𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 - jason grace ¹

xv. gone terribly wrong

XV.      VIOLET   !
⋆ ★
gone terribly wrong

        Violet's eyes freezing over wasn't on her agenda. In fact, it took everything in her not to screamed when a blue film with small snowflake patterns formed over their eyes. She could still see perfectly find minus everything being light blue. Violet had never had her eyes frozen over the way they were at that moment. Frankly, she didn't know it was possible. Not until a voice seemed to whisper in her ear. A voice so familiar like she heard it only once before, but Violet couldn't put her finger on.

It's to protect you from what the boys see. That's totally normal. Hearing voices in her head wasn't on her agenda either.

The lady unsettled Violet the moment she met her eyes. She wanted 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 and Leo didn't seem to think anything was wrong. Piper looked at Violet with a worried look, noticing the blue over her once brown eyes. Violet shook her head signaling not to worry about it. They had other problems.

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, girls?"

Violet did her best to stare daggers at him: 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. "Come along, boys."

The girls read each other's minds. Piper and Violet did not trust whoever the lady was and they certainly wouldn't be buying anything. But they 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. And the smells— Oh gosh. 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.

"Jason," Violet's hand touched his shoulder. "We have to get back, we have a job to do.""

She tried to sound calm but her voice sounded shaky even to her. This princess woman scared her too much, made her confidence crumble.

"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire—"