Page 45 of Medusa

Maddie frowned, confused. Jaden had mentioned powers, but not what they were.

What kind of supernatural being is he?

“He has a few broken bones,” Chloe was saying. “How are you going to get him home?”

“I will fly him,” Augustine said. He turned to Maddie. “Can you come along to make sure he does not fall off?”

“Sure?”

Augustine spotted a duffel at one side of the room and picked it up before Chloe could stop him, going through it.

“This belongs to Jaden. Can I take it?”

Chloe shrugged. “Go for it. Missing anything?”

“His lucky die. It is blue.” Augustine passed the bag to Maddie and scooped up his brother, who protested even while unconscious. “Come on.”

Once outside, Augustine slung Jaden on his back and transformed into a giant purple dragon.

Maddie blinked. It had been such a swift transformation that she’d almost missed it. She scaled the offered forepaw and got a good grip on both Jaden and the dragon underneath them.

“I’m ready.”

CHAPTER12

She was flyingover Purgatory on the back of a dragon.

How many people got to say that?

Hera, probably.

She chuckled at the mental reminder.

She wasn’t able to enjoy it much, however; keeping the unconscious Jaden from slipping off the slippery purple scales of his dragon brother required her full attention. Her hair ruffled in the wind, whipping across her face as they flew.

They landed in the street in front of the brothers’ house so gently that she wasn’t even jostled. The third brother, whom she didn’t know, came running out of the house at their appearance, and helped Maddie get Jaden off the back of the purple dragon.

The instant she dismounted, Augustine returned to his human form, hurrying after the brown-haired brother to the house.

Maddie moved to follow them, but halted when Augustine turned to look at her.

“Can you get home safely?” he asked.

“Yes, but—”

Augustine cut her off. “He needs rest to eject the drug from his system and then recover from his injuries. You will not be able to help him.”

She could feel tears filling her eyes. She wasn’t sure if they were from anger or sadness. Probably a combination of the two.

The shifter bit his lip, anxiously looking over his shoulder at the house. “You should be able to come by after work tomorrow to check on him, if you wish to.”

“Yes!” Maddie clapped a hand over her mouth after her outburst. Her nostrils caught the scent of dried blood on her skin and she fought back her gag reflex as she dropped her hand again. “I’ll be here.”

“He will be all right,” Augustine said, putting a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. “Thanks to you.”

Maddie walked home and hopped in the shower in a daze, mentally reeling from the exhaustion of the last hour.

Was it only an hour?

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