THE HOUSE OF MEMORIES [J. GRACE]

TWENTY-FOUR

jason still looked uncomfortable. "what did he do?"

the princess held the sliced-up toga against jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. "don't you know the story, my boy? you of all people should. you were named for him."

"jason," piper breathed the name aloud, spooked their assumption, their educated guess on the woman's true identity had been, in fact, correct. "the original jason but then you're...you should be dead!"

the princess smiled coldly. "as i said, a new life in a new country. certainly, i made mistakes. i turned my back on my own people. i was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. but i acted out of love." she turned to the boys, and gave them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. piper could feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever. "wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"

"oh, sure," jason said easily, his eyes moved to chandler for moment, before snapping back to the woman, eyes completely glazed over.

"okay," leo said.

"guys!" piper ground her teeth in frustration. "don't you see who she is? don't you—"

"let's continue, shall we?" the princess said breezily talking over piper. it came out so naturally, chandler almost didn't notice the aphrodite girl had been speaking before. "i believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits, and your satyr."

leo got distracted on the second floor with the appliances.
"no way," he said, voice coated in pure awe. "is that an armored forge?" before chandler 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." chandler whistled appreciatively at the sweet machinery.

jason flinched as if he recognized a term."imperial gold?"

the princess nodded. "yes, my dear. just 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 tome. 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!" chandler warned her younger brother. gods, she didn't understand how easily he, and jason, had been placed under the princess' spell.

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 didn't want to leave him alone with her, but she had to try reasoning with jason, and she knew that'd probably work best with chandler by her side.

"chandler!" the girl looked up, and blinked slightly. piper gestures for her to walk over, and she does quickly. the aphrodite girl pulled jason aside, and slapped him across the face.

"ow," he muttered sleepily. "what was that for?"

"snap out of it!" piper hissed finally, getting well beyond fed up with everything happening. the honey blonde gave a slow, tired blink, and a tilt of his head to the side that might've been cute if it wasn't so plainly irritating in that moment,