THE HEALER| Heroes of Olympus

three

I didn't know where the harpy had come from, but I was glad to see Tyson in his tattered flanneland denim with the backward SPQR banner across his chest. I'd had some pretty bad experiences with Cyclopes, such as my best friend nearly getting eaten by one butTyson was a sweetheart. He was also Percy's half brother (long story), which made him almost like family. 

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 daughter walks 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.

But that sounded familiar. I had heard that before. 

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."

"Wait, I've heard that before." I said, finally remembering. "A few months ago I had a dream and a voice whispered those words. I'd forgotten about it until now. But it sounds like a-" 

Percy gave me a look that said don't finish that sentence. 

"But it sounds like utter nonsense." I concluded, and Percy sighed in relief. "Yup, nonsense." 

Obviously, he and Frank and Hazel were hiding something, and I decided it was best to help them. 

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

No one answered.

I wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but I understood that Percy was on the verge of big trouble.Annabeth forced a laugh. "Really, Octavian? Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?"

Her words had the intended effect. The Roman officers laughed nervously. Some sized up Ella, then looked at Octavian and snorted. The idea of a chicken lady issuing prophecies was apparently just as ridiculous to Romans as it was to Greeks.