They weren't woken up.

Jason took the first and only watch, not needing any sleep after resting on the dragon. Emilia was glad to be able to open her eyes on her own terms, stretching her legs and sitting up to see that everyone else was stirring, too.

They broke camp and started down the tunnel. Piper's ankle was better, and she made no complaints as they followed the bricks, twisting and turning and seeming to create an endless path. Emilia wondered if they were going the wrong way numerous times.

But they reached an end. They were met with polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M.Next to the elevator was a directory, like for a department store.

"M for Macy's?" guessed Piper. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."

"Or Monocle Motors still?" asked Leo. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."

Emilia's instincts told her to run. What mall had its entrance at the sewer level? What kind of mall had kennels? Why did they sell magical appliances, weaponry, potions, and poisons?

But given this might be where the winds had gone, they had no choice. They had to capture them to receive information from Aeolus. Emilia made sure to summon her spear before they even walked into the elevator, the group deciding to start at the fourth floor.

As soon as the doors slid open, the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. It was painfully obvious that they weren't inside a Macy's. What Macy's looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope? Who designed a store with a ceiling of stained glass mosaic showing astrological signs around a giant sun? Maybe it would fit a store in Las Vegas, but not somewhere like Chicago.

The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, allowing them to see all the way to the ground floor. Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, there were no other windows or doors, but two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. The carpeting was filled with bright patterns and colors, and the racks of merchandise were as bizarre as they expected from the directory.

"Check it out," said Leo, stepping to the railing and looking down.

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 golden coins,a nd on either side of the fountain stood two gilded cages. Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. The storm spirits were imprisoned, 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 club.

"Coach Hedge!" exclaimed Piper. "We've got to get down there."

A voice behind them called, "May I help you find something?"

She'd just materialized there. A beautiful woman– maybe fifty years old– with an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry looked over at them, her long dark hair swept over one shoulder. Her face was thin and haughty and cold, and her long red-painted nails resembled talons.

The alarm bells shut up abruptly. Emilia could've sworn her instincts had still been telling her to run up until two seconds ago. Now, she could think of nothing but how beautiful this woman was.

"I'm so happy to see new customers," said the woman with a smile. "How may I help you?"

Jason looked just as dumbfounded. "Um, is this your store?"

She nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided I 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."

Emilia questioned internally why she was selling magical items, weapons, and poisons, but her voice left her when she tried to ask aloud. The woman's voice was so soothing, she figured it wouldn't do any harm to let her keep explaining.

"So you're new to America?" asked Jason.

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

(In hindsight, the word 'Colchis' probably would've snapped her out of her daze if she hadn't been pronouncing it wrong all her life. The woman said it as Cole-kiss, which to Emilia, simply sounded like a place she'd never heard of. She'd seen it written before and always thought it was pronounced 'Cole-cheese.'

In fact, it should've snapped her out of her daze enough just hearing the woman wanting to be called 'Your Highness.' Emilia normally would have shot out a comment about how inflated her ego must be to think that announcing herself as a princess would just automatically make people refer to her as such. She would've wanted proof.)

Instead she just seemed to zone out further, not caring that Piper was encouraging Jason to question the woman about Coach Hedge. Who cared about him? Let the woman talk about anything else. It sounded nice. It felt safe. She was so pretty, this was fine.

Piper seemed to be the only one not at ease. She tried to coax Leo, Jason, and Emilia away from the woman, but they followed her like puppies. Emilia was glad to be so relaxed after all they'd already endured on this quest. What a nice place they were in, and what a nice hostess they had!

"Shall we start with the potions?" asked the princess, gesturing toward the cosmetics counter.

"Yes," said Emilia pleasantly. "What kinds do you have?"

"Guys," Piper interrupted. "We're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this– princess– is really our friend–"

Emilia didn't even pay attention to what the woman replied. She was entranced with the diamonds, and to her understanding, this lady was most definitely a friend. She let her spear drift back into the shadows as she walked along, staring at glowing shelves, listening to the woman describe potions that could cure any diseases. She could vaguely register Piper trying to charmspeak her into doing something else, but Emilia was not interested in listening to her. No, this princess here had such beautiful things to show and tell. That sounded much nicer.

"I love helping people," she heard the princess musing. "Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me. 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?" asked Jason.

"Oh, don't worry," said the princess (and so, Emilia didn't). "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong..." She looked at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him. 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 still he cheated me of my payment."

"Heroes are always cheaters," murmured Emilia, remembering how Kronos used to despise them. "They hurt everyone else."

The woman patted her cheek affectionately. "You're not like that at all, are you, my dear?"

