SAFE . . . reyna ramirez-arellano

27 - dreaming ( the sequel's sequel )

BRIAR WOKE UP to find herself in a bed again.

But this was different. Memory her — because there was no way she ended up in a bed — was awake, and Reyna was settled next to her along with two metal dogs.

Briar knew the dogs. She knew them, and their gold and silver plating. But she couldn't remember them for the life of her, and that hurt.

"Read some more," Reyna nestled more into Briar, staring up at the book in her hands.

With a start, Briar realized that past her was holding the book that Aeolus had given her. She knew that the handwriting was familiar. It was hers and Reyna's scrawled calligraphy.

"Fine," Briar huffed. "But you're getting up next time to get me water."

"Deal."

She opened the book, patted the silver dog's head ( why couldn't Briar remember his name? ), and continued reading. "These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume."

Briar continued reading to Reyna, lulling the dogs to sleep. They occasionally stopped so Reyna could write something in the book, and Briar noted the page numbers so she could flip to them when she woke up. If she woke up.

"So they got married," Reyna said after Briar read scene 2 of act 3, "and then he immediately gets exiled."

"Yeah," Briar put the book on the nightstand, her voice starting to get hoarse. It wasn't even 3 pm. "You gotta trust the process, Rey."

"They both die in the end."

"And?"

Reyna rolled her eyes before leaning down to kiss Briar's forehead. "Thanks for reading this to me. I know it hits a hard spot."

"I really don't mind," Briar had said, but the present her thought, hard spot? "Besides, you're my girl. I'd do anything for you."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

Then Briar's dream changed, and she found herself back in Medea's department store.

"Oh, come on," Briar muttered. "I wanted to know what happens next in Romeo and Juliet."

"You know," said a woman's honey-sweet voice, " what happens in that play."

Briar turned, afraid she'd see Medea, but a different woman stood next to her, browsing through the fifty-percent-off rack.

The woman was gorgeous — shoulder-length hair, a graceful neck, perfect features, and an amazing figure tucked into jeans and a snowy white top.

This lady felt different than other ones Briar had met on this quest. She was elegant without trying, fashionable without effort, stunning without makeup. After seeing Aeolus with his silly face-lifts and cosmetics, Briar thought this woman looked even more astonishing. There was nothing artificial about her.

Yet as Briar watched, the woman's appearance changed. Briar couldn't decide the color of her eyes, or the exact color of her hair. The woman became more and more beautiful, as if her image were aligning itself to Briar's thoughts — getting as close as possible to Briar's idea of beauty.

And for some reason she felt angry. She felt like she was a bomb ticking, waiting to blow up.

"Mom," Briar said. "Venus."

The goddess smiled. "Aphrodite, actually, darling. You're only dreaming. If anyone wonders, I wasn't here. Okay?"

"I—" Briar couldn't find the words she wanted to say. But what did she even want to say? I hate you? Why did you do this to me? But she didn't know what Aphrodite had even done to her to make her feel this way.