SAFE . . . reyna ramirez-arellano

20 - big mansion

BRIAR WOULD'VE DIED five million times on the way to the front door if not for Leo.

First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.

Leo deactivated all of them. It was like he could smell the traps, and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.

"You're amazing, Leo," Jason said.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. "Yeah, amazing," he said. "Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing."

"Hey, that wasn't your—"

"Front door's already unlocked," Leo announced.

Briar stared at the door. "It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?"

Leo turned the knob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation.

Before Jason could follow, Briar caught his arm. "He's going to need some time to get over Festus. Don't take it personally. He totally likes you."

"Yeah," Jason said. "Yeah, okay."

She sent him a reassuring smile, and made to go in when he stopped her.

"Briar," he said, "I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about Reyna — if she's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not."

Briar's smile faded. "Jason, you don't know what you're saying. Don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together."

She ducked inside.

Her first impression of the house: Dark.

From the echo of her footsteps, she could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As Briar's eyes adjusted, she saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

"Where's the light switch?" Jason's voice echoed alarmingly through the room as he entered behind Briar.

"Don't see one," Leo said.

"Fire?" she suggested.

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. "It's not working."

"Your fire is out? Why?" Briar asked.

"Well, if I knew that—"

"Okay, okay," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "What do we do — explore? I like exploring. Dora the Explorer."

Leo shook his head. "After all those traps outside? Bad idea. And that was a shit show, and you know it."

Briar scoffed, but she knew he was right. On both counts.

She hated being a demigod. Looking around, she didn't see a comfortable room to hang out in. She imagined vicious storm spirits lurking in the curtains, dragons under the carpet, a chandelier made of lethal ice shards, ready to impale them. This wasn't like a Dora the Explorer episode.

"Leo's right," Jason said. "We're not separating again — not like in Detroit."

"Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes." Briar huffed. "I needed that."