𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 •| ⊱ Jason Grace¹

•| ⊱ EIGHTEEN

[ chapter eighteen: hermia ]

° • ° • °

Mia wanted to run far away from this situation. Her second choice: attack the weird princess now, because she was sure a fight was coming. The way the lady's face glowed when she'd heard Jason's name had been bad enough. Now Her Highness was smiling like nothing had happened, and Jason and Leo didn't seem to think anything was wrong. Piper on the other hand seemed to be on Hermia's side of all this.

The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?" Mia's ears perked up at the mention of potions. But she knew better then to pay any attention to the Princess.

"Cool," Jason said. Mia sent him a glare, but he was too busy watching the Princess to notice.

"Guys," Piper interrupted as she shared a glance with Mia, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge."

"Piper's right, so why don't you two idiots focus!" Mia added.

"If this-princess-is really our friend-" Piper was cut off.

"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dears," 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'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Girls?"

Hermia did her best to stare daggers at him: No, this is definitely 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."

"I hate this." Mia mumbled while Piper nodded in agreement. The two girls didn't have much choice except to follow.

"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 color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. Hermia is used to all the different smells from when her mom would do potions, but the smells here-ugh! Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, and skunk.

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?"

"Oh, please." Mia said with an eye roll. Hermia did know of a spell to save someone from dying, but this sounded to good to be true.

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