Page 141 of Ares' Shield
“Get them. That’s what Father sent to kill them.” I duck more flames, rolling to the side and stabbing the scimitar into the mare again.
I roll to my feet a little too slow and Jayden screams just as pain tears through my shoulder and I drop my weapons with a strangled cry.
There’s a chunk taken out of my shoulder from the fucking mare. Shadows wrap around me, tossing me away, and I drop to my knees, breathing through the agony.
I flop on my back in the soft grass, pain tearing through my arm as a shadow passes over me. I blink and find the lion we saved from the Oklahoma zoo standing over me, snarling at any mares that get close.
Shadows swirl and Jayden crouches next to me with my bag in his hands. With shaking fingers, he unzips it and pulls out the red bottle.
“No,” I groan.
“Stop, it’s been a couple days since you used it and you’re a bloody mess.” Jayden holds the dropper out.
My vision goes black and I scream louder than I ever have as the drops hit my tongue. They are already working to regrow the skin on my shoulder.
I blink through the tears of agony streaming down my face to notice everything stopped. They’re all staring at me, but another bout of agony steals my focus and my back arches as the bone snaps together and back into place.
When the pain finally fades, I blink my eyes open to see the mares have me and Jayden surrounded and the lion is gone.
When the fuck did that happen? How are we going to get out of this without getting eaten?
27
“Can you move?” Jayden asks, gripping my good arm.
“I don’t have much choice.” I let him pull me to my feet.
Smoke billows from the snout of the mare as it whinnies angrily. Or maybe it’s excited about the prospect of a fresh kill.
Fuck, we’re dinner to them. I reach for my charms and shadows writhe on my arms instantly. My whip unfurls in my hand. It pulses with power as I snap it out at them.
Jayden moves to my back to protect me from behind while I try to figure out what the hell we’re supposed to do now.
The scimitar Artemis made was dropped a good distance away and on the other side of the mares along with my sword when that fucker took a chunk out of me.
“We’re royally fucked, Jayden. Where is everyone?” I lash out with the whip again.
“I think Artemis did something. They all scattered so the mares would go to one place. I think.”
“They’re using us as bait again?” I yell and swear I hear a soft giggle from the other side of the fence.
Fucking assholes. I was demon horse food and they go and leave me to fight them off with only Jayden for help.
“I hope whatever you’re planning is soon, Artemis, because I’ll make sure my father lets me come back to haunt you for eternity if I get eaten.” Jayden yells.
“Oh, you’re no fun.” Artemis appears directly next to me. “Dinnertime, beasties.”
She calls out to her animals and several wolves and lions converge on the mares. The mares breathe fire at us but a wall of shadows pop up between us, saving me from getting singed.
“Couldn’t you have just done that from the beginning?” I throw my hands up.
The animals hunt down every last mare and I turn away at the sounds of the lions feasting on their prey.
The lion who protected me chuffs when his kill turns to dust and comes over, plopping his butt down in front of me.
“Oh, he likes you.” Artemis grins. “Animals are a great judge of character and you were instrumental in getting him out of that awful place.”
The lion bends its huge head down and bumps my hand, asking for pets. I giggle as I give in and stroke his mane.
