Page 55 of Surrendering Hope (The Hope Legacy)

Nathan drops to the floor and unzips my leather jacket. I’d make a comment about taking me out to dinner first, but again, energy.

“She’s not even throwing sarcastic jibes our way,” Zee shouts, throwing his hands up.

“Help me get her jacket off, I need to see where this blood is coming from,” Nathan says as Duncan crouches on my other side. Zee and Zac look pissed. Maybe Zee is descended from the god of war? I’m rolled to the left and my arms guided out of the jacket, Nathan’s hands support my back as they lay me back on the floor. He peels up my tank, his eyes widening. Come on Nathan, where’s your blank doctor’s bedside manner? Don’t panic the patient.

“Bloody hell,” Zee says. We can sack the nurse too.

“The griffin got hold of her?” Nathan asks Duncan over me.

“Yes.”

“Did you bring a first aid kit?” In my mind I’m laughing my ass off as a god asks for a Band-Aid for my injuries. More bile rushes up my throat, I turn as it dribbles out next to Duncan’s knee. Ew.

“You can heal her?” Nathan asks Duncan. Duncan leans down and traces the edge of one of the puncture wounds, warmth oozes down my side.

“Yes. But I can’t get deep, or pull out any infection.”

“It’s enough until my power returns. It should be less than thirty minutes now. Do what you can, and we don’t go any further until mine and Zac’s power is back.”

Zac huffs. Nathan glares at him. “She needs to be healed, or she’s a liability.”

“She’s already a liability. We should have gone with my original plan.”

I want to ask what the hell his original plan was. “And what was that?” Duncan asks, running his palms over my side. Warmth floods my system, easing the pain, but I still know there’s something wrong.

“I wanted to lock her away somewhere safe,” Zac says.

“I’m on board with that plan,” Zee says. If I could shoot lasers from my eyes, both of these War dudes would be dead right now.

Duncan grinds his jaw. “Have you learnt nothing in the time you’ve known her?”

“Only that she runs headlong into danger without thought for who will need to come in and rescue her ass,” Zac shouts, glaring at me. I glare back, only seems fair.

“If you want Natia on board with your plan to rescue Archan, you need her free and invested.” He’s both right and wrong. My plan is always to save Archan, regardless as to the actions of others. The searing agony recedes to a dull throb and my eyes flutter closed. If I could rest for a minute, maybe I can correct all these presumptuous asses.

“We need her to put Ty back in the Jar. That’s it. She doesn’t have to wage a war on the King of Monsters, she doesn’t need a battle plan, we already have one.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Duncan says.

“She needs to be ready to face him, and she needs to make sure she can deceive him long enough to lure him into the trap.”

“Deception is the problem,” Duncan concludes.

“Yes, because Nathan couldn’t follow simple instructions.”

“Sue me, I tried to prevent Zeus’ insane plan.”

My whole body shivers as ice sweeps through me, a rapid infection about to set in. I would kill for some water right now, my mouth is yucky. “So she needs to be clever in the way she lies,” Zee says.

“Never been a problem for her before,” Zac grinds out. I lament how under appreciated the ability to use my middle finger is.

“You know if she can hear you she’s going to go postal on your ass,” Duncan mutters. I want to grin, they know me so well.

“I’ll look forward to it,” Zac says.

“You’re going to lure Ty somewhere with the promise that he can have the Jar, when in fact she’s going to trap him in it instead and leave Archan free from possession,” Duncan says.

Nathan shifts on my right. “That’s the plan. Jed said you guys were looking into a reversal spell?”

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