Page 100 of Ares' Shield
“Take us to Jayden, please.” I stare down at the shadows.
They crawl up my arms and around my chest before also engulfing Adrian. It’s only seconds before the black vortex takes us spinning through space.
Jayden is much better at this than I am. The shadows spit us out next to the huge boulder. Jayden is there, beating at it furiously with his hellfire sword.
The muscles in his arms flex and glisten as he beats at it. Raven darts around the giant’s feet with agility that I don’t possess.
Greyson darts around, but the automaton doesn’t appear to be paying him any attention, only swatting at Raven as she gets close to him.
“Raven, watch out,” I scream as a glowing red hand reaches for her.
The damn thing is going to cook my best friend and I’m too far away to help.
19
Raven jumps back into a backflip and lands feet away from the automaton. We need to end this already.
“Beth?” Jayden says and stops hacking at the boulder. “Oh my gods, you’re okay.”
“Raven isn’t going to be if we don’t kill that thing.” I run a hand through my hair.
What the hell are we going to do?
I scan Talos ankle again and an idea forms. It’s crazy for sure, but most of my plans have been in the past and they have all worked—well, mostly.
“Go help Raven. I’ve got an idea.” I pat Jayden’s chest.
“Why do I hate this idea when I don’t even know it yet?” Jayden narrows his eyes on me.
“It will be fine as long as everyone gets out of the crash zone.” I shrug.
“That thing’s twenty feet tall, Beth. How are we supposed to distract it and not get into the crash zone?”
“You’ll think of something.” I grin and kiss him quickly.
I dart away before he can get his hands on me and stop me from enacting my plan.
This has to work. I can’t let the crazy automaton cook my friends with whatever heats up his body. I grip the charms on both necklaces and call my whip and the shadows slip over my arms.
“Keep a shield around me, please,” I say, and the shadows create a huge shield around me.
The weight of the whip in my hand comforts me as I race to get behind the giant. I need to get closer to whatever is sticking out of its ankle.
I zero in on Talos’ ankle. There’s a small nail sticking out of it. Is that the only way to disable it? Adrian said the ankle was the key, but am I going to end up stepped on if I try to get it out?
The whip is coiled tight in my fist as I creep closer to the automaton, sure to dodge its swinging arms. No part of me wants to be broken by this creature again.
Pulling my arm back, I let the whip fly and wrap around the creature’s ankle. I don’t use my magic just in case the creature freaks out and stomps on me.
Talos steps forward, nearly yanking the whip from my grip, but I pull back with everything I have, and before he can put the foot down, he stumbles.
“Run,” I shout at the others as Talos topples forward.
His head snaps in my direction and a bellow of rage crashes through the air as the automaton drops to his knees.
Sprinting forward, I climb up Talos’ foot to his ankle and grasp the nail. I jolt as he shakes his leg to dislodge me with a cry of fury. My thighs wrap around his foot and I lock my ankles around the other side and grab the nail with both hands.
It’s bigger than I first thought. Both hands wrap securely around it. I tug on the nail, but it won’t come out. I need to find a way to get this out before he knocks me off him and stomps on me.
