Page 153 of Ares' Shield
Once everyone is in the car, we are on the road back to the highway. I shift in my seat, nervous about what we are doing. We don’t even know if Draven can pull this off.
What if he can’t do this? Are we walking into our death?
“We need to stop somewhere for food and to put the armor on before we get to Michigan. I don’t want to take any chances of us messing this up and one of us dying because we were too late to use Hephaestus’ gift.” I chew my lip nervously.
“Finally,” Draven shouts from the back.
I roll my eyes and ignore the outburst. He has used a lot of power. It has been a while since we had real food, instead of just snacks.
We drive to Michigan City and stop at a fast-food place for burgers. After we order, we take our seats in a booth next to the windows. I sit closest to the window and people watch while we wait.
“What is that?” I ask, pointing out the window at a strange man with slits for eyes.
“What are you talking about? All I see is a couple people walking around.” Raven stares out the window too.
“Raven, you don’t see the weird guy watching us with almost scaly skin and slits for eyes?” I ask.
“I just thought it was some ugly guy.” She leans her head farther, almost touching her forehead to the window.
“Are we ever that lucky?”
“What’s wrong?” Jayden walks up with a tray.
“I think we need to go. Someone knows we’re here.” I nod to the ugly fucker outside.
“What is it?” Jayden leans over me.
The creature or monster or whatever it is notices that we caught it staring and flashes rows upon rows of razor-sharp fangs at us.
“I don’t like this, Jayden. We need to go. That thing is after us. We can eat in the car.”
“What? No,” Draven whines.
I point to the thing out the window. “I’m pretty sure whatever that is, it’s a spy and we are being watched. Let’s go.”
I glare at him, about at the end of my patience. I have been at the end of that very thin thread for a while now, though. We knew before we even left this was going to be an issue.
“How do we leave without it following us?” Jayden asks.
“We need a distraction.” I scan the fast-food restaurant.
It’s fairly empty so people running out screaming won’t be much of a distraction.
“Are there windows in the bathroom?” Raven asks.
“I think we’re all reading too much into this,” Draven says. “It’s just some creepy guy looking inside the restaurant. Not everything is about you.”
I slam my hand down on the table. “He’s not some creepy guy. His skin is gray and scaly. He’s got rows of razor-sharp teeth. I don’t have an ego like you do.”
“Okay, let’s all breathe,” Greyson says. “Why don’t we just explain what’s going on to the staff here and ask if they have a back exit.”
I face-palm and turn to Raven. “Why didn’t we think of that?”
“Because we usually just kill monsters and ask questions later?” she asks with a shrug.
I nudge Jayden out of the way so I can get out of the booth. “Can you pull the car around to the back without being seen?”
Jayden smirks and kisses me hard before turning and walking toward the bathrooms.
