Page 132 of Zeus' Spark
Thank fuck she’s still alive. I straighten my shoulders and blow out a relieved breath.
She needs to fucking stay that way.
The cyclops lunges at her. She swings her ax, laughing loudly the whole time.
She is having more fun than she should be and drawing attention to herself to get me to the cave.
My role in this is definitely not calling out every monster within a mile radius.
The grassy valley is only a few hundred yards away when Jayden’s panicked shout reaches me from farther up the mountain. “Beth, behind you.”
I turn, ducking below a meaty fist, and lash out at scaled legs with my whip. I take the weird lizard monster off its feet.
It screeches as it hits the ground, convulsing from the electricity coursing through it. The skin on its legs sizzles, and the stench of burnt flesh fills the air.
I conjure a ball of lightning and launch it at the creature’s chest just as someone grabs me from behind.
I whirl around, ready to attack, only to find Jayden standing there, his eyes wild.
“You almost died.” He cups my cheek, and I pull back.
Hurt fills his eyes, but we can’t worry about that now.
“Now’s not the time.” I pat his shoulder.
I’m still mad at him, but he did just kind of save my life. I need him at my back if I have any chance of getting to the cave.
“Why aren’t they all just swarming?” I muse.
Jayden shrugs. “They aren’t used to working together, and many of the monsters are too dumb to learn, is what I’m guessing.”
“That’s good for us at least.” I take a step down, bracing myself to stumble, but the ground here is more solid. I breathe out a sigh of relief.
“Where are you going?” Jayden asks quietly.
“You see that outcropping of trees?” I ask, and he nods, following behind me. “It’s the closest cover to the cave. I need to get there.”
“I have an idea. Do you trust me?” Jayden asks with a raised brow.
I grumble under my breath because he doesn’t play fair, asking me to trust him when he doesn’t trust me.
“What was that?” He grins.
I want to zap him, but it would be a waste of energy.
“Me trusting you hasn’t been the issue the last few days, Jayden. What’s the plan?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
Instead of answering me, he wraps his shadows and his arms around me as we jump from our spot to the grouping of trees on the other side of the valley.
The warm caress of his shadows recedes, but his arms stay around me longer than appropriate.
I sigh.
His arms around me, holding me, feel so good, but we’re never going to be anything if he can’t trust me to take care of myself.
Calling me reckless is the first sign that he doesn’t, but I can’t focus on Jayden and my feelings right now.
I pat his arm and pull away gently, even if it’s not what I want to do.
