Piper opened her eyes and looked around. Her head was in Reyna's lap, but there was a jacket underneath her head which made for a surprisingly good pillow. Piper slowly sat up.
"Have a good nap?" Reyna questioned. She smiled slightly but looked distracted. Piper sat up and handed Reyna's jacket to her.
"I did," Piper replied truthfully. There had been no nightmares. She felt rested. Piper watched Reyna slip her jacket on. They both stood.
Leo was already pacing. He seemed eager to go. Leo looked at them and spoke, "Are we ready to go?"
"You're eager," Piper commented. She motioned for Leo to lead. Leo nodded and darted ahead. Piper followed behind him. Reyna was right behind her. She had her sword out.
Piper didn't know how many turns they made in the sewers. She felt her pulse starting to race. As they turned another corner, she saw steel elevator doors. The letter M was on the front.
"Is that for Macy's?" Piper wondered.
"That's it," Leo said excitedly. "Potty face works for Macy's and wants to take over the world. They are in malls everywhere, and soon, they will spread even more."
"Floor one is furnishings and Cafe M," Reyna read. She glared at the directory. "Should we start at the top?"
"Cosmetics, potions, poisons, and sundries," Leo said. He clicked on the button for the fourth floor. "What are sundries?"
"How do you not know what sundries are," Piper questioned. She watched Reyna slip her sword back into her backpack and sling the backpack across her shoulder.
As the doors opened, Piper's breath caught in her throat. The room was gigantic. The ceiling was made up of stained glass that looked like astrological signs around a giant sun. She was temporarily blinded by the bright light from the gold railings.
The racks of merchandise held everything imaginable. In the middle, a large fountain resided. The water changed color every few seconds. There was a gold coins around the edge of the fountain, and two cages were near them.
One cage held the storm spirits. The other cage had a satyr that was frozen like a statue. Piper nudged her friends and pointed. She spoke, "It's Coach Hedge. We need to get to him!"
"I can help with the merchandise," a woman said. Piper jumped and turned around. She saw Reyna had taken her sword from her backpack and seemed to be one second from stabbing the woman. Leo looked like he was in love.
The woman just looked evil. Her expressions was hungry. She had long black hair that was swept over her shoulder. The woman wore a black dress like she was going to attend someone's funeral.
"Who are you?" Reyna demanded.
"The owner of this store," the woman said. Her accent was foreign. "I am the Princess of Colchis. So, what are you looking for?"
"The satyr," Piper answered.
"Of course," the woman said. She studied them like a vulture. "I would like to know your names first."
"I'm Leo. Cranky is Reyna. The other is Piper," Leo said. He smiled brightly at the woman. Piper had a really bad feeling.
"It's nice to meet you," the woman said. She studied Reyna intently. "You have beautiful black eyes dear. Do you get them from your mother or father?"
"Reyna doesn't remember anything," Leo explained. Reyna shot him an angry look, but Leo seemed to be in his own world. "We're trying to get her memory back."
"Interesting," the woman commented. "We should start at the potions then."
"We just want the storm spirits and Coach Hedge," Piper interrupted. She really didn't trust this woman, and there was a horrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Oh, we'll get there eventually," the woman promised. She grabbed Leo's shoulder and led him away. Piper glanced at Reyna who gently grabbed her arm and followed the woman.
"For now, we play along," Reyna whispered. Piper nodded. She looked around. It reminded her of department stores.
Piper looked down at the ground. At department stores, she would always ask the salesperson for things. They would just give it to her, and she would take it home. When guilt set in, she would have the UPS man return the stolen products. It didn't stop the cops from finding her.
All she wanted was her father's attention. Stealing things wasn't enough. Piper glanced at Reyna and frowned. Reyna's father was a mortal, so did she have a good relationship with him?
Horrible smells assaulted Piper's nose. She looked up to see a counter with dozens of different vials. They were all different shapes and sizes. The woman picked up a bloodred one.
