They caught a taxi uptown which was the fastest way to get there. Annabeth had headed to school since her campus was a few blocks away from the Park. Grover also went about trying to get the nature spirits to return to the Park now that Geras was gone, so that left the two of them to return the chalice.
"So you do have a plan right?" Percy asked nervously as they rode. "And not one like when we came home and you said I had to wing it to see my mom again?"
"Well, granted, there will be some element of improv seeing as we're breaking into Zeus's place, but for the most part, it's a solid plan. Get onto the elevator, slip into the palace kitchens get the cup to Ganymede."
"It sounds simple, but I feel like it will be a lot harder than that. Especially since your father and several other major gods are founding members of the 'We Hate Percy Jackson Club.'"
"Oh, would you relax? Compared to fighting Old Age, breaking into Olympus is nothing. Especially since I have a key."
"And you're sure that the sentry guy will let me go up there? Even if I'm with you?"
"I guess, we'll find out."
"Cress-"
"Hey," she said as she turned to him. "Do you trust me?"
"With my life," he answered without hesitation and she kissed him.
"Then we got this."
They pulled up to the Empire State Building which was a disappointingly fast trip. Percy stared at the black marble entrance that he really only went up like once or twice a year as compared to his girlfriend's like once or twice a fortnight.
Cressida paid the cabbie before she marched through the doors, Percy following behind her.
Inside, the lobby was mostly empty. Ever since they'd moved the tourist lines over to the West 34th Street entrance a few years ago, the Fifth Avenue entrance was a lot calmer, and today it was too early for much foot traffic. The usual guards stood by the doors. A few office workers stumbled toward the elevators, but that was it.
Percy never liked it because it always reminded him of Mount Othrys, the way all the gloomy stone closed in on you. Apparently, this wasn't an area that Annabeth was designated to redesign.
Percy blindly followed Cressida over to the main reception desk where the sentry guy was kicking back and reading a book as usual.
"Ralphie," Cressida greeted. "Tell me that it's as good as I told you."
"Hey, well if it isn't my favourite demigod," the guard - Ralphie - greeted. "It's better. I haven't put it down."
"I told you so. the sequel comes out in a few months. Can I pick you up a copy?" she offered and Percy realised that they were talking about the book he was reading.
"If the ending is as good as what I've read so far, definitely."
"Oh, trust me, it is."
"You heading up to see your father?" Ralphie asked.
"Yeah. Another delivery, because gods forbid, Papa makes Hermes do his job."
The guard chuckled. "You got your card on you?" he asked.
"Yep, right here," she said as she reached into her boot, pulled out a shining silver card, and handed it over.
Ralphie swiped the card and it let out a beep as he tapped a keyboard Percy didn't realise was there. "You're all good to go," he said as he handed the card back along with the key card for the elevator. "But he stays down here."
"He's good, Ralphie, he's with me," she assured him.
"He doesn't have a card. I can't let him up."
Percy's heart was racing. He was getting increasingly more nervous. What were they going to do if Ralphie didn't let him up?
He should've known better than to listen to his anxiety, because Cressida simply leaned forward on the desk as she stared at the guard.
"Ralphie, I'd like to think that we're friends, so I'm going to give you a friendly reminder. That is Percy Jackson, saviour of Olympus and the love of my life. You separate me from him against our wills and we die. We swore on the Styx. So unless you'd like to face the wrath of my father, I'm going to say it one more time. He is with me."
Ralphie met Cressida's eyes in a tense stare-off before he blinked first. "Ok," he said finally. "But if he gets into any trouble, that's not on me."
"Yeah. I'll take responsibility for him. Put him on as my guest. I'm a 4-star platinum member, I'm cleared to have a guest."
"Fine," he said as he tapped a few things on the keyboard, the screen behind the desk where they couldn't see. "You're good to go."
Cressida stood straight and smiled brightly. "Enjoy the book, Ralphie."
She spun on her heel as she strode past Percy and towards the elevator, smirking at her boyfriend. "You coming?"
"Right behind you," he said dreamily.
Percy walked into the lift as Cressida jammed the keycard in and hit the button for the six hundredth floor.
And the second the doors slammed shut, Percy snaked his arm around her waist as he slammed his lips onto hers as a voice sang 'I Got You, Babe,' over the speakers.
"You're incredible, you know that?" he said when they pulled away and she beamed.
"I know. You're not so bad yourself."
"That was really attractive," he breathed.
"Good to know," she returned before she returned his lips to his, the chalice clattered to the floor as he wrapped both hands around her and pushed her back into the elevator wall.
