Indigo Eyes

Chapter 25

"All you have to do is focus on the ocean floor. This may not be Poseidon's domain, but you should still be able to feel where the water meets the sand on the ocean floor. Focus on that. Once I can feel the floor, I can feel the earth beneath it and call my vines up," she explained and Percy seemed to nod in understanding before Cressida offered him her hand. Percy just stared at it. "Relax, Fish Face. I'm not into you. And I can't exactly feel your powers if I can't feel you."

Annabeth was trying to hide her smirk as she watched Percy's face go red as Cressida took his hand and plunged them into the icy water. Despite the cold, Percy's hand was rather warm as she closed her eyes and tried to reach for the floor.

It took him a second to calm his racing heart but eventually, Percy was able to close his eyes as he felt each drop of water from the surface to the ocean floor, every grain of sand. The living marine life was harder to feel even as both he and Cressida put their free hands into the water as well.

"Keep going. I can feel the floor," Cressida said and while she was using him to feel the floor, he could feel the plants that grew beneath it, specifically the grapevines she called up through the earth.

"Can I say it?" Percy asked and while Annabeth was confused, Cressida was rolling her eyes under her lids.

"Sure, Fish Face," she answered and she could feel him smile.

"Vines," he called and he could feel them push through the sandy floor and come racing towards them. And the grape vines burst through the surface of the water, fat red grapes hanging off them. Caught up in the heat of the moment, the two demigods high-fived as they pulled their hands out of the water before Cressida pulled out her switchblade and began cutting them down, Percy just grabbing fat bunches with his hands. "I have never been happier to eat fruit in my entire life," Percy sighed in relief as he stuffed his face, the grapes cold in his mouth as the sun beat down on them. "My mom would be so proud of me."

Cressida and Annabeth just gave each other a look before rolling their eyes. Boys.

"These are really good, Cressida," Annabeth said.

"Hey, I helped," Percy insisted.

"Shut up and eat, Fish Face," Cressida snapped and Percy just scowled at her before obeying as he stuffed more grapes into his mouth.

It was quiet as they ate all of the grapes they had, feeling better but still hungry, at least until a seagull swooped down out of nowhere and handed on the makeshift mast. And Annabeth was startled when the bird dropped a small cluster of leaves into her lap.

"Land," she said. "There's land nearby!"

Their heads immediately began to oscillate and sure enough, there was a line of blue and brown in the distance. After a few more minutes they could make out an island with a small mountain in the centre, a dazzling white collection of buildings, a beach dotted with palm trees and a harbour filled with a strange assortment of boats. The current was pulling our rowboat towards what looked like a tropical paradise.

"Welcome!" said a lady with a clipboard. She looked like a flight attendant – blue business suit, perfect makeup, hair pulled back in a ponytail with a dazzling smile on her face.

And as they climbed out and onto the dock to shake the woman's hand, they noticed the other strange vehicles, pleasure yachts, canoes, a U.S Navy submarine and what was probably the coolest of all was an old-fashioned, three-masted sailing ship.

"Ok, that's awesome," Cressida said as she admired the pirate ship.

"Is this your first time with us?" the clipboard lady enquired and the three of them exchanged looks.