"This cures any disease," the woman said. She pointed to another that had blue liquid. "This will kill you. Very painfully of course. Some of these resist fire."
"I have that covered," Leo commented. The woman turned toward him and muttered something about sunscreen. She nodded to herself and looked at Reyna.
"What about a potion for memory loss?" Piper asked. The woman's eyes moved to study her. "Does that exist?"
"It does," the woman answered. Piper swallowed painfully. She didn't know what would happen if Reyna regained her memory. There was a chance Reyna would hate her.
Piper really cared about Reyna though. She was more than willing to take that chance. Piper looked at the woman and spoke, "How much?"
"No," Reyna interrupted. She stared at Piper intently.
"That is the tricky price. I am fair, but I do not like to be tricked," the woman answered. "Once, I helped a man who wanted treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a deal, and I followed my part to the letter."
"You stole something from your own father?" Reyna questioned. The woman turned on her.
"I know all about you Reyna. My aunt told me everything. Since you don't remember anything, you don't realize the daddy issues that you have, do you?" the woman wondered.
"What are you talking about?" Reyna demanded. She stepped forward. The woman just smiled.
"You're a little hero, are you not?" the woman asked. "That man called himself a hero as well. He was strong, not bad on the eyes, and brave. I think it's easy to see how someone might be attracted to him."
The woman's eyes focused on Piper as if she knew. The woman's attention then went back to Reyna, and she spoke, "All I wanted was to be taken away and married to him. He promised me the world, but he did not deliver"
"I helped him through every task that was put before him. He would not have survived without me. I betrayed my family. Then, my little hero betrayed me," the woman continued.
"He sounds like a jerk," Leo commented. Piper watched them. She felt like she knew the story, but it couldn't be this woman. It was impossible.
"How much for the vial?" Piper repeated.
"Would you give anything for it?" the woman asked. Her words washed over Piper. At the moment, Piper would have agreed to any price.
"Charmspeak," Reyna hissed. She stepped forward. "Don't say another word."
"We get a fair price for the vial, and we leave," Piper said after a moment. The woman watched them with a new look.
"A daughter of Aphrodite," the woman stated as she looked at Piper. Her attention turned towards Reyna. "And, one of Circe's attendants."
Reyna stared in confusion. Her mind seemed to be racing a million miles a minute. She seemed distracted as well.
"Of course, you don't remember that," the woman whispered as she stepped closer to Reyna. Piper could feel that the charmspeak was more overpowering than before. "You don't remember what you did. That horrible crime you committed. From what Circe told me, it still gives you terrible nightmares."
"What are you talking about?" Reyna asked in a shaky voice. Piper wanted to speak, but she couldn't match the woman's charmspeak.
"If you want to know, you have to come on the rest of the tour," the woman replied. A cloudy look settled in Reyna's eyes. She finally nodded.
"After this, you will have to be on your way to the Bay Area," the woman commented as she led them away.
"Why the Bay Area?" Piper questioned. She looked down as she remembered that she was suppose to betray her friends in two days.
"It's where they die," the woman answered with a cheery smile. Piper glared instantly, but she was scared. That didn't stop her from grabbing the woman.
"What do you mean?" Piper demanded.
"Why don't you two go look at the coats?" the woman suggested. Leo nodded eagerly. Reyna nodded and followed after a moment.
"Now," the woman began turning back towards Piper. "You are holding in quite a secret."
"Who are you?" Piper demanded. "Where is Colchis?"
"Was," the woman replied in a sad tone. "My father ruled the shores of the Black Sea. Our kingdom does not exist anymore."
"And, how old are you?" Piper questioned with a bad feeling. "Because you weren't born here, were you?"
"Immigration was slow," the woman admitted. "My patron helped me because of my special skills. She wanted an entrance underground, so she could keep an eye on my clientele."
The bad feeling in Piper's stomach became even worse. She looked around. Leo was playing with a hat. Reyna was staring at a purple shirt that was like her. The shirt looked like it had been torn up by claws.
