I sighed. Fine, I supposed I wouldn’t kill the human. But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t kick him a few times in that pretty-boy face of his.
“Ajax! Dude, calm down!”
Before I could take a full step towards the man, I felt hands wrap around me and pull me back.
“Ajax, you need to take a chill pill. What has you so raging bull?”
“She’s upset,” I ground out. “His. Fault.”
“Oh, Ajax.” Atalanta tried to get up from the bed, but Curt? Clint? Kile? Snot.
Snot used his body and backed her back onto the bed. “Stay down, Atalanta.”
“He’s not going to hurt me, Clint.” She shoved around Snot and came to stand in front of me. “Ajax, I’m fine. Please calm down. You’re bleeding.”
I snorted. A small cut on my ear from the bullet. It would heal soon.
Taking in a deep breath, I raised the Snot’s gun. Everyone in the room tensed before I tossed it to the ground, far out of everyone’s reach.
“Use both hands next time.” I grunted before shaking off Jason and Hip.
“Someone would have heard the gunshot and called the police.” Atalanta said before shoving the man aside and hurrying past all of us to the door. “We can’t be here when they show up.”
“Atalanta,” Snot called.
“No, Clint. You can explain to them why you discharged your weapon. You know procedure, and I can’t be here when they start asking those questions.”
I watched her as she walked out of the room. Beyond nervously rubbing her shoulder, she outwardly look fine, confident even, but I could feel her anxiety and terror. Him firing his gun freaked her out considerably. I followed after her, needing for her to be okay.
The other two followed while Snot stayed behind. He radiated anger and jealousy, sprinkled with worry. I wondered if he was worried about himself or Atalanta. Considering he was about to face down Mathews and Jefferson, the town sheriffs, I could only smile at the hell they would bring down on him.
Atalanta stormed down the steps at a brisk pace. Mimi was missing and no other patrons were in sight.
Jason rushed forward and ever so gently took Atalanta’s hand. “We need to go out the back entrance.”
Without looking at him, she nodded and changed directions, letting Jason lead her to the back towards the emergency exit. Luckily, the door didn’t have an alarm on it and no one was lingering out back. The four of us hurried around the side of the building, with me taking the lead, crouching low.
Just as I rounded the side of the building, I stopped short and held up my fist, signaling the others to stop. The cops had just arrived. I waited until Mathews and Jefferson hopped out of their patrol car and rushed into the building, guns drawn. I lowered my hand and stood straight, calmly and casually walking towards my car.
“Where do we go from here?” Jason asked.
I looked back to him as he continued to hold Atalanta’s hand. Atalanta’s eyes kept flicking around, to our surroundings and back to the ground. Her free hand still rubbing that spot on her shoulder, the one I knew bore a large scar from a bullet.
“Library,” I said, holding out my hand for Atalanta to take.
Her eyes met mine for a moment before moving to Jason’s. With a nod, he let go of her hand, allowing it to take mine. Yet instead, she walked past me and hopped into my truck.
A little hurt, I looked to the other two. "Meet you there.”
They nodded and I hopped into my truck and pulled away.
Atalanta sat quietly in her seat, pulling at her sleeves and rubbing her shoulder. Feeling her maelstrom of emotions was torment. I held in the bile that rose in my throat.
Reaching over, I held out my hand to her. Offering my help, praying to the gods she would take it so that I could relieve her. But she didn’t.
“I know you want to make me feel better, but taking away my emotions won’t solve the problem, Ajax.”
“I just want to help.”
She gave a curt nod. “I know. And knowing you’re here for me helps enough.”
I nodded and retreated my hand. There was a part of me that feared that she would never let me touch her when she was upset, even if it was just to comfort her in the human way. Perhaps I would need to make my intentions clear in the future as my own hurt twisted in my chest.
We made it to the library a few minutes later. Without a word. Atalanta got out of the truck and hurried to the library’s doors.
Jason and Hip showed up moments later and the three of us followed after her. Percival was sitting at his desk, reading one of those young adult books Atalanta got him hooked on. When he saw us enter, he quickly closed the book and tried to hide it from our sight, that calm look of his morphing to concern as he read our expressions.
“What happened?”
“Ajax here attacked Atalanta’s …um…cousin? Friend? Clint. He attacked Clint and Clint shot at us.” Hip said, pointing at me accusingly.
Percival’s eyes cut to mine. “And why would you do such a thing?”
“She was upset.”
I noticed more than a few eye rolls.
“We can not go attacking humans every time she gets upset.” Percival scolded.
I clenched my fist. “This wasn’t…it wasn’t—”
“Please don’t be mad at him.” Atalanta interjected, her eyes meeting with the floor. "Knowing how I felt in that room. I don’t blame him for feeling protective of me.”
“What did Clint do to you?”
“He only reminded me of…he reminded me that there are things I need to tell you.”
I felt her fear and anxiety spike. It was so abrupt that I staggered on my feet, and when she met my eyes, I saw very familiar flashes.
A little girl's screams.
Searing pain.
“Ajax, put your barriers back up,” Someone said, pulling me out of it.
I jerked my eyes away from Atalanta’s and dove straight into the nearest trashcan to hurl up my lunch.
“Ajax, I’m so sorry!” Atalanta’s regret brushed against me, this time more gently as I put up a wall around my mind.
“Not,” Hurl. "your fault.”
Percival sighed. "I have some chocolate in my office.”
Shakily, I stood up straight. Jason patted my back and handed me a bottle of water.
“Is there a reason our silent giant just hurled up a storm?” Hip asked.
“Ajax’s empath abilities are exceptionally strong.” Percival came back and handed me the bar of chocolate. “Sometimes if the emotions come on too intensely, too quickly, it can make him sick.”
Percival, like Edith, was nosy and knew way too much about other’s personal lives. Granted, most of the Mer town knew that little fact about my abilities, so I shoved down my annoyance.
Taking a bite of chocolate, I studied Atalanta, who didn’t look well. Her dark features were ashen and her uncovered eye was red from unshed tears. Reaching forward, I carefully removed the bandage from her bright green eye.
“Please, tell us.”
She shook her head and backed up from me. “No, not if you’re going to be sick.”
I kept my expression neutral, not wanting to show my anger at her using my illness as an excuse. It was time for her to be the brave girl I knew she could be.
“I’ll be fine.”
We stared each other down in a contest of will. She was strong, but I wasn’t giving in. Not this time.
She sighed and pulled out her phone. “I’ll text Theseus, he should be here for this too.”
A few minutes later, I felt the dark aura of Theseus approach. His happy-go-lucky expression quickly morphed into one of worry when he spotted Atalanta, and he picked up his pace to be by her side.