Page 138 of Ares' Shield
“I swear you never paid attention in ancient history, did you?” I shake my head.
“I did too. I just have a shit memory when it comes to history.”
“The shit that literally saves our lives on repeat.”
“Yeah, so what do we need to do?” Jayden bumps my shoulder with his.
The acrid scent of rotting flesh and decay hits me like Erymanthian boar on a rampage and I nearly wretch. “What is that?”
Greyson does wretch behind me. His shifter nose is much stronger than mine. “That is the worst stench I’ve smelled in my life. What is that?”
Raven rubs Greyson’s back. “That’s worse than the sirens.”
“It really is. Disgusting.” I cover my nose. “They are flesh eaters and have an aversion to water.”
“How the fuck are we supposed to fight them when we can’t get close because of the smell?” Raven asks.
“How are Artemis and the hunters not dying inside being out here this whole time?” I shudder.
A tall fence comes into view not far away and we race over to it. My sword appears in Raven’s hand and she hands it over before offering Jayden his as well.
“Let’s do this quickly because I can’t breathe,” Jayden grumbles.
He twirls his sword in his hand and releases the shadows hiding his shield. The god metal glints in the bright sunlight.
I grip the charms on my necklace and my whip unfurls in one hand as shadows pulse across my arms.
“You never answered my question. What do we do?” Jayden asks.
“Heracles’ labor was to catch them and bring them in. He literally fed them Diomedes’ dead body.” I shudder.
I’m not at all excited to be coming face-to-face with the mares.
Draven steps up next to us. “Didn’t he dig some kind of trench around them and fill it with water? I think I can help with that.”
“Yeah, but that just trapped them. Eventually, Zeus sent wolves and lions to hunt them down so why is Artemis having so many problems with them?” I ask, chewing my lip nervously.
It doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Her wolves and lions should be able to rip into them. Why aren’t they?
Raven grips her ax tighter. “Weren’t they like calm after eating Diomedes? Is that why the lions were able to destroy them?”
Greyson rips his shirt over his head and I turn away from him sharply. He has to stop doing that. I’m still not used to the shifter thing.
“I’m going to shift even if it’s going to suck.”
Poor guy is panting through his mouth so he can’t smell the disgusting stench of the mares. His senses must be even stronger in his animal form.
“All right. Let’s round them up and let Draven do his thing.” I glance at Draven with a skeptical frown.
He hasn’t proven he can do much of anything but bitch at us about everything. I have every right to be skeptical.
We get to the wooden fence and hop over it. Greyson howls as he leaps past me into the grassy field.
An angry whinny fills the space and I scan the area. Artemis is nowhere to be seen. Shit. Where the hell did she go?
Greyson takes off like a shot and I shrug as I race after him. Wolves are supposed to be excellent trackers, right?
The stench is worse the farther we run into the open field. Scorch marks deface the grass in places. “Is that a human finger?”
