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THEY STOPPED ACROSS THE STREET as a silence developed them. The rain had slowly turned into a halfhearted drizzle. It still annoyed Aelia to an extent but after meeting a literal goblin? The mist felt good on her face.
"That man," Hazel started, smacking the side of a bus-stop bench. "He needs to die. Again."
Whenever Aelia looked at Hazel she felt the suppressed feelings that the young girl had kept hidden— anger, fear, sadness, even a little bit of hatred. Her eyes were clouded in the tears she was blinking back.
There was a silent understanding passing through Aelia that if people could forgive her for the monster she was, then the sweet innocent girl that was Hazel Levesque could be forgiven for whatever she's done.
"We'll get him," Percy promised. "He's nothing like you, Hazel. I don't care what he says."
She shook her head. "You don't know the whole story. I should have been sent to Punishment. I— I'm just as bad—"
"No, you're not!" Frank balled his fists. He looked around like he was searching for anybody who might disagree with him— enemies he could hit for Hazel's sake. He yelled across the street, "She's a good person!"
Hazel stared at Frank. She reached out tentatively, as if she wanted to take his hand but was afraid he might evaporate. Aelia was quietly giggling on the inside. "Frank . . ." the golden-eyed girl stammered. "I— I don't . . ."
Unfortunately, Frank seemed wrapped up in his own thoughts. He slung his spear off his back and gripped it uneasily, which made the misericordia huff in discontent. So close.
"I could intimidate that old man," he offered, "maybe scare him—"
"And I completely agree with you," Aelia interrupted. "But he wouldn't give up anything on charmspeak, much less with a Viking spear thrown in his face."
"Yeah, I don't think Phineas can be scared into cooperating," Percy added helpfully, when he noticed the big guy in a slump, "Besides, you've only got two more uses out of the spear, right?"
Frank scowled at the dragon's-tooth point, which had grown back completely overnight. "Yeah, I guess . . ."
"I've got an idea." Percy pointed up the street. "The red-feathered harpy went that way. Let's see if we can get her to talk to us."
Hazel looked at the food in Percy's hands. "You're going to use that as bait?"
"More like a peace offering," Percy said. "Come on. Just try to keep the other harpies from stealing this stuff, okay?"
He uncovered the Thai noodles and unwrapped the cinnamon burrito. Fragrant steam wafted into the air and it made Aelia feel a little queasy, just because a cinnamon burrito? Really?
