Indigo Eyes

Chapter 119

Nobody disagreed. There was hardly a single demigod who hadn't already been wounded ... except Percy.

"Come on, guys," Travis said. "Let's give Cressida some space. We've got a pharmacy to raid – I mean, visit."

Jake put a hand on Percy's shoulder. "We'll talk later, but it's under control. I'm using Annabeth's shield to keep an eye on things. The enemy withdrew at sunrise; not sure why. We've got a lookout at each bridge and tunnel."

"Thanks, man," he said.

Jake nodded. "Just take your time."

"I'm going to try and find Pollux. She was asking for him before," Annabeth said and Percy only nodded as she closed the terrace doors behind her - leaving Silena, Cressida and Percy alone.

Silena pressed a cool cloth to Cressida's forehead. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's not," Cressida said weakly.

"I've never been any good at camp," she murmured. "Not like you or Percy. If I were a better fighter ..." Her mouth trembled as if she was about to break any minute.

"You're a great camper," Percy told Silena. "You're the best pegasus rider we have. And you get along with people. Believe me, anyone who can make friends with Clarisse has talent."

Her eyes lit up as if she'd just gotten the best idea.

"That's it! We need the Ares cabin. I can talk to Clarisse. I know I can convince her to help us."

"Whoa, Silena. Even if you could get off the island, Clarisse is pretty stubborn. Once she gets angry –"

"Please," Silena said. "I can take a pegasus. I know I can make it back to camp. Let me try."

Percy glanced at Cressida who nodded as her fingers tightened on his hand, not quite a squeeze but close enough.

"Alright," he said eventually. "I can't think of anybody better to try.

Silena threw her arms around Percy, almost knocking him over before she pushed back awkwardly, glancing at Cressida and at the hand Percy had managed to keep hold of. "Um – sorry. Thank you, Percy! I won't let you down!"

Once she was gone, Percy knelt back down and felt Cressida's forehead. She was always warm with the amount of nectar and ambrosia she regularly ate, but she was burning at a temperature that wasn't normal for a demigod.

"I lied," she breathed. "You are cute. Especially when you're worried. Your eyebrows get all scrunched together and your eyes look blue."

"You are not going to die when you have more points than me," he said, and she managed the weakest of smiles. "Why would you take that knife? And what the hell did Kronos mean by 'you had a choice?' Why would you make a choice like that?"

"You would've done the same for me," she said. "And, I had a chance..." she explained as if it took a lot of effort. "I could've tried to kill him. He gave me a free shot to try and guess where his Achilles spot was."

Percy was able to fill in the rest.

"If you didn't save me. It was either kill him or save me."

Anything. He prayed to any and every god he could think of to let him take her place, but nothing changed. Why? Why her? Even if it hit his Achilles spot, dammit, he would've taken that knife gladly if it meant she wasn't in any more pain.

"It was stupid," she said. "You had the Curse, but I couldn't let it happen. I just couldn't."

"It wasn't stupid," Percy said before looking around to make sure they were alone. "You really did save me," he assured her. "My Achilles spot. If you hadn't taken that knife, I would've died."