the_blood_of_olympus_-_rick_riordan

lv
Nico
THAT NIGHT, NICO SLEPT IN THE HADES CABIN.
He’d never had any desire to use the place before, but now he shared it with Hazel, which made all
the difference.
It made him happy to live with a sister again – even if it was only for a few days, and even if Hazel
insisted on partitioning her side of the room with sheets for privacy so it looked like a quarantine
zone.
Just before curfew, Frank came to visit and spent a few minutes talking with Hazel in hushed tones.
Nico tried to ignore them. He stretched out in his bunk, which resembled a coffin – a polished
mahogany frame, brass railings, blood-red velvet pillows and blankets. Nico hadn’t been present
when they built this cabin. He definitely had not suggested these bunks. Apparently somebody thought
the children of Hades were vampires, not demigods.
Finally Frank knocked on the wall next to Nico’s bed.
Nico looked over. Zhang stood so tall now. He seemed so … Roman.
‘Hey,’ Frank said. ‘We’ll be leaving in the morning. Just wanted to tell you thanks.’
Nico sat up in his bunk. ‘You did great, Frank. It’s been an honour.’
Frank smiled. ‘Honestly, I’m kind of surprised I lived through it. The whole magic firewood thing
…’
Nico nodded. Hazel had told him all about the piece of firewood that controlled Frank’s lifeline.
Nico took it as a good sign that Frank could talk about it openly now.
‘I can’t see the future,’ Nico told him, ‘but I can often tell when people are close to death. You’re
not. I don’t know when that piece of firewood will burn up. Eventually, we all run out of firewood.
But it won’t be soon, Praetor Zhang. You and Hazel … you’ve got a lot more adventures ahead of
you. You’re just getting started. Be good to my sister, okay?’
Hazel walked up next to Frank and laced her hand with his. ‘Nico, you’re not threatening my
boyfriend, are you?’
The two of them looked so comfortable together it made Nico glad. But it also it caused an ache in
his heart – a ghostly pain, like an old war wound throbbing in bad weather.
‘No need for threats,’ Nico said. ‘Frank’s a good guy. Or bear. Or bulldog. Or –’
‘Oh, stop.’ Hazel laughed. Then she kissed Frank. ‘See you in the morning.’
‘Yeah,’ Frank said. ‘Nico … you sure you won’t come with us? You’ll always have a place in
New Rome.’
‘Thanks, Praetor. Reyna said the same thing. But … no.’