SAFE . . . reyna ramirez-arellano

63 - goodbye anger

THE CURRENT GRABBED her like a fist and pulled her into the deep. Struggling was useless. She clamped her mouth shut, forcing herself not to inhale, but she could barely keep from panicking. She couldn't see anything but a torrent of bubbles. She could only hear her own thrashing and the dull roar of the rapids.

She'd just about decided this was how she would die: drowning in a swimming hole on an island that didn't exist. 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, Reyna and Jason broke the surface and gasped. Jason, who had his sword, swung wildly, but there was nothing to attack. Briar saw Reyna mouth something at him, probably something like, why are you swinging your sword at me, you idiot?

Twenty feet to Briar'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. Reyna dived down to save him.

"Stop it!" Briar screamed.

She got Achelous's attention, even if she was panicking in the center of a fucking whirlpool. She's Briar Lovelace, after all. How many times has she used that phrase? Jesus Christ.

"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!" Briar said. "You don't have to kill us!"

Jason clawed his way to the surface, Reyna coming up right after him. A miniature storm cloud formed over their heads. Thunder boomed.

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

The water pulled Jason under again. Reyna went after him, as if she was collateral damage.

"Let them go!" Briar 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!" Briar promised. "Hercules is despicable. But, please, first let my friends go."

The water churned where Reyna and Jason had gone under. Briar wanted to scream. How much longer could they hold their breaths?

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."

"Excuse me?" Briar 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 friends. You are right, of course. I could make things right after all these centuries. I could not save Deianira, but I could save you."

"I really don't need saving," Briar plastered on a smile. "And I'm also much prettier than your princess."

"You would have to let your friends die," Achelous continued, as if he didn't hear her. "Hercules would be angry, but I can protect you from him. We could be quite happy together. Let's start by letting your friends drown, eh?"

Briar could barely hold it together, but she had to concentrate. She masked her fear and her anger. She's the fucking chosen one of the gods. She had to use the abilities she was given.