Umbra

Chapter 14

Emilia smelled eucalyptus.

It was a familiar scent that never quite left. Her aunt had a lot of home remedies that consisted of eucalyptus, and Emilia always knew when she was sick because the entire kitchen would smell of strange leafy mixtures.

As she blinked, she became aware that she was sitting outside a sidewalk café on a sunny morning. At the other tables, a mix of bicyclists, business people, and college kids sat chatting and drinking coffee. Lots of foot traffic passed in front of quaint little shops. The street was lined with bottle-brush trees and blooming azaleas as if winter was a foreign concept.

"Mother!" cried Piper, making Emilia flinch. Jason, Leo, and Hedge woke up with a start, everyone just as confused.

Jason choked. "What are you wearing?"

Piper was in a turquoise dress with black leggings and black leather boots. She wore a silver charm bracelet and a snowboarding jacket. Even her hair was nicely done. "It's nothing– it's nothing."

Leo grinned. "Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen."

"Hey, Leo," Jason nudged his arm. "You look at yourself recently?"

Leo was wearing pinstripe pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat. Piper giggled, "God, Leo, I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt."

"Hey, shut up!" complained Leo.

"I think he looks good," said Coach Hedge. "'Course, I look better."

Emilia did not agree. He was in a baggy canary yellow zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves. He had a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel, which Hedge sniffed and then ate.

She felt very exposed in her new clothes. Usually, she liked wearing baggy everything. Her preference was black or dark green cargo pants (and sometimes wide-leg dark blue jeans) with some sort of dark long sleeve under a baggy t-shirt, usually of her favorite bands: Green Day, Muse, Linkin Park, Incubus, or Paramore.

Aphrodite had decided there was no room for shyness. Emilia had kept her green cargo pants, but now wore a black spaghetti-strap crop top tight to her figure, showing off her pale stomach. She instinctively crossed her arms over it, but as she moved her shoulders, felt her hair had been let loose, more perfectly curled than she had ever managed despite fighting with every last curl gel she had.

Pipe offered her dagger for her to look in the mirror, and saw that Aphrodite had really brought her hair to life. It looked... beautiful. And her eyes, she had never had anyone teach her to use makeup and at most would put mascara on her uncurled lashes. But Aphrodite had shown her that with curling, her eyelashes were thick and lengthy, and with a smidge of brown eyeliner, she looked more awake... more friendly. Could makeup really do that? Aphrodite made it look so easy.

"Crop top aside," said Emilia quietly, "this isn't so bad." At least the goddess had let her keep her combat boots.

"At least Aphrodite overlooked me," said Jason pleasantly. He still seemed different, now dressed in a clean purple T-shirt, jeans, new track shoes, and with his hair newly trimmed.

"Anyway," said Piper uncomfortably, "how did we get here?"

"Oh, that would be Mellie," said Hedge, chewing happily on his carnation. "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, 'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift– a nice soft breeze– cushioned our fall."