Emilia managed a weak smile. The woman had such a commanding presence, she could listen to her talk all day. She even mentioned the Bay Area! Something of that nature, anyway. It made Emilia feel even more relaxed; this woman knew where she was from. That's what a friend would do. She was so nice to look at.

Piper was not going along with the program. She made faces as Leo tried on a hat made of raccoon fur, as Jason ogled the men's sportswear. Emilia was more interested in the weaponry. There were a variety of spears, some made of Celestial Bronze and a much shinier one like Jason's. Maybe her spear could use a friend, too. The princess was already such a good friend to Emilia, letting them shop here. Maybe Pollux would like a new sword as a present.

Jason held up a purple shirt, Leo an orange one. Emilia figured one of each would be good. She felt she looked rather good in purple. Piper called out, "Your Highness, why don't you tell them how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story."

"A story?" asked Emilia. By all means, yes, more stories from the princess with a soothing voice.

The princess didn't seem all that happy to be telling it. Emilia didn't like seeing her upset. Nevertheless, she continued, "Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. 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?"

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," said Piper. (There was that word again. Piper was a lot better at geography than Emilia.) "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised."

"At first," the princess admitted, "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."

"And you killed your own brother," offered Piper.

"What?" said Jason. That didn't sound nice to Emilia, either. "Killed your own–"

"No," the princess 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."

Emilia wasn't sure why she couldn't feel much sympathy for her anymore. Something about this story was strange. Familiar, even.

"What did he do?" Jason asked.

The princess smiled wryly. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him."

"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're— you should be dead!"

Emilia narrowed her eyes. "Wait. That sounds... I know that."

"Do you?" asked the princess smoothly. She put an arm around Emilia, guiding her down to the next level. All the problems and worries seemed to just fade away.

"She's Medea!" said Piper sharply. "She helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. She's one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo, Emilia, don't trust her."

Emilia paused, then stepped away from the woman. "Medea. I've... heard that story."

"Oh, well," sighed the princess, not at all worried. "It's true. I'm Medea. Oh, Piper, Emilia, my dears, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I choose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason— my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis."

Jason scowled. "Then... you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?"

"Death no longer holds me, young hero," said Medea. "Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again."

"You... Reformed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?"

Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now here's my price for what you ask."

"Guys," said Piper desperately, "the original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty."

"Lies!" snarled Medea.

Piper wasn't done. "On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed in another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter."

"After I bore him two children!" she complained. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"

"It may not have been right," said Piper, "but neither was Medea's revenge. She murdered her own children to get back at Jason. She poisoned his new wife and fled the kingdom."

Madea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth— that unruly mob— killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I snuck back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair— a suitable price."

"You're insane," said Piper.

"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"

The fountain turned bright red. Emilia drew a deep breath, willing the shadows to give her her spear. Medea was desperate, she began to plead, she began trying to encourage a fight. She claimed the fountain would reform a dead man even if he was chopped to pieces. What then, was the harm in Emilia, Jason, and Leo cutting each other to ribbons to test it?

That was the final straw for Emilia. "No," she said to Medea even though Jason and Leo drew their weapons. "No... you don't get to sow discord. That's my thing."

But before she could raise her spear, Medea cried to Piper, "Let it happen now, and I will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"

There was that name again. Enceladus. The giant Piper remembered. What did that mean?

Emilia didn't know what to do. She couldn't use magic against Medea. She wasn't even sure she'd be able to resist it much longer. "Jason, Leo–" She got between them as Medea pulled Piper aside. "Stop." She drew a deep breath and coiled both wrists clockwise. "You don't want to fight. You're friends... at least, you think you're friends." Curse Hera for having made it all up. What memories did Emilia even have to work on? "Think of– I don't know, think of how Leo saved you, Jason, he cares for you and thinks you're a great frind! And Leo, think of how Jason valued your intelligence, he trusted you'd find us a ride for the quest!"

"Leo's mother!" cried Piper, gesturing to Medea. "Leo, listen to this– she helped get your mother killed!"

"What?" said Leo, lowering his hammer.

"Listen to me," pleaded Piper. Emilia couldn't stop listening, her voice was almost as powerful as Medea's. "Medea is charming you all, it's part of her magic. Don't fight each other, fight her."

Emilia drew a deep breath as soon as Jason and Leo turned to Medea. "Four against one... I don't like her odds."

Medea sneered. "Very well, I'll simply collect payment another way." She pressed one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbled. Jason swung his sword at Medea, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator. "You're too slow, hero! Take your frustration out on my pets!"

Before anyone could charge at her, the giant bronze sundials at either size of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts– flesh-and-blood winged dragons– crawled out of the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, just a tad smaller than Festus.

"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warned as they spread their wings and hissed. "They'll paralyze you!"

