Page 93 of Artemis' Bow
“How can I even think about sleeping when everything is up in the air like this and even though we don’t know what may happen, I’m almost certain that something bad is going to happen at some point either on the way to Houston or in the city itself.”
“You need rest, though,” he says softly.
“I need to stay vigilant. The more I think about it, the more I think there is something ominous about that bird.” I shake my head.
“Yeah, it’s too quick and has endless energy to follow us around. Do you think it could be one of Hephaestus’ creations? That it’s mechanical?” Jayden asks.
“I don’t know. My instincts tell me it’s not one of his. I’ve seen his creations and this doesn’t feel like one of them, if that makes sense?”
“I get that. It makes the most sense to me too, that this is something wholly different. I’m just not sure what yet and that’s the terrifying part,” Jayden says.
We sit in tense silence for much of the drive but eventually the highway clears of all traffic. An eerie silence fills the vehicle as everyone sits on the edge of their seats.
“Should it be this still during rush hour just outside a major city?” Raven whispers.
“No, this is wrong. There’s a heavy presence like something or someone is trying to ward away all the humans.” I shake my head.
“Whoever is doing that isn’t up to anything good,” Jayden says.
I glance up at our constant shadow for any indication that it’s in on this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, but it just circles the SUV as we slow.
“Why are you slowing down?” I ask Jayden in horror. “I don’t think we want to tangle with anyone who is a part of this.”
“It’s a ward, Beth. We don’t yet know if it’s meant just to keep the humans out, or if maybe it’s designed to keep us in as well.” Jayden tightens his grip on the steering wheel.
Raven sits forward between the two front seats. “What do we do?”
“We keep moving until we can’t anymore. I don’t like the idea of us being sitting ducks waiting for the slaughter.” I glance back at my friends.
The grim determination in their gazes is much like my own. We will not let the enemy stop us. We will fight until we can’t anymore if need be. We will win this battle and save Artemis from whatever hellish captivity she’s in, and then we will wage war on the queen. There is no other option.
My head snaps up when a loud squawk fills the air, more like a trill of a battle cry. Instinctively, I know that the bird in the sky is giving some kind of signal and dread pools in my gut.
My own inaction led to this moment. Even when my instincts told me to both be cautious and shoot the damn bird out of the sky with my lightning, I hesitated, and it may just cost us our lives.
“The bird isn’t an ally. I think it just called reinforcements,” I say, pissed at myself.
If we all die, it’s my fault because I could’ve prevented it. I could have killed the damn firebird before it enacted its plan, but I was too soft and didn’t want to hurt it in case it was helping. I’m a fucking idiot.
“What is it doing now?” Raven asks, staring up at the gray sky.
The bird flies in a circle for a minute before it nose-dives and spirals around the SUV. Flames erupt from the bird’s feathers and a gasp escapes me as an inferno of purple fire ignites around our vehicle.
“Oh gods, I know what that is,” I whisper in awe tinged with horror.
“Shit,” Adrian curses as he must realize what I have.
That is no ordinary bird, and I probably should give myself a little more grace when thinking about the creature’s plan and that I haven’t ended the creature myself.
I couldn’t have ended it. How do you end something that rises from the ashes of death?
“Adrian, what do you know about the history of the phoenix?”
“Motherfucker,” he swears, staring up at the phoenix.
If this wasn’t so dire, I would make a joke about the phoenix following us since we left the city of Phoenix.
“What is it?” I ask, turning in my seat to stare him down.
