Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝔾inger giant

Percy was pacing anxiously outside the van. "Well?" he demanded.

"Great news," Nicki said sarcastically. She told him what they had to do.

For a second, Percy looked ready to murder Hermes, and then his body relaxed. He caught Hermes just before he climbed into the van. The god scowled at Percy before nodding. After another moment of hushed whispering, Hermes nodded again.

Letting go of Hermes' arm, the god and his van disappeared with another flash of light.

Nicki sighed stuffing her hand into her jacket pocket. Percy grinned as he walked up to her. "I know this isn't what you wanted but afterwards, I promise—"

Nicki raised her hand. "You're cute and you're sweet, Love. But please—no more promises. Let's just find this giant."

Percy trailed behind Nicki as she made her way back to the picnic blanket. Sadly, she stowed the blanket in her backpack and put away the food. Sad... since she'd barely tasted any of the pizza.

"Can you um... do anything with your magic to locate Cacus."

For a split second, Nicki felt tempted to say no, she wasn't a huge fan of using her magic anymore. "Yeah. I can do a locating spell."

Nicki shook out her arm and took a deep breath. "Incantare Persequor Vestigium." A deep purple glow snaked its way up Nicki's body from her hand. Her body began to shine like a purple glowstick.

"Nicki?" Percy's voice shook uncertainly, fearing he was about to relive Nicki's death all over again. "Are you okay?"

"Mhm." Nicki held up a finger. "I want to see Cacus." Light rippled in front of Percy's eyes. Nicki took his hand and pulled him closer to her. Percy found himself staring at a floating image in midair. They were looking down at a landscape of dilapidated warehouses and crumbling roads through the image. A rusty water tower rose above the urban blight. Nicki snorted. "The mist has a sense of humour."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

"That's Secaucus, New Jersey. Read the sign on the water tower." She rapped her knuckles on the floating image. "Okay, very funny, mist. Now I want to see—I mean, show me the location of the fire-breathing giant Cacus."

The image changed. This time Percy saw a familiar part of Manhattan: renovated warehouses, brick-paved streets, a glass hotel, and an elevated train track that had been turned into a park with trees and wildflowers. Percy remembered his mom and stepdad taking him there a few years ago when it first opened.

"That's the High Line park," Percy said."In the Meatpacking District."

"Yeah," Nicki agreed. "But where's the giant?"She frowned in concentration. The image zoomed in on an intersection blocked off with orange barricades and detour signs. Construction equipment sat idle in the shadow of the Highline. Chiselled in the street was a big square hole, cordoned off with yellow police tape. Steam billowed from the pit.

Percy scratched his head. "Why would the police seal off a hole in the street?"

"I remember this," Nicki said. "It was on the news yesterday in the Big House."

"I don't watch the news."

"Neither do I."

Percy sighed. "We'd be useless adults wouldn't we?"

"It's just so boring," Nicki complained. "Well, this wasn't. A construction worker got hurt. Some freak accident way below the surface. They were digging a new service tunnel or something, and a fire broke out."