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"Oh, I’hness said "I’littered 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, Piper?"
Piper 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 the, boys"
Piper didn’t have much choice except to follow
She hated depart froht, and not exactly stealing She’d talked sales, once even a laer, though she had no idea why she wanted one She never kept the stuff She just did it to get her dad’s attention Usually she talked her neighborhood UPS guy into taking the stuff back But of course the salesmen she duped always came to their senses and called the police, who eventually tracked her down
Anyway, she wasn’t thrilled to be back in a departlowed in the dark
"And here," the princess said, "is the finest assortical mixtures anywhere"
The counter was cra vials on tripods Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks--some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers The liquids inside were every color, froh! Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were ym 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," Piper said "We’ve got a job to do Remember?" She tried to put power into her words, to snap him out of his trance with charmspeak, but her voice sounded shaky even to her This princess woman scared her too much, made her confidence crumble, just the way she’d felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew
"Job to do," Jasonfirst, okay?"
The princess bea fire--"
"Got that covered," Leo said
"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo’s facemy trademark sunscreen …but no matter We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or--"
"Wait" Piper was still staring at the red vial "Could that potion cure lost memory?"
The princess narrowed her eyes "Possibly Yes Quite possibly Why,important?"
Piper tried to keep her expression neutral, but if that vial could cure Jason’s memory …
Do I really want that? she wondered
If Jason found out who he was, he ht not even be her friend Hera had taken away his memories for a reason She’d told him it was the only way he’d survive at Camp Half-Blood What if Jason found out that he was their eneht coht have a girlfriend wherever he came from
It doesn’t matter, she decided, which kind of surprised her
Jason always looked so anguished when he tried to re him that way She wanted to help hi hih Her Craziness’s department store hile
"How ot a faraway look in her eyes "Well, now … The price is always tricky I love helping people Honestly, I do And I always keep aze drifted to Jason "Once, for instance, Idoain, and I promised to help him steal it"
"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him
"Oh, don’t worry," the princess said "I de , dashing, strong …" She looked at Piper "I’ht be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him"
Piper tried to control her eot the creepiest feeling the princess could read her thoughts
She also found the princess’s story disturbingly familiar Pieces of old ether, but this wo of
"At any rate," Her Highness continued, " when I say he couldn’t have done them without me I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize And still he cheated me of my pay to re important
"That’s hness patted his cheek affectionately "I’m sure you don’t need to worry, Leo You seem honest You would always pay a fair price, wouldn’t you?"
Leo nodded "What e buying again? I’ll take two"
Piper broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness--how much?"