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{ ☀️ } · heroes save the day. . ݁ ٬٬ ࣪
LEO GOT DISTRACTED on the second floor with the appliances.
"No way," he said. "Is that an armored forge?"
Before Madeline could stop him, he hopped off the escalator and ran over to a big oval oven that looked like a barbecue on steroids. When they caught up with him, the princess said, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold."
Jason flinched as if he recognized that term. "Imperial gold?"
The princess nodded. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade. . ." she smiled pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here ─ this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped."
Leo apparently took this as an order. He began walking toward it in a trance.
"Leo, don't!" Piper warned.
He blinked. "How much for both?"
"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength ─ " she led Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items. Piper looked at Madeline before running after where Leo was being led to to, leaving Madeline to latch onto Jason's arm, tugging him away from the voices.
"But I wanna see more," the blonde boy said as they rounded the corner. Madeline looked back, making sure there was no one.
"No, you need to snap out of it!" the black-haired girl hissed, snapping her fingers in front of the boy's face. "She's charmspeaking you. Can't you feel it?"
He knit his eyebrows. "She seems okay."
"She's not okay! She shouldn't even be alive! She was married to Jason ─ the other Jason ─ three thousand years ago. Remember what Boreas said ─ something about the souls no longer being confined to Hades? It's not just monsters who can't stay dead. She's come back from the Underworld!"
Jason shook his head uneasily. "She's not a ghost."
The girl whined in desperation and grabbed his face in between her hands to focus his dazed eyes onto her. They were so blue up close. He stared at her, his eyes suddenly wide as he started back, breath caught in the back of his throat.
