invisible string | f. zhang

vii. the gamble

"Cheese," She mutters, "Ella doesn't like cheese."

Percy hesitates, "Your name is Ella?"

"Ella. Aella. 'Harpy.' In English. In Latin. Ella doesn't like cheese." Then, very quickly, she lunges, snatching the cinnamon burrito, and moving back on top the elephant.

"Gods, she's fast!" Hazel says.

"And heavily caffeinated," Frank guesses.

"Cinnamon is good," She proclaims, "Good for harpies. Yum."

She starts to eat, but the bigger harpies swoop down. Maribelle shouts as they began pummeling Ella with their wings, snatching at the burrito.

"Noo." Ella tries to hide under her wings, "N-no!"

"Hey!" Maribelle yells, climbing to her feet, "Knock it off!"

"Stop it!" Percy also yells.

But it was too late.

Maribelle touches the harpy's foot, "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Ella pokes her head out of her wings. She was still trembling. She picks at her feathers, pulling out tufts of plumage, "S-small Ella," She stutters angrily, "W-weak Ella. No cinnamon for Ella. Only cheese."

"We'll get you something else," Percy promises, "Ella, we want to be your friends. We can get you more food—"

"Friends," Ella interrupts, "Ten seasons. 1994 to 2004. 'A half-blood of the eldest gods, shall reach sixteen against all odds.' Sixteen. You're sixteen. Page sixteen, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 'Ingredients: Bacon, Butter.'"

Maribelle's brows furrow.

"Ella . . . what was that you said?"

"Bacon, butter."

"No, before that. Those lines . . . I know those lines," Percy says.

"It does sound familiar, like . . . I don't know, like a prophecy," Maribelle offers.

"Maybe it's something she heard Phineas say?" Hazel asks.

At the name Phineas, Ella squawks in terror and flies away.

"Wait!" Hazel calls, "I didn't mean—oh, gods, I'm stupid."

"It's all right," Frank points, "Look."

Ella wasn't too far away, she was sat on top of a building instead.

"You think that's her nest? Multnomah County Library?" Frank asks.

Percy nods, "Let's see if it's open."

They run across the street and into the lobby. Maribelle's brain already hurts looking at all of the books she couldn't read. Her dad would love it, she thinks and for a moment her heart squeezes painfully.

They jog through the lobby, but halt when Percy seems to falter.

"Percy?" Frank asks, "What's wrong?"

Percy doesn't answer, he slams his fist into the side of a bookshelf.

Maribelle flinches.

"Percy?" Hazel asks gently.

"I'm—I'm all right. Just got dizzy for a sec. Let's find a way to the roof."

It took a while, but they finally found a stairwell with roof access. Outside, Ella the harpy was huddles in a nest of books.

They advance slowly, trying not to scare her. Ella didn't pay them any attention. She picks at her feathers and mutters under her breath.

Percy kneels, "Hi. Sorry we scared you. Look, I don't have much food, but . . ." He takes some of the macrobiotic jerky from Iris' store out of his pocket. Ella lunges and snatches it immediately. She huddles back in her nest, sniffing the jerky, but sighs and tosses it away.