Page 8 of Ares' Shield
He wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on my head. The move is so unexpected, I freeze in my tracks.
Jayden doesn’t appear to even realize what he’s doing so I stay completely still, afraid that if I move, he will stop hugging me.
It’s pathetic, I know.
Jayden pulls away too soon and I groan my disapproval. He chuckles.
“I thought you were in a hurry to find Rebecca,” he says with a grin that should be illegal.
“Ugh, I am,” I grumble.
Is it too much to ask for just a few minutes with Jayden where he’s not ignoring me or we are at each other’s throats and just be?
Why is there always something crazy going down?
“What happened?” Jayden asks as he walks with me to the admin building.
“It was so weird, Jayden. I don’t even know how to describe it.” I rub at my eyes.
“Weirder than traveling across the underworld to find Hades’ stolen helm?” he asks, bumping my shoulder with his.
“I guess it’s a different kind of weird.”
Jayden squeezes my hip, pulling me closer to him.
“What happened?” he asks again.
“This guy bumped into me and at first I just thought he was rude for not acknowledging what he did, but that wasn’t it.”
I cross my arms over my chest to stop from fidgeting.
“What do you mean?” he asks.
“His eyes were glassy and it was like he was being controlled or something.” I shiver just saying it out loud.
It’s fucking terrifying what magic can do sometimes.
“Why would someone control him? What was his purpose?” Jayden wonders aloud.
“I don’t know but he left the wards easily.”
“He left? Shit.” Jayden’s grip on my hip tightens.
“See why I wanted to get to Rebecca and away from that jackass?” I ask.
“You don’t need an excuse to want to get away from that asshole.”
I don’t disagree with that at all. I can’t stand Draven, the entitled spoiled brat. Dax may have kissed me without my permission too, but at least he never acts like I owe him something.
Draven is an egomaniac with a chip on his shoulder.
“I know I don’t. I just can’t stand that fucking guy.”
The gothic towers of the admin building soar high in the sky before us as we head out in search of Rebecca. I climb the stone steps with Jayden at my side and he pulls the door open for me.
The admin building is silent and the sconces on the walls flicker with flames, casting deep shadows on the walls.
The door creaks shut behind us and Jayden grabs my hand, squeezing it lightly in support. I hate this place. It feels forbidden and ominous.
