The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"
"Cool," Jason said.
"Guys," Piper interrupted, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this—princess—is realy our friend—"
"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness said. "I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds sparkled, and her eyes glittered like a snake's—cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'l work our way down to the first floor, eh?"
Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"
Piper did her best to stare daggers at him: No, it is not okay!
"Of course it's okay." Her Highness put her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and steered them toward the cosmetics. "Come along, boys."
Valen began following, but Piper grabbed him by his shoulder, "You can see it too right? How shes brainwashing them?"
Valen just shrugged, he was too lazy to speak.
"Come on, listen to me. Snap out of it!" A sliver of charmspeak slipped into her words. And that was all Valen needed to break free.
He stumbled forward as he regained control of his body. "She's dangerous," he said.
"What do we do?"
"For now, play along. If you see me fall under her spell again, do the thing you just did to snap me out of it." Valen said, "We need to wait for the perfect moment to strike."
"Cyrus dear, aren't you coming?" Her Highness called out.
Valen snapped back into a relaxed position and let his face slacken. He nodded weakly and began walking to her.
He glanced at Piper as they neared her, and she nodded as subtly as she could.
"And here," the princess said, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."
The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks—some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every colour, from glowing white to polka-dotted. Some of them smelled pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.
The princess pointed to a bloodred vial—a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."
"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"
"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial"—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—"will kill you very painfuly."
"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy.
"Jason," Piper said. "We've got a job to do. Remember?"
She tried to put power into her words, to snap him out of his trance with charmspeak, but her voice sounded shaky even to her. This princess woman scared her too much, made her confidence crumble, just the way she'd felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew.
"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"
The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire—"
"Got that covered," Leo said.
"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen…but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—"
"Wait." Piper was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"
The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"
Piper tried to keep her expression neutral, but if that vial could cure Jason's memory …
"How much?" Piper asked.
The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Wel, now … The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me."
Her gaze drifted to Jason. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."
"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him.
"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong …"
She looked at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him."
Piper tried to control her emotions, but she probably blushed.
Valens eyes widened, Medea, he realized. But how is she here? She shouldn't be able to escape the underworld. Unless something happened to Thanatos.
"At any rate," Medea continued, "my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."
"Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.
"That's messed up," Leo said. Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately.
"I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"
Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."
Piper broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness—how much?"
The princess assessed Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod.
"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" she asked. "I sense that you would."
Valen glanced at her, he could see her visibly fighting Medea's magic. He flicked his fingers, and an updraft of wind picked up the vial, and deposited it in his pocket as inconspicuously as he could.
Medea, who was so busy fighting against Piper, didn't notice anything amiss.
Finally gathering all her willpower, Piper spoke, "No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"
Just for a moment, her words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused.
"Leave?" Jason said.
"You mean … after shopping?" Leo asked.
Piper wanted to scream, but the princess tilted her head, examining Piper with newfound respect.
"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes—I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"
"But the vial—"
"Now, boys." She turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence, Piper didn't stand a chance. "Would you like to see more?"
"Sure," Jason said.
"Okay," Leo said.
Valen nodded soullessly.
"Excellent," the princess said. "You'll l need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."
Piper's hand moved to her dagger, but Valens gaze caught her eye. He shook his head, and she released her grip on the dagger.
Then Medwa led them toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop.
Valen went along with Jason and Leo, acting as if he too was excited to browse. He walked over to the magical armor aisle, and let out a deep sigh.
It's getting tiring keeping up the act. He thought as he picked up a pair of pitch-black trousers. It felt cold on his hand, and the fabric was strangely smooth.
"Excellent choice," Medea said, suddenly appearing beside him, "Its made of stygian iron fiber, it will not tear, as long as you're not fighting a god that is.
Valen returned to his slackened expression and just grunted in reply.
"Oh my, did I use too much charmspeak on you, Valen Steensen?"
Valens eyes widened by a fraction, but he managed to keep his surprise hidden. He made a confused noise in his throat.
Medea laughed, "Don't worry, I won't tell your friends your real name."
She then walked over to a high-collared black shirt. As she picked it off the rack, it seemed to release a black smoke from it.
"Woven from tarnished souls and dormant shadows, it would be perfect for you, no?"
