invisible string | f. zhang

xxvi. trust

"Is the ship all right?"

"Damaged," Aphros says, "But not terribly. The skolopendra withdrew after it got a mouthful of fire. Nice touch."

"Thank you. Skolopendra? Never heard of it."

"Consider yourself lucky. They are nasty creatures. Keto must really hate you. At any rate, we rescued you and the other two from the creature's tentacles as it retreated into the deep. Your friends are still above, searching for you; but we have obscured their vision. We had to be sure you were not a threat. Otherwise, we would have had to . . . take measures."

"So . . . we can go?" Maribelle asks.

"Soon," Aphros promises, "I must check with Bythos. When he is done talking with your friend Gank—"

"Frank," Maribelle corrects.

"Frank. When they are done, we will send you back to your ship. And we may have some warnings for you."

"Warnings?"

"Ah." Aphros points.

Hazel emerges from the kelp forest, escorted by two vicious-looking mermaids, who were baring their fangs and hissing.

"Leo! Belle!" Hazel paddles towards them, "Isn't this place amazing?"

They were left alone at the ridge, while the centaur and the mermaids went off to fetch Frank, Maribelle, Leo and Hazel float above the hill and gaze down at the underwater camp.

Hazel tells them how the mermaids had warmed up to her right away. Aphros and Bythos had been fascinated by her story, as they had never met a child of Pluto before. The mermaids had written their phone numbers in waterproof ink on Hazel's arm so that she could keep in touch.

"We didn't get to talk," Leo says, "I mean about Sammy."

Maribelle suddenly feels awkward to be sitting in on this conversation. But, she was really nosey, so she didn't feel too bad about it.

"I know . . . I just need some time to let it sink in. It's strange to think that you and he—" Hazel trails off. Maribelle wraps an arm around the girls shoulder to comfort her.

"I talked to Frank," Leo says. "I told him I wasn't trying to . . . you know. Make trouble between you two. He's just trying to protect you."

Hazel glances at Maribelle, then down at her lap, then over at Leo, "Oh. Good."

Maribelle still doesn't understand what it is between Hazel and Frank.

Hazel seems to understand that, quietly she says only to Maribelle, "Belle, you have to understand that Frank is my best friend and he knows Leo reminded me of Sammy. He was just looking out for me. Nothing more, okay? I know how it can look, but it's not like that. Please. I'm not jealous of you and Frank, and he's certainly not jealous of Leo. Well, maybe when you talk to Leo? But that's not the point . . ."

Maribelle isn't sure what to make of it.

Leo clears his throat awkwardly, "Frank, um, seemed pretty freaked out when I summoned fire."

"Oh, no. That would terrify him," Hazel agrees.

Maribelle's hand goes to the pocket in her skirt.

"There was an old legend about a hero," Leo recalls. "His lifeline was tied to a stick in a fireplace, and when that piece of wood burned up . . ."

Maribelle knows her expression gave it away. She wasn't one able to completely hide her emotions even if she tried.

"Frank has that problem," Leo guesses. "And the piece of firewood . . ." He points at Maribelle, "He gave it to you for safekeeping?"