Page 36 of Artemis' Bow
“How are you holding up?” Jayden asks me.
I sigh. “As best I can with the world on the brink of yet another catastrophic event.”
“Artemis may have had ulterior motives when we met her and anytime she would just pop up, but besides Hermes, she’s the god we trust most, and having her in danger sucks but I think it sucks the most for you.” He pulls me against his side.
“Everything just compounds, and I have already been told multiple times this is my fate. Fucking Nereus. Why is it all on me?” I sigh.
“It’s not. You have a group of people to help and support you. I get that it’s tough, but you can lean on your friends.” He kisses my temple. “You can lean on me.”
I appreciate the sentiment. I really do, but Nereus was clear when he said no one could do this but me when he tested me to make sure I will do what needs to be done. Nereus is the monster under my bed, haunting my dreams worse than the queen of the gods ever was.
We step through the door to the healers’ office and my favorite healer bounds over, scanning me for injuries. I chuckle, shaking my head.
“I’m not injured. We have a mission to rescue Artemis.”
“You’re going to bring back the moon?” he asks with a raised brow.
“That’s the idea,” I say. “We need a bottle of that healing elixir and a couple first aid kits built with four demigods in mind. There are two other teams going out as well.”
“You will all need the burn cream and first aid supplies. How likely is it the other teams will need the healing elixir or abide my warnings?” the healer asks.
“They won’t need it. They are going to locations we believe to be benign,” Jayden says.
“Good. It’s best if we don’t allow too many demigods even limited access to it and only in the most dire of circumstances.” The healer nods and hurries off to put together our kits.
“I don’t trust that they wouldn’t try to heal a fucking paper cut with it,” I grumble.
“Dax and Kira for sure wouldn’t but I can’t be too sure of the others.” Jayden shrugs.
“Draven would probably be wary because he’s been on a mission with us and knows how dangerous it is but still,” I say. “The others I don’t know well enough to be sure.”
“Mia would definitely abuse it.” Jayden shakes his head.
“That’s a given. That’s why none of them should have it.”
“Agreed.” The healer rushes over. “Here is your kit. Keep that separate because it does have the elixir in it. These two just have the burn cream and basic first aid supplies.”
“Thank you,” I say. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without your supplies.”
“I’m happy to be able to help save the world in whatever small way I can.” He bows his head, planting a fist over his heart, and I repeat the gesture before we leave the healing unit.
“Let’s put the first aid kits in the supply packs they belong in and then go find the others,” Jayden says.
“Yeah, we need to get moving so the other teams can get out of the academy hopefully safely.”
I can’t help but wonder, though, if we’re sending those teams to their deaths.
10
Raven’s roar reaches outside the doors to the cafeteria. “You’re an alpha wolf shifter and fuckinggods touched. Don’t let my idiot brothers intimidate you.”
“Aww, shit,” I groan. “She’s doing this in the cafeteria?”
“It sounds like it.” Jayden chuckles.
“Just what we need before a dangerous mission. Especially since three of her brothers are going on missions of their own.”
“Hey now,” Dax demands. “It was just a bit of hazing the guy who was in love with my little sister.”
