dead, man,” Dax says. “We all did. I beat that bastard’s skull to dust with a rock to avenge my sister.”
“You did that for me?” Raven sniffles. “I thought you did it because Beth asked you to.”
“That was part of it too, but I relished in it to avenge my little sister.” Dax grins.
“And you’re sitting next to me in dire need of a shower,” Kira says.
“So, no one is going to mention the black lightning?” Draven asks with a raised brow.
“I don’t know what that was. I was spent already and then that happened with Greyson and Raven had completely given up on everything and I just… I just fucking snapped, okay? I lost it and that was the result.” I shake my head.
“You fucking gave up?” Greyson growls. “After the sacrifice I made for you.”
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” I glare at Draven.
“All right, let’s all calm down and figure out where we are going to stay to rest and regroup.” Jayden lifts me from his lap back into my seat. “Is anyone else injured?”
“Just a few scratches,” Kira mumbles.
“What scratches?” Dax’s gaze snaps to Kira next to him and he grips her arms, checking her over.
“I said I’m fine,” she says.
“You shouldn’t have been scratched at all,” Draven snarls.
“It was battle and they are messy. Scratches happen. I’ll be fine.”
“We’ll see to them when we get to a hotel,” Draven says, ignoring her.
A strangled noise escapes Kira and a chuckle escapes me.
“Sorry, it’s really not funny. I just know how you feel with the overbearing alpha male energy.” I shrug.
“There’s a lot of it in this vehicle right now,” Raven says with a groan.
Her eyes are red-rimmed and the usual bright blue is dull. I have never seen her so wrecked in my life and I hate it. Greyson pulls her into his lap with a growl.
“We’re going to have a conversation about self-preservation even if I’m gone. I can’t believe you gave up when you thought I was dead.” He leans his head against her shoulder.
“All right, everyone is having conversations so apparently no one is sleeping anyway so we should just get food and keep going,” I say hopefully.
“Agreed,” Raven and Kira say together.
“Nice try, love. You’re dead on your feet and so are the rest of us.” Jayden swats my thigh.
“It was worth a shot.” I flop back in my seat.
“I’m not even sure how you thought that would work with drooping eyes and your stomach rumbling like a chainsaw,” Kira says with a giggle. “We’re dealing with alphaholes here.”
I turn around in my seat and stick my tongue out at her, but Kira just blows me a kiss. Maybe we’re rubbing off on her. She is definitely fitting in with mine and Raven’s crazy.
“We’re going now.” Jayden starts the engine. “Greyson, you have any idea where we are?”
“Not really. We should stop at a gas station so I can buy a map,” Greyson says, then grimaces.
Jayden tenses and his hands tighten to a white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel. None of the guys particularly care for gas stations on these missions. That’s where crazy Aggie comes to play with them. Us girls think it’s hilarious but the guys not so much.
“Do they even sell maps at gas stations anymore?” I ask, tapping my chin.
“That’s where we got a map on the first mission when we lost the old one to the demon pigeons," Greyson says.
"Okay then, let's find a gas station.” I grin and turn to Kira. “You’re in for a treat. A gas station always means Aggie and I think she dislikes Draven even more than Jayden and Greyson.”
“Rude,” Draven says.
“Warranted,” I sing. “You may have proven yourself recently, but for a long time you were a complete jackass.”
“That’s fair,” Kira says, poking him in the chest.
“Yes, darling. That is more than fair.” He kisses her temple.
“Aggie beat the crap out of him with the cane the last time he was with us. She didn’t like the way he was acting. The fates give you a destiny, but they can’t control how someone reacts to what they have to endure,” Adrian says cryptically.
“Thanks for that. I’m hoping to make up for the bullshit way I acted from now on,” Draven grumbles.
“You already have a good start,” I say as we round the bend in the road.
A gas station comes into view and several male groans fill the SUV. Thad and Dax sit back and watch like they don’t have a care in the world which makes sense. Neither of them have been the focus of Aggie’s wrath.
“You okay, Adrian?” I ask. “Why are you concerned? Aggie never messes with you.”
“They gave me that crazy vision that delayed us a whole day. While I get that it was for our own good and I’m grateful to be able to guide our journey and your destiny, I can’t help but think had they gone easier on me, we wouldn’t have been sent to the fae realm.”
“We also wouldn’t already be hours from our destination only days after we left instead of over a week.
Yes, we need to stop for food and rest, but if we had met Argus after nearly a week of travel, we probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now.
That giant was strong,” I say. “Greyson nearly died.”
I’m probably never going to forget that battle and Greyson flying into action. It will haunt me until the day I die. No matter how long I live, that will be a nightmare I can’t escape. If I hadn’t become friends with Raven, she and Greyson wouldn’t be in this mess of a war.
They wouldn’t have even met, Jayden’s voice in my mind startles me.
Can you read my mind now?
I don’t need to. The guilt is written all over your face, my love. You’re questioning life choices, but you can’t go through life with no one to lean on. That’s no way to live.
The pain of possibly losing everyone I care about is unbearable, Jayden.
You will bear it. You know why?
Why? I ask.
“Because you doom us to feel that same pain if you sacrifice yourself for us,” he whispers.
“What the fuck was that?” Raven snarls. “No. You aren’t still thinking about this, right? Did you see what just happened? Do you have any idea how much worse it would be if you sacrifice yourself? Greyson is my mate but you’re my soul sister.”
“I’m not even mad because she’s right.” Greyson shrugs. “You’re the glue. We can’t survive without you, so deal with it.”
“That was rude,” Raven snaps at him.
“I’m not sacrificing myself,” I shout over everyone.
I grip my hair on each side of my head and lower my head between my knees as my chest heaves and I attempt to breathe normally.
They all have things to say about the possibility of me sacrificing myself and giving the queen what she wants, but they shouldn’t be threatened because I exist. They shouldn’t have to go through any of this because of me.
“They are trials, my love. They are testing all of us and we are up for it. We want to prove we are worthy of the new world the fates are promising. You can’t take that from us because you think we deserve better and would have better if you didn’t exist. Don’t you realize that no one’s life would be better if you didn’t exist? ”
I glance around the SUV at all the angry faces of my friends and remember a time when I didn’t have this many people who cared about me. I didn’t have anyone who would fight for me. Fuck, if they’re all willing to fight and possibly die at my side, then I can’t take that from them.
“I’m sorry. I won’t consider taking the choice out of your hands again,” I say.
“Good,” Adrian says. “Because this war isn’t the only one on the horizon and the realms need you to at least be present.”
“That was cryptic as shit.” Thad nudges Adrian with his shoulder.
“Cryptic has to be my middle name for so much. I blame the fates or my father.” Adrian shrugs.
“We’re here,” Jayden says with trepidation. “Wonder what new horrors Aggie has in store for us this time.”
“Dude,” Draven says. “Did you just invoke her? Fuck, I’m so screwed.”
“The last time we met, she went apeshit on me, telling me not to make Beth choose. I’m pretty sure I’m the bigger target.” Jayden unbuckles his seat belt. “Are you girls going to get snacks while we fend off the crazy old lady?”
“I probably wouldn’t call her that,” I say. “But yes, we’ll get snacks.”
My stomach rumbles and Raven’s joins the chorus. Everyone chuckles and I flip them the bird.
“We used a ton of magic. Don’t judge us.” I roll my eyes.