Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝔸 disappointing lack of breakfast

Unfortunately, the giant had extremely good hearing. He frowned and scanned the cavern, zeroing in on their hiding place.

"Who's there?" he bellowed. "You—behind the bulldozer." Nicki and Percy looked at each other. She mouthed, Oops. "Come on!" the giant said. "I don't appreciate sneaking about! Show yourself."

That sounded like a really terrible idea. Then again, they were pretty much busted anyway. Maybe the giant would listen to reason, despite the fact that he wore Valentine's boxer shorts.

Percy took out his ballpoint pen and uncapped it. His bronze sword Riptide sprang to life. Flipping her ring, Nicki's stygian iron sword grew into existence. The blade pursed a misty purple colour as her magic entangled itself with the sword. Neither of their weapons looked very intimidating against a monster that big.

"Three, two, one." Nicki counted down in a whisper and together they stepped into the open.

The giant grinned. "Well! Demigods, are you? I call for breakfast, and you two appear? That's quite accommodating."

"We're not breakfast," Nicki said.

"No?" The giant stretched lazily. Twin wisps of smoke escaped his nostrils. "I imagine you'd taste wonderful with tortillas, salsa, and eggs. Huevos semidiós. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!" He sauntered over to the row of fly-specked cow carcasses.

Nicki's stomach twisted. She muttered, "Oh, he's not really gonna—"

Cacus snatched one of the carcasses off a hook. He blew fire over it—a red-hot torrent of flame that cooked the meat in seconds but didn't seem to hurt the giant's hands at all. Once the cow was crispy and sizzling, Cacus unhinged his jaw, opening his mouth impossibly wide, and downed the carcass in three massive bites, bones and all.

"Yep," Percy said weakly. "He really did it."

The giant belched. He wiped his steaming greasy hands on his robe and grinned at them. "So, if you're not breakfast, you must be customers. What can I interest you in?" He sounded relaxed and friendly like he was happy to talk with them. Between that and the red velour housecoat, he almost didn't seem dangerous. Except of course that he was ten feet tall, blew fire, and ate cows in three bites.

Percy stepped forward, he wanted to keep Cacus' focus on him and not Nicki. Nicki thought it was polite for a guy to protect his girlfriend from instant incineration. "Um, yeah," Percy said. "We might be customers. What do you sell?"

Cacus laughed. "What do I sell? Everything, demigod! At bargain basement prices, and you can't find a basement lower than this!" He gestured around the cavern. "I've got designer handbags, Italian suits, um... some construction equipment, apparently, and if you're in the market for a Rolex..." He opened his robe. Pinned to the inside was a glittering array of gold and silver watches.

Nicki snapped her fingers. "Fakes! I knew I'd seen that stuff before. You got all this from street merchants, didn't you? They're designer knockoffs."

The giant looked offended. "Not just any knockoffs, young lady. I steal only the best! I'm a son of Hephaestus. I know quality fakes when I see them."

Percy frowned. "A son of Hephaestus? Then shouldn't you be making things rather than stealing them?"

Cacus snorted. "Too much work! Oh, sometimes if I find a high-quality item I'll make my own copies. But mostly it's easier to steal things. I started with cattle thieving, you know, back in the old days. Love cattle! That's why I settled in the Meatpacking District. Then, I discovered they have more than meat here!" He grinned as if this was an amazing discovery. "Street vendors, high-end boutiques—this is a wonderful city, even better than Ancient Rome! And the workers were very nice to make me this cave."