Page 51 of Zeus' Spark
Jayden overcorrects the wrong way, and we nearly smash into the head. The car spins, and we are finally driving the right way.
Raven glares at him. “You’re lucky I don’t get carsick, bruh.”
“Did you just call me bruh?” Jayden chuckles, shaking his head.
“That’s reserved for the worst kinds of assholes like my brothers, and after that stunt, you,” Raven says and then giggles.
Jayden shakes his head. “Whatever. It was totally an accident, but it worked out, right? It’s much easier to drive forward than backward.”
He still has a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel.
We have to be going a hundred miles an hour, and that damn dragon is still hot on our heels. We just have a little way to get back to the highway and out of this town.
But then two figures appear in the street, their hands glowing with golden magic. Gigi and the third sister.
They’re goddesses of the sunset, so the bright-gold magic makes sense, but they’re blocking our way out.
Jayden stops the car, looking behind us to see the dragon stopped as well while waiting for the Hesperides’ directions.
“Do we get out and try to reason with them?” I chew my lip.
“Yes, let’s get out before their magic rips through our only transportation, and we end up stranded.” Jayden grimaces and puts the car in park but doesn’t turn it off.
That’s smart in case we need a quick getaway.
I push open my door, stepping out, hands raised in surrender, letting them know we just want to talk. “Look, we respect what you do here and have no interest in your apples or the gods’ treasures. We truly took a wrong turn, and we’re tired.”
“Then why did you run toward the garden?” That must be the third sister. Hessie is what Thia called her.
Thia pops in out of nowhere, standing in front of us. “I warned them you were here and told them of the back road out of town.”
“Thia, no. I don’t want you to get into trouble for helping us.” I step forward, but she shakes her head.
“It’s the right thing to do. We have been around for millennia and sometimes forget that humanity and even heroes aren’t always out for themselves.” She shakes her head at her sisters, putting her hands on her hips.
“We have orders,” Gigi says angrily. “You want to just ignore orders to make sure these heroes don’t live?”
“I’m not saying we ignore an order, but if we fail to stop them…” She shrugs. “Their mission is pure. They are trying to save other demigods who were taken from the academy. I sent a message to Rebecca last night, and she confirmed it.”
“She is a daughter of Zeus, though. Our mistress will not be pleased if she escapes us.” Hessie argues, letting her magic out again as if about to attack.
“And what will Zeus do to us if we kill his daughter, Hessie?” Thia taps her foot, letting her own golden magic pool in her hands.
“You would fight us for them?” Hessie says.
A thought occurs to me then. I’m not sure how the others will react to it, but I’m going to run with it.
“I also have a side mission from Zeus himself. I got it from an Apollo descendant just before we left for the mission to save the academy. He’s lost his spark, and it’s somehow connected to the missing students. Zeus will be extremely displeased if you stop us from returning his spark to him, don’t you think?” I say and pray it’s enough for them to let us go.
“His spark?” Thia gasps, turning to me with wide eyes. “You really should have started with that, Beth.”
“It’s not my main priority, and to be honest, I kind of forgot that part until right now.” I shrug. “Look, you don’t have to help us. Just turn the other way and let us pass. You can tell them whatever you want about what happened here. Just let us leave.”
The two Hesperides share shocked expressions, and the magic dies on their palms.
“You’re truly going to leave and are not after the treasures?” Hessie asks with a raised brow, looking to Jayden.
“We have no interest in the treasures here,” Jayden confirms. “We just need to get to the East Coast to find our friends.”
