Page 23 of Zeus' Spark
He really is gorgeous when he smiles, but I’m not here for college romance.
“It’s okay. It just stung a little.” I try to smile back, but Jayden scoffs, so I turn my scowl on him. “Do you have a problem, Jayden?”
“Yes, I do. You’re mine, and you’re letting him touch you,” Jayden growls.
Excuse me? What the fuck did he just say?
I’m about to lose all composure and zap the hell out of his pompous ass.
“I’m sorry, maybe you didn’t get the memo, but I do not belong to you or anyone else. You had your chance, Jayden. You broke my trust, and that’s it. Over. Done.” I remove my leg from Dax’s lap and stand, feeling a ton better with the cream on it.
“Thanks, Dax,” I call over my shoulder as I loop my arm through Raven’s and lead her back to the school.
I’m so done with this day, and it’s barely lunch.
How can Jayden not see that it is exactly as I said? I mean, when we got to Halfling Academy, I thought we were going to have this awesome relationship, and then Mia ran up and hugged him like he was hers.
Fool me once, shame on you. I don’t plan to be the fool for getting back with him after that.
“That was brutal,” Raven whispers at my side.
“I really don’t want to talk about it. It’s why I haven’t told you all of it. It hurt. And I don’t like to be vulnerable.”
“No one likes to be vulnerable, B, but bottling shit in like this makes situations like that so much worse. You just aired out all your issues with Jayden in front of Dax and me.” She squeezes my arm affectionately. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
“I do, but I’m a private person.” I shrug.
She already knows this about me, and though I have never been super clear about what happened between Jayden and me, she knows that he hurt me, even though she thinks I should talk to him. The traitor.
“Jayden was never with Mia, B. She’s a clingy idiot who has chased after him the last year.” She bumps her shoulder with mine.
Raven has been at the academy for going on three years now. She and Jayden know more about the academy and the people since I’d been in hiding before I turned eighteen.
When Rebecca found me and told me about Halfling Academy, I was wary. I thought she was crazy, but when I was eighteen, I was attacked by monsters. My mother was murdered by them.
If it weren’t for Jayden fighting off that monster the night I spoke to Rebecca, I may not have even come to the academy.
I always knew there was something different about me. I knew my mother moved us around for a reason.
“It doesn’t matter. He didn’t push her away, Raven. I’m done with this conversation.”
She shakes her head sadly but thankfully doesn’t bring anything else up as an Apollo student comes racing up the quad. I forget his name, though I think we have ancient history together.
“Bethany. I need to speak with you, please,” he says.
“I’m sorry, who are you?” Raven saves me from being an asshole, thank the gods.
“Adrian. I’m an Apollo descendant. You know, god of prophecy?” he says impatiently and bends forward, taking deep breaths as if he is winded.
“So, are you saying that you can see the future?” I say, slowly raising a brow at him.
Apollo has many talents, and yes, prophecy is one of them, but do his kids have that ability? I cross my arms over my chest as I wait for this strange person to tell me what it is he needs to say.
“I can, but I don’t think this is prophecy. I think it’s a message, a plea from your father for help… A message for you.” He wrings his hands as he word-vomits all over the place.
What the hell? Zeus is asking for my help? No. I have to help the academy.
“Wait a second. Why the hell would I do anything for Zeus? The Oracle said we have to help save the school and the missing students. I can’t just forget about them because my father, who has never acknowledged my existence before now, asks for my help.”
