Page 51 of Artemis’ Bow (Halfling Academy #5)

T here’s a pounding in my head as I blink open my eyes. Wait. No that’s not my head pounding. I jolt up in the bed and reach for Jayden. He’s still sleeping even through the person banging on the door.

“Jayden, wake up.” I tap his shoulder.

He groans and rolls toward me, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me closer to him. “What is that?”

“Someone’s at the door.” I shake him again.

Jayden’s eyes widen and he shoots up in the bed, calling his shadow sword to him instantly. “Who’s there?”

“Dax. We need to talk like right now,” Dax yells through the door.

“Shit, hold on,” I call out. “This can’t be anything good.”

“It never is when someone pounds on the door,” Jayden says.

He hands me my pack and I pull out some clean clothes. Probably my last set, to be honest. I get dressed in a hurry and as soon as we’re both decent, Jayden opens the door.

“You realize it’s a bad idea to sleep naked when you need to be ready for anything on a dangerous mission, right?” Dax says.

“Don’t be thinking about my girl sleeping naked,” Jayden says, his tone icy.

Kira shoves Dax to the side. “Dax, stop being an idiot; this is serious.”

“He’s just so fun to fuck with.” Dax shrugs.

“What’s going on?” I cut in before the guys can get in any more jabs at each other.

“Where’s Raven and Greyson?” Dax asks. “This is really important and we need to move.”

“They’re in the room next to ours. They’re probably awake, getting dressed too. Greyson would have heard that pounding instantly,” I say.

The door next to us opens and Raven sticks her head out. “Everything okay?”

“No,” Dax says. “We spotted the third team at the temple, and they aren’t prisoners. They’re patrolling the perimeter.”

“Did you get a good look at the others? They’re still under mind-control, right?” I ask.

“They are. They aren’t doing any of this willingly,” Kira confirms.

“That’s good at least.” I nod.

“Orion is in the SUV, but we left the others behind to keep an eye on everything. I think it’s time to move on them,” Dax says.

“Good call bringing Orion. I want to keep him out of sight so Alpheus doesn’t spot him before it’s time to save Artemis.” I swing my bag over my shoulder and glance back into the room, checking that we haven’t missed anything.

We made sure to pack everything back up after our shower before crashing and sleeping like the dead.

Jayden lifts my medical bag over his shoulder with his own and reaches for my hand as we turn to leave the hotel behind.

I’m more refreshed and rested than I have been in days.

The others had been right. I’d needed the sleep.

“Where did you leave the others? Are we sure they are safe where they are?” I chew my lip.

“As safe as they can be in enemy territory,” Dax says.

“Well, that’s not comforting at all,” I grumble.

“We’re on a dangerous mission, Beth. No one is safe.” Kira pats my shoulder.

We walk out to the parking garage and wait for the valet to bring the car around. My hands clench and unclench at my sides as the minutes tick by waiting for the car. We need to move. Sitting idle right before a battle sucks.

“Do we have a plan?” Dax asks.

“We need to assess the situation first and then come up with a plan once we’re there,” I say.

“I think that’s best,” Raven agrees. “We don’t know what we’re walking into to even try to plan our attack.”

“Agreed. Anything can happen even in just a short time.” I lean against Jayden’s side.

The car is pulled around in front of us and I breathe out a sigh of relief. We need to get there fast.

“Do you think we’ll be able to save my brothers and the Apollo kid?” Raven asks.

“I hope so, but we can’t make that a priority,” I say as I sit in the passenger seat.

“The priority is absolutely Artemis,” Jayden says.

“I know. I get they’re idiots but they’re my idiot brothers. I can’t help it. I want to save them if I can.” Raven shrugs.

“We can talk to Draven and see what he thinks when we get back.” I turn to face her in the back seat.

“That’s the only thing I can ask for.” Raven sighs.

We make the trip back to the temple in silence. My nerves are shot. I squirm in my seat, tapping my foot nervously. The waiting to get there and find out what’s going on is the worst part. I stare out the window, watching the passing scenery.

The SUV is barreling down the road in front of us until the familiar landscape comes into view and Dax pulls the vehicle off to the side next to a copse of trees, hiding it from view of anyone at the temple. Jayden pulls the car in next to him and cuts the engine.

“Let’s do this.” I sigh and open the door.

The others get out of the vehicles as well and we stand in a circle, scanning the surrounding area. “Where did you leave the others?”

“They’re just at the top of that ridge, hiding on the south side away from the temple but in viewing range.” Dax points to a grassy hill not far away from us.

