Sea Green Eyes

Chapter 54

"You can't say stuff like that to me now of all times!"

"You asked," she returned. "And while we're on the subject, I expect you to be in a costume that preferably has you without a shirt on."

How do you speak?

What really are words and how are you supposed to put them together to make sense? Because Percy had no damn idea. He had no idea how to speak, he could barely breathe, and he was surprised that his heart was still pumping.

He had to snap out of it pretty quickly though because the vampire women had just jumped from ledge to ledge down another cliff. Which meant that they had to climb down and follow them down that cliff.

So, he had to try very hard - very hard - to push the image of Cressida in a cheerleading outfit with his name (he didn't care which one, it could've been Barnacle Butt or Jackass for all he cared) on the back, so he didn't die before he saw it.

But not only did they have to concentrate on keeping his footing and his handholds, they had to keep very quiet so that they didn't alert the empousai to their presence.

They were about halfway down when Cressida said, "Do you think we can stop for a quick break?"

The question kind of broke his heart because of the way she phrased it, it was like if he said no, she'd keep going despite how badly her legs were wobbling and he cursed himself for not calling a rest earlier.

They sat together on a ledge next to a roaring fiery waterfall and Percy put his arm around Cressida as they leaned against each other, both of them completely exhausted and convinced that their stomachs would eat themselves with how hungry they were.

At least he had his Grape Girl.

They would find a way out of Tartarus. They had to. He didn't think much of fates and prophecies, but he did believe in one thing: he and Cressida were supposed to be together. They hadn't survived so much just to get killed now. She was right when she said that they should've had more time together and they would.

"Things could be worse," Cressida said after a time.

"How so?" Percy asked, a little too tired to sound upbeat.

She snuggled against him. Her hair smelled of smoke and grapes (red grapes, specifically because after knowing her for so long he could tell the difference between the smell of red and green grapes), and if he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine they were at the campfire at Camp Half-Blood.

"We both could've lost our memories for good if we'd fallen into the River Lethe," she answered and he shuddered as he hugged her tighter.

"No. Nope. No. Absolutely not. Don't even joke about that. I've had enough amnesia for a lifetime and when we get out of here, I will be tattooing your name onto my skin for good measure. The Lethe can't wash that away."

She giggled at his ridiculous antics. "You're something else," she said before her smile faded a little. "What did you say the Titan's name was?"

"Uh...Iapetus. He said it meant the Impaler or something."

She rolled her eyes. "I know that. I meant the name you gave him after he lost his memory. Steve?"

"Bob," Percy said.

She gave a weak laugh. "Bob the Titan. Now that sounds like a Broadway show."

His lips were so dry that it hurt to smile but he couldn't help it, at least before he wondered what happened to the Titan. And what happened to Kronos because even his remains must've been down there somewhere.