invisible string | f. zhang

xlii. bob says hello

Piper steps away from Maribelle when hearing a small gasp. Maribelle glances over to find Frank staring at
her with wide eyes. She wants to run to him, but can't bring herself to move. Piper nudges her gently.

Luckily, Frank moves first, running straight at her and holding her tightly. Something was different, she thanks as she hides her face into his chest.

"You're hurt," He says when he pulls away to look at him.

"I did just crawl through Tartarus," She replies.

Frank opens his mouth to say something else, but the
ceiling shudders. Cracks appear in the remaining tiles.
Columns of dust spill down.

"We've got to get out of here," Jason says. "Uh, Frank . . . ?"

Frank shakes his head. "I think one favor from the dead is all I can manage today."

"Wait, what?" Maribelle asks. From what she can remember, he never had any favors from the dead.

Piper raises her eyebrows. "Your unbelievable boyfriend called in a favor as a child of Mars. He summoned the spirits of some dead warriors, made them lead us here through . . . um, well, I'm not sure, actually. The passages of the dead? All I know is that it was very, very dark."

To their left, a section of the wall split. Two ruby eyes from a carved stone skeleton popped out and rolled across the floor.

"We'll have to shadow-travel," Hazel says.

Nico winces. "Hazel, I can barely manage that with only myself. With seven more people —"

"I'll help you."

An entire section of tiles peel loose from the ceiling.

"Everyone, grab hands!" Nico yells.

They make a hasty circle. The cavern collapses and Maribelle feels herself falling into the shadows.

They appear on the hillside overlooking the River Acheron.

Leo staggers backwards from their circle. "You know . . . I think I'll sit down." He collapses. Maribelle joins him quickly.

The Argo II was floating over the river a few hundred yards away.

They began to exchange stories. Frank explains what had happened with the ghostly legion and the army of monsters — how Nico had used the scepter of Diocletian, and how bravely Jason and Piper had fought.

Maribelle only clings to him tighter, scared he might slip away. That this was only a dream soon to be nightmare.

"Frank is being modest," Jason says. "He controlled the entire legion. You should've seen him. Oh, by the way . . ." Jason glances at Percy. "I resigned my office, gave Frank a field promotion to praetor. Unless you want to contest that ruling."

Percy grinns. "No argument here."

"Praetor?" Maribelle stares at Frank.

He shrugs uncomfortably. "Well . . . yeah. I know it seems weird."

Maribelle grins, kissing his cheek. "It seems perfect."

Leo claps Frank on the shoulder. "Way to go, Zhang. Now you can order Octavian to fall on his sword."

"Tempting," Frank agrees. He turns apprehensively to Percy. "But, you guys . . . Tartarus has to be the real story. What happened down there? How did you . . .?"

"We'll tell you the story," Percy promises. "But not yet, okay? I'm not ready to remember that place."

"No," Annabeth agrees. "Right now . . . uh, I think our ride is coming."