𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐍 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐈𝐄 | 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬

Witches end up in ditches

{PIPER}

The doors to the departmental store slid open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. Jason stepped out first, sword ready.

"Guys," He said. "You've got to see this."

Piper joined him and caught her breath. "This is not Macy's."

The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun.

The daylight streaming through washed everything in a thousand different colors. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium so that they could see down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, that they were hard to look at.

Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, the daughter of Aphrodite couldn't see any other windows or doors, but two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns and colors, and the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre.

There was too much to take at once, but Piper saw normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed with armored manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seemed to be moving.

Leo stepped to the railing and looked down. "Check it out."

In the middle of the atrium, a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage—like an oversized canary cage.

Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shuddered as they tried to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree branch.

"Coach Hedge!" Lorelai gasped as she ran to the railing. "We have to get him out of there."

A voice said, "May I help you with something?"

All five of them jumped back.

A woman had just appeared in front of them. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and she looked like a retired fashion model—maybe fifty years old. Her long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous—thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.

She smiled. "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"

Evangeline spoke up, "This is your store?"

The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know, I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good...how do you say...first acquisition in this country."

She spoke with a pleasing accent, but Piper couldn't guess where from. Clearly, she didn't seem hostile but Piper was still suspicious of her. Her voice was rich and exotic.

"So you're new to America?" Jason asked, he looked like he was mesmerized by her.

"I am...new," the woman agreed. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"

When Jason didn't say anything and stared at the Princess, Lorelai nudged his shoulder with hers. "Um, right. Your Highness..." He pointed to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we...have him back, please?"