Sea Green Eyes

The Chalice of the Gods - Part Seven

Grover was greeted with a kiss on the cheek from Cressida when he showed up with mochi donuts. The four of them stood under the white archway of Washington Square Park while they munched their sugary breakfast and scanned their surroundings.

The sun was just coming up, pouring rosy light through the streets and washing the brick facades of the buildings around the square. In front of them stretched the main plaza—a giant circle of grey stonework radiating from the central fountain. The fountain itself wasn't running. In the summertime, it made a great wading pool for kids, but now the basin was dry.

As for people, there weren't many around. A lady was walking her dog down one of the paths. A few commuters hustled across the plaza. A couple of old guys were playing a chess game at one of the tables under the elm trees. The place was about as empty as anywhere in Manhattan ever gets.

"Ready?" Grover asked. He was trying to look brave and determined, but the image was undercut a little by the green sprinkles of matcha in his goatee.

Cressida handed him a napkin but he misread the purpose and simply stuck it in his mouth as he ate it. She sighed before she took another bite of her donut.

"Let's do it," Percy said, making sure to brush the remaining evidence of his fluorescent blue Cookie Monster donut off his face, or else he probably wouldn't be getting kissed.

Annabeth finished off her pink donut before reaching into her backpack for tissues and menthol rub.

"Isn't this what cops do before they examine dead bodies?" Grover asked, plugging up his nostrils.

"Let's not make that comparison," Annabeth suggested. "No dead bodies today, okay?"

"Oh-tay," Percy muffled since he had wads of Kleenex up his nose. His eyes were beginning to water and his throat stung.

"Here we go," Annabeth said as he took out the glowing vial and twisted off the cap.

She tipped the vial ever so slightly, and three golden droplets trickled out. Instead of falling, they caught the breeze and floated through the air like soap bubbles. Each one drifted in a different direction.

"That's not helpful," Annabeth observed. "Should we split up?"

"Always a derrible idea," Percy said.

So that's what they did.

Percy also didn't give them a choice as to who would double up as he grabbed Cressida's hand and tugged her after one of the droplets.

Cressida just rolled their eyes as she walked with him, keeping an eye on their friends. Annabeth followed her nectar drop down the main concourse toward the chess tables. Grover's bubble led him cross-country through the trees. Theirs wobbled toward the children's play area.

They passed a woman who gave them a wide berth, presumably because of the fact they had tissue wads stuffed up their noses and the gods only know what the Mist made her see, but she didn't drop dead from the floating nectar which they took as a good sign.

"It's too quiet," Cressida said and Percy realised that she was right. The place did feel abandoned. No squirrels. No rats. Not even pigeons. Even the trees seemed too quiet, which isn't something you'd notice unless you'd spent time hanging out with dryads. You get used to their comforting presence, like someone humming a lullaby in your ear. When they're gone, you miss them. Grover was right about the nature spirits fleeing the park.

The nectar bubble drifted toward the play structure. It floated up the climbing chains to the top of the miniature fort, then burst into flames.

"That was dormal," Percy said.