Coffee Shop
According to the plaque, it was called Crown Fountain. All the water had emptied out except for a few patches that were starting to freeze. Nothing about this place was right.
They stepped to the centre of the pool. No spirits tried to stop them. The giant monitor walls stayed dark. The drain hole was easily big enough for a person, and a maintenance ladder led down into the gloom.
Jason went first. The ladder dropped into a brickwork tunnel running north to south. Kassandra, Piper and Leo climbed down after him.
"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wondered.
"No," Leo said. "Trust me."
Jason frowned. "How do you know-"
"Hey, man, I ran away six times. I've slept in some weird places, okay? Now, which way do we go?"
"No one should have to sleep in such a horrid place," said Kassandra, ruffling the boys hair. Leo shook his head as she did so, he reminded her of a small furry dog.
Jason tilted his head, listening, then pointed south. "That way."
"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.
"There's a draft blowing south," Jason said. "Maybe the venti went with the flow."
It wasn't much of a lead, but nobody offered anything better. Unfortunately as they started to walk, Piper stumbled over something and Jason caught her before she hit the floor.
"Stupid ankle," she cursed.
"I'm sorry. I guess the healing isn't all there yet. It may take a couple hours to kick in," apologised Kassandra
"That's fine, let's rest," Jason decided. "We could all use it. We've been going nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?"
"Thought you'd never ask. Chef Leo is on it!"
The son of Hephaestus sprung to work like a wind-up figure, shuffling through his packs. Piper and Jason sat over on a brick ledge whilst Kassandra stayed with Leo.
"So you're really a goddess?" asked Leo, as if they hadn't talked about it just an hour ago.
"Yeah, that's me."
"So, if I were to show you something secret, could you help me with it, or just keep it to yourself?"
"Of course Valdez."
"Great."
The elf boy put his hands together and from his fingertips came flames; not too large but she could feel the heat from where she was sitting across from him. She had heard about this ability to wield fire from Annabeth one time. Apparently it was an extremely rare trait that only came to a specific child of Hephaestus every few hundred years.
"Holy Hera," she said in awe, watching him light a small fire with the flames.
"That was pretty much my reaction to it," he admitted, pulling a pan from his belt. What sort of belt was that?
"Have you told anyone else about it? Besides me of course."
Leo shook his head. "Not really. Jason and Piper sort of know, but no one else. I didn't want to come across as different to the other kids in my cabin. There's something weird about the power, like there's bad history with it."
The daughter of Bellona rubbed his arm as he threw on some meat and peppers onto the pan. Seriously, what was this belt.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of, and it's definitely not something you should feel the need to hide. Gifts like this are what help to define us. Besides, you're not the only one who can do cool stuff with their hands."
Putting together her finger tips, she concentrated her power to the connections and drew them apart, a golden silk like rope of pure energy being drawn between them. Weaving her hands around each other with imbued power, she soon enough had a little hammer in her hand.
"Any god can do this really, it's just a technique that needs to be practised. By focusing my energy on a concentrated spot, I can use the raw power to create real things."
Now it was Leo's turn to watch her in fascination. "So you created that hammer out of just your own energy?"
"Sort of. The energy is a part of me, so this hammer is technically made of me."
"Made of you?" asked Leo suspiciously, pulling out even more ingredients from his belt.
"Yeah, it's a little gross when you really think about it, so don't think about it that way."
She offered the tool to the son of Hephaestus, and he accepted it. It was cold to touch, but Leo was intrigued. He swung it around a few times, Kassandra concentrating on keeping its solid form.
"So you can make anything out of this stuff?"
"Well, sort of. It's easier to do something solid like a hammer rather than something with fluidity."
"So, do you think you could make some plates?" asked Leo. The smell from the food was intoxicating.
"What exactly is this?" asked the daughter of Bellona.
"Pepper and Beef tacos with chips and salsa." Maybe his mother was Demeter with how fast he could whip up a meal. "Don't tell me you've never had tacos before," he joked.
