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Mellie‘s robes billowed around her. Jason and the others clung to her desperately, and they began to slow<br />
down, but the storm spirits were screaming into the tunnel behind them.<br />
―Can‘t—hold—long,‖ Mellie warned. ―Stay together! When the winds hit—‖<br />
―You‘re doing great, Mellie,‖ Hedge said. ―My own mama was an aura, you know. She couldn‘t have done<br />
better herself.‖<br />
―Iris-message me?‖ Mellie pleaded.<br />
Hedge winked.<br />
―Could you guys plan your date later?‖ Piper screamed. ―Look!‖<br />
Behind them, the tunnel was turning dark. Jason could feel his ears pop as the pressure built.<br />
―Can‘t hold them,‖ Mellie warned. ―But I‘ll try to shield you, do you one more favor.‖<br />
―Thanks, Mellie,‖ Jason said. ―I hope you get a new job.‖<br />
She smiled, and then dissolved, wrapping them in a warm gentle breeze. <strong>The</strong>n the real winds hit, shooting<br />
them into the sky so fast, Jason blacked out.<br />
PIPER DREAMED SHE WAS ON THE Wilderness School dorm roof.<br />
<strong>The</strong> desert night was cold, but she‘d brought blankets, and with Jason next to her, she didn‘t need any<br />
more warmth.<br />
<strong>The</strong> air smelled of sage and burning mesquite. On the horizon, the Spring Mountains loomed like jagged<br />
black teeth, the dim glow of Las Vegas behind them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> stars were so bright, Piper had been afraid they wouldn‘t be able to see the meteor shower. She<br />
didn‘t want Jason to think she‘d dragged him up here on false pretenses. (Even though her pretenses had<br />
been totally false.) But the meteors did not disappoint. One streaked across the sky almost every minute—a line<br />
of white, yellow, or blue fire. Piper was sure her Grandpa Tom would have some Cherokee myth to explain<br />
them, but at the moment she was busy creating her own story.<br />
Jason took her hand—finally—and pointed as two meteors skipped across the atmosphere and formed a<br />
cross.<br />
―Wow,‖ he said. ―I can‘t believe Leo didn‘t want to see this.‖<br />
―Actually, I didn‘t invite him,‖ Piper said casually.<br />
Jason smiled. ―Oh, yeah?‖<br />
―Mm-hmm. You ever feel like three would be a crowd?‖<br />
―Yeah,‖ Jason admitted. ―Like right now. You know how much trouble we‘d get in if we got caught up<br />
here?‖<br />
―Oh, I‘d make up something,‖ Piper said. ―I can be very persuasive. So you want to dance, or what?‖<br />
He laughed. His eyes were amazing, and his smile was even better in the starlight. ―With no music. At<br />
night. On a rooftop. Sounds dangerous.‖<br />
―I‘m a dangerous girl.‖<br />
―That, I can believe.‖<br />
He stood and offered her his hand. <strong>The</strong>y slow danced a few steps, but it quickly turned into a kiss. Piper<br />
almost couldn‘t kiss him again, because she was too busy smiling.<br />
<strong>The</strong>n her dream changed—or maybe she was dead in the Underworld—because she found herself back in<br />
Medea‘s department store.<br />
―Please let this be a dream,‖ she murmured, ―and not my eternal punishment.‖<br />
―No, dear,‖ said a woman‘s honey-sweet voice. ―No punishment.‖<br />
Piper turned, afraid she‘d see Medea, but a different woman stood next to her, browsing through the fiftypercent-off<br />
rack.<br />
<strong>The</strong> woman was gorgeous—shoulder-length hair, a graceful neck, perfect features, and an amazing figure<br />
tucked into jeans and a snowy white top.<br />
Piper had seen her share of actresses—most of her dad‘s dates were knockout beautiful—but this lady<br />
was different. She was elegant without trying, fashionable without effort, stunning without makeup. After seeing<br />
Aeolus with his silly face-lifts and cosmetics, Piper thought this woman looked even more astonishing. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
was nothing artificial about her.
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