Indigo Eyes

Chapter 31

"Hey, Fish Face. I get you're comfortable, but you gotta wake up," said Cressida's voice as she laughed, and Percy became aware of the fact that he was sleeping on her shoulder.

"Where are we?" he asked as he sat up, wiping his eyes and hoping his cheeks weren't red.

"Miami, I think," Annabeth said. "But the hippocampi are acting funny."

They had slowed down and were whinnying and swimming in circles, sniffing the water. They didn't look happy as one of them sneezed. The dolphin then came up to Cressida's side as it chittered.

"Too many humans," she translated. "Too much pollution."

"Yeah, this is as far as they'll take us. We'll have to swim to shore on our own," Percy added.

None of them was very psyched about that, but they thanked Rainbow and his friends for the ride. Tyson cried a little. He unfastened the makeshift saddle pack he'd made, which contained his tool kit and a couple of other things he'd salvaged from the Birmingham wreck. He hugged Rainbow around the neck, gave him a soggy mango he'd picked up on the island and said goodbye.

Cressida said her thanks to the dolphin that chittered happily before diving over her and joining the hippocampi as they returned to the sea.

Swimming was easier than they realised as Percy willed the waves to help push them to shore and they were back in the mortal world.

They pushed through crowds of people and despite their dishevelled state, no one said anything. Tyson's single eye had blurred from the Mist. Grover had put on his cap and sneakers. Even the Fleece had transformed from a sheepskin to a red-and-gold high school letter jacket with a large glittery Omega on the pocket.

Annabeth ran to the nearest newspaper box and checked the date on the Miami Herald. She cursed. "June eighteenth! We've been away from camp ten days!"

"That's impossible!" Clarisse said.

"Thalia's tree must be almost dead," Grover wailed. "We have to get the Fleece back tonight!"

"Well doesn't this feel familiar," Cressida remarked, the red and gold jacket still around her shoulders.

Clarisse slumped down on the pavement. "How are we supposed to do that?' Her voice trembled. "We're hundreds of miles away. No money. No ride. This is just like the Oracle said. It's your fault, Jackson! If you hadn't interfered –'

"Percy's fault?!" Annabeth exploded. "Clarisse, how can you say that? You are the biggest –"

"Gods of Olympus, both of you shut up!" Cressida scolded.

Clarisse put her head in her hands. Annabeth stomped her foot in frustration.

"Clarisse," Percy spoke. "What did the Oracle tell you exactly?"

She looked up, her face its usual scowl that made them think that she was going to tell Percy off, but instead she just took a deep breath and began to recite the lines.

"You shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,

You shall find what you seek and make it your own,

But despair for your life entombed within stone,

And fail without friends, to fly home alone."

"Ouch," Grover mumbled, Cressida moving to squeeze Clarisse's shoulder in support and surprisingly the girl didn't shove her away.

"No," Percy said. "No ... wait a minute. I've got it." Percy began searching his pockets but all he found was a golden drachma. "Does anybody have any cash?"