She stared at him.
"Oh my gods you haven't. Luckily, you're in for a great time!"
Valdez dished out the food onto four golden plates, Kassandra hoping she wouldn't lose concentration and they'd disappear.
"And Bingo!" announced Leo, him and Kassandra each carrying two plates of the food to Piper and Jason.
"Leo," Piper said in amazement. "How did you-?"
"Chef Leo's Taco Garage is fixing you up!" he said proudly. "And by the way, it's tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don't freak. Just dig in!"
Kassandra had never had tacos before, or any Mexican cuisine before, but she hoped it was all as good as this. The food was so good she almost missed the tense atmosphere. Something between Jason and Piper was off.
Leo tried to lighten the mood though with jokes and conversation, to which Kassandra attempted to join in with.
After Piper ate, Jason encouraged her to get some sleep. Without another word, she curled up and put her head in his lap. In two seconds she was snoring. Leo was obviously trying not to laugh, which was reasonable.They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix.
"Good, huh?" Leo grinned.
"You should start a stand," Jason said. "Make some serious coin."
"I'd pay top drachma for some of that stuff back at camp," complimented the ex huntress, lying back against the wall.
"Leo... about this fire stuff you can do... is it true?"
Leo's smile faltered. "Yeah, well..."
He opened his hand.A small ball of flame burst to life, dancing across his palm.
"That is so cool," Jason said. "Why didn't you say anything?"
Leo closed his hand and the fire went out. He looked at Kassandra before darting back to Jason. "Didn't want to look like a freak."
"I have lightning and wind powers," Jason reminded him."Piper can turn beautiful and charm people into giving her BMWs. You're no more a freak than we are. And, hey, maybe you can fly, too. Like jump off a building and yell, 'Flame on!'"
Leo snorted. "If I did that, you would see a flaming kid falling to his death, and I would be yelling something a little stronger than 'Flame on!' Trust me, Hephaestus cabin doesn't see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they're super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen.Really bad."
"They said the same things when Percy Jackson arrived at camp half-blood," interjected Kassandra, "But now he'll be remembered for millennia to come due to his heroism and strength."
"Maybe it's the other way around," Jason suggested."Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that's when they're needed most."
Kassandra snapped her fingers and the plates all vanished. She felt a little stronger, the energy returning to her.
"I'm going to check out some of this sewer, you three can stay here. I'll be back soon."
"Alright, we'll take turns watching. Don't be gone too long and come back if something goes wrong," said Jason.
She waved her hand in compliance as she walked off into the darkness.
Kassandra had no plans to investigate the sewer. She went back to the same place they entered and climbed up to the fountain, popping out into the morning sun. The park had begun to slowly fill with people, the majority morning runners.
Like Chiron said, she could have always left camp whenever she wanted, but she didn't. So now that she was out in the mortal world with no restrictions and at least a few hours of time, she was going to make sure she experienced as much as possible.
The sound of traffic and joggers was overwhelming, her senses hit by a flood of smells, sights and noises. The place seemed a little more dull than camp, the greenery not as bright and the sky a little less blue. Then again camp had a magical barrier and was influenced directly by the gods.
As she was walking, she was so taken in by everything she barely noticed the guy running straight at her, also completely distracted.
*collision noises*
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you!"
Rubbing her head, she looked up to someone who could've been easily mistaken for a god. The bronze skin, clearly muscles body and practically perfect appearance. A hand was held out to pull her up, which she accepted.
"Oh no, it's my fault really, I should have been looking."
"Say, do I know you?"
"I doubt so. What's your name?"
"Adam. There's just something about you that seems familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it."
"Well, I do have a father who used to get around quite a bit."
The man snapped his fingers. "Maybe that's where I see the resemblance. Is your father a man named (Y/N)?"
Him speaking her fathers name was like being hit by a train. She almost fell back down again.
"You... you knew who my father was?"
