Bewitched || P. Jackson

ℙerseus?

Nicki didn't completely relax against Ethan's chest until the glow of Quebec City faded behind them.

"You were amazing," Jason commented, leaning around to look at Piper.

Piper muttered something in French, a pained expression dancing across her features.

Nicki let her heavy eyelids close, listening intently to the two new demigods converse. Wrapping his arms tightly around his best friend, Ethan rested his head on hers.

"What'd you say?" Jason asked.

"I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn't so amazing."

Nicki didn't care to look, but she imagined him smiling. "Hey," he said, "you saved me from joining Khione's subzero hero collection. I owe you one."

"I dunno." Ethan mumbled through Nicki's messy hair. "I think you'd make a very attractive statue."

Lightly hitting Ethan's side, Nicki laughed. "Will you stop flirting with him."

"Never!" Ethan blew a kiss in Jason's direction.

The blonde boy blinked a couple times, his cheeks tinting a scandalised pink. The awkward silence weaved it's way between the demigods.

"Oh my gods, you broke him!" Nicki choked out a laugh at Jason's concerned look.

"Forget breaking him, are you cheating on me?" Leo threw a look over his shoulder. "I thought we had something special, man."

"It's not what you think, Sugarplum Tootsie Roll!"

"No." Leo held a single finger up to Ethan to make him stop talking. "We're through. I hope you're happy with him."

"What is happening?" The confused Son of Jupiter spoke quietly, but his voice travelled in the wind.

"You get used to it." Nicki laughed, leaning back into Ethan's shoulder. "It's the only thing that'll keep you sane."

Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack.  "I still can't believe Khione," he said. "She looked so nice."

"Trust me, man," Jason said. "Snow may be pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."

"Yeah, cause I'm not going with you now."

"Good." Leo looked theatrically hurt. "I didn't want you to anyway."

Nicki laughed, making Leo smile, but in his eyes didn't look pleased. He hadn't said much about his time in the palace, or why the Boreads had singled him out for smelling like fire. Nicki got the feeling he was hiding something. Whatever it was, his mood seemed to be affecting Festus, who grumbled and steamed as he tried to keep himself warm in the cold Canadian air. Happy the Dragon was not so happy.

They ate their sandwiches as they flew. Piper had no idea how Leo had stocked up on supplies, but he'd even remembered to bring veggie rations for her. The cheese and avocado sandwich was awesome.

Nobody talked. Whatever they might find in Chicago, they all knew Boreas had only let them go because he figured they were already on a suicide mission.

The moon rose and stars turned overhead. Nicki's eyes started to feel heavy again. The encounter with Boreas and his children had concerned her more than she wanted to admit. Now that she had a full stomach, her adrenaline was fading.

Suck it up! Thomas would've yelled at her. Don't be a wimp! Although he'd mean it as a joke it always worked.

She looked up at the stars and thought about a Christmas night long ago when she, Thalia, and Ethan lay under the stars outside her Massachusetts home. They'd spread their sleeping bags and listened to the cicadas buzzing in the trees. Nicki pointed out the constellations she'd grown up hearing about—Hercules, Apollo's lyre, Sagittarius the centaur.