Page 48 of Artemis’ Bow (Halfling Academy #5)

“You need healing,” Jayden says. “How did you get that huge gash on your arm?”

“Half a pincer got me,” I pant.

Fatigue is hitting fast and hard. My stomach rumbles and I scowl down at it. Is that the way it’s going to be all the time now? Every time I use a lot of magic it’s going to complain that it needs food? This is bullshit.

“You just ate like two hours ago.” Raven laughs.

“Yeah, well, I used a lot of magic.” I shrug and wince. “How’s Dax?”

“He needs the elixir, like right now.” Raven turns to her brother. “Whatever poison the scorpion had in its stinger is moving fast.”

I jog over to Dax laid out on the ground. Kira is bent over him, quietly crying.

“Hey, Kira, can you move for me?” I ask her gently.

“Why?” she sobs.

“I have something that will help him, but I need to drop it into his mouth.” I squeeze her shoulder.

Draven walks up and scoops Kira up into his arms. She struggles but finally relaxes into him as he whispers soothing words in her ear.

“Give him the elixir,” Draven says. “Save him. I know it can.”

I nod and hold the dropper over Dax’s lips. Jayden crouches on his other side and pulls Dax’s jaw down enough that the three little drops can fall into his mouth.

Nothing happens for a second and Kira sobs, “What is that? We didn’t have that in our medical supplies.”

“We didn’t want the other teams to abuse it. It can become highly addictive if used too often,” I explain.

The color returns to Dax’s skin and the hole in his shoulder knits itself back together, pushing the toxins out in a black sludge from the wound.

Dax gasps and sits up abruptly. “What happened? Is it dead?”

“Yeah, Kira is the MVP on this one. That device she created blew it into a million pieces.” I chuckle.

Dax turns to where Draven is cradling Kira to his chest and tilts his head to the side. He doesn’t appear angry, just confused.

“Sorry, man. She was freaking out and wouldn’t move out of Beth’s way. I knew Beth could save you because I’ve seen it before.” Draven shrugs.

“Thank you for helping,” Dax says, shocking all of us.

“Okay.” Jayden pulls my focus from the odd turn of events. “Your turn. That isn’t healing as fast as it should be.”

Jayden glares at my arm like it’s personally offending him.

He’s right, though; it’s not healing the way it should.

My first instinct is to be stubborn but with the expression on his too handsome face, I don’t waste my breath.

Jayden takes the dropper from my hand and squeezes three drops on my tongue.

“All right. Now that injuries are healing, we need to focus on the next steps. Finding and rescuing Artemis is top priority.”

“You’re going after Artemis?” Orion asks.

Somehow the giant has managed to shrink himself from the size of a mountain to just a really big human man.

“That’s why we’re here, yes,” I say. “Do you know anything about where she’s being held?”

“I’ve been watching from the stars since the day Apollo tricked her into killing me. I have seen everything. The way that damned Alpheus stalks her everywhere she goes but she’s always been stronger than him until they took her bow and hid it in her temple.”

“So, it was Alpheus who took her. We had guessed but weren’t sure.” I nod. “Do you know where he took her?” I ask.

“He didn’t exactly take her. She went looking for the bow as a group of demigods gave her clues to find the temple where it’s located in the United States. He captured her when she was trying to locate the bow. That’s when I was ripped from the sky along with my moon.” He tilts his head back.

“So we were right that she is being kept in the temple. I just wish I for sure knew how to get inside without her magic lashing out at me,” I say with a groan.

“We have three possible options to get inside, Beth. Let’s get to the temple, rest, and then make a plan to retrieve Artemis and her bow.” Jayden grips my hand.

“You’re right. I just don’t like sending others in to do a job that I should be doing.” I shake my head.

“It’s not all on you, Beth,” Raven says. “We’re a team. Always.”

“I know, it doesn’t mean I like not going in myself.”

My stomach rumbles embarrassingly loud and I growl in frustration. Olly jogs over with a bag in his hand and gives it to me.

“The leftovers from the hotel,” he says. “Figure you can use them more than I can.”

“Thanks, Olly.” I reach in the bag and pull out a taco, practically inhaling it before reaching for another.

This new normal is going to be a pain in the ass. I have been using massive amounts of magic since we’ve been on this mission.

“Okay, bestie, you can stuff your face in the SUV while we head out to New Orleans.” Raven chuckles.

“You wait. This is in your future too, I’m sure. When you use your new trick too long in battle, you’re gonna be starving all the time just like me.”

“Shit,” Jayden says. “Are we gonna have to start carrying snacks on the battlefield?”

Greyson and Thad burst out laughing at the expression of pure horror on Jayden’s face.

I don’t know how that would work, but it’s a thought worth looking into.

I shrug and pull a burrito from the bag.

Jayden opens the door for me, and I climb into the passenger side of the SUV, happily munching on the burrito as we head down the highway to our final destination.

The rest of the drive is uneventful, only Greyson’s occasional directions piercing the quiet in the vehicle. The city of New Orleans is beautiful with a ton of history and gorgeous gardens in some places. When we turn the corner to get to the temple, my jaw drops open.

“We need to fucking hide, now.”

They were expecting us, and I knew it, but the view in front of us is worse than I could have ever imagined.

We are so screwed.