Valen remained silent as she put the shirt back, how did she know that much about him? Before he could think of any reasons, Jason called out, "Hey, check it out!"
From a rack labeled distressed clothing, he held up a purple T-shirt like the one he'd worn on the school field trip —except this shirt looked as if it had been clawed by tigers.
Jason frowned. "Why does this look so familiar?"
"Jason, it's like yours," Piper said. "Now we really have to leave."
But she wasn't sure he could even hear her anymore through the princess's enchantment.
"Nonsense," the princess said. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular —tradeins from previous customers. It suits you."
Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion—acid, maybe?—and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something that looked disturbingly like dried blood.
"Your Highness," Piper said, trying to control her nerves. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'msure they'd like to hear that story."
Her words didn't have any effect on the princess, but the boys turned, suddenly interested.
"More story?" Leo asked.
"I like more story!" Jason agreed.
The princess flashed Piper an irritated look. "Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her—but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?"
The princess's tone made her meaning clear: I can take it out on you.
"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," Piper remembered. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised."
The look in the princess's eyes made Piper want to apologize, but she didn't back down.
"At first," Her Highness admitted, "it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me."
"And you killed your own brother," Piper said, the horrible story all coming back to her.
"What?" Jason stirred. For a moment he looked almost like himself. "Killed your own—"
"No," the princess snapped. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end."
Jason still looked uncomfortable. "What did he do?"
The princess held the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination.
"Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him."
"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're —you should be dead!"
The princess smiled. "As I said, a new life in a newcountry. Certainly I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love."
She turned to the boys and gave them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. Piper could feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever. "Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"
"Oh, sure," Jason said.
"Okay," Leo said.
Valen grunted in agreeance, feeling the magic take over him once more. He glanced pointedly at Piper before his eyes glossed over again.
"Guys!" Piper ground her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see who she is? Don't you—"
"Let's continue, shall we?" the princess said breezily. "I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits —and your satyr."
Leo got distracted on the second floor with the appliances.
"No way," he said. "Is that an armored forge?"
Before Piper could stop him, he hopped off the escalator and ran over to a big oval oven that looked like a barbecue on steroids.
When they caught up with him, the princess said, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold."
Jason flinched as if he recognized that term. "Imperial gold?"
The princess nodded. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade…" She smiled pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here —this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped."
Leo apparently took this as an order. He began walking toward it in a trance.
"Leo, don't!" Piper warned.
He blinked. "How much for both?"
"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength—" She led Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.
Taking the opportunity, Piper turned to the other two, and slapped Jason across the face.
"Ow," he muttered sleepily. "What was that for?"
"Snap out of it!" Piper hissed. Valen blinked, and shook his head, regaining control over his limbs.
"What do you mean?" Jason asked.
"She's charmspeaking you. Can't you feel it?"
He knit his eyebrows. "She seems okay."
"She's not okay! She shouldn't even be alive! She was married to Jason—the other Jason—three thousand years ago. Remember what Boreas said—something about the souls no longer being confined to Hades? It's not just monsters who can't stay dead. She's come back from the Underworld!"
Jason shook his head uneasily. "She's not a ghost."
"She most definitely is-" Valen began.
"Children." The princess was back with Leo in tow. "If you please, we will now see what you came for. That is what you want, yes?"
Piper had to choke back a scream. She was tempted to pull out her dagger and take on Medea herself, but she didn't know if Jason and Leo would take her side.
They took the escalator down to the base of the fountain. Two large bronze sundials were inlaid on the marble tile floor to the north and south of the fountain. The gilded oversize canary cages stood to the east and west, and the farthest one held the storm spirits. They were so densely packed, spinning around like a super-concentrated tornado, dozens, at least.
"Hey," Leo said, "Coach Hedge looks okay!" They ran to the nearest canary cage. The old satyr seemed to have been petrified at the moment he was sucked into the sky above the Grand Canyon. He was frozen midshout, his club raised over his head. His curly hair stuck up at odd angles.
"Yes," Medea said. "I always keep my wares in good condition. We can certainly barter for the storm spirits and the satyr.A package deal. If we come to terms, I'll even throw in the vial of healing potion, and you can go in peace." She gave Piper a shrewd look. "That's better than starting unpleasantness, isn't it, dear?"
