SAFE . . . reyna ramirez-arellano

3 - too many people

AFTER A MORNING of fallen angels, goat men, and lost memories, Briar should've been losing her mind, if she had one. Instead, all she felt was dread.

It's starting, she thought. Just like the dream said. She'd remembered the whole thing while getting on the chariot, strangely.

Besides, she'd started getting used to the feeling that this probably happened to her a lot. Call it a gut feeling. That's all she had because of stupid amnesia.

She stood in back of the chariot with Leo and Jason, while the bald guy, Butch, handled the reins, and the blond girl, Annabeth, adjusted a bronze navigation device. They rose over the Grand Canyon and headed east, icy wind ripping straight through Briar's jacket. Behind them, more storm clouds were gathering.

The chariot lurched and bumped. It had no seat belts and the back was wide open. Briar had flashbacks of falling from the Grand Canyon. She probably would've thrown herself off of the chariot if she didn't have the image of a girl in her mind — one with dark hair and a purple t-shirt.

Briar shivered as she thought about that horrible voice, giving her horrible news. It terrified her. The girl that was in Briar's head was captured by the owner of that voice. Purple fire engulfed her vision, then she'd woken up on the bus next to Jason.

She looked over at him. He stood right next to her, and she examined him. His sky blue eyes, close-cropped blond hair, that little scar on his upper lip. He stared at the horizon. He was familiar to her. His presence made her feel better, as if she'd spent so much time with him that he felt normal to her. She wondered if he had a dream like hers.

Meanwhile, Leo was being annoying. "This is so cool!" He spit a pegasus feather out of his mouth. "Where are we going?"

"A safe place," Annabeth said. "The only safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."

"Half-Blood?" Leo repeated.

"She means we're demigods," Jason said. "Half god, half mortal."

Annabeth looked back. "You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess."

Leo choked. "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"

"Got a problem with that?" Butch said.

"No, no," Leo said. "Rainbows. Very macho."

"Don't disrespect the gays, Leo," Briar scolded.

He stared at her. "Briar, I came out to you last month."

She stared at him blankly.

"Right," he said. "Amnesia."

"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth added. "He gets along great with the pegasi."

"Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered.

"I'm gonna toss you off this chariot," Butch warned.

"Demigods," Briar said. The term sounded familiar. "Does that entail—"

Lightning flashed. The chariot shuddered, and Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!"

Briar stepped back. Sure enough, the wheel was burning, white flames lapping up the side of the chariot.

The wind roared. She glanced behind them and saw dark shapes forming in the clouds, more storm spirits spiraling toward the chariot — except these looked more like horses than angels.

She felt her mouth drop open, "my god—"

"Anemoi come in different shapes," Annabeth said. "Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are. Hold on. This is going to get rough."