"We need to go," Piper began.
"If you leave, Reyna won't be able to learn about her greatest sin," the woman whispered.
"You can tell them about betraying you family," Piper said quickly. She saw Reyna blink as if struggling with the charmspeak. Leo looked up interested. He had a Roman toga in his hands.
"That sounds like an awesome story," Leo commented. "Let's hear it."
"Love twists people around," the woman hissed. She glared at Piper "Your mother put me under a spell of love. I helped my hero get my father's treasure, but he still needed help."
"He took you with him," Piper whispered. "You killed your brother because of him!"
"You killed your brother?" Reyna asked. The cloudiness seemed to be fading from her eyes.
"No!" the woman snapped. "He did. I had to trick my brother to come onto the ship. They killed him and threw his body overboard, so we would have time to escape while my father retrieved my brother's body."
"Then, he betrayed me," the woman hissed. She noticed Leo looking at a forge. She smiled and walked over to him.
After a moment, Piper grabbed Reyna. She grabbed her face and spoke, "Reyna, you need to snap out of it. She's charmspeaking you."
"She knows something though," Reyna muttered. She looked torn.
"Reyna, she is Medea. The Medea! The one with the original Jason. She should be dead, but she came back. Do you remember what Boris said?" Piper demanded.
"Then, she's a ghost," Reyna whispered. For a moment, fear appeared on her face. Piper didn't know why, but she needed to take advantage of it.
"She's worse than a ghost, and she doesn't know anything about you. Everything she said was a distraction, so you could fall under her charmspeak," Piper whispered. Reyna looked down. When she looked up, her eyes were clear.
"I'm going to kill her," Reyna whispered.
"We need to get out of here," Piper argued in a quiet voice. Reyna nodded slightly. "We need to get Coach Hedge first."
"Shall we see what you came for?" Medea asked as she walked back towards them. Reyna nodded and gave Piper a look. The four walked towards the escalator and took it down. Piper didn't bother looking around. She bolted for the cage that held Coach Hedge.
Hedge was frozen. His club was raised, and his mouth was open in a war cry. There was also the furry legs and horns. That was nice and totally not weird.
"I'm thinking a package deal. The satyr and storm spirits. In fact, I will also throw in the health potion," Medea said.
"Anything you want," Leo said quickly.
"No," Piper interrupted. Medea smiled.
"This satyr attacked my storm spirits. Of course, they did attack you. That was a favor my patron asked of me," Medea explained. "The storm spirits are very valuable servants, and I do not want to give them up lightly because you would just give them to Aeolus."
"You're Medea, and that makes you untrustworthy," Reyna interrupted. She gripped her sword. "I have a new offer. We get all three, and we let you live."
"I have already come back from death," Medea hissed. "You dare judge me? I chose my fate by becoming a sorceress. Women in my day were ruled the whims of man, and I would not allow that to happen."
"You killed your children," Piper interrupted. "Jason left you because you were insane!"
"He left me for power!" Medea yelled. "He married the princess of another kingdom. A mob killed my children. I am the victim here!"
"You're insane," Reyna said. "You killed your brother and children."
"You really don't know, do you?" Medea hissed. She laughed and turned towards Leo. "Your friends are too stubborn to hear my price. The fountain to my right can bring the back to life."
"That's how you tricked a king's daughters into killing him," Piper said. "Leo, don't listen."
"Leo, all you must do is fight Reyna. She's so bossy, isn't she, and you don't even know her biggest secret," Medea said. "This fountain can fix any damage that happens."
"Leo, do not listen," Reyna ordered. Leo flipped out his hammer but didn't attack yet. Reyna waited for him.
"This makes your choice easier," Medea whispered in Piper's ear. "Enceladus will be so pleased that he lets your father go."
"You work for him?" Piper questioned.
"No," Medea answered. "We all serve a patron that you can't even begin to challenge. If you walk away, your father walks free."
"What is she talking about?" Reyna demanded as she turned towards them.
