CHAPTER FIFTEEN:
HEAD UNDER WATER

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ANNAIS FELT LIKE NO time had passed before Mel woke her up. The fire had died down to flickering embers by then, meaning their only source of light was the faint rays of afternoon sun that filtered through the drain slats. Ezra was still half-asleep on the other side of the sewer, though like Annais, she forced herself up with a grunt as Piper shyly shook her arm. As for Jason and Leo, the latter was talking Jason's ear off as the two of them packed up their things ready to move on, not that the blonde boy seemed to mind. He looked grateful for the distraction, something that Annais understood.

Slowly but surely, after more protests from Ezra, they finally continued on their way. They moved carefully on Piper's tender ankle but quicker than they had beforehand. However, the winding tunnel soon reached what seemed to be a dead end, where the only indication that it wasn't was a polished set of steel elevator doors engraved with a cursive letter M. For a minute, the group stood frozen, sharing wary whispers as they eyed the anomaly. Annais knew sewers. An elevator did not belong in one.

"What's happening?" Ezra asked, tapping her foot with impatience.

Mel was the one to respond. "There's an elevator down here."

"An elevator?" Ezra's nose wrinkled with disbelief. "What do you mean?"

"There's an elevator down here, what else could I mean by that?" Mel huffed. The sound of their voices reminded Jason of the task at hand. With one last wary glance, he led them over to get a closer look, Mel doing her best to explain for her confused cousin as the girl hung back behind them. "We just found some sort of department store directory. It's weird."

"Is that M for Macy's? I think they have one in downtown Chicago," Piper frowned, uneasy as she listened to Mel's ramblings. Having their surroundings commentated was strangely jarring, for Annais especially. She couldn't shake the feeling they were being followed, that Dylan and his gang of storm spirits would jump out on them at any moment, using this information to their advantage.

"Or M for Monocle Motors?"

"Why would you say that?" Ezra snapped at a sheepish Leo, but his attention was soon caught by the content of the sign.

"Look at this," he said to the nearest person, who just so happened to be Annais. The writing was tiny and tricky to read in the dim light, but she caught one word — kennels — and felt a shiver shoot up her spine. "Guys, this directory is messed up."

"What would Macy's need with a kennel?" Annais questioned.

"A kennel?" Ezra echoed, like she wasn't quite sure she heard her right.

"Yep."

"... Does anyone else have a bad feeling about this?"

"I mean, they also sell poisons," Leo read with a high-pitched laugh. "And 'sundries.' What does that even mean? Is that like underwear?"

All eyes rested on Jason. Their next move was up to him. If they turned around now, they could go back up to Festus and continue on their way. But the storm spirit Jason saw had led them down here, and Annais knew he wouldn't give up on that so quickly.

He inhaled deeply, squaring his jaw under the attention of his friends. "When in doubt, start at the top."

And so their decision was made. They filed into the elevator one after the other, Ezra grumbling to anyone who would listen about how big of a mistake they were making. But it was too late to change their minds as the doors slid shut with a chime and the elevator shot up to the fourth floor. Fortunately, there was no music to make the trip any creepier than it already was. Annais knew Ezra would've turned around regardless of what Jason wanted if that had been the case.

After a minute stuck inside the cramped space, the doors swept open. Jason was the first one to step out with his sword at the ready, Annais watching his back just in case of a surprise attack. But nothing happened. Annais struggled to see over the blonde boy's shoulder as he froze in place, but the sickly sweet scent of floral perfume lingering in the air told her that this was no ordinary scene.

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

"This is definitely not Macy's."

Again, the room was surprisingly nice for something with an entrance in the sewerage system. Brightness shone through the stained glass ceiling in an array of colours, streaming down over the golden railings into the levels below. It would've been beautiful, had it not been for the fact it was completely empty, an eerie feeling remaining in the place of people. The bizarre selection of items for sale also didn't help. On one side of them was a shirt rack cluttered with orange and purple tees. On the other was a mannequin wearing Roman armour holding a spear of some kind.

Annais didn't know what Piper meant, honestly. Macy's totally sold battle gear.

"Hey!" Leo suddenly cried, scaring the absolute wits out of her. Somehow, she'd failed to notice him wandering closer to the railing, eagerly peering over the edge like a curious toddler. "Hey, check it out."

