Chapter Twenty-Five
The plinth rests in the very back of the SUV, hidden but taunting me. “Taking this thing with us is a supremely bad idea.”
“What choice did we have? We couldn’t let Prometheus walk away with it, especially since Pandora is with him,” Jayden says.
“I know but we are walking that thing right into the enemy’s hands. It feels like doom surrounds it.” I shudder.
I can’t shake this terrible feeling with it there. My stomach chimes in at that moment with a rumble and I roll my eyes. Seriously? Why can’t I just be a normal demigod and not a complete freak?
“Okay, we need to stop somewhere and eat. You used too much magic again, didn’t you?” Jayden glares at me.
“It could be the almost dying part that has my stomach gnawing at itself.” I shrug.
“Can you not joke about nearly dying? That makes me all rage-y,” Jayden whispers.
“Sorry, baby. I healed those damn broken ribs pretty fast too so I think maybe I used too much. What about you guys? Are you running on empty?” I glance in the back at Raven and Draven.
“I think I fucked up too and my stomach is about to go on strike,” Raven says.
“I could definitely eat. I’m not completely wiped but really all I did was drive these two psychos.” Draven waves a hand in our direction.
“He called us psychos,” I say. “I think that’s the nicest thing he’s ever said to me.”
“It is not,” Draven huffs, but Kira giggles.
“It’s definitely the nicest thing he’s ever said to me,” Raven says.
“That’s not a nice thing to call someone,” Thad groans. “Only the two of you would take it as a compliment.”
“You have seen them in action before, right?” Dax asks Thad.
“More times than you have, buddy. I’m well aware they are absolute machines and come off as psychotic. The fact that they take it as a compliment is what’s baffling me at the moment.” Thad leans back in his seat.
“They are sitting right here, and if you don’t want to get the pointy end of my dagger shoved in an uncomfortable place, I suggest you remember that,” Raven says.
“And there it is,” Draven says with a smirk.
“Jayden, we need to stop somewhere and eat. I think Raven is getting hangry,” I say.
Greyson leans forward between the seats. “We’re almost to the border. There should be a town not ten miles down the road.”
My stomach takes this opportunity to complain loudly and Jayden steps harder on the gas. I don’t know why they are so worried about a few animalistic noises coming from my stomach but if it gets food in my system, I’ll gladly take it.
“Oh, look. A cute little diner,” I say, pointing out the windshield.
The white building looks like an old renovated boxcar from times past and has a retro sign with neon lights with the name Sandy’s Diner lit up in the afternoon sun.
“Are we sure we don’t want to go somewhere like a chain restaurant?” Raven asks warily.
I grimace. “Maybe you’re right. We haven’t had the best luck with obscure places being normal human establishments.”
“I don’t see any other places around. It’s a small town so maybe they only have this one place here,” Jayden says, scanning the area.
“Let’s just go eat there,” Dax says. “But keep an eye out for anything weird.”
Everyone agrees but now my appetite has soured with the idea that this could possibly be a monster hotbed of activity and we will have to fight our way out.
I clench and unclench my fists at my sides, itching to pull a weapon, but I don’t sense any magic or monsters around. Everything seems normal.
