Page 120 of Poseidon's Trident
“Baby, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” Jayden grips my arms, concern tinting his features.
I brush the tears away hastily and poke him in the chest. “You could have fucking died. What were you thinking?”
Jayden grabs my hand, holding it to his heart. “The Minotaur was one of the scariest days of my life and you were about to do it again. Only this time, I was there to stop it from happening and I did.”
“At the possible expense of your own life? Fuck, Jayden. You can’t do that again.” I shake my head and the stupid tears fall again.
“I told you I would die for you.” Jayden stares up at me with so much adoration it almost hurts to look at him.
“Well,” Persephone cuts in. “Fortunately for you two. The possibilities of that happening are much slimmer than they were before you turned.”
“What do you mean, turned?” Jayden asks. “Don’t tell me we’re vampires now or something, Persephone.”
Jayden sits up and wraps his arms around me as a booming laugh escapes Persephone. “Not at all. You were demigods and then gods touched and now you’re little baby gods. I’m so proud of your bravery, Jayden, but if you do anything like that to me or Bethany again, I will throw you in Tartarus for a day.”
Persephone pats Jayden’s cheek a little too hard and then blinks away.
“What the fuck just happened?” Jayden groans and rests his head against my shoulder.
A roar of anger from Scylla reaches my ears, interrupting my words, and I turn to see her island crumble to dust.
“We got past Scylla but what about Charybdis?” I stand and scan the calm waters of the strait.
“Thad did it,” Raven shouts. “They are both gone.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, leaning over the edge.
“Do you see the bitch anywhere?” Raven spreads her arms wide.
“Let’s not test fate. We need to get through the strait and meet with Thad.” Jayden pulls me to him.
His skin is glowing with a gold sheen like mine. How is this even possible? How are we turning into gods ourselves? It shouldn’t be possible.
The boats engine roars as Cal pushes the throttle, going full speed ahead past where the swirling whirlpool was only minutes ago. Water rushes and splashes along the sides. I hold on to Jayden like a lifeline. That had scared the life out of me.
“I may have yelled at Hades and told him he couldn’t have you,” I say to Jayden.
Jayden chuckles. “Is that why Persephone showed up?”
“Probably. I said I would come steal you from the underworld, Orpheus style. Your stepmom was not impressed by my hysterics.” I lay my head on his shoulder.
Open water greets us at the end of the strait as the boat slows to a halt. I scan the ocean for any sign of Thad, sure that he’ll surface from the water at any moment.
Thad doesn’t surface and I chew my lip. “Where is he? He has to be okay, Jayden. Fuck, I knew this plan was stupid.”
“Calm down. He could just be farther out to sea. We’ll find him.” Jayden pulls me against his chest.
“I know it wasn’t real and Thad wasn’t actually there, but he protected me during that test. He was a good friend to me when my heart was breaking. We can’t lose him, Jayden.” I lean over the railing, searching for any sign of Thad.
A small head pops out of the water by me with a trill of excitement. The blue and green hippocampus from days ago lunged for my hand.
“Hey there.” I hold my hand out for the creature. “Do you know where Thad is?”
The hippocampus nods and bumps his head into my hand.
The island. You need to find him on the island. Hurry.
“What island?” I ask.
