Indigo Eyes

Chapter 49

And she closed the door behind them as she marched down the stairs of her cabin.

"Can you believe them?" she ranted to Blackjack as they walked. "As if I'd like that fish-faced fool. He's just as annoying as my brothers. So what, I've kissed him a few times? Purely platonic and they were all on the cheek. And what does Books know anyway? She's smart with everything but love - not that I love him! He's a friend. Nothing more. And anyone who -"

She was interrupted by Blackjack who lifted her onto his back as he slid through her legs, the girl letting out a surprised yelp before she was seated comfortably on the pegasus.

"I'm sorry," she said as she hugged his neck and he neighed affectionately at her. "I'm just a little...stressed, with this whole prophecy thing. And I still haven't figured out how we're going to follow everyone and keep up with them. It's just a lot," she explained as she stoked his neck and he made another noise. "We should go see Percy, shouldn't we? That creature needs help and we have to go soon."

Blackjack brayed and Cressida had no idea what it meant.

"I'll get you some grapes before I go. I promise," she said as he trotted along towards the Poseidon cabin where Blackjack set her down as she went up to the door. She pounded her fist on it. "Hey, Jackson! Fish-Face, rise and shine," she called. More knocking. "Barnacle Brain? Get up before I get in there and get you up. Percy!"

"Gods of Olympus, give it a rest, Grape Girl," Percy groaned as he eventually opened the door, his hand on his eyes as he rubbed the sleep from them. He wore a wrinkled camp half-blood t-shirt and sweat shorts, and his bare foot was also red, indicating that he probably tripped over something on his way to the door.

"Huh, Books was right. You do drool in your sleep," Cressida remarked and Percy seemed even more annoyed as he wiped his mouth.

"Why are you here? And why is my pegasus with you?"

"Did you pack? We're going to leave in like twenty minutes, I hope you packed."

"Of course, I packed. We're not leaving now though, so is there a particular reason why you're here in the middle of the night?"

"It's almost five am," Cressida said at the same time Blackjack did in his head.

"Ok, one at a time. You're going to make my head hurt even more," Percy pleaded.

"He's all yours, BJ," she said as she let the pegasus stand in the doorway and she stroked his neck.

"Blackjack, how many times have I told you? Don't call me boss," Percy said tiredly as the horse began to speak.

"Whatever you say, boss. You're the man. You're my number one. Or maybe number two - boss lady gets all the knots out. And her grapes! They're almost better than doughnuts."

"Yes, I've tried them. Yes, they're delicious. And no you can't call her that," Percy replied, Cressida still completely clueless to Blackjack's nickname for her and he was going to keep it that way.

"Please. As if BJ could have a bad name for me," Cressida said as the pegasus nuzzled her neck, agreeing with her.

"Blackjack," Percy said, "you're supposed to stay in the stables."

Meh, the stables. You see Chiron staying in the stables?

"Well... no."

"What did he say?" Cressida wondered.

"Uh, if Chiron doesn't stay in the stables, why should he?"

She huffed a laugh. "The centaur sleeps with rollers in his tail. He wouldn't last one night. And BJ behaves beautifully. I see no harm in why he can't bunk in your empty cabin every once in a while."

"Would you stop enabling him? He's never going to stay the night by himself now," Percy said and Cressida only gave him a disapproving look.

"He's been fine since before you got there. And with you sending him away like this, it's no wonder he likes me better."

"As if."

"Sorry, Boss. But I think she might be right," Blackjack admitted nervously.

"Stay out of this," Percy ordered the pegasus. "Did you just wake me up to come insult me and try and steal my pegasus?" he asked Cressida.

"No, actually, though I'll admit it made my morning," she smirked. "Blackjack's got another friend that needs help."

"Yeah. I told the hippocampi I'd come get you," Blackjack confirmed and Percy groaned. Anytime her was anywhere near the beach, the hippocampi would ask him to help them with their problems. And they had a lot of problems. Beached whales, porpoises caught in fishing nets, mermaids with hangnails – they'd call Percy to come underwater and help.

"Alright, I'm coming," he sighed.

"You're the best, boss."

"And don't call me boss!" Percy snapped as he vanished into his cabin to find shoes.

"Don't listen to the grumpy, Barnacle Brain," Cressida cooed as Blackjack nuzzled into her again. "You call him whatever you want to."

Blackjack whinnied softly.

"I have no idea what that means so I'm going to go with food. Save your sea creature and I'll grow you some grapes."

"Dude, get off her and let's go," Percy said as he reappeared.

"Killjoy," she replied as she leaned on the winged horse. "I'm gonna finish getting ready. Meet me at the dining pavilion in twenty minutes. I'll scope out the Hunters and update you when you get there."

"Sounds good. Hopefully, this won't take too long."

"See ya in twenty," she said as she kissed Blackjack's nose and turned to leave.

"Do I get a kiss?" called Percy's voice, the boy having asked that question on a whim as a joke and not quite awake enough to process what he said. And while her heart stopped dead in her chest, a more interesting thought occurred to her as she spun on her heels with a calculated look in her eyes.

"Why, and where exactly, would you want me to kiss you, Mr Jackson?"

To say Percy turned red was an understatement as he fumbled for a response that he would never find.

"Let's save Annabeth first," Cressida said before she said something that was very bold for her - to be honest, she didn't really know why she said it. She didn't really know why she said and did a lot of things when it came to Percy. "And then, maybe, maybe, we can see what your chances are."

Safe to say that Blackjack had to nudge Percy a good few times before the boy was able to function again.

What the hell did she mean by that?