BLAIRE HADN'T BEEN TO a mortal shopping mall since she was 13. She'd accompanied Olivia's family one summer afternoon and indulged in the vibrantly colored wonders of the outlet stores. It had been three whole years since she'd stepped foot in the mall, but she was almost positive that it didn't advertise potions, weapons and magical appliances.

   The four Half-bloods stopped infront of a set of polished steel elavator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator was a directory, like for a department store.

   "M for Macy's?" Piper guessed. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."

"Or Monocle Motors still?" Leo said. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."

  That's where the odd advertising came in

  Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer 
Level.
Furnishings and Café M: 1
Women's Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2
Men's Wear and Weaponry: 3 Cosmetics,
Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4

"Kennels for what?" Piper said. "And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"

  "What kind of department store sells magical appliances?" Blaire added.

"Or poisons," Leo said. "Man, what does 'sundries' even mean? Is that like underwear?"

Blaire gave him an odd look for that.

Jason took a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top."

So they did, despite Blaire's gut instinct telling her she should abandon the odd place in whole. She didn't understand why the other's deemed it necessary to explore the store, but she followed them nontheless.

They loaded into the elavator which brought them all the way up to the fourth floor. The second they stepped from the elavator, the violent, nearly overbearing scent of extravagant perfume attacked their nostrils.

Jason held his sword at the ready. But lowered it with a gasp "Guys. You've got to see this."

Piper joined him and caught her breath. "This is not Macy's."

She was most definitely correct. Blaire remembered the interior of Macy's, it was a beige nightmare, brimming with designer bags and such. It was not— well it was not this place.

The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything in a thousand different colors. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at.

"Woah," Blaire breathed unconsciously, her gaze raking over the multicolored ceiling, drinking in the vibrant details.

"Woah is right," Leo agreed, halting beside her.

Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, there didn't seem to be any other windows or doors, or ways to escape if need be, but two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns and colors, and the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre. There was too much to take it at once, but Blaire saw normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armored manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seemed to be moving.

Leo stepped up to the railing and looked down with a dreamy sigh. "Check it out."

In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage—like an oversize canary cage.

Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shuddered as they tried to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree-branch club.

"Coach Hedge!" Piper shouted. "We've got to get down there. "

Blaire recognized the satyr as one of the eldest at Camp Half-blood. She'd seen him peeling Mr.D's grapes at dinner a few times.

Before any of them could make a move to help him, a new voice called, "May I help you find something?"

All four of them leapt back, immediately on high alert.

    A woman had just spawned in front of them out of seemingly nowhere. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and she looked like a retired fashion model—maybe fifty years old, though it was hard for anyone to judge. Her long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous in that surreal super- model way—thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.

   The lady smiled, a sickly sweet sort of smile, and Blaire was already incredibly suspicious of her.

  "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"

  This one was on Jason, they all decided without a word, turning to face the son of Zues.

  Um," Jason started, "is this your store?"

  The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good ... how do you say ... first acquisition in this country."

  Something about her voice, rich and luxurious, soothing in a sort, was incredibly wrong. The slight lull of it reminded Blaire of Piper's charmspeak. And she did not like Piper's charmspeak.

  "So you're new to America?" Jason asked.

  "I am ... new," the woman agreed. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"

  The princess of Colchis... Blaire recalled reading something about that in the Greek Mythology textbook Chiron required all year long camper's take to studying. But she couldn't remember much, not her name or orgins.

    Piper seemed to be thinking the same. She and Blaire met eyes, and the daughter of Hecate wasn't even thinking about her so-called hatred toward Piper, she was thinking about the easiest escape route.

  Piper poked Jason in the ribs. "Jason ..."

  "Um, right. Actually, Your Highness ..." Jason ignored Piper and pointed to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we ... have him back, please?"

  "Of course!" the princess agreed immediately. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names."

   Blaire shot Jason a steelt warning glance, subtly shaking her head as to warn the boy not to tell this princess their names. Not to further engage with her.

   "No," Blaire spoke before Jason could, however the boy didn't seem to catch onto her warning no matter how vocal she was about it.

This is Piper," he gestured toward the aforementioned Mclean. "This is Leo. And that's Blaire. I'm Jason."

Idiot!

At Jason's confession of his own name, the princesses face seemed to drop in utter anger. Something about the name Jason obviously agitated her beyond measures, for her smile contorted into a nasty scowl for a split-second. It would have been incredibly easy to miss- if it weren't for Blaire's absolute talent in reading others. And for the fact her nerves were on very high alert.

"Jason. What an interesting name," The princess hissed, her eyes stone cold and unwavering on the blonde boy. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come, children. Let's go shopping."

Blaire wanted to run far away from this princess and her store.

