Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Heroes

Chapter Sixteen-Shopping and not arguing? That's a first

Hey, I'm not dead. Who would've thought? Sorry for the wait, I've got no excuse other than being lazy and just not posting. Hope you enjoy it after the wait!

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Leo, Jason, and Alex were all enjoying shopping and checking out the living fur coats while Piper went and cornered the princess.

"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 and the hunter 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. Alex was telling how stupid he looked while she looked at the hunting jackets. Her mind was fighting her body, trying to make her resist the pleasing princess, but Alex pushed that aside. Jason was ogling the men's sportswear. Boys interested in shopping for clothes? Alex not complaining or trying to fight someone? A definite sign they were under an evil spell.

Piper 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. "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 a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible." The princess swept her hand around the department store.

Piper'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."

Jason called, "Hey, check it out!"

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.

Jason frowned. "Why does this look so familiar?"

Jason, it's like yours," Piper said. "Now we really have to leave.

"Leave?" Alex questioned, her eyes becoming a little more focused. "Yeah, maybe—"

"Nonsense," the princess cut her off. "They aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular —trade-ins from previous customers. It suits you."

Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion—acid, maybe?— that Alex became interested in, and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something that looked disturbingly like dried blood.

"Your Highness," Piper said. "Why don't you tell the boys and Alex 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 Alex and the boys turned, suddenly interested.