Claws (9780545469678) by Rachel Mike; Grinti Grinti

fence and teach that harpy some respect for cats.”
    â€œOh, quit your yowling,” the harpy said, rolling her eyes. “I’d just fly higher if you did. Everyone knows cats can’t fly. Then I’d scream, and then
you’d
scream, and what would that get you? Another headache, that’s what.”
    â€œLet me guess,” Emma said. “Harpies don’t like cats?”
    â€œI heard that harpies don’t like anyone,” the Toe-Chewer said. “Not even other harpies.”
    â€œOther harpies are boring,” the harpy said. “They don’t even watch TV or anything. They’re all like, ‘Chloe, why are you doing that?’ and ‘What’s a gnomebot? What’s a bot? I once saw a gnome and he didn’t have metal arms.’ Super. Annoying.”
    â€œWait,” Emma said. “You watch
Gnomebots
?”
    â€œWhen I can.” Chloe shrugged. “The reception on the cathedral roof’s pretty good, but I have to watch it on this tiny portable TV. And I can’t see well up close so I have to watch it with these stupid goggles on. It’s easier to watch it from a distance through people’s windows and listen with the portable, but sometimes they don’t have it on or they close the blinds.”
    â€œI always watch it,” Emma said. “I could keep the blinds up if you promise not to annoy my cats. Or my mom.”
    Chloe grinned, her face lighting up. “Deal! I don’t turn you in; you keep the blinds open when you’re watching
Gnomebots
.”
    Emma couldn’t help smiling. “I thought the deal was that I didn’t tell about what you wrote all over the wall?” She glanced back at it. The wall read Hclou trec Trols nave fung before cutting off mid-letter. “What’s it supposed to say anyway?”
    â€œWhat? What do you mean? I thought most humans could read.” The harpy put her goggles back on and looked at the wall, too. She swore loudly. Emma flinched and covered her ears. Her cats yowled again.
    Chloe hopped along the fence, beating her wings, her talons slicing through some of the links. “All that for nothing! You know how hard it was to get this worthless spray paint?” She stopped and glared at the wall over her shoulder, her head turning almost completely around, like an owl’s. “It was supposed to say ‘Hollow Tree trolls have fungus on their heads.’ ”
    â€œOh. Do trolls not like having fungus on their heads?” Emma asked. “I thought they always had things growing on them.”
    â€œDon’t you know anything about trolls?” the harpy said.
    â€œOnly what I read on CragWiki,” Emma said.
    â€œTrust me, don’t ever tell a regular troll he has fungus on him. Not unless you can fly away. And don’t tell a wild troll anything, because they’re not nearly as friendly and sane as regular trolls.”
    â€œThanks,” Emma said. “I’ll remember that.”
    â€œEnough talking,” Jack said. “We have ratters to find.”
    â€œWe’re going.” Emma waved to the harpy. “Maybe I’ll see you when
Gnomebots
is on?”
    â€œDon’t let the ratters gnaw you to death or anything, cat-girl.” Chloe glanced at the wall again, then shrugged and raised her wings. She jumped off the fence, and her wings flapped until she rose into the air and flew off.
    Emma looked over at her cats. “Ready?”
    â€œYou talk too much,” Fat Leon said. “Let’s go.”
    * * *
    Emma tried the nearest door, but it was locked. She looked back at the row of windows Chloe had pointed out. She’d just have to break one.
    She pressed her face against the farthest window. It had been a classroom once. A cracked chalkboard covered one wall, and a few rusted chairs and desks were strewn around the room. Mold dotted the edges of the window frame.
    â€œYou’re stalling