Page 44 (1/2)

"Hercules wants my other horn in order to humiliate me," Achelous said "Perhaps it wouldthat I’m miserable too Besides, the horn would become a cornucopia Good food and drink would flow from it, just as my power causes the river to flow No doubt Hercules would keep the cornucopia for hiedy and a waste"

Piper suspected the noise of the river and the drowsy sound of Achelous’s voice were still affecting her thoughts, but she couldn’t help agreeing with the river god She was starting to hate Hercules This poor bull-man seemed so sad and lonely

Jason stirred "I’otten a buht not be so lopsided It ht feel better"

"Jason!" Piper protested

Jason held up his hands "Just a thought Besides, I don’t see that we have et that horn, he’ll kill us and our friends"

"He’s right," Achelous said "You have no choice Which is why I hope you’ll forgive od sounded so heartbroken, she wanted to pat his head "Forgive you for what?"

"I have no choice either," Achelous said "I have to stop you"

The river exploded, and a wall of water crashed over Piper

Chapter 28

The current grabbed her like a fist and pulled her into the deep Struggling was useless She cla herself not to inhale, but she could barely keep fro 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 swi 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, Jason broke the surface and gasped, his sword in one hand He sildly, but there was nothing to attack

Twenty feet to Piper’s right, Achelous rose from the water "I’ed toward hi 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 oncechar in a whirlpool, but she got Achelous’s attention

"I’od "I can’t let Hercules have "

"There’s another way!" Piper said "You don’t have to kill us!"

Jason clawed his way to the surface again A miniature storm cloud formed over his head Thunder boomed

"None of that, son of Jupiter," Achelous chided "If you call lightning, you’ll just electrocute your girlfriend"

The water pulled Jason under again

"Let hied her voice with all the persuasiveness she could et the horn!"

Achelous hesitated He cantered over to her, his head tilting to the left "I believe you mean that"

"I do!" Piper promised "Hercules is despicable But, please, first let one under Piper wanted to screaer could he hold his breath?

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"

"What?" Piper wasn’t sure if she’d heard hi her head spin "Uh, actually I was thinking--"

"Oh, I understand," Achelous said "You were too ht, of course I would treat you ht after all these centuries I could not save Deianira, but I could save you"

Had it been thirty seconds now? A er

"You would have to let your friends die," Achelous continued "Hercules would be angry, but I can protect you froether Let’s start by letting that Jason fellon, eh?"

Piper could barely hold it together, but she had to concentrate She er She was a child of Aphrodite She had to use the tools she was given

She smiled as sweetly as she could and raised her arhtened He grabbed Piper’s hands and pulled her out of the whirlpool

She’d never ridden a bull before, but she’d practiced bareback pegasus riding at Camp Half-Blood, and she re over Achelous’s back Then she locked her ankles around his neck, wrapped one arm around his throat, and drew her knife with the other She pressed the blade under the river god’s chin

"Let--Jason--go" She put all her force into the command "Now!"

Piper realized there were ht simply dissolve into water Or he could pull her under and wait for her to drown But apparently her charmspeak worked Or ht He probably wasn’t used to pretty girls threatening to cut his throat

Jason shot out of the water like a huh the branches of an olive tree and tuood, but he struggled to his feet, gasping and coughing He raised his sword, and the dark clouds thickened over the river

Piper shot hiet out of this river without drowning or getting electrocuted