Sea Green Eyes

Chapter 14

"I believe he phrased it as pulling up their roots," Cressida filled in, Percy equally as worried and impressed with his girlfriend after hearing her story.

Percy nodded thoughtfully. "Gaia's been busy over here, too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face."

Percy recounted his side of the story. He talked about waking up at the Wolf House with no memories except for a pair of indigo eyes that haunted his dreams and a name - Cressida.

And gods above, her heart hurt but in a good way as she tried not to cry, and Percy just rested her head on his shoulder as he continued.

Percy told them how he'd travelled to Alaska with Frank and Hazel—how they'd defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed the death god Thanatos, and returned with the lost golden eagle standard of the Roman camp to repel an attack by the giants' army.

When Percy had finished, Jason whistled appreciatively. "No wonder they made you praetor."

Octavian snorted. "Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"

"On the bright side," Percy said, "both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So, we can both tell you to shut up."

Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.

Even Reyna managed a smile, though her eyes were stormy. "We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later," she said. "Right now, we have more serious issues to deal with." 

"I'll step aside for Jason," Percy said easily, and Cressida felt better at that. "It's no biggie."

"No biggie?" Octavian choked. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"

Percy ignored him and turned to Jason. "You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."

"Yeah, I noticed," Jason said. "Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."

"Back at you," Percy said. "And thanks for taking care of my girl."

Cressida blushed and she gave a bashful smile as Percy kissed her hair and Jason just grinned.

"Well, it was more like she took care of us. Specifically, me," he said, and Percy laughed.

"That sounds pretty on point for her. How much Solace Solution did you drink that night?"

"I'm alive, aren't I? So clearly it wasn't that much," she retorted, all traces of blush gone before Annabeth kicked Percy's shin. She hated to interrupt the lovebirds and a budding bromance, but they really did have more important things to worry about.

"We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?" Annabeth said.

Reyna nodded. "We call it the Prophecy of Eight. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"

"Of course," he said. "But, Reyna—"

"Recite it, please. In English, not Latin."

Octavian sighed. "Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—"

"An oath to keep with a final breath," Annabeth continued. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. The blood of the rare one will help her rise, but her blood will also be her demise."

Annabeth wasn't sure why she had blurted out the lines of the prophecy. She'd just felt compelled.

Frank then sat forward in fascination as if she'd grown a third eye. "Is it true you're a child of Min—I mean, Athena?"