"We can negotiate," she said.
"Totally!" Leo agreed. "Name your price."
"Leo!" Piper snapped.
The princess chuckled. "Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy, 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," Piper interjected.
She 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."
She shared a glance with Valen, and he nodded as subtly as he could.
"You're Medea," she said. "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, my dear, 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 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?"
"How?" Valen said, "Thanatos should have-"
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," Piper 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?"
"Didn't you literally murder those children?", Valen pointed out.
"And poisoned Jasons new wife and fled the kingdom." Piper added.
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, but her 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 Piper could hear 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!" Piper said. But they were already glaring at each other, as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt.
The wind picked up around Valen and he drew his sword, ready to interfere. But Medea interrupted him before he could.
"Now, now, why don't you come and stay by my side?" She said beckoning him to her.
Valen froze, his shoulders relaxing as his eyes unfocused. As if in a trance, he walked to her side, and stood by her like a bodyguard.
Piper felt dread clawing at her, reaching deep inside her heart and grabbing ahold of it. Now she 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 favour. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"
"You work for Enceladus," Piper 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 stil facing off, ready to fight, but they looked unsteady and confused—waiting for another order. Valen waited in silence beside Medea, his eyes darted from Medea to Jason and Leo.
"Listen to me, girl." 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."
The mist shimmered, and Piper saw her father's study. Sitting behind his desk, talking on the phone, was her dad's assistant, Jane, in her dark business suit, her hair swirled in a tight bun.
"Helo, Jane," Medea said.
Jane hung up the phone calmly. "How can I help you, ma'am? Hello, Piper."
"You—" Piper was 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.
"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—wel done! No one seems to know where he's gone. And teling 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. She couldn't use it for a weapon any better than Helen of Troy could, but it was still looking glass, and what she saw in it was a scared girl with no chance of winning.
"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' l 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-caled 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," Piper said. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother ki led!"
"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. She 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-Hrrk!"
Medea fell to her knees, clawing at her side where a sword lay embedded in her. She looked up at Valens clear and piercing eyes, "You! How-"
Valen tapped his ear with his free hand, and the vacuum over them collapsed, allowing air to fill up the empty space. A faint ringing filled his ears, but he could hear once again.
"For a sorceress, you're really easy to trick." He said.
"Think on that in the underworld, would you?" He grabbed his sword with both hands—and in one fluid motion, cleaved her in half.
And just like a monster, she turned into golden dust, her magic disappearing with her.
Jason blinked. "Leo, was I just about to stab you?"
"Something about my mother … ?" Leo frowned.
"Leo, call your dragon, Medea won't stay down for long." Valen yelled, already the dust had begun swirling around.
Valen held his hand out, commanding the air to contain her just like he had contained the cyclops.
Leo fumbled in his pocket before procuring the whistle he had used earlier. A shrill sound echoed through the atrium, making Valens ears hurt.
.
"Jason," Valen called, "I have an idea, but I need your help for it."
Jason nodded walking up to him as Valen explained the plan.
He looked hesitant upon hearing it, "Are you sure we'll have enough time."
"Mostly."
"How much?" Piper asked.
"About 80 percent, give or take."
The trio of demigods stared at him for a moment before Leo chuckled, "I like those odds."
Valen smiled and a shadow fell over them, before a resounding CRASH filled their ears. The stained glass ceiling splintered in a rain of multicolored shards, and Festus the bronze dragon dropped into the department store.
As Piper and Leo got on the dragon, Jason stayed behind by Valens side. They shared a glance with each other before their feet left the ground.
Jason spread his arms and the wind picked up, rattling the clothes, cosmetics and most importantly the potions in the store.
Valen released Medea, allowing her to reform as he helped Jason topple everything in the store.
Medea had a smug expression on her face as she reformed, but that quickly turned into one of trepidation and dread.
"You've doomed us al!" Medea screamed. Smoke was ro ling across the carpet as the stain spread, throwing sparks and setting fires in the clothing racks. "You have only seconds before this concoction consumes everything and destroys the building. There's no time-"
And with one final push, the aisles caved in on themselves, and the two demigods shot out of the smoke.
They heard Medea screaming in rage as they soared through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago. And then the department store exploded behind them.