Indigo Eyes

Chapter 112

"You will not be bothering our father with this. As if he needs more of a reason to dislike this place," Pollux said before Chiron could.

"He's also in the middle of fighting a war. So, there's that too," Cressida remarked as she and Pollux sharked the can.

"Then what about the senior counsellors?" Clarisse said. "Are any of you going to side with me?"

Nobody said much less looked at Clarisse.

"Fine." Clarisse turned to Silena. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get into this when you've just lost ... anyway, I apologize. To you. Nobody else."

"La Rue," Cressida said warningly and Clarisse fixed her glare on the daughter of Dionysus.

"Fine," Clarisse huffed. "I suppose you deserve an apology too, Lynn."

"Was that so hard?"

Clarisse threw her knife on the ping-pong table. "All of you can fight this war without Ares. Until I get satisfaction, no one in my cabin is lifting a finger to help. Have fun dying."

The counsellors were all too stunned to say anything as Clarisse stormed out of the room, Cressida more tired than anything.

"Polly."

"I got you, sis," Pollux said as he pulled a small vile from his pocket and handed it over to her. Cressida pulled the stopper out with her teeth before downing the whole thing in one go. "No more for the rest of the day. And you actually need to sleep today."

"I'll get around to it," she replied as she handed back the empty vile that used to contain the newest and strongest batch of the Solace Solution.

Finally, Michael Yew said, "Good riddance."

"Are you kidding?" Katie Gardner protested. "This is a disaster!"

"She can't be serious," Travis said. "Can she?"

Chiron sighed. "Her pride has been wounded. She'll calm down eventually." But he didn't sound convinced as Cressida rested her head on Pollux's shoulder.

"Now,' Chiron continued, "if you please, counsellors. Percy has brought something I think you should hear. Percy – the Great Prophecy."

Cressida watched as Annabeth handed him the parchment and he uncurled the paper and began to read.

"A half-blood of the eldest dogs..."

And Cressida and Pollux hid their laughs with coughs as Annabeth corrected Percy whose dyslexia was getting the better of him.

"A half-blood of the eldest gods,

Shall reach sixteen against all odds

And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap."

Percy hesitated and you didn't have to be a mind reader to know that Percy's mind was considering all of the possibilities the prophecy could mean.

"'Percy," Chiron urged. "Read the rest."

And his eyes met Cressida's briefly as she gave him an encouraging nod.

"A single choice shall ... shall end his days. Olympus to per – pursue –"

"Preserve," Annabeth said gently. "It means 'to save'."

"I know what it means," he grumbled before finishing, "Olympus to preserve or raze."

The room was silent. Finally, Connor Stoll said, "Raise is good, isn't it?"