Falling in Between the Cracks

III

"Percy!" Tyson the Cyclops bounded toward them with Mrs. O'Leary, a hellhound, at his heels. On the hellhound's back sat the skinniest harpy - a sickly-looking girl with stringy red hair, a sackcloth dress, and red-feathered wings.

Tyson stopped by their couch and wrung his meaty hands. His big brown eye was full of concern. "Ella is scared," he said.

"N-n-no more boats," the harpy muttered to herself, picking furiously at her feathers. "Titanic, Lusitania, Pax...boats are not for harpies."

Leo squinted. He looked at Hazel, who was seated next to him. "Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?"

"She's not a chicken." Hazel averted her eyes as if Leo made her nervous. "Ella's a harpy. She's just a little...high-strung."

"Ella is pretty," Tyson said. "And scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go on the ship."

"No ships," Ella repeated. She looked straight at Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is. Wisdom's daughters walk alone-"

"Ella!" Frank stood suddenly. "Maybe it's not the best time-"

"The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," Ella continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail."

The effect was like someone dropping a flash grenade on the table. Everyone stared at the harpy. No one spoke. Paige's heart was pounding and she locked eyes with Annabeth, but she kept replaying the prophecy in her head.

Wisdom's daughters walk alone. It's not exactly possible to walk alone with a second person. Unless...

Paige looked up from the table and at Annabeth again. The Mark of Athena - something that Paige had heard of, even as a Roman. With a slight down, Paige's eyes flitted to Annabeth's pocket. Her hand was close to it, and there was something in there - something to do with the mark. Paige could sense it. That's when she realised she was indeed meant to be on this quest. Paige would have to help Annabeth find the Mark of Athena - they would walk alone; none of the others could help them.

Around them, the sounds of the feast continued, but muted and distant, as if their little cluster of couches had slipped into a quieter dimension.

Percy was the first to recover. He stood and took Tyson's arm.

"I know!" he said with feigned enthusiasm. "How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary-"

"Hold on." Octavian gripped one of his teddy bears, strangling it with shaking hands. His eyes fixed on Ella. "What was that she said? It sounded like-"

"Ella reads a lot," Frank blurted out. "We found her at a library."

"Yes!" Hazel said. "Probably just something she read in a book."

"Books," Ella muttered helpfully. "Ella likes books."

Now that she'd said her piece, the harpy seemed more relaxed. She sat cross-legged on Mrs. O'Leary's back, preening her wings.

Annabeth finally broke eye contact with Paige and gave Percy a curious glance. Obviously, he and Frank and Hazel were hiding something. Just as obviously, Ella had recited a prophecy-a prophecy that concerned two children of Athena.

Percy's expression said, 'help!'.

"That was a prophecy," Octavian insisted. "It sounded like a prophecy."