Reluctantly, the group followed him. At the bottom floor stood a fountain fit for a castle. The design was intricate, a strong spray of water shooting twenty feet into the air. The rose-coloured roof sent flashes of rainbow around the room, one of the light beams in particular even bounced off a cage that was quick to catch Annais' eye. Inside one was a miniature hurricane swirling in a vain attempt to escape its confines. Someone had trapped the storm spirits. She heard Mel murmuring it to Ezra behind her, but that wasn't what got to her. No, it was the sight of Gleeson Hedge frozen like Mr Tumnus in the cage beside it that really stood out.

"Coach Hedge," Piper exclaimed in delight, latching onto Annais' arm. "We've got to get down there."

"Where there's a will, there's a way."

But they wouldn't get to Gleeson just yet. Behind them, a feminine voice giggled with too much sweetness, like honey soothing an aching throat. Annais shuddered at the sound but couldn't bring herself to fight off the strange softness that creeped up on her.

"May I help you find something?"

The effect was immediate and jarring. Even Ezra seemed different, swaying on the spot like she was ready to fall off to sleep. This wasn't like Drew or Piper. This was a lot harder to fight against.

"I'm so happy to see new customers," she sighed and stepped closer. She was a good three decades older than them, with long ebony hair swept over one shoulder, but that didn't take away from her beauty. Every blink of her eyes was positively pretty, like a supermodel trained to strike down even the coldest of men and women with her looks. Annais felt her heart hammering, though even powerful charmspeak couldn't take away her sense of distrust. It was always the prettiest people who turned out to be wicked.

"Um," Jason murmured breathlessly. Clearly, he didn't feel the same. "Is this your store?"

"I found it abandoned. I understand so many stores are these days, so I decided it would make the perfect place," she explained with a hint of something similar to pride. "As you can see, I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods for a reasonable price. So this seemed a good — how do you say... first acquisition in this country."

"So you're new to America?"

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

Silence. Jason continued to stare at her in awe, causing both Annais and Piper to frown. Annais nudged him in the ribs sharply, smirking when he winced and pouted at her.

"Well, Your Highness," he said after a moment. "Down there is our friend, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we... have him back, please?"

Annais felt odd asking for permission to release their friend. Why did they have to ask this woman? Gleeson wasn't her property. She stayed silent, though, just watching and nodding eagerly.

"Of course," she cooed. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?"

Annais supposed it wouldn't be too bad if she knew. The odd sensation was still there, but Jason seemed to trust her... Piper, though, definitely didn't. Weird...

"Jason, I wouldn't—"

"This is Piper," he cut her off with a dismissive gesture, then reached out to put a hand on Annais' lower back. "This is Annais, her cousins, Ezra and Melanie, and Leo. I'm Jason."

The woman's face immediately darkened. Stone cold soberness hit Annais like a truck. Now, Piper's response seemed reasonable. Something about Jason's name had ignited a fury so strong that it seemed to buzz in the air. They needed to get the hell out of there, and fast.

"Jason. What an interesting name," she said with her best attempt at an accommodating smile. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Now come, children. Let's go shopping."

Or not.

Annais honestly didn't know what to think anymore. Her mind was fuzzy, but there was a small voice screaming for her to wake up. To remember.

The first few minutes of the Princess' tour happened in flashes. First, she showed them the cosmetics counter, where dozens of vials were lined up in perfect lines. Piper kept arguing that they were wasting time and that Gleeson needed them, but the woman kept on going and everyone was happy to oblige. Annais felt like someone was suffocating her as she followed the Princess like a shadow. She felt drunk, almost, and it only got worse when the woman turned to smile at her, like she could hear her thoughts.

"And here is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere," she boasted.

Annais robotically turned to the next counter. Unlike the cosmetics one, this was crammed with beakers of all shapes and sizes. The liquids inside could've made up the whole rainbow in colour, bubbling and hissing smoke. It looked like a science experiment gone wrong but the boys and Mel were amazed.

"I know," the woman simpered as each of them gasped, plucking a blood red vial from the back and waving it in front of them tauntingly. "This one will heal any disease. Can you believe it?"

"Wow," Mel sighed and leaned her head on Ezra's shoulder. The girl shrugged her away, still swaying.

"For real?" Leo asked the Princess. "Even cancer? Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease, sweet boy," she huffed before moving onto the next one. "And this vial kills you very painfully."

Annais' eyes bugged but just as quickly as the panic came, a soothing hand swooped in to ease her worry.

Snap out of it. Snap out of it. SNAP OUT OF—

"Jason," Piper exclaimed over the boy's excited rambling. "We've got a job to do, remember?"