"Yes, we met a couple years ago now. At a hospital of all places, but knowing him that's probably where you'd imagine to find him."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well I didn't really know everything at the time but I learned a little more about him. God of divine healing, isn't he?"
"How do you know that?" she asked cautiously. She was becoming more suspicious of this guy by the minute. Maybe he was a god in disguise trying to set her up for some sort of trick or trap.
"Perhaps we should talk about this somewhere else."
They made their way to a cafe, one tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There was a cute little bell that rang when they entered. The place had a very welcoming feeling to it, warm and inviting as if the place had been blessed by Hestia herself. Potted plants hung from the ceiling and old paintings covered the wooden walls.
There were plenty of tables, a couple inhabited but mostly by singles. Behind a counter was a boy no, a man, cleaning glasses.
"Morning Jacob," waved Adam, approaching the guy.
"Ahh, long time no see Adam. How's your father?"
"Getting better. The doctors expect a full recovery by next month."
"Well that's just great to hear man. What can I get for you?"
"Just the usual for me. And you?" he asked Kassandra, who had been completely out of mind.
"I'll get the, uhh..." She stared at the board behind the counter, filled to the brim with different sorts of drinks. She didn't even know there were that many. Some were cold, some were hot, some were alcoholic, some were sparkly; almost too many to choose from.
"I think I'll have the espresso," she eventually decided.
"Good choice. Put it on my tab, will you Jacob?"
"Sure thing. Just give me a minute now."
The drinks came along surprisingly fast, passed over to them in mugs still steaming hot. They made their way to a table hidden in the corner, where it was a little darker and quieter.
"So how did you know my father?" started Kassandra, slurping from her drink. It was like coffee, except stronger than anything she'd ever had at camp before. It was nice.
"Well, as I said I met him in a hospital. A hospital where I was being treated for cancer."
She set her drink down. "That's horrible."
"Yeah, the worst days of my life took place in that hospital. Treatment was painful and I sort of knew it wasn't working. I was a pasty stick when your father walked into my room, pretending to be a doctor."
Adam took a long drink, his upper lip stained brown.
"He made some stuff up and we talked for a bit until I caught on, it wasn't difficult to tell he wasn't a real doctor. Besides, he was different. When I told him about what I saw he called me a clear sighted mortal."
"So you can see monsters?"
"Yes, surprisingly frequently. I noticed a few wind spirits in the area recently, I imagine that's who you're following. But anyway, your father revealed himself to be something divine, a higher life form. And then he asked me that question which changed my life forever; 'What would you do with a second chance.'"
"And what did you say?"
"A retake on life had always been my dream. Born with such a horrid illness had put a timer on my life that hung over me like death itself. So I decided I should care for those who had cared for me. I said I'd take risks, fight for the planet and give back to those who needed it."
"You're a better man than many humans."
"So I've been told. After I told him all that, he came to my bedside and did something I only found out afterwards to be highly against the rules. He put his hands on my chest and in a matter of seconds cured my cancer. Hair sprouted from my head, my skin became healthy once more and I no longer needed any machines to keep me from the grip of death."
She knew her father was powerful, but she didn't expect his level of healing to rival that of Asclepius' himself.
"He left me after that, and I was out of that wretched place the next day. Doctors called it a miracle from god, but I didn't tell them that actually was the case. When I got out, I knew I had to make true on my promise. Now, I run two charities, one devoted to saving the environment and the other to help fund medical treatments around the country for those who can't afford them."
"Wow. And you're only 17?"
Adam laughed. "Yeah, people get surprised when I tell them what I do at my age. But to be honest, I think when your father healed me something else happened. As if I'm not exactly completely mortal."
"Well he is the god of divine healing, so I wouldn't be surprised if a little bit of godly magic seeped into your system."
The two kept talking, and even though they had no connections past a random interaction of her father and him, they got on surprisingly well. She had no idea how much time had passed, them constantly getting refuels on their drinks. Not once did he treat her as some higher being, and it was nice to learn about the lives of mortals from one.
