Page 92 of Artemis' Bow
I can’t help it. I join her in big belly laughs until I’m bent at the waist and it’s difficult to breathe. Cerberus cocks his heads to the side in confusion.
“We know, buddy. Girls confuse us too.” Jayden pats his back.
He presses the rune to send Cerberus back into the tiny cylinder and I frown again, wishing he didn’t have to do that.
“So, what’s the next stop?” I ask Adrian since he’s the resident seer of the group.
“I think the next place we need to go is Houston. I didn’t see anything specific, just that’s the route we need to take.” He shrugs.
“At least we don’t have any obviously dire warnings. Let’s get back to the SUV and get out of here.” I take one last glance around the forest before we trudge back to the vehicle.
As soon as there’s a break in the trees, the red and gold firebird comes into view, circling the sky above us. It definitely waited for us in the sky above the forest. The ominous feeling I have anytime I catch sight of the damn bird isn’t helping my anxiety that we may need to get rid of it.
Jayden must catch me watching the little spy because he bumps his shoulder with mine. “How did a bird follow us across multiple state lines?”
“It’s not a normal bird; it can’t be. I can’t shake this bad feeling when I see it or feel its gaze on me. But I can’t bring myself to harm it in case it’s not one of the queen’s spies. What do we do?” I ask.
“We keep an eye on it and be ready for any problems. It’s what we always do.” Jayden wraps an arm around my back and kisses my temple. “Whatever is going to happen will happen. No sense in worrying over it until it shows its hand.”
“What if one of you gets hurt or worse because I didn’t trust my instincts?” I ask.
“Do your instincts tell you definitively that the bird is on one side or the other?” Jayden asks.
“No, they are all over the place.” I sigh.
“Then it wouldn’t be your fault. You don’t have a clear answer.” Jayden pulls me closer. “Stop putting the weight of everyone else on your shoulders, Beth. Not one of us is going to be upset if we get hurt because you just weren’t sure.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better. I will still be upset if my mistake gets someone else injured or we get into a situation that we can’t get ourselves out of,” I say.
“We haven’t yet. I promise it’s not all on you. You listen to us as much as we listen to you. That’s the mark of a great leader. You know what we’re capable of and we work together in the capacity that we are all comfortable with and that maximizes our strengths.”
The SUV comes into view. “We have a long drive. Let’s get this over with.”
“Yes, Houston is a bit of a drive. We need to hurry as much as we can.” Adrian nods as he opens the back passenger door.
“What’s going on, Adrian?” I ask.
“We just need to hurry,” he says, evasive.
“Do you know of a time frame that we don’t?” I ask again.
“You know I can’t tell you everything I saw.” Adrian crosses his arms.
“Yes, I do know that, but how close of a timeline are we talking here?” I narrow my eyes on the seer. “Is there a chance we could be too late?”
“I keep seeing different possible futures and it’s fucking terrible, Beth. It’s urgent. We need to leave.” Adrian pulls at his hair.
“I understand. Let’s get out of here and see if we can get a straight shot to Houston. It’s a long drive, but if we can get there, we will be that much closer to New Orleans and Artemis.” I shrug.
“I thought we weren’t even sure that Artemis is there?” Jayden says.
“She has to be, or we are all fucked,” I say.
I hop in the passenger seat of the SUV and Jayden closes the door behind me, then races around the front of the vehicle to hop behind the wheel. The SUV is silent as we pull back onto thehighway, heading to Houston. My brain won’t shut off and the unease of being watched is only heightened the closer we get to the city.
Thad and Adrian are asleep in the back, taking the long drive to catch up on much-needed sleep. If only I could be so lucky, but my brain is running on an endless loop. I have no idea how they do it but I’m envious all the same. As the exhaustion settles in my bones, Jayden briefly glances at me.
“Why don’t you sleep for a few hours? It’s a ways yet to Houston.” Jayden squeezes my thigh.
