Page 62 of Hades' Shadow
I redouble my efforts, lashing out at the nearby demons, flicking my whip and turning them to ash, but they just keep coming back.
I scan the area, noticing the scent of sulfur and death for the first time.
“Where’s Jayden?” I scream over at Adrian.
“He was just there… oh fuck. They know who he is,” Adrian says, pointing at a group of demons huddled around someone.
It’s Jayden. His white-blond hair peeks out between the huge demon bodies. Without even a thought, I launch myself over the back of the car and pull my sword.
I said no swords, but all bets are off now that they have Jayden surrounded.
“Raven, help me,” I call out to her and nod in the direction of the group. She doesn’t hesitate to run in that direction.
I flick my whip, making a demon crumble to dust, but there is already another one taking its place.
“It’s the son of our warden,” a demon bellows. “Oh, how I am going to enjoy ripping you to shreds.”
I glance at Raven who is slashing and hacking at demons with precision, but they just keep reforming.
I flick out my whip, wrapping it around a demon’s neck and he turns to ash. Jayden is there in the middle of the demons and a huge claw is aimed straight for his back.
“Jayden,” I scream, but it’s too late. The claw cuts through his back and Jayden drops to his knees.
My breath catches and I slash my blade at the nearest demon as a bloodcurdling scream fills the street around me. It takes me a second to recognize my own voice.
No. Not Jayden. Please, gods, not Jayden.
14
“Beth,” Raven screams but I can barely hear her through the whooshing in my ears.
Jayden is my only thought. I have to get to Jayden. My whip flies through the air as I swing my blade in a wide arc, taking the heads of the two demons closest to me.
“Beth,” Raven tries again but I shake my head.
“I have to get to him, Raven. Move.” I nudge her aside and she goes willingly. There’s no way I could have moved her otherwise and we both know it.
I spin on the demons surrounding Jayden with Raven at my side.
“Go to Jayden, I’ll hold them off,” Raven says, spinning and slashing out with her ax.
A grunt from behind me has me turning just as a demon crumbles to dust. I peer over at Adrian. His expression is determined as I nod my thanks.
Raven is a madwoman, mowing through demons, but they keep coming. Jayden is lying on his side completely still and I shriek as I run to him. He’s been forgotten by the demons with the new threat Raven is posing to them.
A demon spots me and rushes me, but I twirl around with my sword out and slash at it with my electricity and it bursts into ash.
I don’t wait around to see if it reforms. I know it will, but my focus is on the still form only feet away from me.
“Jayden,” I whisper as I drop to my knees at his side. His eyes are closed as if he’s sleeping but his breathing is too shallow. “No, no, no, no, Jayden, you have to wake up.”
His back is a shredded mess of skin and torn muscles and I nearly gag. I tap his face lightly, hoping it will wake him.
He needs the medicine the healer gave me but how am I supposed to give it to him when he’s unconscious?
Tears well in my eyes as I wrap my arms around him. He can’t fucking die. Hades doesn’t get to take him yet.
A single tear spills over my cheek as I lean down and press a soft chaste kiss to his lips.