Their kisses grew hot and heavy as the elevator moved.
"We sure do have timing, don't we?" Percy panted between kisses.
"Yeah, we do," she agreed as her nails clawed at his back.
The metal was cold against her back as their kisses grew more heated. At least before the chalice slammed into elevator doors and startled both of them.
"What the hell was that?!" Percy exclaimed.
"I think - I think it's like Iris's staff. It's trying to get back to Ganymede," Cressida guessed.
"Yeah, well it ruined our moment," Percy huffed as he pressed one last kiss to Cressida's lips before stalking over to pick it up.
"It's probably a good thing because -"
"How is that a good thing?" Percy exclaimed.
"Because," she said pointedly as she gestured to the doors with seemingly perfect timing. "We have a long way to run and we're gonna need all our energy. So let's go."
"Why is it so hard to make out with my girlfriend in an elevator?!" Percy whined as Cressida took off and he hefted the bowling ball-like chalice and he broke into a sprint after her.
********************************
Sprinting to Mount Olympus sounded cool and heroic but Percy quickly realised that it wasn't as heroic as it sounded when they reached halfway and Percy was puffing and panting as he held the chalice and looked at the quarter mile they had left to run.
He and Cressida took turns running with the chalice as the Olympus-dwellers passed by, a couple waving hello to Cressida as she ran past but other than that, no one seemed to notice them.
At least the Olympian streets weren't busy. A couple of chariots were in line at the drive-through window of Sagittarius Coffee. A Hephaestus-made steampunk rhinoceros thing was trundling along the street, power-washing the cobblestones with blasts of steam from its snout. In the park gazebo, a sign read OPEN MIC HOT POETRY WITH ERATO! TONIGHT ONLY! But at the moment, the gardens were empty except for a few pigeons. (Because yes, even Mount Olympus has pigeons.)
Percy was blindly following Cressida as they raced up the mountain towards Zeus's palace but they weren't going for the main entrance. They seemed to be heading for the side which made sense since step 2 of Cressida's plan was to slip into the kitchens. Why the gods needed kitchens and people to cook for them was beyond them but still, they went along with it. Percy also felt that they were going in the right direction as the chalice pulled at him.
If it was anyone else, Percy might have been nervous about the fact that he was being led into an alley at the base of a tall cliff, but this was Cressida, so Percy wasn't that nervous as he was led to a wall layered with flowering jasmine. Except for a small door inlaid with fancy bronze designs.
Cressida did a special secret knock and the door creaked open.
The woman who poked her head out had a hairdo like a tornado funnel. Her eyes were gray and stormy, her face ageless, her scent like oncoming rain. She couldn't have been more clearly a cloud nymph if she'd had a name tag that said HELLO! MY NAME IS CLOUD NYMPH.
Her eyes widened at the sight of them. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Hi, Naomi. Has the brunch started yet?" Cressida asked.
"Obviously."
"We need to get into the kitchens, please."
"Did you bring donuts?" she asked and Cressida furrowed her brows.
"Uh, no. Why?"
"You smell like mochi donuts."
"Oh. I'll bring you donuts next time I visit. Please. This is urgent."
"Come in," she said as they followed her into the kitchens.
"Uh, how did you know about this place?" Percy asked.
"Another one of the tasks Pollux and I do for Papa, stealing from Zeus's kitchens."
"You steal from Zeus?! How did I not know about this?!"
"Because Zeus already doesn't like you and knowing about this wouldn't do you any good if you two clashed."
"Fair point."
All the nymphs rushed from oven to stovetop, pulling cloud stuff out of the air and mixing it into their soups and pies like strands of cotton candy, because of course the gods would want servants fussing around, making things for them, the same way they liked it when mortals burned offerings. It was all about being noticed, attended to, and catered to. Gods ate the spotlight more than they ate nectar and ambrosia. Of course, they would insist things be done the hard way.
About twenty nymphs were at work, all wearing white aprons, with black nets around their billowy hair. Their legs were just wisps of cloud, probably so they could move faster. Their nebulous dresses were stained with various soups, broths, and glazes, so they looked like colorful sunsets. The kitchen itself was bigger than a high school gym, and dryads kept popping in and out of the bronze double doors, carrying platters of food into the dining room beyond. As the doors opened, they heard voices they recognized: Zeus's booming baritone, Hera's laughter.
Percy looked at Cressida and their expression mirrored each other at the revelation that their favourite goddess was in there (note the sarcasm).
