“Not yet, but we’re—”
“Come back when you do,” Rhodope said. “Or when you’ve found a first aid kit. Or a bag of birdseed.” She tucked her head under her wing.
Hazel didn’t want to push things, so she left without another word. She didn’t blame the harpies for their mistrust. She walked along the northern border of the plaza, her anger at Pirithous getting more intense every time she passed a sobbing mythic. Perhaps Asterion was right and the judges had forgotten how difficult it was to live a life. Or maybe they simply didn’t care.
She was headed toward a nest of griffins when she spotted a mortal woman just outside the invisible barrier, peering into the plaza with an unusual degree of interest. She was resting her hand right on the invisible wall.
The woman had a striking quality that drew Hazel’s eye. Her expression was open and friendly. Her curly blond hair glimmered in the sunshine. From the clothing she was wearing—a maroon leather jacket over an Austin City Limits T-shirt, tight black jeans, and cowboy boots—Hazel guessed she was a musician of some kind.
The stranger shielded her eyes from the sun and scanned the park.
As Hazel moved closer, she heard the woman talking to herself. “What in the world? Are the demigods keeping a zoo now?”
Hazel flinched.Demigods?
Whoever this woman was, she knew things mortals weren’t supposed to know. And she could apparently see through the Mist. Maybe Hazel should’ve been suspicious and hidden herself, but some instinct told her this woman wasn’t dangerous.
“Hello?” Hazel called.
The woman glanced over. “Oh, my goodness! Hello, sweetheart! Are you a demigod?”
Hazel was so shocked she didn’t quite know how to reply. Her usual response would’ve beenMaybe, unless you kill demigods, but again, this woman did not seem like a threat.
“I, um, yes?” Hazel said. “Humor me for a second…. What else do you see in this park?”
The woman squinted. “Well, let’s see. Centaurs. A baby drakon. Beautiful orange harpies in that tree over there. And…is that a satyr or a faun? I always get those mixed up, but my son says the difference matters.”
Hazel’s mind was swirling. Her son?
“My name is Hazel,” she volunteered.
“Pleased to meet you!” The woman sounded genuine. “I’m Naomi. Just in town for a few days, actually. I’ve got a show at the Fillmore tomorrow night. Thought I’d check out the park today. Is this your—sorry, I don’t know what to call it—monster habitat?”
“Um, not exactly.” Hazel still couldn’t believe she was having this conversation. “Just to clarify: you’re mortal, and you can see through the Mist?”
Naomi gave her a little bow, making her silver dangle earrings jingle. “Afraid so, on both counts.”
“And your son…?”
“You probably wouldn’t know him,” Naomi said. “He’s a great kid, also a demigod! But he’s way across the country in New York. His name is Will, and— You okay, hon?”
“Will…” Hazel said, feeling wobbly. “WillSolace?”
“That’s him!” Naomi beamed. Her warm, ear-to-ear smile looked just like Will’s. “So youdoknow him?”
“Know him? Ms. Solace, he’s one of my favorite people in the world!”
“That’s amazing!” Will’s mom spread her arms for a hug, and then apparently remembered there was a force field between them. Her arms flopped to her sides. “And no need for the ‘Ms. Solace’ nonsense, Hazel. You can just call me Naomi. Have you seen Will lately?”
Hazel felt like she was about to pass out. What were the odds of running into Will’s mother in San Francisco, just when Hazel most needed to get a message to Will and Nico? Then Hazel asked herself what the odds were of being a daughter of Pluto, or of coming back to life from Asphodel, or of being stuck in a giant invisible cage with 249 mythic creatures. Odds didn’t seem to apply when you were a demigod. The chance of weird coincidences was always one hundred percent.
Hazel couldn’t control what happened. She burst into tears.
“Oh, honey, what’s wrong?” Naomi stepped forward again but smacked right into the barrier. “Oof! What is this force-field thing?”
“I’m sorry,” Hazel said, sniffling. “It’s just…We’re stuck inside this barrier. Me and all these creatures. There’s this evil Court of the Dead. And we’re running out of air, food, and water. And Will…Hewaswith me, at the courthouse in San Francisco, but now I don’t know where he is. I—I could really use your help.”
Naomi’s expression sobered. Hazel knew a mama-bear face when she saw one. Naomi was going into fullnobody touches my kidmode.
