Sea Green Eyes

Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead - Part Two

Cressida loved falafel.

They were sitting on the aft spar deck as they had a little lunch picnic. She and Percy had never tried it before, and they were already making plans to find some good falafel places in New York as they sat together. Cressida was leaning against Percy's chest as she nibbled on a spicy lamb kebab, Percy feeding her falafel every now and again as she fed him the kebab. They were like a well-oiled machine that didn't even need to speak to know what the other person wanted.

Pollux was also chowing down as Annabeth and Alex chatted idly.

Riptide and Jack stood propped nearby in a coil of rope, their hilts leaning against the gunnery rail. Riptide acted like your typical inanimate object, but Jack kept inching closer, chatting her up, his blade glowing the same dark bronze as hers. Fortunately, Jack was used to holding one-sided conversations. He joked. He flattered. He name-dropped like a maniac. "You know, Thor and Odin and I were at this tavern one time..."

If Riptide was impressed, she didn't show it.

Percy wadded up his falafel wrapper. Along with being a water breather, the dude also had the ability to inhale food. It made sense why they got two orders of falafel just for him.

"So," Percy said. "When do you guys sail out?"

Alex raised an eyebrow at Magnus like Yeah, Magnus. When do we sail out?

Magnus seemed as if he'd been trying to avoid this topic. "Soon," he said. "We don't exactly know where we're headed, or how long it'll take to get there—"

"Story of my life," Percy and Cressida said in unison before they looked at each other adoringly and their lips met before they turned back to Magnus for the rest of his explanation.

"—but we have to find Loki's big nasty ship of death before it sails at Midsummer. It's docked somewhere along the border between Niflheim and Jotunheim. We're estimating it'll take a couple of weeks to sail that distance."

"Which means," Alex said, "we really should've left already. We definitely have to sail by the end of the week, ready or not."

"My gods fighting Loki sounds so much cooler than defeating the Earth Mother," Pollux remarked, his mouth half-full as his sister handed him a napkin.

Annabeth sighed. "Heroes never get to be ready, do we?" she said. "We just do the best we can."

Percy nodded. "It usually works out though. I mean we haven't died yet."

Cressida scoffed. "You keep trying. It's why I have like a million more points than you."

Percy gave her a look of disbelief. "You so don't! I should be ahead with that cyclops that attacked us the other day."

"Yeah, but the last seven years of knowing you have put you so far behind that you will never catch up."

"We're going to do up a tally one day and I am going to come out the winner."

Cressida laughed. "Please, you never win an argument, you're not going to win this."

"I never win arguments because I find it very hard to say no to you."

She giggled. "I know."

And Percy kissed her cheek as if it was the worst punishment he could come up with.

"What about you guys?" Magnus asked after a time. "Straight back to New York today?"

"Yeah," Percy said as he held Cressida tighter. "We gotta babysit tonight. I'm psyched!"

"That's right," Magnus remembered. "Your new baby sister."

He managed a smile, but Cressida could tell that it was tense and forced. "Congratulations, man. What's her name?"