As they were talking an alarm went off on Adam's phone. When he looked down to check his eyes bulged from his head.
"I'm so sorry, I must get going. I lost complete track of time, we've been here for 3 hours!"
3 hours?!
"I'm supposed to be at a meeting in 30 minutes!" He jumped up from his seat and threw down a $10 tip. "It was lovely to meet you, and please give my thanks to your father!" Adam and her fumbled to shake hands, and she watched him dart out of the cafe.
Out of everything she expected to do, that encounter was not one of them. But she was thankful it happened.
"So hey, did you find anything?" asked Jason as she arrived back. They were preparing to continue down the tunnel, the three demi-gods now fully rested and Piper's ankle fully healed. It would take a while to even match her fathers skill in healing after that.
She shook her head, "Well, sort of. Let's just keep on going."
The tunnel twisted and turned for seemingly miles. As they trudged through the weirdly clean sewers Kassandra wondered what she'd find at the end. What she wasn't expecting was steel polished elevator doors, each one engraved with the letter 'M'. Next to it was a directory, like for a mall or a department store.
"M for Macy's?" Piper guessed. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."
"Or Monocle Motors still?" Leo said. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."
Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level Furnishings and Café M: 1
Women's Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2
Men's Wear and Weaponry: 3
Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons & Sundries: 4
"Kennels for what?" Piper said. "And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"
"Or sells poisons," Leo said. "Man, what does 'sundries'even mean? Is that like underwear?"
"Miscellaneous small objects," commented Kassandra. "Courtesy of Annabeth's random facts. But anyway, what's the first move captain?"
Jason took a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top."
The doors slid open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. Jason stepped out first, sword ready.
"Guys," he said. "You've got to see this."
Piper joined him and caught her breath. "This is not Macy's."
The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything in a thousand different colours.
The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at.
Leo stepped to the railing and looked down. "Check it out."
In the middle of the atrium a fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing colour from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage- like an oversized canary cage.
Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, 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!" Piper said. "We've got to get down there."
"May I help you find something?" asked a voice from behind them.
Kassandra slipped backwards, and so did the other three.
A woman had just appeared in front of them. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewellery, and she looked like a retired fashion model- maybe fifty years old, though it was hard to judge.
Her long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous in a surreal supermodel way- thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.
She smiled. "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"
"Um," Jason started, "is this your store?"
The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it 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."
She spoke with a pleasant accent, rich and exotic from a far off land, but there was something else mixed into it. She just couldn't guess what it was.
"So you're new to America?" asked Jason.
"I am... new," the woman agreed. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"
That title rang like a bell in her head. She had heard of a place called Colchis before, where had she heard it from?
No one else seemed to be in the talking mood, so Kassandra took charge.
"That one down there, the satyr," she said pointing at him. "We need that one in particular, he used to be with us."
"Of course!" the princess agreed immediately. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?"
"This is Kassandra and this is Piper," Jason said. "This is Leo. I'm Jason."
The princess fixed her eyes on the son of Jupiter and, just for a moment,her face literally glowed, blazing with so much anger, Kassandra could see her skull beneath her skin. Then the moment passed, and Her Highness looked like a normal elegant woman again, with a cordial smile and a soothing voice.
"Jason. What an interesting name," she said, her eyes as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come, children. Let's go shopping."
After such an incident, the woman continued on as if nothing had happened. Kassandra wanted to be suspicious, she wanted to ask more questions, but something at the back of her head was telling her otherwise. A soothing suggestion just to go along with it all. However, she kept her senses sharp enough not to fall for whatever trick it was.
The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"
"Cool," Jason said.
"Guys," Piper interrupted, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this- princess- is really our friend- "
"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness said."I'm a saleswoman." Her diamonds sparkled, and her eyes glittered like a snake's- cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"
Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"
"Of course it's okay." Her Highness put her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and steered them toward the cosmetics. "Come along, boys."
