Page 52 of Zeus' Spark
Hessie nods and steps aside. Gigi looks torn but also steps aside.
“Thank you,” I say, and I mean it.
I didn’t want to fight them, and now I don’t have to.
I take quick steps back to the passenger side of the car and start to get in when a hand on my arm stops me.
“I think these will help. You can call the winds with it, but only use it in dire situations. It is very limited.” Thia hands me a bag with a beautiful bronze box inside that depicts Eurus, the god of the east winds, with a swirling vortex on it.
“It’s beautiful, Thia. Thank you. What is this?” I start to pull out the small, plain box that’s in there as well, but she stops me.
“Open that when you are away from Hesperia,” she whispers urgently and winks at me.
I can only imagine what she did to help us and how many rules she just broke for me, so I nod and get in the car.
“What’s that?” Jayden asks as I set the bag gingerly on the floor.
“I’ll tell you when we’re out of here.” I roll down my window. “Thanks again for everything, Thia. I hope our paths cross again someday.”
She smiles slightly. “No offense to you, Beth, but I don’t.”
I nod in understanding. She doesn’t leave the garden, so whatever happens, we won’t cross paths again unless I’m sent to the garden, and that’s not something either of us wants to have to deal with.
“Fair point. Bye.” I roll the window up as Jayden pulls past the other two Hesperides.
They eye us warily, but they let us pass. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Don’t relax too much, Beth. I won’t be comfortable until we hit Barstow.” Jayden is tense, his posture rigid and his knuckles white.
I turn, seeing Raven watching out the back window. “Right, they could change their minds at the last minute and pop out of nowhere. Let’s just get the fuck out of here.”
I don’t blame them. It was close there for a bit. Thankfully, we got through that with everything intact. Including our lives.
We speed down the road until we get to the highway, and as soon as we merge onto the road, we all let out a collective breath.
They aren’t the only ones who know where we are now though, and I know there will be monsters.
“We’re going to need gas. I say we stop in Barstow, and Beth? Try not to electrocute yourself again this time.” Jayden chuckles, and I flip him off.
“What do you mean ‘again’?” Raven smacks me on my shoulder from the back. “You electrocuted yourself? How is that even possible? Lightning literally comes from you.”
“She broke a pipe and used her electricity to barbeque the Minotaur. It backfired, and she was thrown ten feet and cracked her skull open.” Jayden has no problem telling that story and laughing at my expense.
I reach out a hand and zap him just a tiny bit, and the car swerves as he curses.
“That’s what you get. Asshole,” I grumble.
I cross my arms over my chest.
He glares at me. “Yeah, but you’re going to cause an accident doing that shit.”
“Then stop telling all my secrets, jerk,” I growl back.
Raven laughs hysterically in the back of the car. “I knew you fought the Minotaur and killed it, but you never told me how.” She cackles between each word.
I roll my eyes. “I was in the back of the gas station trying to find the bathroom, and the big ugly cornered me. I just started getting magic. I didn’t have a lot of options.”
“You could have used the crowbar you used on the pipes on the Minotaur until I found you,” Jayden puts in unhelpfully.
