Page 1 of Hades' Shadow
1
Raven flops on my bed, dramatically groaning. “This is stupid. We literally saved the school and they are punishing us for it.”
I peer up from the book I’m reading and roll my eyes at her. “Really? It’s just a bit of extra work.”
“But we saved the school. You would think that we wouldn’t have to make up the work we missed while we were gone,” she huffs.
Shaking my head, I turn back to my book. She is being ridiculous. She’s not exactly wrong. I was irritated when we got to ancient history this morning and Cross said he had assignments for us to complete for the time we were gone.
Every teacher except our training instructor had said much of the same. So now, instead of being out with our friends during what little free time we are allowed, we are sitting in my dorm room making up for classes we missed.
“I get it. I do, but seriously? You don’t need to be so dramatic,” I say with a shake of my head.
I peer up just as she launches one of my pillows at my head and rolls away, letting it sail across the room and hit the wall with a thud. Feathers go flying and a growl escapes me. “What the fuck, Raven? You just ruined my pillow.”
“I am not dramatic.” She glares at me.
“Oh, really? My pillow might tell a different story on that.” I raise an eyebrow at her.
“They should have at least given us the extra work last week when classes were canceled so they could rebuild. This feels like double duty.” She rolls to her back and stares at the ceiling.
Not much of this work is going to get done with her here. “That would have been a lot better, but it is what it is. We have to pass our classes. Our lives may depend on knowing some of this.”
Has she completely forgotten the number of monsters we encountered that Cross taught us? His teachings are the only reason we were able to defeat them and save the school.
“My life does not depend on me knowing calculus,” she says.
“Not calculus.” I sigh. “Ancient history and ancient Greek language.”
Raven sticks her tongue out at me. So very mature of her.
“Have you talked to Jayden?” Her swift subject change nearly gives me whiplash.
“Um, no.” I shake my head and glance back down at the textbook, but the words start to blur together.
“You two are ridiculous,” she groans, grabbing my other pillow and covering her face with it.
I snatch the pillow from her grip. I know the only reason I am able to is because she doesn’t expect it. As a daughter of Ares, she is incredibly strong. Evidenced by the feathers that are flying around my room from my pillow she murdered.
“How am I ridiculous? I was already mad at him for pulling his shit when he got all jealous and broody about your damn brother.” I hug the pillow to my chest. I refuse to let her destroy another one.
“I have one word for you. Mia.” She stares at me blankly, but there is so much there that she’s not saying.
I refused to talk to Jayden for months after he brought me to the academy because of the reception he got from Mia when we got here. I felt like he used me because his girlfriend wasn’t with him and he didn’t stop the daughter of Aphrodite from hanging on him all the time.
“I thought we agreed never to invoke that name in my sacred space.” I throw my hands up.
“Sorry.” She chuckles.
“You are not. He let that girl hang all over him for months and then refuses to speak to me because someone kissed me without my permission, and I pushed him away. Pot meet kettle.” I shake my head and lie on my stomach with my book in front of me. I need to get this work done.
“You do have a point there. Plus, you don’t let Dax hang all over you. I mean you barely tolerate my idiot brother’s presence when he follows you around like a lost little puppy.” She snickers.
“Oh gods, don’t remind me. I’m almost glad that we have extra work so I can escape the sad puppy dog look.” I lean my forehead into my ancient history book with a groan.
“He has that look perfected to a T, doesn’t he?” she says, grinning.
I don’t know why this woman is my best friend; she enjoys my pain way too much.
