Page 36 of Shadowed Bond

“Then what do you suggest?” I whisper as everything returns to me: the veil, the poisoned water, which is the reason he’s probably too weak to push away all the rocks. I remember how the tunnel ceiling gave way, Ares protecting me, his body shielding mine as the tunnel collapsed around us.

“Ares?” I whisper, coughing as I choke on dust.

“Yeah?” he replies, sounding irritated, which is oddly reassuring.

“How long have we been like this?” I ask, still coughing, before taking a moment to observe my surroundings properly. Everything has settled, and from the way it feels, I’m certain I was out for more than a few seconds.

“No idea,” he grunts. “Since you’re awake, any idea on how the fuck we’re getting out of this shit?”

“Is the mighty Westwood asking for help?” I tease, despite our situation.

“Keep trying to rile me up, Arden, and I swear I’ll move and let the rocks bury you.”

“If you were tempted to do that, you wouldn’t have been stuck like this,” I say quietly.

He turns his head to look at me, narrowing his eyes. Goddess, that was the wrong thing to do… My core clenches, and I stare back at him.

Please tell me I am not getting turned on by this arrogant Westwood.

He’s handsome… That’s undeniable. Arguably the best-looking of the quints, but– Stop, I tell myself.

“Ok, it’s not funny; you are holding boulders over us,” I mutter. Both of our legs are crushed beneath the rubble, and I can’t even feel mine anymore.

“Really? I never knew,” he replies sarcastically, but I can hear the strain in it. I can hear it in the way he’s breathing, the faint tremor he is trying to hide in the arm beside my head, the way his aura feels fainter than before, still powerful but weaker.

Whatever that poison is, it’s still affecting us.

“Alright, I’m going to try to move the boulders again; just hold on a little longer,” I murmur, shifting ever so slightly, feeling something long press against my thigh. I freeze and don’t dare look at Ares.

“Stop getting distracted.”

“I’m not!” I snap, flustered.

“Liar.” He exhales, and I feel his warm breath against my jaw.

I don’t respond; instead, I begin to focus my power through the rocks on his back. If we can move enough to be able to push them off, that could work.

“And I guess you’re too weak to shift?” I ask quietly.

“Yeah, or I would have, init? Stop asking questions you know the answer to,” he grumbles. It’s obvious Ares doesn’t like looking weak.

“Right then, we do this as quickly as we can.” I begin working on the boulders, but I have no idea how he’s still holding them up; they’re so heavy.

My powers are sluggish and weak, and this is taking longer than it should. But I can tell with each boulder, his expression relaxes a little. Another huge boulder moves, and it smashes to the floor.

Ares lowers his head, closer to mine, shielding my face from falling dust with his own body.

My breath catches, and when he turns his head slightly to look at me, my heart begins to hammer.

“Scared, Princess?” he murmurs.

The words are meant to irritate me; I know that, but his voice is lower now, rougher, and the nickname does not land the same way it did before. But he’s mistaken; my reaction had nothing to do with the boulder.

“Of course not,” I reply smoothly. “Are you?”

He turns his head, his eyes meeting mine.

“Not of this,” he murmurs. Did he mean the rocks? I don’t think so…