WARNING: badly written but a rewrite is up on my page
WORTH | When Lorna Jackson's brother is missing, she tries looking for him. But instead, she finds someone who will change her life for the better.
❝ So what is your type? ❞
❝...
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18. Medea
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Lorna and Piper cornered the princess as Jason and Leo went off to check out the living fur coats.
"You want them shopping for their deaths?" 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 such 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 wiggled frantically as Leo walked. Jason was ogling the men's sportswear. Boys interested in shopping for clothes? A definite sign they were under an evil spell.
"Secret?" Lorna asked Piper. Piper looked distraught so Lorna didn't push it.
Lorna glared at the princess. "Who are you?"
"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis."
"Colchis. I can't remember. Where's Colchis?" Lorna cracked her brain, trying to remember where she had heard that word.
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 settling over Lorna—something King Boreas had mentioned back in Quebec.
"How old are you?" Lorna asked.
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 a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible."
The princess swept her hand around the department store. Lorna's 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 be 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, Lorna thought. We have to get out of here. But before she could even turn her thoughts into words, Jason called, "Hey, check it out!"
"Yeah, check it out, this lady is mega creepy." Lorna said sarcastically.
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.
