Sea Green Eyes

Chapter 77

Gleeson had just finished his Iris Message to a wind aura named Mellie who he apparently met at the palace of the Lord of the Wind all those months ago. She was pregnant with their child and Cressida was absolutely outraged that Gleeson didn't tell her about the baby earlier. Mellie was such a sweet creature when they'd met at Camp a few months ago and she was so relieved to hear Cressida was ok with how worried Gleeson had been over the last three weeks.

Immediately after that though, Cressida left for her own room where Percy was already waiting.

He simply sat with her, holding the prism that made the rainbow that Cressida threw a drachma into. And both she and her brother burst into tears at the sight of each other.

"Hi, Polly," she cried happily.

"Hey, Cress," he returned. "I told you," he said. "I told you that you were going to give me a heart attack with this. By the gods, Cressie, Tartarus...I don't even know what to say," he rambled. "What the hell was that note too?"

Her teary smile was almost as miserable as Akhlys.

"I wasn't alone down there," she revealed. "He was there, Polly. Cas, helped save me."

Pollux cried harder. The sound, strangely made Cressida feel better as Percy reached for her hand.

"How are you? It's a stupid question but I -"

"I..." Percy squeezed her hand. "I think I'll be ok. Eventually."

"That Jackson punk better be helping you through it," Pollux said and she laughed as she wiped her tears with her free hand.

"Polly," she said. "That Jackson punk fell into Tartarus for me."

Pollux blinked. "Come again?"

"Did Books tell you nothing?"

"She just said he was down there with you - I was trying to process the fact that you were in the literal bowels of hell!"

"Well, I was trying to save her, Annabeth," Cressida began. "Percy was the only thing that kept me from falling into the pit. I let him go. I fell first," she said, more tears coming but they were silent this time as Cressida began tapping her finger anxiously on the back of his hand. "He could've been saved. He didn't have to follow me. He did. He came after me, so I didn't have to do it alone. So we could be together."

Pollux narrowed his eyes at her. "He's there, isn't he? Right now?"

She gave him a cheeky smile. "Maybe."

"Cress!" Pollux whined as Percy matched her smile. "Why must you make it impossible for me to insult and dislike him when you go and tell me he does stuff like that? How am I supposed to be a protective big brother when he does something like that?"

"I'd settle for a supportive big brother," Cressida said with a small voice and Pollux's entire expression changed.

"By the gods Cress, I am so proud of you," he said. "So proud. And I know that Cas, wherever he is, is proud of you too. You are so strong, Cressie. And those giants aren't going to know what hit them. Gaia won't know what hit her. And when you come home, we're going to go get ice cream."

Cressida let out a broken laugh. "It sounds perfect, Polly."

"Where's Jackson? Get him in the picture. I got something to say to him."

"Pollux," Cressida warned as Percy carefully shifted around so he was sitting next to her and tried not to move the prism too much and move it out of the sunlight that was shining through her window.

"It's fine, Wine Vine," Percy promised her before he looked up at Pollux. "Hit me with it."

Pollux leaned forward, narrowing his eyes for a moment. "Thank you," he said, "for saving my sister. And for taking care of her. Thank you."