"We can negotiate," she said. I nodded vigorously to show I was right in on this plan to sit back, talk and waste time.
"Totally!" Leo agreed. "Name your price. " I rolled my eyes. Or not.
"Leo!" Piper snapped.
The princess chuckled. "Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy," Oh how I couldn't agree more, "But at least you know a thing's value. Freedom is very valuable indeed. You would ask me to release this satyr, who attacked my storm winds—"
"Who attacked us," I interjected.
Her Highness shrugged. "As I said, my patron asks me for small favors from time to time. Sending the storm spirits to abduct you—that was one. I assure you it was nothing personal. And no harm done, as you came here, in the end, of your own free will! At any rate, you want the satyr freed, and you want my storm spirits—who are very valuable servants, by the way—so you can hand them over to that tyrant Aeolus. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The price will be high. "
I could see that the boys were ready to offer anything, promise anything. Before they could speak, Piper played our last card.
"You're Medea," she said. I stared at her like 'how do you know that?!' but really, I was all ears. "You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You're one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo—don't trust her. "
Piper put all the intensity she could gather into those words. She was utterly sincere, and it seemed to have some effect. Jason stepped away from the sorceress.
Leo scratched his head and looked around like he was coming out of a dream.
"What are we doing, again?"
"Boys!" The princess spread her hands in a welcoming gesture. Her diamond jewelry glittered, and her painted fingers curled like blood-tipped claws. "It's true, I'm Medea. But I'm so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, Alexandra, my dears, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis. "
Jason—our Jason—scowled. "Then … you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?"
"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Medea said. "Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again. "
"You … re-formed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?"
Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now, here is my price for what you ask. "
"Guys," I said. "The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty. "
"Lies!" Medea said.
"On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter. "
"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"
Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but I wasn't done.
"It may not have been right," she said, "but neither was Medea's revenge. She murdered her own children to get back at Jason. She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom. "
Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth—that unruly mob—killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair—a suitable price. "
"You're insane," Piper said.
"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"
The fountain turned bright red. Piper drew her dagger, and I drew my sword, but my hand was shaking almost too badly to hold it. "Jason, Leo—it's time to go. Now. "
"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea asked. "What of your quest, boys? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed—stronger and more powerful than ever. "
"Seriously?" Leo asked.
"Leo, she's lying," Piper said. "She did that trick with somebody before—a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!"
"Ridiculous," Medea said, and I could feel the power charged in every syllable. "Leo, Jason—my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"
"Guys, no!" I yelled. But they were already glaring at each other, as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt.
We stood there, hopelessly. Now I understood what real sorcery looked like. She'd always thought magic meant wands and fireballs, but this was worse. Medea didn't just rely on poisons and potions. Her most potent weapon was her voice.
Leo scowled. "Jason's always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted. "
"You're annoying, Leo," Jason said. "You never take anything seriously. You can't even fix a dragon. "
"Stop!" Piper pleaded, but both drew weapons—Jason his gold sword, and Leo a hammer from his tool belt.
"Let them go, Piper," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!" I gave Piper a weird look. Her father?
I could tell Medea's charmspeak didn't work on her, but the sorceress still had a persuasive voice. I stared at my friend worriedly. What if she was taken in?
"You work for Enceladus," she said.
Medea laughed. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause—a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free. "
Leo and Jason were still facing off, ready to fight, but they looked unsteady and confused—waiting for another order. Part of them had to be resisting, I hoped. This went completely against their nature.
"Listen to me, girls. " Medea plucked a diamond off her bracelet and threw it into a spray of water from the fountain. As it passed through the multicolored light, Medea said, "O Iris, goddess of the rainbow, show me the office of Tristan McLean."
Piper McLean. Tristan McLean. So the movie star that I could only begin to explain Theo's obsession over was Piper's dad.
The mist shimmered, and we saw her father's study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, was (I supposed) her dad's assistant, who had a name tag with 'Jane', in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.
"Hello, Jane," Medea said.
Jane hung up the phone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper. "
"You—" Piper looked so angry she could hardly talk.
"Yes, child," Medea said. "Your father's assistant. Quite easy to manipulate. An organized mind for a mortal, but incredibly weak. "
"Thank you, ma'am," Jane said. I couldn't help but snort in amusement.
"Don't mention it," Medea said. "I just wanted to congratulate you, Jane. Getting Mr. McLean to leave town so suddenly, take his jet to Oakland without alerting the press or the police—well done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And telling him his daughter's life was on the line—that was a nice touch to get his cooperation. "
"Yes," Jane agreed in a bland tone, as if she were sleepwalking. "He was quite cooperative when he believed Piper was in danger. "
Piper looked down at her dagger. The blade trembled in her hand. I didn't know what she saw in her reflection, but I'm almost certain it wasn't happy bunnies carrying Easter eggs and singing 'We are one'.
"I may have new orders for you, Jane," Medea said. "If the girl cooperates, it may be time for Mr. McLean to come home. Would you arrange a suitable cover story for his absence, just in case? And I imagine the poor man will need some time in a psychiatric hospital. "
"Yes, ma'am. I will stand by. "
The image faded, and Medea turned to Piper. "There, you see?"
"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper said. "You helped the giant—"
"Oh, please, dear. You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the seven in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here, and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little—just enough to visit him. "
"Leo's mother," I said, piecing two together. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"
"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. "So … I just attack Jason? That's okay?"
"Perfectly safe," Medea promised. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake. "
"No!" Piper ordered. We both knew it was her last chance. "Jason, Leo—she's tricking you. Put down your weapons. "
The sorceress rolled her eyes. "Please, girl. You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe-"
"Oh wait, the idiotic psycho who turned Percy into a guini-pig? You trained with her? Lady, I have some Hermes multivitamins to spare!" I yelled. Her highness gave me an annoyed look.
"Silence! I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, boys, kill each other!"
"Jason, Leo, listen to me. " Piper put all of her emotion into her voice. "Medea is charming you. It's part of her magic. You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"
They hesitated, and I could feel the spell shatter.
Jason blinked. "Leo, was I just about to stab you?" I just had to grin.
"Something about my mother … ?" Leo frowned, then turned toward Medea. "You … you're working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop. " He lifted his arm. "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it. "
"Bah!" Medea sneered. "I'll simply collect payment another way. "
She pressed one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbled. Jason swung his sword at Medea, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator.
"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"
Before Jason could go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts—flesh-and-blood winged dragons—crawled out from the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.
"So that's what's in the kennels," Leo said meekly.
The dragons spread their wings and hissed. I could feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on Piper.
"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warned. "They'll paralyze you. "
"Indeed!" Medea was leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time—sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta-ta!"
And chapter 21 out! I have nothing much to say, except I hope you enjoyed!
Yours,
MilkandCheez
