“Don’t worry about it. I shadow traveled away but our forces are holding their own. Though I do need to get back. I need to let others know you’re okay. I may have lost my mind a little when you mind-linked me.” Jayden stands from his chair. “Be careful and stop being the hero at least for a little bit.”
“Yes, sir.” I salute him.
“Raven, make sure she rests on the way to wherever you’re headed next.” Jayden glares at me.
“She can’t sleep, Jayden. She was thrown around a lot and probably has a concussion.” Raven crosses her arms.
“I doubt her healing abilities will take long to surface,” he says. “Unless… Beth did you use too much magic?”
I glance away from his stormy blue eyes, not answering his question because yes, I did in fact use too much magic.
“Dammit, Beth. You’re going to be the death of me.”
“I had to end the stupid giant.” I lean back against the seat and squeeze my eyes shut.
“You’re not okay. Shit.” He glances behind him and then back at me. “I have to go back out there. Try not to scare the life out of me again.”
“Go. I’ll be fine once I have some food or something. I promise.” I rub my temples.
“I love you. Go get the hammer and come back to me.” Jayden grips his hair, turning away from the call.
“I love you too.” I wave a hand, dissipating the mist.
Greyson reaches in his bag and hands me several protein bars. The snack mom comes through again. I grin at him.
“Not a word. You scared the life out of all of us. Next time let’s make sure the giant isn’t the actual mountain before we climb the damn thing to kill him, yeah?” Greyson rubs the back of his neck.
“We defeated him, didn’t we?” I ask.
“Yeah and almost lost everything to do it. Why are you being so reckless all of a sudden?” Raven crosses her arms.
“I’m not being reckless. I did what needed to be done and Draven saved us in the end.” I wince when my head spins again.
This dizziness isn’t going away but with my friends all staring at me, I need to stay strong.
I slump into the seat and pull my seat belt on. We need to get moving or we’ll be too late. I almost ruined everything and died in the process. I can’t be the reason we lose. I can’t give Hera what she wants or the world will burn.
14
“Are you sure it’s wise to run all the way back alone?” I ask Randall.
“I will be fine. I have several enforcers meeting me at our outpost here.” Randall’s gaze meets mine through the rearview. “You need to head north. I can’t delay you by asking you to take me an hour back to Grand Junction. This is the best way.”
“I doubt rogues will bother him after the show of force we gave them earlier. Relax, B. It will be fine.” Raven pats my shoulder.
My stomach rumbles loudly. The protein bars only took the edge off and accelerated my healing, but I’m still starving from the amount of magic I used. Especially so close together. I’ve called two different storms in the span of a day. I’m surprised I have any energy left.
“We need to find real food,” I grumble. “Even if it’s just those prepackaged sandwiches you get at a gas station. We don’t know what we will be facing, and I need my magic.”
“You might have to settle for gas station sandwiches. There’s not much on the way to Montana,” Randall says.
“That’s fine as long as we don’t get any unexpected visitors.” Draven shudders.
“We’re going to need to stop for gas at some point and we haven’t seen them when we stopped so far.” Raven shrugs.
“And every time we stop at a gas station, I’m on edge.” Draven rubs the back of his head.
“You’re scared of gas stations? I just watched you use magic to break their fall from a hundred feet in the air,” Randall says.