Kassandra stayed firmly rooted to the ground where she stood. She was having a mental battle for control of her own mind in her head, one she was determined to win.
"Does this seem... off to you?" whispered Piper to her.
The daughter of (Y/N) firmly nodded in agreement.
Kassandra was half tempted to pull out her knife. This place radiated a foreign aura, one that she had never felt before. The glow in the dark princess wasn't helping much either.
For a shopping area, she expected there to be more people. The place was quiet, too quiet for comfort. Maybe it just wasn't open to the public yet?
"And here," the princess said, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."
The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks- some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every colour, from glowing white to polka-dotted.
However, the smells were more than questionable. Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and what could've been the 'Ares cabin musk'.
The princess pointed to a blood red vial—a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."
"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"
"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial-" she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside- "will kill you very painfully."
"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy, as if he didn't hear what she had just said.
"Jason," Piper said. "We've got a job to do. Remember?"
There was charm speak infused into her voice, but as Piper spoke her words were shaky. Her confidence was waning.
"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first,okay?"
The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire-"
"Got that covered," Leo said.
"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely."You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen... but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or-"
"Wait." Piper was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"
The princess narrowed her eyes. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"
Of course, Jason's memory.
"How much?" Piper asked.
The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now... The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do.And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." Her gaze drifted to Jason. "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?" Jason still looked half in a trance,but the idea seemed to bother him.
"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "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."
Piper blushed, and Kassandra rolled her eyes. "I don't," she said.
"At any rate," Her Highness continued, ignoring Kassandra, "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."
"Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.
"That's messed up," Leo 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?"
Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."
Piper broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness—how much?"
The princess assessed Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod. "Would you give anything for it, my dear?" the princess asked. "I sense that you would."
Was this princess also a charm speaker? The conviction in her words must have rivalled Aphrodite herself, the voice in Kassandra's head also growing stronger. She put her hand to her forehead and stumbled forwards.
"Now you're pushing it," she said, grabbing onto Piper's shoulder to avoid falling over as if she were drunk. "Tell her Piper."
Piper didn't say anything at first, just standing there like a mannequin.
"No, I won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave.Right, guys?"
Just for a moment, her words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused.
"Leave?" Jason said.
"You mean... after shopping?" Leo asked.
"No you moron, she means-" Suddenly something clamped over her mouth, like an invisible hand. She tried to tear it off but nothing happened. She attempted to lock eye contact with Piper, but the princess had already achieved that.
"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." She turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence. "Would you like to see more?"
"Sure," Jason said.
"Okay," Leo said.
"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?" Piper 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, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop.
Kassandra, still unable to talk, decided at this point just to follow. Sure she couldn't speak, but she still rested her hand on her knife. Well, she would have if she could move her hands. When she attempted to do so though, she found her hands to be non compliant. And when she tried to speak, of course that didn't work.
Her eyes darted around, straight onto the princess. She had to be responsible for this. Just before she could push herself forwards to knock the princess to the ground though, her legs locked up. Her knees refused to bend and she fell to the ground, landing on something... soft? Wasn't this a concrete floor?
She looked around to see she had face-planted directly onto a rug, a Persian rug at that. The tassels tickled her nose as she shook her head. Annoyingly the demi-gods didn't seem to notice her. The princess however...
She was making weird hand gestures behind her back, almost at Kassandra. It was quick, her hands snapping back to her sides as she went back to engaging Piper, but something happened. The rug the daughter of (Y/N) lay on shifted, before jutting forwards.
Then it moved back, flipping Kassandra onto her side. She silently squeaked at being tossed around, before everything went dark. The rug had rolled in on itself, wrapping her up in its grasp like a burrito.
The soothing voice in her head vanished, and before she knew it she was moving. The rug rolled across the floor with her still in it, moving across what seemed to be hundreds of metres. When the rug stopped, she heard a door slam.
Just great.