Annais nodded. A job. They had a job to do. The woman was using some sort of magic, she had to be...

"Job to do," Jason repeated half-heartedly. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The Princess smiled at him, and Annais swooned. Who would've thought magic could be so pretty...

"Then we have potions for resisting fire."

"Oh, I got that covered," Leo grinned.

"Indeed?" Her thinly-plucked eyebrows shot to her hairline. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen... but no matter. We also gave potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—"

"Wait," Piper gasped. She was yet to tear her gaze away from the red vial, uncertain. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"

Now this caught Annais' attention. Jason had lost his memory... If this vial could solve that, then he wouldn't have to wait for Hera. He'd be able to remember who he was now, including where he came from. Annais watched the Princess closely, an eager smile on her face that the woman easily picked up on. She glanced between her and Piper with a slow smirk.

"Possibly, yes, quite possibly... why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

Piper's attention had drifted to Jason. Despite the blur in her brain, Annais' eyes suddenly sharpened. Piper was gazing at him with yearning, longing for someone he couldn't be to her. Annais didn't like it but she couldn't figure out why. Piper was allowed to look at Jason however she wanted to. Annais shouldn't care. She didn't. This had to be some sort of magic from the Princess, and no longer was it pretty.

"How much?" she asked. Her hope was evident but so was a new emotion, something akin to acceptance. Annais' stomach lurched uncomfortably. Bile flooded her throat.

"Well, now... the price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." The air buzzed again as she glared at an oblivious Jason. More and more, the spell seemed to lift. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason suddenly paused.

"Oh, don't worry," she was quick to reassure him. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong..."

Annais let out a sigh. Jason was good-looking, dashing, strong... why had she never noticed before? Well, she had, so that was a lie. But why had she brushed it off? Jason Grace was effortlessly gorgeous, she supposed a teensy-tiny part of her could admit she was attracted to him. Once she knew he wasn't a monster.

But so was Piper, she thought darkly. And this dumb Princess knows it, too.

"I'm sure you understand, my dear, how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him." Piper's face flushed but she said nothing, neither confirming or denying the woman's claim. "At any rate, my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And he still cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" Jason frowned again, like he was struggling to think of something. Potential jealousy aside, Annais felt the same. Why was this story so familiar to her?

"That's messed up," Leo exclaimed in outrage.

Mel nodded along with him, her jaw clenched in a rare display of fury. "How could he do that to you?"

"I don't know, my dear," the Princess sighed sadly, ambling over to the duo and placing a hand on each of their cheeks. Leo's face burned and Mel giggled. "I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo and Melanie. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "What are we buying again? I'll take two!"

This seemed to please her. She smiled, like a lion baring its teeth, and stepped away from them. Annais' head started to pound as the woman swept her gaze across all of them again, like someone had taken a hammer and slammed it into her cranium. Like there was a noose around her throat, tugging and squeezing both air and reason away from her. She pressed her forehead to Jason's shoulder, barely listening to the Princess trying to usher them along. She felt Jason pat her hair subconsciously, too busy eyeing off a section of weapons to pay much attention.

"So the vial, Your Highness," she heard Piper prompt. "How much?"

"Would you give anything for it, my dear? I sense that you would." Annais felt eyes lingering on her, deliriously amused. "But so would she, it seems."

Piper didn't say anything for a moment, simply gazing at Jason and Annais blankly. That didn't matter right now. She was the only one who distrusted this woman. Without the others, she was outmatched. She needed to wake them up, but all of them were hooked by her — Jason, Leo and Mel especially; they were the furthest out of reach. If she had any chance of convincing one of them for longer than a second that they were walking into a trap, it would be Annais or Ezra. They were dancing along the line between reality and illusion. Piper had to pull them back.

"No, I won't pay any price. But if it was a fair price, then maybe," she said, mustering every bit of strength as she watched Annais and Ezra. "After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?"

For a moment, she hoped. Ezra was frozen now, no longer swaying. Annais slowly lifted her head from Jason's shoulder, blinking at her like she was seeing her in a new light. Even Jason seemed bothered, though she couldn't be sure if it was her charmspeak or Annais' sudden movement away from him.

"Leave?" he whispered.

"You mean... after shopping?"

And just like that, her hope deflated like a popped balloon. Jason laughed and nodded along with Leo's question. Mel even clapped her hands excitedly. Piper couldn't tell what was going on in Annais and Ezra's heads. The former was frowning, while the other was freakishly quiet.