  She beckoned the teens forward, Leo and Jason were quick to follow, dazedly stumbiling after the woman. While Piper and Blaire hesitated.

  "Something's not right," Piper turned to Blaire. And the latter agreed.

  "You're right," Blaire agreed, trailing the woman and the boys she had hypnotized slowly.

   The Princess led them to the cosmetics department. She used her silky voice to charm the boys into mindlessly following her, Blaire and Piper were still unconvinced though.

  "Shall we start with the potions?" The princess offered, gesturing toward the counter.

  "Cool," Jason murmured.

  "Guys," Piper interrupted, tugging Blaire forward by the sleeve of her jacket. "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this—princess—is really 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, boring into Piper's with such intensity, Blaire couldn't help but shiver. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"

   Leo nodded eagerly, a dopey smile gracing his features. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Blaire?"

Blaire narrowed her eyes, shooting him her most devious glare as to say, "No, it isn't okay, you idiot!"

"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."

Piper and Blaire looked to eachother, mutual panic alight within their separate brown eyes. Blaire shook her head and muttered a hushed, "Stupid boys."

The girls didn't have much of a choice except to follow them. Blaire also thought about leaving the boys to femd for themselves, but she figured Piper wouldn't like that idea too much.

The Princess led them along several colorful displays, gesturing to many different items.

Blaire was not thrilled to back in a department store. In fact she was anything but. The last time she visited one, she'd been running arm in arm with Olivia Kingsley, and things certainly didn't end well Olivia.

"And here," the princess halted infront of a display, "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 color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells—ugh! Some were 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 perked up. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial"—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—"will kill you very painfully."

Blaire fought the urge to force the liquid within the formerly mentioned vial down Jason and Leo's throats and watch them die painfully.

Piper seemed to be thinking the same.

"Jason," Piper approached her friend, placing a comforting hand on his arm. Her voice was shakey and scared, betraying the calm facade she attempted to sport. "We've got a job to do. Remember?"

"Job to do," Jason muttered, shrugging her hand off. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beamed at him. Piper and Blaire scowled.

"Then we have potions for resisting fire—"

"Got that covered," Leo waved her off.

Blaire turned to him in warning. She harshly tugged on one of his dark curls, eliciting a pained gasp from him.

"Shut up, Valdez," Blaire managed, eyes wide.

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?"

Oh no, Blaire thought. Was Piper falling for her wrongly alluring charm? If she was, Blaire would be the only sane member of the quartet left. And there was no way she could fight this princess alone.

The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

For a second, the Mclean girl was silent, and apparently oblivious to Blaire's pleading gaze.

Then she spoke, "How much?"

The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now ... The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And 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.

For a second, Blaire let herself relax. Perhaps the boy was waking from his trance. But, then the princess grinned and he turned to putty at her feet again.

  "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 blushed, shrinking beneath the womans gaze and turning to Blaire for help.

  At any rate," Her Highness 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."

  Small bits of the womans story were familiar, but Blaire hadn't ever payed enough attention to the damned textbook. She couldn't totally peice it all together, and her absence of care for the mythology was to blame.

  Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.

  "That's messed up," Leo scoffed. Blaire elbowed him.

    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 frantically, his cheek bones blossoming with color. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."

  Piper broke in: "So,the vial, Your Highness—how much?"

  Blaire wanted to tell the idiots to forget the stupid vial. This woman was obviously up to no good. She'd been a demigod long enough to be able to tell when something was wrong.

  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?" the princess asked, her voice extra sweet. "I sense that you would."

  Piper seemed to fall under some sort of spell, her face dropping into a pleased smile, the tension in her shoulder's dropping by a tenfold.

   They were totally screwed now.

  Or so Blaire thought.

  Piper senapped out of the gaze instantly. "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 murmured, shaking his head as if to clear it.

  You mean ... after shopping?" Leo quiered, his voice small and weary. He still seemed incredibly doped.

  "No, you idiot!" Blaire snapped, "She means now!"

  The princess didn't pay her any mind though. She was too focused on Piper, studying her with a sense of newfound respect.

  Impressive," the princess ammended. "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. They didn't stand a chance. "Would you like to see more?"

  Obviously, the morons agreed.

  "Sure," Came Jason.

Then Leo, "Okay."

  "Excellent," the princess cooed. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."

  The bay area? Blaire wondered. Why would they go anywhere near the bay area?

   Piper appeared to be thinking the same, for she reached for her dagger. "The Bay Area? Why the Bay Area?"

   The princess smiled a knowing smile, her eyes alight with cruelty. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?"

   Then she led them toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop, Blaire confused and rather concerned.

LYNN SPEAKS: This chapter is insanely boring 😭 I find this whole sequence so LAME!! but i've gotta write it for PLOT REASONS... anywho this is prewritten so it hasn't been read over in a hot minute. lmk what u think!