Page 134 of Zeus' Spark
Finally he gets it.
If he treated me like this before it became dire and there was no other way, then maybe things wouldn’t be so broken between us right now.
I nod once and blow out a breath before sprinting out of the trees.
Ten feet from the cave, a shriek fills the air.
I curse. Shit, one of the scary bitches sees me.
I peer over my shoulder just as Jayden pulls out his shield, blocking the Empusa from getting to me. But the shriek alerted the others to my presence.
I pump my legs harder, going faster. I don’t dare look over my shoulder to glance at them as they stalk behind me. Their bellows of rage follow me and a shiver racks me.
Nails scrape my skin just as I make it through the cave mouth.
Pain sears through me, but I crash through the electricity covering the cave just in time. I land on the rocky ground five feet away. The stench of burned flesh and ash hits me.
A scream of pain from whatever monster grabbed me chills me to my bones. I turn to the glowing blue electricity.
The monsters can’t even pass through it? That seems like bad planning to me.
They had to know I was going to come for them.
I bend over, breathing heavily as I check out the new scratches on my biceps. It’s not as bad as the dryad caused before though.
The buzzing energy washes over me, comforting me in a way that feels forced. Like it’s lulling me into a false sense of security.
There is nothing safe or calming about a cave system full of dangers and monsters waiting to kill and probably eat me.
The dark stone of the cave walls cause unease to crawl over my skin. The only light is from the electricity zapping off my whip.
Shadows swirl over the walls and floor. They’re like fingers reaching for me as they slither toward the light.
It’s creepy, and I hate that this is what I have to do.
Alone.
A buzzing fills the air as I tiptoe silently down the tunnel, deeper into the cave.
I get to a crossroads, and soft, whimpering voices come from the right, but there’s a pull to the left that practically mesmerizes me.
Shit. I need to save the students, but they will be fine for a few more minutes. I need the spark.
My feet move almost of their own accord to the left, knowing in my gut there is something important this way.
It has to be where they’re keeping the spark.
Guilt tugs at my gut for leaving the students even longer when anything can happen, when the enemy knows there is a rescue team in the valley.
I send up a prayer to my dad that nothing bad will happen to them while I’m going after the spark so my friends can get inside and free the students from the enchanted rope.
The dark tunnel is drafty, and a smell of magic tickles my nose the farther I go.
A light flickers at the end of the cavern, and I quicken my pace. The tunnel opens up into a larger cave.
“What the fuck?” I whisper.
A scepter stands at the back of the large space, crackling with blue electricity, but that isn’t what has me cursing.
