Page 100 of Hades' Shadow
“What happens if he can’t pull the magic out of her?” I ask softly.
“She will turn,” Heracles says with a sympathetic frown.
“She will turn? What do you mean? She’ll turn into a demon?” I ask in horror.
“Not quite like a demon but similar,” Theseus says, shaking his head.
I turn back to Jayden. His eyes are downcast. I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t want to be in his position either.
“Why does it have to be Jayden? Am I capable of doing it?” I asked, turning back to the demigods.
“It would turn you just as easily as it’s turning your friend. The son of Hades is a part of the underworld, so the magic won’t turn him,” Heracles says with a sigh.
“He’s right. I was hit with the magic earlier when I tackled you. It didn’t affect me,” Jayden says and puts his hands over Raven’s chest.
Her skin is ashen, but her chest is rising and falling with each breath. If I hadn’t seen magic hit her and the pallor of her skin, I would think she is just sleeping.
Raven’s back arches and a scream tears through her lips as black inky magic drifts out of her to Jayden’s hands. It’s working but slowly.
“It’s hurting her,” I whisper and grab her hand.
Raven’s hand squeezes mine and I grit my teeth. This was a bad fucking idea. Her strength is unmatched and any minute now she’s going to snap the bones in my hand.
A little more magic pulls out of her and her screams only grow louder. Adrian moves to take her hand but I warn him off.
“Don’t. She’s too strong,” I say through gritted teeth.
Adrian glances at me and grimaces, pulling his hand back.
“Are you okay, Beth?” Adrian asks.
Sweat beads down my forehead and I breathe deeply, even as Raven squeezes the hell out of my hand.
“I’ll be fine. I just wish this was moving faster.”
Jayden peeks at me and frowns. “I’m trying.”
“Just concentrate. I got this,” I say, shaking my head.
I have my other hand clenched in a tight fist. My nails dig into the flesh of my palm to distract me from the pain she’s causing.
Theseus steps closer. “We need her to be quiet. She will attract every demon in the area with her screams.”
“Adrian, see if there’s something in there she can bite down on.” I nod to my bag in front of him.
I turn back to Jayden; the veins in his neck bulge as sweat drips down his cheek. More inky black magic wraps around his wrists as he pulls it from Raven’s chest.
“It’s too slow,” I whisper.
Jayden looks like he’s about to pass out from the strain and Raven still has a slow stream of magic draining from her.
We can’t afford for them both to be down. We can’t wait around in Elysium. It’s too dangerous for us to stay here.
21
Heracles and Theseus share a look before putting their hands on Jayden’s shoulders. “Let us help.”
The strain in Jayden’s face eases and more magic than ever before races to his arms.
