𝙄𝙉𝙁𝙇𝘼𝙈𝙀𝘿; heroes of olympus

time cut short

ERITH JAY
ERITH REALLY WASN'T having a good time.

The eating? Fantastic. It was super cool, too. New Rome? Incredible. 

Those were about all of the pros she could think of.

Well, also, Reyna was pretty―that was a pro. She was dangerously gorgeous, almost as intoxicating as Jasper. She resembled something of a queen, not a praetor.

Erith could see why Jason liked her. And by the way Jason was staring at Jasper, he understood why she had liked him, too.

Erith was only half paying attention as the room discussed things. She was more interested in Leo and Jasper―the former was currently sticking a pinwheel that he had just created into passing wind spirits, and the latter tried to watch Reyna, but he kept glancing over at her.

Not until she heard Nico's name did she look up.

"My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors," the gold-eyed girl, Hazel, said.

"Sorry?" Erith blurted, and the crowd turned to look at her.

"Wait," Annabeth said. "Nico di Angelo? He's your brother?"

Hazel nodded as if this were obvious. It was not. Whereas Nico was skinny and pale, dark-haired and deathly, Hazel was bright and blooming, rounded at the edges and as sharp as the thorns on a flower.

"Nico. Is. Your brother?" Erith found herself asking, choking on the words.

Hazel nodded again. "Why is that such a surprise?" She had an eloquent way about her―a certain pronunciation to her words, and she held her character in a way that made her seem both dangerous and approachable.

"You two look nothing alike," Erith said simply.

"Do you look like your godly siblings?" Hazel had now met the full force of Erith's gaze.

"You're a child of Hades?" Erith asked, once again surprised by this girl. She didn't look the part at all.

"Pluto," Hazel replied absently.

"What's the―"

Annabeth cleared her throat, cutting Erith off. "Okay, enough." She turned to Hazel. "You were saying?"

"He disappeared," Hazel said, moistening her lips, and a flicker of worry passed across her features. "I'm afraid... I'm not sure, but I think something's happened to him."

"What?" Erith asked, and now she was standing. All eyes were on her, but she was blinded by the idea that her friend might be in danger. "How do you know this?"

Hazel looked her up and down, as if etching her into a book. She opened her mouth, but before she could reply, Percy spoke. "We'll look for him."

He went on as Leo pulled Erith back into her seat, but her head was buzzing too much to actually capture any of Percy's words. Nico? In trouble? With a chill, she remembered her dreams of him, and she looked back up into Hazel's eyes. Something seemed to pass between them.

"If that's seven, then what's she doing here?" a voice asked. Erith looked to see it.

It was the burly kid, Frank, though he seemed more confused than accusatory, as if he genuinely didn't understand her presence.