Naomi studied them. "So, why are you ....?" she trailed off as Cressida pointed to the chalice. "Ah, I see. You're not supposed to have that."
"Yeah. I know," Percy said.
She scratched under her hairnet. "Are you a god, then?"
"No," they both answered in unison.
"Right." She hesitated. "This would explain why Ganymede is out there sweating Greek fire."
"I can't really comment," Percy said. "But if you could signal him to come in here—"
"Oh, no." Naomi folded her arms. "I will pretend I don't see you. Nobody will bother you in here. But if you want to get Ganymede's attention, you'll have to do it yourself. He's right through there." She pointed at the double doors. "Can't miss him. He's the one sweating—"
"Greek fire. Got it. I don't suppose I could borrow a waiter's outfit and maybe a fake moustache?" Percy wondered before Cressida smacked his shoulder.
"That's hilarious," Naomi grunted.
"Thanks, Naomi. We got it from here," Cressida said as the nymph marched over to check on her soufflés.
"So what was your plan to get the chalice from the kitchens to Ganymede?" Percy asked.
"Remember when I said that my plan involved some level of improv? This is that moment."
"So then what do we do?"
"I don't know!"
"Well, then we better come up with something."
"Oh, what I wouldn't give to be back in that elevator," she sighed tiredly.
"You and me both."
"Ok, let's think about this," she said as she took a deep breath. "First we need to get a lay of the land, figure out where Ganymede actually is, then we can figure out how to get the chalice to him."
"Ok," Percy nodded. "Sounds good."
"And we can't be seen. Not even by Papa. With how bored he probably is, it's a coin toss whether or not he'd turn us in just to get some entertainment."
"I know," Percy said as they headed for the double doors. They waited for a dryad server to go through before Cressida put her foot in between them, keeping them open just enough to peek into the room.
Cressida had been to the kitchens before but she'd never been beyond the doors, and Percy had hardly ever seen Olympus properly and that was before it was in the process of being remodelled.
Zeus's dining room looked like an ancient Roman feast hall crossed with a Beverly Hills party pad. In the central conversation pit, gold-embroidered purple sofas surrounded a table laden with platters of fruit. The gold cutlery and dinnerware gleamed so brightly they thought their eyes would melt. Bordering the atrium were alabaster columns etched with gold lightning bolts, just in case you forgot whose palace you were in. Percy was surprised Zeus hadn't monogrammed them . . . although maybe he had. If his monogram was just a Z, that was basically the same as a lightning bolt, right? Mind blown.
The view was suitably impressive—vast open balconies overlooking the other Olympian mansions where the lesser-schmuck gods were forced to live. But what really got them were the games. Lined up along the outer walls, every conceivable Zeus-themed arcade machine blinked and flashed—King of Olympus pinball, Mighty Zeus slots, even Lightning God 3000, which they remembered playing once on Coney Island when they went on their first date. They weren't surprised that Zeus would collect his own memorabilia. That seemed very on-brand. But the fact that he would display it in his dining room was some god-level narcissism.
Cressida hit Percy's arm again which he needed because his ADHD brain was very much focused on all the lights and bright colours and focused on the brunch guests instead.
At the head of the table sat the big guy himself, the O.Z., chillaxing in a purple velour toga and gold sandals. To his left was their buddy Hera, goddess of making Cercy miserable. She looked regal in her sleeveless white dress and elegant braided hairdo, as if to make a point of how gross her husband was. To Zeus's right, with her back to them, was a woman they assumed was Rhea, queen of the Titans, aka Grandma Goddess. She also didn't show her age. Brown-blond hair cascaded down her back in a waterfall of ringlets. She wore a tie-dyed caftan-style dress with silver bangles on each arm. Curled up asleep at her feet was a lion. Just another apex predator at the table.
Other celebrities in the brunch pit included Athena, Dionysus, Hermes and Demeter. There were a couple of other guests that the two of them either didn't recognise after they changed their appearance or because they hadn't met yet.
And standing behind Zeus, trying to figure out what to do with his empty, chalice-free hands, was Ganymede.
He was literally sweating Greek fire. Every so often, a drop of glistening incendiary liquid would pop and smoke on the back of his neck. So far, no one else in the room seemed to be noticing, or maybe he always did that when he served at the boss's table. Zeus was holding forth about all the delicacies he had ordered for his mother's special brunch day. Apparently, she hadn't been to Olympus in a very long time, and nobody was allowed to start eating or drinking until Zeus finished his speech about how awesome she was. All their cups were empty. For once, his narcissism was a good thing.