Greyson sniffs the air and tilts his head to the side. “Anyone else smell that?”

“What?” I ask.

“Monsters,” he says. “I don’t think the others are over there anymore. I know Draven, Adrian, and Thad aren’t. Their scents are mixed with monsters.”

“Fuck, they’ve been captured at the very least and I don’t want to think about the worst possible scenario.” I run a hand down my face.

“We need a visual,” Raven says.

“We can’t use the same spot. It’s been compromised.” Dax crosses his arms.

“We need to see it, though. Maybe it will give us some clues about where they are and what happened to them.” I scan the forest.

“They came at them from the north, maybe over the other side of the ridge they were using for cover,” Greyson says, sniffing the air again.

We creep up the southern ridge of the hill on silent feet, crouched low so they won’t easily spot us. I peek my head over the side of the hill. It’s a shame that they were found out here because this is a sweet little lookout spot with a great view of the temple.

Monsters freely roam the grounds below. I scan the area until my gaze lands on Mia directing the rest of their team to patrol as she stands over Draven, Thad, and Adrian.

“I can see all the others except Olly. Where is he?” I whisper.

There are no monsters close by, but many would have ears almost as good as Greyson so I’m careful. We don’t want to alert them that we’re here until we’re ready.

“I don’t know,” Dax whispers back. “He was with them when we left. Maybe he got away.”

“They would be looking for him if he got away from them. They wouldn’t just let him go.” I shake my head.

“Where are they?” Mia screams from below. “Where are Jayden, those two bitches, Beth and Raven, and their fucking dog?”

Greyson snarls, “I’ll show her who’s the bitch and a dog here.”

“Hold back, Greyson. We don’t want to show our hand yet,” I say.

“I know they are here. Tell me where they are, now.”

Draven glares at her with defiance. “You’re a traitorous bitch and I’m not telling you shit.”

“You will talk. You will tell me everything once I set the monsters loose on you.” She grins evilly.

“You can do your worst, you ugly hag.” Thad spits at her.

“What the fuck are they doing?” I hiss. “Riling this psycho up is a bad fucking move.”

“They must have a plan. We need to come up with our own plan to help them and get Artemis out of that damned place.” Raven shakes her head.

Orion peeks over the side of the hill and tilts his head. “I feel her inside. She’s weak but I can sense where she is exactly.”

“Do you think you could get inside without getting fried by her magic?” I ask him.

“Artemis’ magic has never been able to hurt me. The only way she was ever able to hurt me was with the bow.” He hangs his head. “I will get in there and rescue my mate.”

“Mate?” I ask in confusion. “Do gods have mates?”

“No, but giants do. I’m hers for eternity even if she can never be mine.” Orion shrugs.

“That has got to be the most heartbreaking thing I have ever heard in my life,” I say.

Raven nods her agreement. “Fucking gods. Apollo is an asshole.”

“Apollo does as he must for the sake of this realm. Don’t be too quick to judge him. Can you imagine the burden it must put on a being’s soul to be forced to play the villain to protect the greater good?” Orion says.

“So, you think this is all an act? That he’s not as complicit in all of this as we originally thought?” I tilt my head to the side.

“He came to me before my battle with the scorpion. Before I was placed in the stars and told me there would come a day that his sister would need me, but it wouldn’t be in my lifetime. The only way to save everyone was to die by my mate’s hand and be placed in the stars as the constellation Orion.”

“He saw this coming millennia ago?” I gasp, transfixed by his story.

“The only way Zeus would even consider putting me in the sky is if Artemis herself begged for my life, riddled with grief and guilt. Apollo hated himself for what he’d become in order to save the realm from the queen and her minions.” Orion’s shoulders slump.

“That’s fucking tragic,” Raven says, barely audible.

“All right, no more bashing on Apollo,” Jayden says. “Even if he’s been a pain in our asses the last few months. It will all be for nothing if we don’t free Artemis.”

“Agreed. Let’s retreat and come up with a plan,” I say.

How that must have hurt Orion to make that sacrifice for the world, losing out on a life with his mate only to watch her from the sky day and night. I would have lost my mind long ago in his position.

We ease back off the hill and rush back to the cover of the trees and the cars. “What do we know for sure?”

“Artemis is inside with her bow,” Orion says.

“The others were caught but appear to have a plan, however idiotic that plan may be.” Raven ticks off two fingers.

“Olly is not with them; his whereabouts are unknown,” Jayden says.

“And the other team is here and most likely under mind-control, all but Mia who is a traitorous bitch,” Dax adds.