The Shadow Summoner | Book Three - PJO Universe

twelve

GIGGLY CHILD OVER DEATH

Georgina grabbed Apollos wrist. "Some death."

On the list of things that freaked Ariana out, seven-year-old girls who giggled about death were right at the top, was surprisingly not up there.

"Yes." Apollo said agreeably. "We can talk more about death once we get you home. Emmie and Josephine sent me to get you."

"Home." Georgina spoke the word as if it were a difficult term from a foreign language.

Leo got impatient. He climbed into the cell and trotted over. "Hey, Georgie. I'm Leo. That's a nice suitcase. Can I see it?"

Ariana followed him in.

Georgina tilted her head. "My clothes."

"Oh, uh...yeah." Leo brushed the name tag on his borrowed coveralls. "Sorry about the sewage stains and the burning smell. I'll get 'em cleaned."

"The burning hot," Georgie said. "You. All of it."

"Right..." Leo smiled uncertainly. "Ladies often tell me I'm all the burning hot. But don't worry. I won't set you on fire or anything."

Apollo offered Georgie his hand. "Here, child. We'll take you home."

She was content to let him help her.

As soon as she was on her feet, Leo rushed to the bronze suitcase and began fussing over it. "Oh, buddy, I'm so sorry," he murmured. "I should never have left you. I'll get you back to the Waystation for a good tune-up. Then you can have all the Tabasco sauce and motor oil you want."

The suitcase did not respond. Leo managed to activate its wheels and handle so he could lug it out of the cell.

Georgina remained docile until she saw Meg. Then, suddenly, she had a burst of strength worthy of Ares.

"No!" She yanked herself from his grip and plunged back into her cell.

Ariana tried to calm her, but she continued to howl and stare at Meg in horror. "NERO! NERO!"

Meg did her famous turn-to-cement expression, shutting down all emotion, extinguishing all light from her eyes.

Hunter Kowalski rushed in to help with Georgie.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." She stroked the girl's ratty hair. "It's okay. We're friends."

"Nero!" Georgie shrieked again.

Hunter frowned at Meg. "What's she talking about?"

Meg stared down at her high-tops. "I can leave."

"We're all leaving." Ariana insisted. "Georgie, this is Meg. She escaped from Nero, that's true. But she's on our side."

Ariana decided not to add, Except for that
one time she betrayed them to her stepfather and almost got them all killed.

She didn't want to complicate matters.

In Hunter's kind embrace, Georgie calmed down. Her wide eyes and trembling body reminded Ariana of a terrified bird held in cupped hands.

"You and death and fire." Suddenly she giggled. "The chair! The chair, the chair."

"Ah, taters," Apollo cursed. "She's right. We still need the chair."

Tall, Dark & Jimmy appeared on his left, a brooding presence not unlike a storm front. "What chair is this?"

"A throne." Ariana said. "Magical. We need it to cure Georgie."

From the blank looks of the prisoners, she guessed she wasn't making much sense.