Sea Green Eyes

Chapter 14

Even with Percy back, Cressida didn't have much of an appetite as they sat down to eat, and damn could the Romans eat.

Sets of couches and low tables were carted into the forum until it resembled a furniture showroom. Romans lounged in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while wind spirits—aurae—swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh-baked cookies. Drifting through the crowd were purple ghosts—Lares—in togas and legionnaire armour. There were fauns trotting from table to table asking for food or spare change. In the nearby fields, the war elephant frolicked with Mrs O'Leary, and children played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.

All Cressida wanted to do was be alone with Percy, to talk to him and finally put to rest all the worry, anger and resentment she felt over the past few months. But she'd have to settle for being glued to Percy's side until they could be alone.

If their quest was going to succeed, they needed these Romans, which meant getting to know them and building some goodwill.

Reyna and a few of her officers, including Octavian, were sitting with Annabeth when Cressida, Percy and his new friends joined them after talking a little more.

As a tornado of food platters settled onto the table, Percy leaned over and whispered, "I want to show you around New Rome. Just you and me. The place is incredible."

And though Cressida smiled, she felt a little bitter inside as she thought over his words and saw the purple t-shirt he wore.

Purple was her colour. Percy was always blue.

And yeah, this place was pretty cool but what about their home, their camp?

Not to mention the new marks on Percy's forearms - an SPQR tattoo like Jason's. She held his forearm as she traced the images, her head churning with intrusive thoughts.

"Your mom is going to kill you," she said absentmindedly, and he chuckled as he watched her actions.

"Well, I'm not the only one with new ink," he said as his other hand rubbed the back of her shoulder and the tattoo that she sometimes forgot was there and was showing with the tank top she wore. She looked up to meet his sea-green eyes and she watched him grow nervous. "I've been thinking," he began. "I had this idea -"

He stopped as Reyna called a toast to friendship.

After introductions all around, the Romans and the Greek crew began exchanging stories. Jason explained how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper and Leo to rescue the goddess Hera (or Juno, take your pick—she was equally annoying in Greek or Roman) from imprisonment at the Wolf House in northern California.

"Impossible!" Octavian broke in. "That's our most sacred place. If the giants had imprisoned a goddess there—"

"They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish."

Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. and Annabeth, Cressida and Piper shared knowing looks before Cressida's gaze settled on Reyna who was looking back and forth between Jason and Piper, her brow creased, as if just beginning to realize the two of them were a couple.

"So," Jason continued, "that's how we found out about the earth goddess, Gaia. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House: he said he was retreating to the ancient lands—Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaia and destroying the gods by...what did he call it?"