Page 26 of Artemis' Bow
“It’s all right, Adrian. I’ve got this.” Raven shoulders her way into the crowd.
She closes her eyes and a second later that same red gauntlet appears in her hand. Before Jake can react, she slams her fist into his gut harder than she’d hit Dax before. Jake crumples to the ground, wheezing and coughing.
“Shit, Raven, how the fuck did you do that?” Jake cries.
“My friends taught me how to use my magic, but we don’t teach new tricks to bullies with tiny dicks. So good luck learning to do it yourself.” Raven flips her ebony hair over her shoulder as she turns her back on him.
“All right, everyone, back to what you were doing, but if I hear anyone else bullying others, what Raven just did to Jake will be child’s play.” I wave them all away.
“Why did you stand up for me?” the guy asks. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I hate bullies.” I shrug. “Plus, we are all in this together and have different strengths and weaknesses. We lost too many because of their parents. We can’t afford to lose good people who understand what’s actually at stake.”
Adrian claps him on the shoulder. “Olly, they don’t judge people for the mistakes of their parents.”
“How can I do that when my dad is probably one of the worst offenders?” I giggle.
“Mine too,” Jayden says in time with Thad.
“That would be completely hypocritical and wrong. You’re here. If you want to help save the world once it’s time, then you need to train with the others. Maybe talk some of the others into focusing more on training so we actually stand a chance, because no matter what anyone thinks, there will be war.”
“Well, thanks for standing up against the bullies. Me and the rest of Apollo who stayed are in this with you.” He places his fist over his heart and bows his head before turning to leave.
“My brothers all have rocks for brains,” Raven grumbles. “I doubt that will be the end of it.”
“I’m sure you’re right but we have more important things to deal with like the never-ending sunlight.”
Jayden wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me against his side. “Want to go hang out with Claud and Kira and play with pointy objects for a while?”
I can’t contain the laugh that bubbles up when Raven bounces on her toes in excitement. Jayden knows exactly the way to boost our spirits. Some girls like fancy dinners andflowers but Raven and I like weapons and battle training. It’s another reason we’re such good friends.
I never even held a weapon before I came to Halfling Academy, but since the battles I have faced and the monsters I’ve killed, they are an extension of me, and I wouldn’t be caught dead without one.
We move through the forest path to the forge and new armory at a more sedate pace than before, but the trees still reach out for Raven. Her sword is drawn as she threatens the Dryads we know are there from the phantom giggles ringing out behind the trees.
“You know, if you were nicer to them, they wouldn’t harass you so much.” I glance over my shoulder at Raven.
There are twigs and leaves stuck in her hair, making her look ridiculous, but I don’t comment, unsure if that will help the situation or make it worse since she’s holding on by a thread as it is.
One wrong word and she will end up racing in the forest and we may just find her strung up in vines, hanging upside down or something ridiculous.
“I wasn’t even doing anything, just walking down the path.” Raven scans the trees.
“You know that spirits hold grudges, especially Dryads and I think you may be as stubborn as they are.” I shake my head as the mountain comes into view.
“You’re back,” Kira calls, excited.
“They had a bit of an ordeal and need to blow off some steam with pointy objects.” Jayden grins.
“Claud is going to be so excited. He misses you,” Kira says.
“I miss him too. I wish there wasn’t always something I needed to do and could visit him out here more often.” I sigh.
“Come on, I’ll show you all the armory. Claud is in there helping us stock the highest shelves.” She waves us into the structure.
My breath catches in my throat as I step inside the building. The shelves along the walls all reach the second-story ceiling. The entire building is made of white marble, and the shelves all have small display stands for each weapon with a plate in front that has the name of the weapon that should go there.
A huge hand fills my vision a second before I’m yanked off my feet and into the air. A giggle escapes as a huge blue eye blinks at me.
