Bewitched || P. Jackson

𝕀s that a witch joke?

Nicki said nothing more after she finished crying to Thalia. The pair sat in silence, thankful for the other's presence. A thick silence had befallen the campsite, whispers covered by the wind and the deafening snow.

Nicki's gaze fell onto Bianca, who was off to the side talking to Nico.  From the way Nico was rubbing his hand up and down his forearm, Nicki knew he was trying not to cry. She assumed Bianca was telling him that she was leaving. The girl couldn't help the bubbling anger in her stomach as she thought about Nico being alone.

The Hunter's had dropped camp, leaving them shivering in the snow. The final tent to be dropped contained Artemis, Zoë and Percy. Nicki frowned, poor Percy, he was going to get eaten alive.

Nicki's mind wandered as she aimlessly followed Thalia. Her dad was going to be arriving to collect her in the morning and drop off the Christmas presents she bought Grover, Bianca and Nico. How on earth was she going to explain this? How was she going to contact her dad?

She had been looking forward to her dad meeting Bianca and Nico for months, and now... Well, that didn't look like it was possible. Maybe someone had a phone and she could call him. Warn him not to leave Massachusetts. It was a near 4-hour drive from where she lived in Salem. Ironic, she knows.

She couldn't help but wonder if her dad knew about these other demigods. He always referred to her as his little demigod, and Hecate did as well. So he had to know something.

Nicki's train of thought was cut off by the appearance of a very disgruntled Percy Jackson. Percy wasted no time in recounting his counsel with Artemis. Grover became paler with every passing sentence.

"The last time the Hunters visited camp, it didn't go well."

"What actually is camp?"

"How'd they even show up here?" Percy wondered aloud, oblivious to Nicki's confusion. "I mean, they just appeared out of nowhere."

"And Bianca joined them," Thalia said, disgusted, her arm still around Nicki's shoulders. "It's all Zoë's fault. That stuck up, no good-"

"Who can blame her?" Grover sighed. "Eternity with Artemis." Thalia and Nicki rolled their eyes at his dramatics.

"You satyrs. You're all in love with Artemis. Don't you get that she'll never love you back?"

Nicki's eyes widened and she stared incredulously at Thalia. "That's kinda harsh, Thalia."

"But she's so... into nature," Grover swooned.

"Never mind, he's nuts." Nicki's change of heart received a snigger from Percy.

"Nuts and berries," Grover said dreamily. "Yeah."

Thalia frowned, her eyes trailing around the open space. Her gaze fell on the cliff where Annabeth had fallen, and Nicki felt her body tense. Her jaw set as the daughter of Zeus stared after her missing friend.

"Coming, Nicki?" The 14-year-old shook her head politely at Thalia. She didn't want to intrude. "Alright then." Thalia slipped her hand off Nicki's shoulder, before turning away from the group, heading back to her spot on the edge of the campsite.

The trio of remaining demigods (well, two demigods and satyr) stood in cold, uncomfortable silence. Percy seemed unsure what to say to Nicki, Nicki was completely encased in her thoughts, and Grover was daydreaming about Artemis.

Nicki shivering through her leather aviator jacket brought her back to reality. Grover had run off to see if he could find some berry in the woods, leaving her and Percy alone. The girl flexed her neck as she racked her brain for Greek.