invisible string | f. zhang

viii. trust

Maribelle glances at Percy, thinking back to their conversation from earlier. She rolls her eyes and Percy shakes his head.

"Wait," Percy says, "You mean you guys shared a blackout? Are you guys both going to pass out from now on?"

"Nope," Ella says, "Nope, nope, nope. No more blackouts. More books for Ella. Books in Seattle."

Percy steers the boat toward the downtown docks. Maribelle fiddles with the bracelet on her wrist, she had a sketchy feeling about this place.

"Um . . . why are we stopping here?" Hazel asks.

Percy shows them the silver ring on his necklace, "Reyna has a sister here. She asked me to find her and show her this."

"Reyna has a sister?" Frank asks.

Percy nods, "Apparently Reyna thinks her sister could send help for the camp."

"Amazons," Ella mutters, "Amazon country. Hmm. Ella will find libraries instead. Doesn't like Amazons. Fierce. Shields. Swords. Pointy. Ouch."

Frank reaches for his spear, "Amazons? Like female warriors?"

"That would make sense," Maribelle says, "If Reyna's sister is also a daughter of Bellona, I can see why she'd join the Amazons."

"But . . . is it safe for us to be here?" Hazel asks.

"Nope, nope, nope," Ella mutters, "Get books instead. No Amazons."

"We have to try. I promised Reyna. Besides, the Pax isn't doing too great. I've been pushing it pretty hard," Percy tells them.

Maribelle looks at the water leaking in through the bottom of the ship.

"Oh."

"Yeah," Percy agrees, "We'll either need to fix it or find a new boat. I'm pretty much holding it together with my willpower at this point. Ella, do you have any idea where we can find the Amazons?"

"And, um," Frank says nervously, "They don't, like, kill men on sight, do they?"

"Ella will find friends later. Ella will fly away now."

And she did.

"Well . . . that's encouraging," Frank says.

They dock at the wharf. They barely had time to unload their supplies before the Pax shudders and breaks into pieces.

"Guess we're not fixing it," Hazel says, "What now?"

"We hope the Amazons will help."

They explore the city for hours. Percy trying his best to drag Hazel ahead of Frank and winking obviously at Maribelle and nodding his head towards the boy. Maribelle flipped him off, which only made Percy cackle, Frank look confused and Hazel fan her face.

On Maribelle's request, they bought some coffee. And at a sidewalk cafe they had some excellent grilled salmon sandwiches. Maribelle could only stomach half.

As they wandered south of downtown, Maribelle found herself walking by Frank once again. She looks up at him, then quickly back down.

Maribelle didn't usually struggle with creating small talk with the boy, but after what Percy had said she was nervous. And then, she thinks of what Hazel and Frank had shared and she mostly feels embarrassed for trying. It wasn't often that she couldn't think of anything to talk about.

Instead, she digs a hole: "So . . . you and Hazel?"

Frank trips over his own two feet, Maribelle reaches a hand to steady him.