Page 82 of Artemis' Bow
“Typhon is in the underworld. He’s not getting out now.” Jayden nods.
“We just have to have faith that Hades will be able to contain those trying to escape back into our world.” I shake my head at the absurdity of it all.
I was just thinking I can’t trust the gods, now I’m urging them to have faith in one of the gods most feared by mortals. My life has become a ridiculous comedy of errors.
“Let’s just keep going,” Greyson says. “It looks like it’s moving pretty slow for how big it is.”
“That’s part of what makes me nervous,” I admit. “If it was just a natural occurrence, would it be moving so slowly?”
“I’m not a meteorologist so I wouldn’t know.” Greyson shrugs.
“You would think the bigger it is, the slower it would be, because it would have picked up more debris,” Thad says, but shrugs. “I don’t have a clue, though.”
“It’s probably nothing serious then, just another weird weather occurrence in a world where anything is now possible,” I mumble.
The sky darkens but sadly it’s not because it’s nighttime. A storm is brewing. Lightning flashes in the cloudy sky and sheets of rain pelt the SUV as we continue on our journey.
My foot bounces again as we fall silent. Jayden presses down on my knee, pushing my foot to the floorboard. How are the rest of them not fidgeting and panicking in the same way that I am? I’m close to either biting my nails or tugging on my ponytail.
I bring my thumb to my lips, about to bite my thumbnail, as my anxiety increases with the heaviness of the storm. It seems like the lightning itself is warning me of the horrors to come.
“Don’t do that.” Raven smacks my hand away from my mouth.
“Do what?” I ask innocently.
“Bite your nails. You’re going to ruin them.”
“Have you seen my nails lately? It might be an improvement,” I scoff.
“You know we always do a mani pedi night after the mission to fix that. Don’t make it worse,” Raven says.
“Okay, mom.” I roll my eyes.
She’s not wrong. If I don’t school this rising anxiety, I’m going to butcher my nails and annoy every person in the car.
“You feel it too?” Thad asks from the back.
“Feel what? It’s just overwhelming anxiety.” I shrug.
“It’s not. I was fine before the storm and now it’s like an ominous feeling that is making me twitchy. I think it’s the storm.” Thad glares at the dark clouds.
Another streak of lightning brightens the sky before a crack of thunder follows in its wake. “Well, fuck.”
The anxiety ratchets up as the lightning strikes the cornfield not far from us.
“Why don’t the rest of us feel it?” Raven asks.
“Because your dad isn’t a storm god coming to warn you.” I shake my head and glance pointedly at the clouds. “You could use your words, you know.”
“Did you just yell at a lightning storm like it was a person?” Raven snickers.
“It’s no ordinary storm. Zeus and Poseidon are working together to warn us, but all it’s doing is making me dread San Antonio worse than before.”
“Same,” Thad mutters. “They are literally warning us of the storm that is coming. Real subtle, Dad.”
“They got jokes. Seriously, they could have picked up a conch shell or something or sent Hermes instead. They think they’re funny.” I cross my arms over my chest.
“That is kind of funny,” Greyson mumbles, then gasps.
