madness and ecstasy // leo valdez

-a kaleidoscope, how it works we'll never know-

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"On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter."

"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still, he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"

Teqi shook her head. No, it wasn't. People should never break promises. Especially pinky promises. Especially boys who make promises they don't even want to keep.

"It may not have been right," Piper said [finally, she was talking sense], "but neither was Medea's revenge. She murdered her own children to get back at Jason. She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom."

Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth—that unruly mob—killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I snuck back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair—a suitable price."

"You're insane," Piper said.

"I am the victim!" Medea wailed, her voice cracking. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"

The frothing fountain behind her turned red and bright, like fresh blood. Why was everything in this mall reminiscence of blood?

The fountain turned bright red, like the fire back at camp. Piper drew her dagger, but the fact that Teqi wasn't helping anymore seemed to be affecting her, and she nearly dropped it onto the gold tiles.

Piper fumbled for her knife. "All of you, —it's time to go. Now."

"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea asked. "What of your quest? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed—stronger and more powerful than ever."

"Seriously?" Leo asked, looking at the ruby coloured water curiously.

Teqi frowned. Her thoughts kept escaping her, running out the back door without asking first. Shrinking. She swallowed thickly. "How... how dead? Is that how you came back?"

"Leo, she's lying," Piper said, exasperated. "She did that trick with somebody before—a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!"

"Ridiculous," Medea said. It was ridiculous, Teqi had certainly never heard the tale of Pelias and his four daughters. "Jason, Leo and Teqi—my price is so simple. Why don't you fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever."

Teqi didn't particularly feel like fighting.

"You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"

Now that she thought about it...

"Guys, no!" Piper said, looking tearfully at them. Teqi rolled her eyes, Piper should just stay out of it, and turned to the boys. It was just dawning on her how much she'd been wanting this opportunity.

Leo scowled. "Jason's always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted, and Teqi's so... Ugh, why're you so hot and cold?... You both think you're so much better than me."