SAFE . . . reyna ramirez-arellano

82 - for the ride

LISTEN, BRIAR WAS just here for the ride. She didn't know what was happening. One moment, she was in a dark tunnel. The next? She was fighting a giant.

Briar remembered having Frank and Reyna at her side while they stabbed at the giant. Jason had been kicking at Clytius's — at least Briar assumed it was him — face, Leo was shooting fire at the giant's legs. Nico sometimes was behind Briar, slicing through smoke that was on its way to get her. At least she wouldn't die by a smoke blanket.

Clytius snarled, turning back and forth as if he couldn't decide which of them to kill first. Wait! Hold still! No! Ouch!

The darkness around him dispelled completely, leaving nothing to protect him except his battered armor. Ichor oozed from a dozen wounds. The damage healed almost as fast as it was inflicted, but Hazel could tell the giant was tiring.

One last time Jason flew at him, kicking him in the chest, and the giant's breastplate shattered. Clytius staggered backward. His sword dropped to the floor. He fell to his knees, and the demigods encircled him.

Then a woman stepped forward, raising torches. Mist curled around the giant, hissing and bubbling as it touched his skin.

"And so it ends," the woman said.

It does not end. Clytius's voice echoed from somewhere above, muffled and slurred. My brethren have risen. Gaea waits only for the blood of Olympus. It took all of you together to defeat me. What will you do when the Earth Mother opens her eyes?

The woman turned her torches upside down. She thrust them like daggers at Clytius's head. The giant's hair went up faster than dry tinder, spreading down his head and across his body until the heat of the bonfire made Briar wince. Clytius fell without a sound, face-first in the rubble of an altar. His body crumbled to ashes.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The woman faced Hazel, who was breathing heavily, clutching her chest. "You should go now, Hazel Levesque. Lead your friends out of this place."

Anger flashed in Hazel's eyes. "Just like that? No 'thank you'? No 'good work'?"

The woman tilted her head. "You look in the wrong place for gratitude," she said. "As for 'good work,' that remains to be seen. Speed your way to Athens. Clytius was not wrong. The giants have risen — all of them, stronger than ever. Gaea is on the very edge of waking. The Feast of Hope will be poorly named unless you arrive to stop her."

The chamber rumbled. A stela crashed to the floor and shattered.

"The House of Hades is unstable," the woman said. "Leave now. We shall meet again."

The woman dissolved. The Mist evaporated.

"She's friendly," Percy grumbled.

Briar turned toward him and Annabeth, just realizing they were there.

"Dude." Jason gave Percy a bear hug.

"Back from Tartarus!" Leo whooped. "That's my peeps!"

Briar threw her arms around Annabeth.

"I missed you, holy shit!" Briar pulled away and grinned at Annabeth. "You're never leaving me ever again. I've had to survive so much without you gone—"

"Bri," Reyna drawled, coming up to both of them and slinging an arm around Briar's shoulders. "You're being dramatic."

"Then explain to me the five million cows we saw on our way here," Briar pouted. "And the tiredness, because, gods, I took so many naps. And don't even get me started on Zethes wanting to marry me."