Indigo Eyes

Chapter 132

Nico brought them to Hades' throne room, the three of them alone there before Nico turned to them. "Just wait here," he instructed. "I'll be back."

"You're leaving?" Cressida asked nervously and Nico just gave her a small smile.

"I figure you'd like a bit of time together. And take as much time as you need. I'll be back after that," he explained before he vanished into shadows.

"So, I guess we're waiting for something then?" Pollux said as he was left with his sister.

"I guess so."

"So are you going to tell me what's happening with you and Jackson? I need to know if I need to cream the punk or -"

Cressida huffed. "Ok, you've been spending way too much time with Clarisse, first of all. Second of all, I love you, but you are the last person I'm going to talk to about Percy."

"Hey," Pollux said as he nudged her with his shoulder. "I just want to know if he's treating you right and making you happy."

"That makes two of us."

And the two of them whirled.

Castor looked alive. Asides from the faint white aura that floated around him, Castor looked alive. His blonde hair was uncombed like it normally was and he was dressed in jeans, sneakers and a camp t-shirt, his blue eyes shining.

"Castor!" Cressida cried as she went bolting toward him, so very grateful that she didn't go through him.

"Hey, Cress," he returned before he lifted his eyes up to his twin. "You gonna join the hug or continue to be a buzzkill, little brother?"

"Buzz off," Pollux returned but he was smiling before he jogged over and the three of them were squashed into a hug once more.

"Look at you two! I'm so proud of you! You guys did it!" Castor beamed.

"Castor-"

"Hey," he said softly as he cupped his sister's cheek. "None of that. No guilt and no apologies. You both, you especially Cress, have nothing to be sorry about."

"But I still have so much left to say to you. I need you -"

"Cress," he smiled, both hands on her shoulders. "You're growing up. You don't need us anymore."

"Are you crazy?!"

"No, but someone is. Isn't that right, Crazy Girl?" Castor asked with a knowing smirk as Cressida moved away.

"No. Absolutely not. I am not using my last time talking with you to talk about Percy," she said defiantly and while Pollux looked annoyed, Castor just continued smiling.

"First up," Castor began as he took a step towards her. "This isn't going to be your last time seeing me. I'm not going anywhere until you guys join me in Elysium at the end of your very long lives, Papa be willing. And second," he said before turning to Pollux. "Dude, don't you think you're laying it on a bit thick if Papa of all people approves of Percy more than you? I mean, I get wanting to protect Cress, but you have to admit, there are worse guys for her to choose. I mean he gave up immortality for her -"

"That's not true. He did it for -"

"He may have done it for all the unclaimed, but let's skip the part where we pretend that he didn't do it so he didn't have to let you go, shall we?" Castor said with a smirk as his sister blushed.

"Yeah, but -"

"And let's skip the whole, I'm dead, you're the only one left to protect her hoopla," Castor interrupted his twin. "Because I am dead, and I saw what Cress did against Kronos. She's plenty capable of protecting herself. Oh, by the way," Castor said as he spun back to face her. "Percy definitely won some points in my book after the whole Williamsburg Bridge incident and then after the whole 'for me' thing you did before destroying half the army."