"He's not looking at us," Percy whispered after trying to will the cupbearer to do just that.
"I can try and make him," Cressida said as her eyes burst into flames and she stared straight at Ganymede.
She didn't attempt to change anything in his head, rather just give him the urgent need to look in their direction which thankfully he did. After a moment of hazy confusion, he saw Percy holding the chalice.
His expression changed from surprise to relief to terrified pleading in less time than it would've taken him to pour a drink. His eyes said, Oh, thank the gods!
Percy gestured at him to come to the kitchen, but immediately Zeus reached back and grabbed his wrist as he shuffled to the side. "Stay, Ganymede. I want you to hear this! Then you can pour our drinks and we'll have a nice toast."
Ganymede looked in their direction again. Help!
"I thought," Zeus told the group, "that I would honour our dear mother, Rhea, with a special story about her."
"Oh, baby, you don't have to," Rhea said. The other gods wore pained smiles as if they agreed that Zeus really didn't have to.
"So, one time," Zeus began, "back when I was just a lad and the rest of you were rolling around in Kronos's stomach . . ."
At that moment, two horrible things became clear to the couple. First, they would have to listen to this story. Second, if Ganymede could not come to the chalice, they would have to bring the chalice to Ganymede.
********************************
It was Percy's idea to use a pastry cart and Cressida had kissed him for it. Not only can they transport tasty baked goods to the vicinity of your face, they can also be covered with tablecloths that hide a lower shelf perfect for crouching on when you're a demigod who needs to sneak into a brunch.
While he came up with that idea, he left Cressida to negotiate with another nymph named Barbra, to help them. It was easy enough. Cressida bargained a meet and greet with Annabeth since she was Barbra's hero and they didn't blame her. There was a reason why she was in the top 5 on Cressida's list.
She did say that if they were discovered, she had no affiliation with them and would not be held responsible for her actions afterward, which they didn't care about and expected to happen.
So, the two of them curled up next to each other under the cart with the chalice of immortality as Barbra wheeled them into the dining room.
"Anyway," Zeus was saying, "there I was, surrounded by angry llamas. . . . Well, you can imagine!"
"My dear," said Hera, "there were no llamas in ancient Greece."
"Well, there were in Crete!" Zeus growled. "I don't know, maybe Kronos decided we couldn't have nice things and he sent them all to Peru, but at the time, wow! Llamas everywhere! As I was saying, I was all alone. No Amalthea. No Kouretes. Just me in my diapers, a mere mewling babe, if you can picture it—"
"I can picture it, Dad," Athena said dryly
"As can I," agreed Dionysus before they heard the sound of glasses clinking even if there were nothing in them.
The cart creaked and wobbled. They were so close, they just needed a few more feet...
"Stop that!" Zeus snapped.
The cart stopped.
"I'm telling a story here, Barbra!"
"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."
The couple held their breaths for a second, waiting for the moment they'd have to spring into action but Zeus just grunted, "Where was I?"
"Crete," Hermes said. "Surrounded by llamas."
"Right, so . . ."
Zeus continued drawling on with the story and Cressida and Percy exchanged bored looks, unable to feel any sympathy for baby Zeus all alone on Crete. So, Cressida decided to kick things up a notch by lifting the edge of the tablecloth and kicking up the beating of Percy's racing heart.
She saw Zeus's sandaled feet before she saw Ganymede standing on the other side of Zeus—only ten feet away, but still too far to slip him the chalice, especially since there was a lightning god between them.
Percy placed a hand on Cressida's arm and the girl looked back and him and shook her head.
Percy then lifted the cloth himself and glanced to his right, locking eyes with the lion. He looked sleepy and surprised, like he was wondering if he was still dreaming or if the pastry cart really had a human head on the bottom shelf.
He had pretty gold eyes and though he'd never been much of a cat person but he could see the appeal of that big fuzzy face resting on giant fluffy paws, except for the fact that the face had fangs and the paws had claws.
So, he anxiously gripped the hand of his lion-loving girlfriend.
Cressida peeked under the curtain in the direction where Percy was looking. And she smiled at the lion who seemed to purr at the sight of her. Cressida blew the lion a kiss. "Sleep well, Lucius," she whispered as the lion seemed to doze again before they lowered the tablecloth. Percy didn't bother asking how she knew the lion's name.
"Then," Zeus was saying, "my loving mother showed up! And you will never guess what she did!"
Rawwwwwr, said the lion.
