The Return of Leo Valdez (After Blood of Olympus)

61- Frank

"Frank! Reyna! Hazel!" a voice called.

Frank looked up from the crackling campfire. He had to squint through the flames in order to see a small boy running up the hill.

"What is it, James?" Reyna asked a she stood up from Frank's side.

"Camp Half-Blood is trying to iris message you," James said.

"Why?" Hazel asked.

"James, why are you so pale?" Reyna asked.

James swallowed dryly. "Go see for yourself. The call is in the tent."

Frank and Hazel shot each other worried looks. Oh no, they both seemed to think. The trio sprinted towards a large white tent that was set up near the fifth cohort.

Why would Camp Half-Blood be calling us at this hour? And why did James look so pale?

The demigods jogged through the white flaps of the tent.

"Nico," Frank whispered.

Nico waved through the rainbow mist.

"Why did you call?" Reyna asked.

"Where are you?" Hazel questioned.

"I'm in the mess hall. We're all having dinner."

"Why did you call us?" Reyna asked again.

"Yeah about that..." Nico said, scratching the back of his neck. "I have some really good news!"

"What?" Frank asked.

"Leo has returned!"

WHAT? Frank thought.

Frank glanced at Reyna and Hazel. Their eyes were humongous and their jaws were like chasms.

"A-are you serious?" Frank finally asked.

Nico nodded. "He just flew down with Festus and a goddess Calypso-"

"The Calypso?" Reyna asked.

"Yeah," Nico confirmed. "Leo's telling us his story now. He's on the stage where the counselors eat."

"Can we watch him?" Reyna asked. "And maybe speak to him afterwards?"

"I-I'm happy he's back," Hazel said. "But gods, he's so stupid!"

Frank could barely stifle a nod. He was stuck in a state of shock.

I'm happy he's okay.

"I'm gonna go eat dinner, but enjoy Leo's story," Nico said as he left the view.

Frank's eyes widened as he saw Leo, just yapping away on the stage.

"So Calypso and I were in Rome. We just arrived at this chain store I remembered from Texas to buy Calypso clothes-"

"Gods he's really there," Reyna whispered, shaking her head.

"He seems alright," Frank mentioned.

"And then a manticore attacked us-"

"Like Dr.Thorn!" Percy yelled from the front row.

"We don't talk about that, Percy!" Annabeth yelled and playfully whacked Percy in the head.

"They all seem alright," Reyna noticed.

"We can really survive anything, can't we?" Hazel mentioned.

"Of course we can survive anything," Frank confirmed. "We're demigods aren't we?"

"Just not any demigods," Reyna said. "The seven demigods."