Indigo Eyes

Chapter 99

Thank the gods Cressida was still half-unconscious because Percy couldn't imagine the profanities she would've spat as they plummeted towards the ground.

"SHIT!" was just one of the things Percy screamed as they fell.

Annabeth yelled from somewhere above them, "Spread your arms! Keep them extended."

Percy was still panicking as he tried to angle his arms out when a shiver ran down his spine as Cressida ran her nails down the back of his neck. "Breathe, Percy. Calm down," she whispered into his ear and his arms extended as the wings stiffened, catching the wind as they soared in a controlled fall like a kite.

Experimentally, Percy flapped his arms and they arced into the sky as the wind whistled past them and Cressida hooked her feet over Percy's legs, so she didn't dangle down.

"Yeah!" he yelled, and Cressida laughed at the indescribable feeling of flying. And not to mention the fact that Cressida had her arms around him was just the icing on the cake as he soared, swooped and dove anywhere he wanted to. Rachel, Annabeth and Nico flew above them, their wings glinting in the sunlight as smoke billowed from the windows of Daedalus' workshop.

"Land!" Annabeth yelled. "These wings won't last forever."

"How long?" Rachel cried.

"I don't want to find out!" Annabeth said.

"That's reassuring!" Cressida called up, much more awake now as they swooped down towards the Garden of the Gods.

Percy circled around one of the rock spires and freaked out a couple of climbers as Cressida rolled her eyes as she smacked his shoulder. 

They landed near the visitor centre, ripping the wings off to the adhesive seals that bound the wings to their backs were already melting and they were shedding bronze feathers.

The hill where Daedalus's workshop had been had vanished. No more smoke. No broken windows. Just the side of a hill.

"The workshop moved," Annabeth guessed. "There's no telling where."

"Ok, can we worry about that after you undo these army knots that you did," Percy asked, he and Cressida still tied together, her arms now at her sides as she faced him.

"You know, one would think you'd be happy about this situation," Cressida said as Annabeth drew her knife.

"Didn't you call me a parasite last winter?"

"I call you a lot of things. It's hard to keep track sometimes," she said as Annabeth tugged on a rope, trying to get enough room to slip her knife under it to cut the rope. "Watch it."

"I got it," she snapped back.

"Your memory is very convenient," Percy said and she smirked at him, watching his eyes drift down to her lips.

"One of my many talents," she smirked as Annabeth cut through the ropes and began unwinding as they slowly pulled away from each other.

"So, what do we do now? How do we get back in the maze?" Percy asked as he shook the last of the rope off.

Annabeth gazed at the summit of Pikes Peak in the distance. "Maybe we can't. If Daedalus died... he said his life force was tied to the Labyrinth. The whole thing might've been destroyed. Maybe that will stop Luke's invasion."

"No," Nico said before any intrusive thoughts could plague Cressida's mind. "He isn't dead."

"Are you sure?" Cressida asked.

"I know when people die. It's this feeling I get, like a buzzing in my ears."

"What about Tyson and Grover, then?" Percy asked.

Nico shook his head. "That's harder. They're not humans or half-bloods. They don't have mortal souls."

"We have to get into town," Annabeth announced.

"Our chances of finding an entrance to the Labyrinth will be better. We have to make it back to camp before Luke and his army."

"We could just take a plane," Rachel said and Percy shuddered.

"I don't fly," he said

"He's scared of it," Cressida said with a smirk and Percy looked offended.

"I could die! And you're scared of heights as well. Need I remind you of the St Louis Arch?"

"We fell because of you!"

"We fell because Annabeth wanted to go up there!"

"It was your idea!" both girls shouted, and Rachel furrowed her brows.

"But you just did fly," she pointed out.

"That was low flying," Percy said, "and even that's risky. Flying up really high – that's Zeus's territory. I can't do it. Besides, we don't even have time for a flight. The Labyrinth is the quickest way back."

"Hey," Cressida said as she took his hand. "We'll find Grover and Tyson."

And he gave her a look that was both grateful and bewildered.

"They really are always like this, aren't they?" Rachel asked Annabeth as she pointed a thumb in Percy and Cressida's direction.

"Ever since the minute they met. Now they just kiss and make-up...literally," Annabeth said and both of them went red in the face as they let go of each other's hands. "We need a car to take us into the city."

Rachel looked down into the parking lot. She grimaced as if she were about to do something she regretted. "I'll take care of it."

"How?" Annabeth asked.

"Just trust me."

Annabeth looked uneasy but she nodded.

"I need to warn my brothers. I need to send an Iris message," Cressida said anxiously.

"Come on. We'll get a prism from the gift shop," Annabeth invited as she held out her hand and Cressida took it as they prepared to head towards it.

"'I'll go with you," Nico said. "I'm hungry."

"I'll stick with Rachel, then," Percy said. "Meet you guys in the parking lot."

"Stay out of trouble," Cressida said with a pointed finger.

"You too."

And they split up.