Page 69 of Poseidon's Trident
A smile tugs at the corner of my lips at his growled declaration. He won’t let me die. If I do move on to the underworld, he will pull an Orpheus and bring me back.
“What about the elixir?” Raven asks. “It could help.”
“Yes,” I say, arching my back as agony slices through my shoulder. “It fucking hurts.”
“It’s in your pack in the SUV, baby. Just hang on. We’re almost to the dock.” Jayden kisses my head.
“What kind of stupid shit is that? We left her pack in the SUV while we went to fight a giant crab? We fucking know better.” Raven throws her hands up.
“Adrian can heal now, Raven. It wasn’t a necessity and Beth needed to be able to move without worrying we were losing supplies,” Jayden argues.
“She wouldn’t let me heal her,” Adrian grumbles.
I blink in an attempt to keep my eyes open, scared what might happen if I close them for real and fall asleep. Not that the pain will allow me that luxury. My shoulder burns with white-hot fury. A whimper escapes as Cetus slows at the shore. The entire dock is abandoned and I thank the gods for small mercies.
How the hell would we explain walking out of the ocean after being dropped off by a giant sea serpent. Jayden jumps off Cetus’ back and reaches up to grab me as Greyson lowers me down into Jayden’s waiting arms. Jayden grips my ass, careful not to touch my back, and stomps through the water to the dock.
“Need sleep but I’m scared,” I mumble into Jayden’s neck.
“I know, baby. You’re gonna be okay. We will figure out what’s happening to you.” He strokes my hair in a soothing motion.
“Everything hurts,” I mumble.
My shoulder screams with pain as I bury my face in the crook of his neck, just breathing. Black spots tint my vision and I must pass out from the pain because I’m jostled awake as pain sears down my back when Jayden sets me in the front seat of the SUV.
“Sorry, baby.” He kisses my forehead.
“Need the elixir,” I mumble.
I bend to grab my pack but whimper as agony tears through my still shredded back, the skin ripping even more and undoing any healing.
“Don’t. I’ll get it.” Jayden stops me.
I hate this. Feeling helpless. I can’t move or do anything for myself as whatever this is moves through my blood, not healing but also making me a freak.
Jayden reaches for my pack and pulls the elixir and dropper from it. I have the sudden urge to rip the bottle from his hand and drink the entire thing but I hold myself back, remembering the warning the healers gave me. I can’t take too much. It could hurt me. But is that even true now that we don’t know exactly what I am?
“Open up,” Jayden says and I do what he asks.
He places three drops on my tongue and I sigh with relief. I slump back against the seat, ignoring the twinge in my back that is slowly going away.
“That’s so much better,” I breathe.
My shoulder tingles with healing magic and I blink my eyes closed, no longer worried about dying as the healing magic pours through my tired limbs. Sleep claims me right there in the passenger side of the SUV.
17
Ijolt awake as someone squeezes my thigh. Jayden. I turn to our surroundings and we are parked outside a fancy hotel.
“What are we doing here?” I ask groggily.
“We thought it would be best to stay the night since you need to heal,” Jayden says.
I turn my back and there is no pain. I even lift my arm from my side and roll my shoulder a couple times without so much as a hint of discomfort.
“I’m fine. The elixir did its job.”
“Yeah, well, everyone is tired after the fight. Let’s just stay here tonight and we’ll get a fresh start in the morning.” Jayden unbuckles my seat belt.
