Sea Green Eyes

Chapter 58

When they got out of here, Cressida promised to never complain about summer again. She usually hated it because of how much they'd sweat and how hot it was, and she probably still would, but she'd never take the sunlight for granted again. Because walking down in the darkness of Tartarus made it near impossible to see even with Bob and Castor who glowed faintly, her thyrsus that Castor offered to hold that glowed as well, and Riptide.

And in said darkness, she fell off another cliff.

"Whoa! Cress!" Percy yelled as he grabbed for her arm, but she was already falling.

Fortunately, it was only a shallow depression. Most of it was filled with a monster blister. She had a soft landing on a warm bouncy surface and was feeling lucky—until she opened her eyes and found herself staring through a glowing gold membrane at another, much larger face. She screamed and flailed, toppling sideways off the mound. Her heart did a hundred jumping jacks.

Percy and Castor helped her to her feet as she clutched Percy like a lifeline, her whole body trembling as Castor stood next to them, rubbing her back.

"You alright Cress?" he asked as Percy pressed kisses to her hair.

"So far from it," she whispered before they made out what was inside the monster bubble.

Curled in the membrane bubble in front of her was a fully formed Titan in golden armour, his skin the colour of polished pennies. His eyes were closed, but he scowled so deeply that he appeared to be on the verge of a bloodcurdling war cry. And even through the blister, you could feel the heat radiating from his body.

"Hyperion," Percy said. "I hate that guy."

Castor prodded at the bubble with the end of the thyrsus, a stupid thing to do as they all flinched back, but Hyperion stayed asleep. "I thought I watched Grover turn this asshat into a maple tree?" Castor said.

"He did," Percy said. "Maybe the maple tree died, and he wound up back here?"

Cressida was so done being scared of every step she took inside this literal hellhole. She was about to suggest that they burst Hyperion's bubble before he woke up. He looked ready to pop out at any moment and start charbroiling everything in his path. Then she glanced at Bob.

The silvery Titan was studying Hyperion with a frown of concentration—maybe recognition. Their faces looked so much alike....

"You alright, Big Guy?" Castor asked softly, well aware that while Hyperion was lord of the east, Iapetus was lord of the west. Take away Bob's broom and his janitor's clothes, put him in armour and cut his hair, and change his colour scheme from silver to gold, and Iapetus would have been almost indistinguishable from Hyperion.

"Gold, not silver," Bob murmured. "But he looks like me."

"Bob," Percy said. "Hey, buddy, over here."

The Titan reluctantly turned.

"Are we your friends?" Percy asked.

"Yes." Bob sounded dangerously uncertain. "We are friends."

"Well, Big Guy, remember how we said that some monsters are good and some are bad?" Castor asked and he nodded.

"Like...the pretty ghost ladies who serve Persephone are good. Exploding zombies are bad," he said, and Percy and Castor nodded.

"Exactly right," Castor confirmed before Percy continued on.

"And some mortals are good, and some are bad. Well, the same thing is true for Titans."

"Titans..." Bob loomed over them, glowering and Cressida really prayed that they didn't make a mistake by telling him that.

"That's what you are, Big Guy," Castor said. "You're Bob the Titan. A kickass card player and janitor. And you're a good person."