Page 157 of Ares' Shield
“I have to go,” I mumble but that’s not what I want to say.
They have control over me again. Inside, I’m panicking, but on the outside I’m a robot.
“Fight it, Beth. You did it before.” Jayden steps in front of me, blocking my path.
You can’t fight me, daughter of Zeus. Come to me and I will make it painless.
They want me to march to my death. I take another step toward Jayden, about to throw him out of my way, when his lips crash down on mine and my brain goes fuzzy.
My power tingles through my body to my fingers as the person tries to get me to shock Jayden but I remember what he said and redirect it. I strengthen the shield around my mind and deepen the kiss with Jayden.
Draven groans. “If that’s what it takes to undo the mind control, one of you are doing it.”
I break the kiss. “Let’s go kill this bitch.”
“Good. You’re back,” Jayden whispers and we turn to the others.
“Draven, can you use your magic to like coat their minds in a barrier?” I ask.
“I’ve never done it before, but I can try.”
“Everyone else back-to-back around him in a circle. We can’t win this fight unless we get the other students back,” I instruct and grip the charms around my neck as the first of the big bad uglies push through the gate to the fortress.
Raven gasps and I move to see what’s wrong, but Jayden grips my face. “Greyson’s shifting.”
So he’s naked. Got it. That’s why Raven gasped. I don’t know if any of us will get used to that.
Dax is the first one to us and I plead with my eyes for him to wake up and stop this, but he has his huge broadsword poised to slice me in half. I block the strike with my own sword as Dax’s strength bears down on me.
“Dax, snap out of it, please. I don’t want to hurt you,” I beg.
“Draven, do it,” Jayden roars as he slashes at an Empusa.
Brilliant violet magic flies past me and hits Dax in the head. He stumbles back and shakes his head, blinking rapidly a few times.
“Beth, what happened? Where are we?” Dax shakes his head again.
“It worked,” I shout. “No time, Dax. Monsters and some of our classmates are trying to kill us.”
He turns in a circle, noticing all our friends fighting for their lives and jumps into battle. He swings his sword and I gasp as the creature from the fast-food place steps in front of me.
“What the fuck is that?” I ask, flicking my whip.
It buzzes with electricity as it snaps out, singeing its scaly skin. The lizard man doesn’t even flinch; it just keeps advancing on me.
“I don’t know, but it’s ugly,” Dax says, slashing out at another Empusa.
“Draven, you need to keep going. Get them all out of that fucking mind control,” I yell.
The ugly lizard thing pulls a wicked curved blade from thin air and thrusts it at me. I spin and slash down with my own blade, blocking it easily.
An inferno blasts past me and we all scatter, leaving Draven exposed. Shit. Jayden is off to the side fighting one of Raven’s brothers. I grimace as the Ares descendant tries very hard to take Jayden’s head.
“Who next?” Draven asks.
Violet magic pools in his hand and I flick my whip in Jayden’s direction.
“Him, he’s Ares and will be able to call more weapons to him.”
