Indigo Eyes

Chapter 112

The senior counsellors had gathered around the ping-pong table when Percy, Annabeth and Chiron came into the room, and they walked into a shouting match.

Clarisse was still in full battle gear. Her electric spear was strapped to her back. She had her boar-shaped helmet under one arm and a knife at her belt. She was in the midst of yelling at Michael Yew, the new head counsellor for Apollo, which looked kind of funny since Clarisse was so much taller. Michael had taken over the Apollo cabin after Lee Fletcher died in battle last summer. Michael stood a little over a metre tall with another half metre of attitude.

"It's our loot!" he yelled, standing on his tiptoes so he could get in Clarisse's face. "If you don't like it, you can kiss my quiver!"

Around the table, people were trying not to laugh – the Stoll brothers, Pollux, Katie Gardner from Demeter. Even Jake Mason, the hastily appointed new counsellor from Hephaestus, managed a faint smile. Only Silena Beauregard didn't pay any attention. She sat beside Clarisse and stared vacantly at the ping-pong net. Her eyes were red and puffy. A cup of hot chocolate sat untouched in front of her. It seemed unfair that she had to be here.

"ENOUGH!" Cressida yelled as she got between them. "We're all about to die and you're fighting over something so unbelievably stupid."

"Of course, you'd take his side," Clarisse spat at her and Cressida's eyes grew fiery.

"I won't get into this again with you, La Rue. The only side I'm on is the side that avenges my brother and sends Kronos to Tartarus the fastest."

"Here, here," Pollux agreed as he casually popped open a can of Diet Coke, their father nowhere in sight.

"What the hell is going on?" Percy exclaimed and Cressida's fire went out.

Clarisse glowered at him. "Tell Michael not to be a selfish jerk."

"Oh, that's perfect, coming from you," Michael said.

"The only reason I'm here is to support Silena!" Clarisse shouted. "Otherwise, I'd be back in my cabin."

"That's it. Both of you sit down and stay down," Cressida ordered as her hands glowed and she pushed them both back into their chairs.

"You said you wouldn't use your powers on me!" Clarisse raged.

"Yeah, but not when it looks like you're about to kill a camper over a damn chariot when we're already outnumbered and on the brink of war!" Cressida returned and Clarisse's face got even redder.

"Ok, what is happening here?" Percy demanded.

Pollux cleared his throat. "Clarisse has refused to speak to any of us, until her, um, issue is resolved. She hasn't spoken for three days."

"It's been wonderful," Travis Stoll said wistfully.

"Gods forbid, you do the same," Cressida huffed as she collapsed into the chair next to Pollux who handed her his can.

"What issue?" Percy asked.

Clarisse turned to Chiron. "You're in charge, right? Does my cabin get what we want or not?"

Chiron shuffled his hooves. "My dear, as I've already explained, Michael is correct. Apollo's cabin has the best claim. Besides, we have more important matters –"

"Sure," Clarisse snapped. "Always more important matters than what Ares needs. We're just supposed to show up and fight when you need us and not complain!"

"That would be nice," Connor Stoll muttered.

Clarisse gripped her knife. "Maybe I should ask Mr D –"