Indigo Eyes

Chapter 66

Oh, the Olympians knew how to throw a party. Like there were parties, then huge major blowout parties and then Olympian parties.

The Nine Muses were in charge of music, the sound whatever you wanted it to be. Dionysus went around growing refreshment stands out of the ground, a beautiful woman walking on his arm, his wife, Ariadne. Percy was surprised to see him looking happy for the first time. Happier still when Cressida joined them for a time, walking on her father's other side as she rested her hand on his elbow. The incident with the vote was long forgotten as Cressida recounted some of the better parts of the quest, Ariadne both happy and proud of her husband for helping. Her stepmother also made sure to get some actual food and water into her after hearing what she'd endured, specifically holding the sky.

As for Percy, gods kept coming over to congratulate him, Hermes chatting cheerily with him and thankfully getting distracted by a call on his caduceus before Percy could tell him about Luke.

He was talking to his father when Thalia called Cressida over to talk with her and Annabeth.

"Oh, we meant to tell you," Cressida had said. "I hope you don't mind Thalia joining our little circle."

Annabeth grinned. "My two best friends getting along? Absolutely not."

"I feel like we should have a handshake," Cressida said.

"That's lame," Thalia replied.

"You're lame," Cressida retorted.

"Grapes, give it a rest and just tell me what Thalia's name is?" Annabeth interrupted.

"What else would it be? It's Trees. She was a pine tree for like nine years," Cressida said as if it should be obvious.

"All of our names are dam obvious," Thalia responded and one look with Cressida had the two of them bursting into laughter.

"What? What's so funny?" Annabeth asked, brows furrowed.

"Inside joke," Cressida huffed as their laughs subsided.

"So, there's no way I can convince you to join the Hunters with me?" Thalia asked and Cressida gave her a tired smile.

"Thanks for the offer, but no. Camp, my brothers, Books, that's my family. That's my life. As tempting as joining the Hunters is, I think I'll stick with the hand I'm dealt," Cressida said and Annabeth squeezed her into a hug at the revelation that she was going to stay.

"And are you sure that decision doesn't have to do with a certain son of the Sea God?" Thalia asked with a raised brow.

"What?!" Annabeth exclaimed.

"I'm just as confused as you are," Cressida said as she raised her hands in surrender.

"Bullshit," Thalia called. "You kissed him. More than once."

"That was on the cheek! And I do that to everyone. Grover, Tyson, my brothers. Sometimes it's to thank him and sometimes it's to screw with him."

"That is true," Annabeth supported and Cressida gestured to her.

"Thank you!"

Thalia raised a brow. "Oh yeah? Then what's your excuse for kissing him, on the lips, before you held the sky?"

"What?!"

"How the hell did you even see that? You were fighting Luke!" Cressida pointed out.

"Doesn't matter. I saw it and now I see that you have no excuse," Thalia said smugly.

"It was a heat of the moment thing! And yes, Percy was part of the reason why I didn't want to join the Hunters, but he wasn't all of the reason. My brothers - hell, Books had more of an impact on me staying than that lump of seaweed did."