Page 25 of Artemis’ Bow (Halfling Academy #5)
“Let’s go see what the big reveal is,” Jayden says, pulling me along with him.
We enter the garden in the bright sunlight, and I grimace. I’m really starting to hate the feel of the sun constantly on my skin.
“Okay, everyone, step back and brace yourselves. This is going to be fun.” Orpheus claps excitedly. “Jayden, press down on the rune on the side.”
Jayden glances at me warily but shrugs and presses his finger to the rune on the side.
A clicking sound fills the silence. The ground rumbles as giant paws land on the grass in front of Jayden and a huge tongue lolls from one of the monstrous heads before it licks all the way up Jayden’s face, leaving drool dripping onto his shirt.
“Ugh, Cerberus, what have I told you about that?” Jayden wipes his face with his sleeve.
“Spot,” I yell. “What are you doing here?”
I scratch the left head behind the ear and he practically purrs.
“I don’t have any human leg bones to throw for you.” Raven holds her hands up in surrender.
Greyson and Thad both turn their gazes on her in a mix of horror and confusion.
Greyson asks, “Do we want to know?”
“Probably not.” I wrap my arms around Spot’s neck, hugging the lovable goof.
His other head bumps my arms to get me to show him some love too and I chuckle. Jayden is still trying to get the slobber off his face as the third head nudges him repeatedly in the gut.
“He wants to play.” Orpheus laughs.
“We don’t have time to play,” Jayden says.
“Hades sent him to help us?” I ask as I scratch the middle head under his fuzzy chin.
“He did. The hellhound seems fond of both of you. When he isn’t acting like a lapdog, he’s also a ferocious warrior in his own right,” he says. “Hades said what you’re doing is too important not to assist in any way he can.”
“But how can we take him with us? He can’t like being in that tiny capsule for very long.” I chew my lip.
“He knows what he needs to do. He’s the most intelligent beast I’ve ever met,” Orpheus says.
“Spot, do you want to come help us save Artemis?” I ask him.
All three heads nod in unison. The head closest to me headbutts me in the stomach a little too hard. All the air whooshes from my lungs and I bend at the waist, holding my stomach.
“Cerberus, don’t be so rough with her,” Jayden scolds.
Spot whimpers, nuzzling my face gently this time. “It’s okay, buddy. I just wasn’t expecting that.”
“You understand you’ll have to stay in this until we need your help, right, Cerberus?” Jayden holds up the capsule.
Spot whines but nods that he understands. He is extremely intelligent for a beast and knows that he would attract too much attention in the human world, which could be very bad for all of us. The only way he can come with us is disguised and the best way to do that is the capsule Jayden is holding.
A big rubber ball appears in Orpheus’ hand a second before he chucks it directly at Jayden’s head.
“You bastard,” Jayden yells as he snatches it from the air.
The ball is like a beacon and all three heads turn to Jayden as Cerberus launches at him.
Jayden sidesteps but Spot has three heads, so no matter which way he dodges, there’s a head there to greet him and try to snatch the ball from him.
“Greyson, catch,” Jayden yells and throws the ball.
“Fuck that. I want no part of that insanity.” Greyson moves out of the path of the ball, and it bounces in the grass ten feet away from him.
Raven screams, “Greyson, watch out!”
He didn’t move far enough out of the way and Cerberus’ right head slams into him, dazing the power hellhound for a second as Greyson flies into a nearby tree.
“Jayden,” Raven snarls. “Get your mutt under control.”
“That’s not nice. He’s just a big puppy that wants to play and doesn’t realize his own strength,” I say.
“That is not a puppy; that is a menace,” Greyson groans.
“You forget he’s going to be stored in something tiny for who knows how long. Show some damn compassion.” I stomp over to Spot.
His three huge heads are all fighting over the ball and growling at each other.
“Where’s the compassion for my broken bones?” Greyson grumbles.
“Quit being a baby. You’re fine, you’re a gods touched shifter.” Raven helps the whiny baby to his feet. “I’ll kiss your booboos later.”
“I’ll give you something to kiss,” Greyson whispers, but I hear it.
Maybe there is something to this running theory that my senses are sharpening. I shouldn’t be able to hear them whisper from fifty feet away. Everyone else is oblivious to their hushed conversation.
Jayden stalks closer to Cerberus, using his shadows to sneak up on the hellhound. He snatches the ball when he materializes in front of them and then runs away. Cerberus howls and takes off at a lumbering pace, nearly tripping over his own paws at one point.
“Jayden, here,” Thad calls.
Jayden launches the ball his way and just before it reaches him, I use my transport power to appear before Thad and snatch the ball out of the air in front of him.
I transport back to my previous spot and the hellhound spins in a circle, chasing his tail until he spots me.
He lunges for me, but I disappear again.
Jayden is next to me when I blink back to existence. I toss him the ball and blink out again until I’m behind the beast. I laugh as the dog spins again, feeling more carefree and happy than I think I ever have.
An arm snakes around my middle and Jayden materializes from the shadows. His grip is like iron as he throws the ball back to Thad who catches it and carries it like a football. Thad bobs and weaves between the three heads, spraying them with water if one of the heads gets too close to the ball.
Cerberus whines and shakes his head, spraying us all with the excess water from his fur. I laugh again as I wipe the water from my cheeks.
“Spot,” I yell with a giggle. “You got me all wet.”
“Um, B, I get he needs this, but you need to look at this,” Raven calls.
I turn to see what’s happening and gasp. Orpheus is holding Adrian up as his eyes flash white the way they do when he has a vision.
“What new fresh hell can we expect now?” I ask but no one responds.
No one can because nothing good comes from Adrian’s visions. Nothing.