Page 7 of Zeus' Spark
There is no way in hell I’m leading that lion back to the school.
“Split up now.” I dive to the side and roll to my feet just as the lion barrels over to where we were just standing.
It lets out a vicious roar that rattles my bones. It spins toward me. Its yellow eyes glimmer with rage as it crouches, ready to pounce.
Jayden is yelling, trying to get the creature’s attention, but just like I knew it would, it ignores him.
Backing up slowly, I scan the clearing, searching for anything I can use to distract it long enough to get on its back.
It pounces just as Jayden throws magic at him, but it bounces off his back and ricochets into Jayden, throwing him back ten feet. He hits the grass rolling.
Distracted by Jayden, I don’t get out of the way in time.
Pain sears through me as a claw slices into my shoulder. I scream but get up, knowing if I don’t, I’m dead for sure.
Every movement makes my shoulder burn in agony, and I clench and unclench the fist of my other hand.
There has got to be someone who can help with this.
Where the fuck is Raven? She lives for this shit, as a daughter of Ares. She should be here.
I don’t know what happened to Jayden or even if he’s okay, and blood is already soaking my uniform shirt.
My left arm is completely useless at my side. How the hell am I going to get out of this with just one arm?
“Beth,” Jayden screams.
I guess that answers the question about whether he’s okay. Shadows wrap around me, and I flinch. They slither over my skin like an oily caress. I shiver as the world goes dark.
What the hell is he doing?
Jayden’s arms wrap around me, and he spins me to face him.
“How did you do that?” I whisper as he inspects my bloody shoulder.
The lion roars, and its head thrashes back and forth, scanning the forest for me.
Somehow, Jayden’s shadows transported me to him, disorienting the lion.
Jayden’s hands move over me frantically. All attempts to bat him away fail.
Another roar shakes the ground as the lion looks around for its prey.
Me.
“Beth, you need to get to medical. Your shoulder is bad.”
“I can’t. It will follow me. Try to get on its back, and I will distract it. Stop being stubborn, Jayden.”
The lion’s eyes lock on me, and it snarls again. It found its prey.
“You are not doing that, Beth. You are already injured. I can’t lose you,” he yells, shaking my arms and making my shoulder scream in pain.
“Fuck, Jayden. Stop it,” I yell.
I bat his hands away, about ready to fucking zap him as I breathe deeply through my nose.
The earth beneath my feet shakes, and I peer over my shoulder to see the lion barreling toward us again.