"Piper, you have seen my power. Your father's assistant is twisted around my finger. She convinced him to get on a plane in the middle of the night. She can make a cover story for his return," Medea said.
"Piper, what is going on?" Reyna questioned. Her eyes were darting in between Piper and Leo.
"I saw the seven of the prophecy. I knew Leo would become strong, so I informed my patron and helped plan to break him," Medea taunted.
"You killed Leo's mother?" Piper asked in shock. Leo didn't even seem to hear them.
"Leo, attack Reyna," Medea ordered. Leo nodded and swung his hammer. Reyna deflected it on her sword.
"Leo, stop," Piper pleaded.
"Do you really think you can match my charmspeak?" Medea wondered. "I was trained by my aunt Circe."
"Circe?" Reyna questioned turning on Medea. "You worked with her?"
"And, you were an attendant for her. It seems we are alike," Medea commented. Reyna glared and parried another of Leo's attacks.
"We are nothing alike," Reyna hissed.
"Really?" Medea questioned. "I murdered my brother, but you did something much worse. You murdered your father."
The effect was instantaneous. Reyna stared and dropped her sword. Her eyes widened in horror. Leo's hammer slammed right into Reyna's temple.
"No!" Piper yelled. She watched Reyna collapse to the ground and not get back up. That decided it for Piper. There was no way she would let her friends die.
Her father would probably die for her actions, but she couldn't focus on that. She allowed her grief to go into her next words. All the emotions that she held back for years went into her next words.
"Leo, you can't do this. You and Reyna are friends. Don't fight her!" Piper said. Leo looked at her and lowered his hammer.
"You're working with potty face," Leo whispered. He looked down at Reyna. "You made me do this to Reyna. Lady, you're dead."
Medea backed away. She pressed in on a tile as she walked. Sundials at the edge of the fountain opened. Two large dragons jumped out.
"This is bad," Leo said. He stood protectively in front of Reyna. She was curled up on her side and gripping her head. There was no way Reyna would be able to fight.
"It's very bad for you," Medea sneered. "These dragons pulled my chariot as I escaped. Now, they are going to have you for lunch."
Medea smirked as she made it to the escalator. Piper glanced at Leo. He nodded and spoke, "You get her. I got this."
Piper hesitated, but she trusted Leo. She nodded and took off after Medea. The sorceress lost her smirk. She started running up the escalator.
Piper expected to trip multiple times as she took the steps three at a time. Her right hand gripped her dagger. As she made it to another floor, she grabbed a shield from a manikin. Piper knew that Medea was going for the potions.
When Piper reached the top, she saw Medea had grabbed the vial of painful death. Wonderful. There was only one thing Piper could do. She threw her shield.
The shield slammed into Medea and knocked her into the counter of vials. Stains now covered Medea's dress. Some of the stains burned the fabric.
"You are going to kill us!" Medea yelled. "This concoction will destroy the building in a matter of seconds!"
Piper looked back at the battle. Leo was quickly backtracking as he tried taking on both of the dragons. Before Piper could freak out, something crashed into the ceiling. Festus flew into the department store.
Festus grabbed a dragon in each claw and threw them back to their pit. Leo dove forward and slammed his hand into the marble tile which closed the sundials.
"I have one final offer," Medea hissed. She scooped up the only surviving potion. The healing one. "If you take me with you, I will give this to you. Reyna will get her memories back, and you will survive your quest."
Piper glanced behind her. Leo had dragged Reyna onto Festus. Piper glanced back at Medea and her smug smirk. Medea thought she could make the deal and escape.
"No," Piper said. She turned and jumped over the railing. Leo grabbed onto her arm a moment later and pulled her up. Piper took a deep breath as they flew through the opening in the ceiling. The building behind them exploded.
"Let's not do that again," Leo said. Piper nodded her agreement. She moved to Reyna's side and stared out into the distance. Piper could only hope that her father wouldn't die because of her actions.