𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐄 - j. grace, ocxoc ¹ ✓

xvii. shopoholics !

XVII. DELILAH SONG-JACKSON !
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shopaholics

          Delilah used all her strength to stay and not run for the elevator. Her second choice was to 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, Kaen, or Leo seemed to think nothing was wrong.

"You don't listen to anything she says," Delilah whispered to Kaori, the words smoothly running across her mouth and into Kaori's ears. The raven-haired girl nodded, her eyes holding nothing but confusion.

Piper rushed to the girls, "It's not me right? Something's wrong with this woman?"

Delilah nodded. "I got Kaori with us, but something about that woman . . . we need to make sure those guys don't do anything stupid."

The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"

"Cool," Jason said.

"Guys," Piper interrupted, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this—princess—is really our friend—"

"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," 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, Delilah? There's no harm in it." Kaen looked at Delilah, a smile on his face. That was the first red flag. Kaen hated showing too many expressions in public, to see him with a grin on his face . . . Delilah felt a chill run down her spine. She had seen him smile before, but he was anything but happy when it came to being on the quest with people he barely knew — let alone liked. But he was so charming it pained her that she had to say no. She did her best to stare daggers at him to say: No, it is 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 with Kaen next to her. "Come along, boys."

The girls didn't have much choice except to follow.

Delilah hated department stores—mostly because her face tended to be printed all over them. Of course, now she was in America. Photos of her holding white creams with whitening properties weren't shown here. She didn't have to wear sunglasses inside and avoid being in the beauty section. She could still imagine the excited faces in the citizens of Seoul when they caught sight of her in public. So Delilah wasn't thrilled to be back in a department store—especially one run by a crazy princess who glowed in the dark.

"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. And the smells—Delilah couldn't get over them. Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers.

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?"

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

"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy.