Page 77 of Artemis' Bow
Even moving my opposite shoulder sends white-hot pain through me.
Raven takes a step back and turns to Greyson. “Can you find a garden shed or something that might have pruning shears? It would look like something that can cut through branches with a snap.”
“I know what pruning shears are, babe. I have this under control.” Greyson jogs off around the corner of the house.
“It will be just a few minutes, and then we will get that out and get you healed.” Jayden runs a hand soothingly through my hair. “Adrian, go check the house for towels or something to stop the bleeding once the arrow is out.”
Adrian stands there unseeing as Jayden tries to get him to move to help, but I can tell my friend is traumatized and in shock over what he accidentally did.
“Send Thad. Adrian needs a minute,” I whisper.
“I got you. I’ll get towels and gauze and whatever they have to stop the bleeding.” He races into the house.
Greyson returns with the garden shears, grim determination on his chiseled features. Thad rushes out of the house a second later, his arms full of towels and rolls of gauze that he dumps on the little couch beside me.
“Jayden, do you want to hold her still or snap off the arrowhead?” Raven asks.
“I’ll hold her still.” He climbs on the couch and moves me gingerly into his lap, careful not to jostle the arrow still running through me.
Raven takes her position in front of me. “Either look in my eyes or turn your head toward Jayden. Do not look at what’s about to happen.”
I turn my head into Jayden’s shoulder and squeeze my eyes shut. I wait endless seconds for the snap of the arrow and the excruciating pain but what I expect is nothing compared to the blistering pain that comes with the loud snap. An agonized scream blasts through the surrounding forest just before everything goes dark.
19
“Shit, is she okay?” The voice sounds as if it’s underwater.
“She will be fine,” Jayden says.
His lips press to my temple, and I groan. The echo of pain still lingers in my shoulder. I blink my eyes open and glance around. Jayden’s arms tighten around me as he cradles me in his lap.
“Never do that again,” I mumble.
“Never be a dumbass and jump on a creature’s back in front of your friend who is shooting arrows at it,” Raven snarks.
“It was your brilliant idea to hack at it.” I roll my eyes.
“I was going to stab it with my feet firmly on the ground, not go ninja and get shot with an arrow,” Raven says.
“Whatever.” I shift to get up, but Jayden’s arms tighten like a vise around me. “I’m okay, Jayden.”
“You scared the fuck out of me, baby.” He presses his forehead to my uninjured shoulder and breathes deeply.
“I’m so sorry, Beth,” Adrian whispers.
“Not your fault and look, it’s already healed.” I smile at him.
Dominic steps in front of me. “You jumped on the back of the giant boar and stabbed it in the head, getting shot by your own team in the process?”
“Pretty much, yeah. It was wreaking havoc and that was the only thing I could think to do. The arrows were only pissing it off.” I shrug and wince.
There’s still minor pain but nothing too serious. I’ve felt worse. Pulling the arrow out was probably right there with me electrocuting myself. I glance around the yard, searching as it occurs to me I plunged my sword into the creature and didn’t keep hold of it as I slid off its back.
“Where is my sword?” I ask.
Thad runs a hand on the back of his neck. “It’s covered in ichor. Raven and Jayden were busy helping you, so we left it where it was in the yard.”
“We are all going to be in so much trouble. Hermes warned us that we don’t know what will happen.” I shake my head.
