Indigo Eyes

Chapter 114

Cressida had flipped out when they'd read a satyr report from a protector named Gleeson Hedge. While the name wasn't familiar to either of them, Cressida seemed to know who it was before she snatched the note from Percy and disappeared somewhere to make an Iris message.

And when she came back, it was to find Annabeth gone and Percy very confused and slightly guilty. Annabeth had called Percy a liar and a coward because despite what he said to Cressida before, that prophecy did have him running scared. And if Cressida found out, she'd hurt him, badly. She was already having trouble dealing with everything, including the fact that she was semi-filling in for her father as camp director, that she didn't need to know that Percy wasn't planning on fighting the prophecy at all - he wasn't even going to try.

All three of them stood separately that night as they burned Beckendorf's shroud, the Ares and Apollo cabin calling a temporary truce to attend. Beckendorf's shroud was made out of metal links like chainmail, yet it still turned to golden smoke that billowed up into the sky.

Both girls also disappeared to do their own things after that, but Cressida didn't do so without talking to Silena first, wrapping the girl in a hug and promising that if it got too much, she could ease her pain, no one could ease Cressida's but the least she could do was help Silena. The daughter of the love goddess appreciated the offer, but she didn't want it, she didn't want to forget anything about the man she loved even if it was pain. Cressida respected that. So did Clarisse, who also hugged Cressida to thank her for the offer and for everything else she'd done. Chris did as well as Cressida wished him luck dealing with Clarisse in the whole Apollo situation. He would need it.

It was only when dinner rolled around that Cressida realised that Percy wasn't there. She'd wanted to talk to him to find out what happened between him and Annabeth because Annabeth was being tight-lipped about it. Pollux was headed back to the sword arena to train again so with a kiss on his sister's cheek, he left and Cressida went off to track down Percy, except he wasn't in his cabin either. She had no idea where he went.

At least until Nico appeared inside her cabin.

"Cressida! Cressida!" he called as she woke up, trying to get some sleep that hopefully didn't end in nightmares.

"Nico? What's wrong? What are you doing here?" she asked as she sat up, dressed in an orange tank top and sweat shorts.

"I-I messed up. And I need your help. Please."

"What did you do?" she asked as she began to tug on some sneakers, not having time to slip socks on.

"My father tricked me. The plan - it's all messed up and now Percy's in trouble."

She sighed. "What kind of trouble?"

"The only way Luke was able to hold Kronos' spirit inside him was by bathing in the River Styx," Nico began.

"By the gods."

"And the only way Percy survives a battle with him is if he's as invincible as Luke is."

"Nico, please don't tell me that he-"

"Not yet," Nico interrupted. "My father said that if I brought Percy to him first, he'd tell me about my mother. He tricked me and now Percy is in his dungeon."

"Percy is sitting in a dungeon in the Underworld where he's about to bathe in the River Styx. Papa, help me, I think I'm going to have a panic attack," Cressida exhaled.

"I can get him out and to the Styx, but I need your help to fend off my father's minions," Nico explained.

"Let's go."

"I can't shadow travel into my father's kingdom with you, but I can get you to the entrance. It's fairly simple. Just meet us by the Styx, we'll probably get there before you."