"I got Medea," growled Piper as she chased the witch up to the second floor.

Emilia abandoned her spear, knowing that they would be running around like chickens with their heads cut off if they didn't handle the dragon eye problem. She trusted Piper to handle Medea (she'd been the only one able to resist her, after all) and trusted the boys to handle the dragons. She just had to lend them a helping hand.

She thrust her hands out, engulfing the fountain in darkness. With her eyes shut, she imagined tendrils flooding out of it and crawling onto the hides of the dragons, sneaking over to their heads and forming hands that clamped over their eyes. When the beasts roared, she opened her eyes and saw that the shadows had formed what looked like sunglasses over them, preventing anyone from meeting their gaze.

"Go!" she told Leo and Jason.

Leo blew at his safety whistle before he and Jason charged at the dragons, who flailed around unable to lift themselves in the air without seeing where they were going. She held her position, planting her feet down to keep their eyes covered. Upstairs, she could see Piper chasing down Medea, bounding up stairs like a professional athlete.

Jason was handling his dragon more or less fine with his sword, but Leo was having a bit of trouble with only a hammer. "Leo!" called Emilia. "Cover your eyes!"

He did as told. She concentrated on the shadows over the dragon, slicing her left hand in a swirl through the air before shoving it down toward the floor. The shadows on its eyes thinned into a blade that she cut down, creating a large gash over the entirety of the dragon's face. Not only was it blind now, it was also bleeding profusely. Leo ran to her as the dragon roared angrily, tail hitting its sibling and giving Jason a chance to stab his in the belly.

The ceiling exploded over head, stained glass splintering over them as Festus dropped into the department store. He hurtled into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw.

"That's my boy!" Leo yelled.

Festus flew halfway up the atrium, then hurled the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Leo raced to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. Emilia dropped her hands, the shadows swirling back to her. She swayed, the brightness of the room preventing her from replenishing right away.

"Piper!" she called, looking up in horror as the fourth floor burst into flames.

Leo and Jason were already loading the golden cages onto Festus's back. The building rumbled, fire and smoke curling into the walls. Emilia rushed to them, climbing on and beckoning Piper to jump. When she did, she held out a hand of shadows while Jason and Leo opened their arms, cushioning her fall and loading her onto the dragon.

Festus ascended as fast as he could, the group clearing the department store just before it exploded behind them.

Emilia groaned, lifting her jacket to cover her face as the setting sun beat over her face. What she needed right now was darkness. "Leo, Emilia, you okay?" asked Piper worriedly once they were far enough away.

"Fine," said Emilia tiredly. "I was– I was an idiot! I can't believe it, the charmspeak, it's never gotten to me like that. Drew's tried it and it doesn't work so well, it just makes me sort of agree but I–I– I was completely oblivious. Colchis– that's how you say it?! Piper, if you hadn't saved us..."

Piper patted her back. "Don't worry about it. I... may have a theory about why the charmspeak worked so well. But we don't have to talk about it."

Emilia had a sinking feeling what it meant, if Piper had a theory. She thought of herself ogling Medea, feeling soothed by her presence. She hadn't felt so at ease since... Kronos.

"I think I know, too," said Emilia, glad her face was concealed by her sweater. "I never gave it much thought but I found her... attractive. I admired her and I wanted to make her happy. It wasn't a crush, it was just this infatuation. I probably... well, I think I am as entranced by women as I am with men. Every time it's happened, it's these powerful evil people who are good-looking and say just the right thing to make me feel safe. It's so stupid. No, no, I can't focus on that right now. She could still be alive, she could be following us."

There were more important things to think about, namely Leo's mother having died because of Medea and Gaea, and something about Piper's father... she wasn't sure she could ask.

Was this her fate? To be turned into a useless pile of mush everytime someone with bad intentions looked her way? To jeopardize her teammates' safety every time she got the attention she craved?

She didn't feel ashamed to like women. She supposed if she thought back far enough, she'd always sort of known it, even if she hadn't given it much thought. There was that time she wanted to kiss a female character in one of her aunt's old movies because she was just so pretty and her lips were there, right within reach. There was that time she saw an empousa hanging onto Luke and wanted both of them to pay her attention.

But what was the point? Could she ever go beyond attraction? If someone came along, someone good, would she ever be able to love them or would she only admire them and want nothing more? She'd never let her mind drift very far. She'd never understood it. No one really explained how love worked, what people were supposed to do in relationships. She was useless in that sense.

And maybe you've finally realized how useless you are in every other sense. You're not meant to be among heroes. Even now you see yourself reduced to weakness by the ones with passion and purpose toward a different patron. You could serve her, too. She would give you your family and a normal life where you can pursue anyone you want.

She wondered if he was right.