Shot Through the Heart

Dolphins are not that cute anymore

The current grabbed her like a fist and pulled her into the deep. Struggling was useless she was too tired to do it anyway. She clamped her mouth shut, forcing herself not to inhale. She couldn't see anything, everything was blurry. She could only hear her own thrashing and the dull roar of the rapids.

she knew this day would suck. Then, as suddenly as she'd been pulled under, she was thrust to the surface. She found herself at the center of a whirlpool, able to breathe but unable to break free.

A few yards away, Jason broke the surface and gasped, his sword in one hand. He swung wildly, but there was nothing to attack.

Twenty feet to Amoriel's right, Achelous rose from the water. "I'm really sorry about this," he said.

Jason lunged toward him, summoning the winds to lift him out of the river, but Achelous was quicker and more powerful. A curl of water slammed into Jason and sent him under once more.

"Stop it!" Amoriel yelled.

Using charmspeak wasn't easy when she was floundering in a whirlpool, but she got Achelous's attention.

"I'm afraid I can't stop," said the river god. "I can't let Hercules have my other horn. It would be mortifying."

"There's another way!" Amoriel said. "You don't have to kill us!"

Jason clawed his way to the surface again. A miniature storm cloud formed over his head. Thunder boomed.

"None of that, son of Jupiter," Achelous chided. "If you call lightning, you'll just electrocute your friend."

The water pulled Jason under again.

"Let him go!" Amoriel charged her voice with all the persuasiveness she could muster. "I promise I won't let Hercules get the horn!"

Achelous hesitated. He cantered over to her, his head tilting to the left. "I believe you mean that."

"I do!" Amoriel promised. "Nobody wants to see his intestines lined up all around the beach more than me right now. But, please, first let my friend go."

The water churned where Jason had gone under. Amoriel wasn't sure how much longer could he hold his breath.

Achelous looked down at her through his bifocals. His expression softened. "I see. You would be my Deianira. You would be my bride to compensate for my loss."

Just as she said that this day couldn't get any worse.

"What?" Amoriel wasn't sure if she'd heard him right. The whirlpool was literally making her head spin. "Uh, actually I was thinking—"

"Oh, I understand," Achelous said. "You were too modest to suggest this in front of your friend. You are right, of course. I would treat you much better than a son of Zeus would. I could make things right after all these centuries. I could not save Deianira, but I could save you."

Had it been thirty seconds now? A minute? Jason couldn't hold out much longer.

"You would have to let your friends die," Achelous continued. "Hercules would be angry, but I can protect you from him. We could be quite happy together. Let's start by letting that Jason fellow drown, eh?"

Amoriel really didn't want to do this. The river god seemed like a nice dude, but she had enough. No one could resist Cupid's charm, mortal or divine. She had to use the tools she was given.

She smiled as sweetly as she could and raised her arms. "Lift me up, please."

Achelous's face brightened. He grabbed Amoriel's hands and pulled her out of the whirlpool.