Camp had been pretty amazing after that - well after Cressida got read the riot act by her brothers for kissing a boy even if it wasn't on the lips.
Grover announced that he'd be able to spend the rest of the summer with them before resuming his quest for Pan. His bosses at the Council of Cloven Elders were so impressed that he hadn't got himself killed and had cleared the way for future searchers, that they granted him a two-month furlough and a new set of reed pipes. The only bad news: Grover insisted on playing those pipes all afternoon long, and his musical skills hadn't improved much.
Chiron had even managed to smooth over the Meriwether Prep mishap that Percy had, manipulating the Mist to change what they thought they saw.
Then Percy had to call his mother who he didn't tell about the quest. That story was kinda funny and it made Cressida want to meet the woman even more.
As for Tyson, the campers treated him like a hero. And Cressida would've been more than happy to keep him company year-round, had Poseidon not sent him a message in his dreams. Tyson had been invited on an internship to work underwater at the Cyclops forges.
And Cressida knew that must've sucked for Percy, not just that his brother was leaving but that Poseidon hadn't invited him as well.
She'd sat on the beach with Percy for a while as he just let the information all sink in.
"Will you come to Manhattan?" he'd blurted as they watched the sunset.
"What?"
"For my birthday, when summer is over. My mom usually does a cake. Chocolate with blue icing. Would you come?"
She gave him a small smile. "If you want me to come, nothing can keep me away. Though I can't promise my gift will be as meaningful as yours."
He was able to crack a smile at that and he appreciated her attempt to cheer him up.
"Please don't get me anything, I've been getting gifts all my life. You don't have to do that," Percy said and she nudged his shoulder.
"We may be friends, Fish Face, but I don't need your pity or your permission."
"Ok, you've got like a thousand nicknames for me and a lot of them are insulting. I have one for you. That's not fair," he whined, and she laughed.
"Life ain't fair, Barnacle Brain. And who knows," she shrugged before standing, dusting the sand from her legs. "You keep up this whole being my friend thing and I may just let you call me Cress."
Percy looked up at her, his eyes wide and his mouth open as if he was about to say something before the conch horn sounded for dinner.
"Come on," Cressida smirked, mischief shining in her eyes as she offered him her hand. "I may even sit with you for dinner. The camp director kinda has a soft spot for me."
"Thanks, but, I think I'd like to keep my life. Mr D may have a soft spot for you, but he certainly does not for me."
"Either way, I'm hungry. So can you get up so we can go?"
Percy gazed back out at the sunset. "Nah, I think I'm pretty comfortable here."
"I wasn't asking you, I was telling you. And if you care about being alive to even see your birthday, you will get up."
"Relax, Wine Vine. I was just messing with you," Percy said as he took her hand and pulled himself up and Cressida raised a brow.
"Wine Vine?"
"That bad?" he asked, and she shrugged.
"It could be worse. And at least it rhymes."
"Well then, Wine Vine, shall we go to dinner?" he asked, and she rolled her eyes as she began walking.
"Ok, just because I said it wasn't bad, doesn't mean it was good."
"Which means it's already starting to annoy you and therefore I'll be using it even more," Percy smirked as Cressida sighed.
"I regret being friends with you."
He gave a wicked laugh. "Too late to turn back now."
******************************************************************
"Cress, get the door," Pollux muttered from where he slept in his bed.
"Get it yourself," she murmured but the knocking only got louder.
"Cress," Castor whined as he rolled over in his bed. "You're closer. Get the door."
"Screw, both of you," she groaned as she dragged herself out of bed and towards the door, her eyes still closed as the knocking got even louder. "This better be life and death!" she shouted before heaving the door open. "What?!"
"Emergency! Annabeth! Come with us!" Grover blurted, clearly out of breath as two different hands grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the cabin and down the stairs.
"Where the hell are you two idiots taking me?" Cressida asked, her feet still bare as they ran through camp, her muscled legs on show in her flannel shorts and oversized t-shirt from her brother's basketball team.
"I don't know. Grover woke me up as well," came Percy's voice. He was in sweatpants and a tank top, his hair messy and clearly bed swept, he at least had shoes on.
"She's lying there ... just lying there..."
Dawn was just breaking, but the whole camp seemed to be stirring. Word was spreading. Something huge had happened. A few campers were already making their way towards the hill, satyrs and nymphs and heroes in a weird mix of armour and pyjamas.
Chiron galloped behind them, looking grim as he addressed Grover.
"Is it true?" he asked, and Grover could only nod, his expression dazed.
"What is going on?" Cressida asked, blinking very fast as if she was still trying to wake herself up.
Chiron grabbed both demigods by their arms as he hoisted them onto his back, and they thundered up Half-Blood Hill where a small crowd had started to gather.
"Curse the Titan Lord," Chiron said. "He's tricked us again, given himself another chance to control the prophecy."
"What do you mean?" Percy asked and Cressida was still too tired to put it all together. It was too early for all of this.
"The Fleece," he answered. "The Fleece did its work too well."
And as the crowd parted, there at the base of the tree, a girl was lying unconscious.
"Oh my gods," Cressida gasped as she slid off Chiron and moved to kneel down next to Annabeth who was dressed in armour and kneeling next to the unconscious girl, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.
'It ... she ... just suddenly there..." Annabeth stuttered as she turned to Cressida.
"Books, breathe," Cressida urged, wide awake now as Percy finally moved from off Chiron's back.
"Percy, wait!" the centaur called but he was already crouching behind his two friends, peering at the girl who he felt like he'd seen before and he had, in a dream.
She had short black hair and freckles across her nose. She was built like a long-distance runner, lithe and strong, and she wore clothes that were somewhere between punk and Goth – a black T-shirt, black tattered jeans, and a leather jacket with badges from a bunch of bands.
"She needs nectar and ambrosia," Percy urged as no one moved, everyone too stunned.
Then the girl took a shaky breath. She coughed and opened her eyes. Her irises were startlingly blue – electric blue as she stared at Percy wide-eyed. "Who-"
"I'm Percy," he said as Cressida hugged a crying Annabeth to her shoulder. "You're safe now."
"Strangest dream..."
"It's okay."
"Dying."
"No," he assured her. "You're okay. What's your name?"
Only then did it seem to dawn on him who this was and what Chiron had been talking about. What the Golden Fleece quest had been about. The poisoning of the tree. Everything. Kronos had done it to bring another chess piece into play – another chance to control the prophecy.
"I am Thalia," the girl said. "Daughter of Zeus."