Meanwhile, Annais felt like she was slowly waking up from a long sleep. Piper's voice was the only thing she could focus on. The princess was now mere background noise as she asked Piper about her parentage. Why would she — charmspeak.

This fucking bitch.

"Now, kids, would you like to see more?" The woman's voice was powerful, leading Jason, Leo and Mel away, but all Annais saw now was a sham. She glared at Piper furiously, edging her ring off her finger with the urge to lash out, and Piper sighed in relief.

One down, four to go.

"Sure," Jason beamed.

"Excellent! You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."

"The Bay Area? Why the Bay Area?"

"Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?"

Jason, Leo and Mel kept following her like she hadn't just indicated to their demise, but Annais, Ezra and Piper hung back. Ezra's jaw was clenched, her fists visibly shaking as she turned in Annais and Piper's general direction.

"I'm going to kill her."

Another one down.

"Just wait until I snap the others out of it," Piper said. "Then you can kill her, alright?"

Ezra didn't seem pleased, huffing out a 'fine then' before scurrying after the others. Annais and Piper exchanged an awkward glance before quickly joining her — at least for Annais, it was awkward to be alone with her. There were too many things left unsaid. She wanted to know how Piper felt about Jason, but the thought of asking her solidified that Annais cared. She wasn't sure what to do with that information.

Up ahead, Leo was cackling to himself as Mel forced a hat made out of raccoon fur onto his head. It looked disgusting but both demigods stared at it in awe, like a man dying of thirst who miraculously had come across water. Annais rolled her eyes, leaning in closer to whisper in Piper and Ezra's ears.

"Okay. So what's the plan?"

"I'm confronting the Princess," Piper hissed with a determined glint in her eyes. "I've got a bone to pick with her."

"Alright, then I'll go to Jason," she said, turning to Ezra. "Can you deal with Leo and Mel?"

Ezra sighed. "If I have to."

"Then let's do this."

The three girls broke off on their own. Behind her, Annais heard Piper demanding to know who the woman really was, and not far to her right there was Ezra telling Leo to quote 'pull his head out of his ass.' Annais sighed and focused on Jason. He was holding up a purple t-shirt like the one she remembered him wearing to the Grand Canyon. Only unlike that shirt, this one was barely held together, the material torn to shreds by what looked to be claws of some kind.

"Why does this look so familiar?" he asked. "Do you recognise it, Annais?"

"Hades give me strength," she muttered before latching onto his arm. Maybe if she shook him hard enough, he'd listen. "Jason, we need to leave now. That shirt looks just like your old one."

"Does it really?"

"Yes!"

"Oh, nonsense," a voice piped up behind them. The Princess had heard Annais' panicked voice and came rushing over before Piper could distract her again. In the blink of an eye, all of Jason's distrust was gone again. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular. Trade-ins from previous customers. It suits you."

"Like hell it does," Annais snapped. "Jason, put it down."

She heard Ezra saying something similar to Leo. In his hands was a Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole in the middle shaped like the point of a javelin. Her heart leapt in horror.

Oh, they were so dead.

"Hey, Your Highness," said Piper. "Why don't you tell everyone how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story."

"More story?" Leo gasped, his and Melanie's heads snapping towards them.

Jason let out a dreamy sigh. "I like more story!"

Annais pinched the bridge of her nose but she wasn't too concerned as the Princess flashed Piper an annoyed glare. At least they'd brought themselves a bit more time. And maybe, if she revealed enough about herself, Annais could finally figure out why she seemed so familiar.

"Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother, Aphrodite, had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her... but I can't hold a grudge against a Goddess, can I?"

She wouldn't have been the first to feel resentment towards the Gods, but Annais wasn't about to tell her that.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," Piper pointed out. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised."

"At first, it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me."

Ezra let out a gasp of realisation. "And you killed him, didn't you?"

"What?" Jason exclaimed. Annais still couldn't put her finger on it. The lack of knowledge was really beginning to get under her skin. "Killed your own—"

"No!" she snapped. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception. They threw his body into the sea, and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain! He betrayed me in the end."

"What did he do?" Jason asked with a hint of unease.

For a moment, the woman regarded him with narrowed eyes, like a hero facing an old foe. She held a sliced-up toga against his chest, ignoring the way that Annais' eyes flared as she smiled. Like she knew all his weak spots.

"Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named after him."