Everyone around the table laughed. "That's right, Lucius!" Zeus agreed. "She roared! After that..."
They lifted the tablecloth again. Lucius had his head tilted and eyes closed in a look of utter bliss as Rhea scratched his ear, probably in an effort to keep him quiet.
They did meet the eyes of someone else though.
Naturally, the patron god of lions would want to see the lion and had peeked under the table to see them and not the lion.
"Well, well, Jewel, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" her father drawled inside her head as he stared at them.
"Hi, Papa," she prayed.
"Not that this isn't the most interesting thing to happen at this dull brunch, but why are you currently under a pastry cart?"
"What's going on?" Percy whispered.
"Shh!" she hissed. "It's a quest for college. Actually, would you mind helping? Can you get Ganymede to wheel us back into the kitchen so we can return his chalice?"
"For you? Free of charge. For your Sea Scum? It'll cost him."
Her face dropped. "Please stop pretending as if you don't like Percy."
"It's a wonder you're still dating him."
"It's a wonder Ariadne still puts up with you."
"Touché," Dionysus returned as he sat back up and Zeus went on with his story.
"So anyway, the first llama—" Zeus was saying.
"What was with the staring?" Percy asked.
"Just praying for a little help," Cressida grinned.
"Ganymede?" Dionysus snapped. "Why do the scones have no cream? You dare think it's acceptable to serve gods scones without cream? Go take that cart and get some clotted-cream for the scones."
Ganymede stuttered. "Uh, I -"
"I want Ganymede to hear the end of the story!" Zeus protested.
"So you wish to subject your own mother to endure her favourite scones without cream, Father, is that correct?" he questioned.
Percy could imagine Dionysus lounging in his chair as he spoke, likely angering Zeus as the air was electric with tension. Storm clouds were likely forming around Zeus's chair.
"Hmph," Zeus grunted. "Hurry back."
"Or don't," Hera muttered. "Take your time."
The cart started to move.
Zeus mumbled, "I do love watching him walk away. . . ."
"Could you not at the brunch table?" Hera asked through what sounded like clenched teeth.
And for a moment, the tension-filled couple revelled in the moment of Hera's discomfort.
"So where was I?" "Crete," Hermes said. "Llamas."
The double doors swung open and they were safely back in the kitchen. They rolled out from under the pastry cart.
"Oh, baby!" said Ganymede. "Come to Papa, you beautiful thing!" He made grabby hands for the chalice but made no move to actually grab it.
"You have to give it to him," Cressida spelled out for him.
"Oh," he said as he realised that he had to hand it over to complete the quest and actually place the cup into his possession.
"Chalice for you, sir," Percy said as he managed to lift the cup.
Ganymede hugged it, kissed its rim, examined it for dents and dings. "Oh, Percy Jackson! Cressida Lynn! You did it! I don't know how to thank you!"
"How about our recommendation letters?" Cressida asked.
Ganymede blinked. "Right! Of course!" Two pieces of paper floated down from nowhere, straight onto their chests.
They stared at both sides.
"Are you kidding?" Cressida asked.
"It's blank," Percy said.
"Just dictate whatever you want me to say. The words will write themselves. When you're done, as long as you haven't gone overboard with the praise, my signature will appear at the bottom. It's all completely legitimate and legal."
All of this...for a blank piece of paper.
Cressida was literally stunned into silence, unable to react.
"Thanks," Percy spoke eventually. "So...we're done?"
"Now I have to fill this chalice," Ganymede said. "And clotted cream! I need some clotted cream! But yes. We're done. I won't forget this, Percy Jackson, Cressida Lynn. Good luck in college!"
As Ganymede rushed around the kitchen, Zeus called out, "Ganymede, where are you? I'm getting to the good part!"
"Coming, Lord Zeus!" Ganymede called. "Just . . . filling my chalice, which has been in my possession this entire time!" He winced, then returned to work. Clotted cream obtained and chalice filled, he rushed the cart back into the dining hall.
Percy threw his arm over Cressida's shoulders. "Can we go home now? Maybe celebrate with some cookies and cupcakes?"
"Home? Yes. Cookies and cupcakes? Maybe."
"It's not a no. I'll take it."
"Come on," Cressida laughed, still holding her blank page as they headed for the exit. "Later Naomi. Thanks for your help."
"Oh, before you go," Naomi said, pulling them both to a halt. "Lord Dionysus insisted I give you demi bags for the road." She handed over the white insulated bags that were literally labelled Demi Bag! "Now get out of my kitchen."