Soul of Olympus

Chapter Sixteen

"Leo's mother," Piper said. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. "So ... I just attack Jason? That's okay?"

"Perfectly safe," Medea promised. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake." 

Piper's charm-speak was failing, she knew if she didn't get the boys to snap out of it soon, they would all be dead. She hoped Ariadne had snapped out of it and heard her yelling for help.

"No!" Piper ordered. She knew it was her last chance. "Jason, Leo—she's tricking you. Put down your weapons."

The sorceress rolled her eyes. "Please, girl. You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe. I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, boys, kill each other!"

 Piper saw a figure sneaking up behind Medea out of the corner of her eye. Ariadne.

"Jason, Leo, listen to me." 

Piper put all of her emotion into her voice. For years she'd been trying to control herself and not show weakness, but now she poured everything into her words—her fear, her desperation, her anger. She knew she might be signing her dad's death warrant, but she cared too much about her friends to let them hurt each other. 

"Medea is charming you. It's part of her magic. You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"

They hesitated, and Piper could feel the spell shatter.

Jason blinked. "Leo, was I just about to stab you?"

"Something about my mother ... ?" Leo frowned, then turned toward Medea. "You ... you're working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop." He lifted his arm. "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it."

"Bah!" Medea sneered. "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, while Ariadne lunged at where she once stood, and reappeared at the base of the escalator.

"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"

Before they could go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts—flesh-and-blood winged dragons—crawled out from the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.

"So that's what's in the kennels," Ariadne said meekly.

The dragons spread their wings and hissed. They could feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on Piper.

"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warned. "They'll paralyze you."

"Indeed!" Medea was leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time—sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Ta-ta!"

The dragons lunged. Leo and Jason charged to intercept. Piper was amazed how fearlessly the boys attacked—working like a team who had trained together for years. Whilst Ariadne circled around the dragons away from their eyes hoping to get an advantage. 

"GO PIPER! Get the witch!" she yelled, jutting her head towards the witch.

Medea was almost to the second floor, where she'd be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.