Daughter of Neptune, Book one

XXI

Tori's pov

Piper and I cornered the Princess as Jason and Leo went off to check fur coats.

"You want them shopping for their death?" Piper demanded.

"Mmm." the princess blew dust off a display case of swords. "I'm a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don't want to dwell on that, do we? The boys are having fun."

Leo laughed as he tried on a hat that seemed to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitched, and its little legs wigged frantically as Leo walked. Jason was ogling at the men's sportswear. Boys interested in shopping for clothes? A definite sign they were under an evil spell.

I glared at the princess. "Who are you?"

"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis."

"Where's Colchis?"

The princess's expression turned a little sad. "Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more--lost eons ago."

"Eons?" Piper asked. The princess looked no more than fifty, but a bad feeling started to settle over me--something King Boreas had mentioned in Quebec. "How old are you?"

The princess laughed. "A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let's just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible." The princess swept her hand around the department store.

My mouth tasted like metal. "Your patron..."

"Oh, yes. She doesn't bring just anyone through, mind you--only those who have special talents, such as me. And really, she insists on so little--a store entrance that must me underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favor now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I'd made in centuries."

Run, I thought. We have to get out of here.

But before I could even turn my thoughts into words, Jason called, "Hey, check it out!"

From a rack labeled DISTRESSED CLOTHING, he held up a purple T-shirt like the one we'd wore on the school field trip--except this shirt looked like it had been clawed by tigers.

Jason frowned. "Why does this look familiar?"

"Grace, its like ours," I said to Jason. "Now we really have to leave." But I wasn't sure he could even hear me 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--trade-ins from previous customers. It's suits you."

Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit with 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 disturbing like dried blood.

"Your Highness," Piper said. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure 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 of 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?"