𝐎𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒༄ • Jᴀsᴏɴ Gʀᴀᴄᴇ

Chapter 16

Medea was almost at the second floor when Freya and Jason started after her. She was wicked fast for a three thousand year old lady. They took the stairs three at a time and still couldn't catch her. What made it worse, was that she didn't stop at the second floor. No, she casually passed it and went on, climbing higher up.

"She's going for the potions. They're her strong suit." Panted Freya.

"Shit," Said Jason, just as out of breath as her.

Down below, a battle was raging. Leo had his hammer out and was swinging wildly in the direction of the dragons. Piper, dagger in hand, was yelling something at them which Freya assumed was her attempt at charmspeaking the beasts. She didn't look down too long though- not when Medea was still climbing ahead of them and getting closer to her potions.

As they climbed, Jason grabbed a shield from an armored mannequin on floor three and continued to climb. They weren't fast enough. When they reached Medea, she had already gotten to her potion's counter. She reached for a swan shaped vial -the blue one that caused painful death- and was just about to probably kill them with it, when a shield flew at her face. Medea turned triumphantly just in time to get hit in the chest by a fifty-pound metal Frisbee. She stumbled backward, crashing over the counter, breaking vials and knocking down shelves. When the sorceress stood from the wreckage, her dress was stained a dozen different colors. Many of the stains were smoldering and glowing.

Freya looked at Jason, who had thrown the shield. She didn't want to, but felt it anyway. A surge of competitiveness mingled with something else that made her stomach twist and body heat.

"Fool!" Medea wailed. "Do you have any idea what so many potions will do when mixed?"

"Kill you?" Freya said hopefully.

The carpet began to steam around Medea's feet. She coughed, and her face contorted in pain—or was she faking?

Below, Leo called, "Piper, help!"

Freya risked a quick look, and her stomach dropped. One of the dragons had Leo pinned to the floor. It was baring its fangs, ready to snap. Piper was all the way across the room battling the other dragon, much too far away to assist.

"You've doomed us all!" Medea screamed. Smoke was rolling 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—"

CRASH! The stained glass ceiling splintered in a rain of multicolored shards, and Festus the bronze dragon dropped into the department store. He hurtled into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw. Only now did Freya appreciate just how big and strong their metal friend was.

"That's my boy!" Leo yelled.

Festus flew halfway up the atrium, then hurled the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Leo raced to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shuddered as the dragons banged against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they were contained.

Medea cursed in some ancient language. The whole fourth floor was on fire now. The air filled with noxious gas. Even with the roof open, Freya could feel the heat intensifying. Her and Jason kept their swords pointed at Medea.

"I will not be abandoned again!" The sorceress knelt and snatched up the red healing potion, which had somehow survived the crash. She turned her eyes on Jason. "You want your memory restored, boy? Take me with you!"

The building rumbled. Fire and the smoke curled up the walls, melting the railings, turning the air to acid. Freya looked at Jason and saw the thoughts swirling inside his head. Saw him tempted by the princesses offer.