BLOODSHOT . . . piper mclean

15.

"Cheated?" Perfect Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.

"That's messed up," Fire Boy said.

Her Highness 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?"

Fire Boy nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."

"I'll take five, you loser," Eden offered, smirking at him.

Kaleidoscope broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness — how much?"

"Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asked. "I sense that you would."

"No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?" Kaleidoscope turned to them.

Eden was confused. Leave? But she loved shopping.

"Leave?" Muscle Boy said.

"You mean . . . after shopping?" Leo asked.

"I love shopping," Eden added helpfully.

The princess tilted her head, examining Kaleidoscope.

"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes — I should have seen it. No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial—"

"Now, boys, Eden." She turned to Eden, Perfect Jason, and Fire Boy. "Would you like to see more?"

"Sure," Perfect Jason said.

"Okay," Fire Boy said.

"What they said," Eden picked at her amazing nails. They'd probably get ruined after this quest. What quest? She just wanted to go shopping.

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

"The Bay Area?" Kaleidoscope said. "Why the Bay Area?"

The princess smiled. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?"

Then she led them toward the escalators. Eden had a bad feeling in her gut, but she shrugged it off and strode ahead.

* * *

Eden, Perfect Jason, and Fire Boy went off to check out the living fur coats.

Fire Boy laughed as he tried on a hat that seemed to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitched, and its little legs wiggled frantically as he walked. Perfect Jason was ogling the men's sportswear. Boring. Eden snickered at them, swishing around a sword that nearly stabbed her, but hey, she was Eden Achilles-Fairchild for a reason.

Perfect Jason called, "Hey, check it out!"

From a rack labeled distressed clothing, he held up a purple T-shirt.

He frowned. "Why does this look so familiar?"

"Jason, it's like yours," Kaleidoscope said. "Now we really have to leave."

"Nonsense," the princess said. "They aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular — tradeins from previous customers. It suits you."

Fire Boy picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion — acid, Eden's favorite — and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something dark red.