Page 46 of Ares' Shield
When we were in the underworld, we had to get past Cerberus and I called him Spot but Jayden hated it.
“Have you figured this out yet, Draven?” I yell.
“No, it’s foreign energy. I’m not even sure if it’s Greek.” Draven blasts Dax with another wave of green magic.
A maniacal laugh escapes Dax and I grind my teeth at whoever is controlling him. Dax would never treat his friends this way.
“You’ll never stop us, demigods. You may as well join us or be destroyed.” The words fall from Dax’s mouth, but they are not Dax.
“Yeah, right. Let my friend go.” I lash out with my whip again.
“Not you, daughter of Zeus. There is no surrender for you, only death.”
“Do all bad guys subscribe to the same playbook? Do they have like secret meetings where they decide what cheesy monologue they are going to use on me this week?” I crack out my whip again.
“Beth, seriously? Goading the person who has control over Dax doesn’t seem like the wisest option right now.” Jayden rolls his shoulders back.
“But seriously, Jayden, they always say the same thing. I’m going to die, blah blah blah. It’s so boring and stupid.”
Dax roars and lashes out against the shield with his sword again. His muscles strain as he hacks at it. “I will kill you.”
The shadows writhe and move every time Dax tries to sidestep them. They won’t let him through and a frustrated bellow fills the air. Dax throws his sword over the wall of shadows.
It arches in a wide arc over the wall of shadows with lethal precision. The metal glints in the small patch of sun that peeks through the trees.
Shit, they really have lost all composure. Who’s even controlling him and who do they work for that willrewardthem for my death?
At the last second, Jayden’s arms are around me, pulling me out of the way. I wince at the pressure on my ribs and hiss in pain. Dax stumbles as he spins to face me.
“Draven, hurry,” I wheeze out.
“I can’t. I don’t know what that magic is,” he growls back.
“Then what good are you to us?” Jayden steps in front of me, blocking Dax from lunging at me again.
“Fuck you, Jayden. I’m trying here. It’s unfamiliar to me,” Draven growls.
“Try harder.” I duck to the side as Dax gets past the shield while we are distracted.
Raven stalks up behind Dax and with a shout, she hits him in the head with the butt of her sword. Dax topples to the ground, barely missing landing on Jayden.
“Shadows, Jayden, since Draven is pretty much useless.” I glare at him.
“It’s not my fault.” Draven shrugs. “I can’t get a lock on the magic.”
Jayden unleashes the shadow chains, and they wrap around Dax. He’s still out cold.
How long will he stay that way though? This isn’t a viable long-term solution.
“Are you okay, Raven?” I ask.
“Yeah, I’m more worried about him, and you. How are your ribs? That was a nasty punch.”
“They hurt like a bitch, but they’ll heal.” I shrug.
Draven turns to me sharply. “He hit you?”
“Yeah, but it’s less painful than whatever you hit me with last night.” I glare at him and he shuts up.
