If Looks Could Kill *Percy Jackson and the Olympians*

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dedicated to @nathliegp for not killing Cedric

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Before Percy or I even knew what we were doing, Devin grabbed us by the arms and hailed a cab, New Yorker style. He pushed us inside and shut the door behind himself as he got in.

“Where to?” asked the cab driver.

Devin turned to Percy. “Your dad wanted you to go to Santa Monica, right?”

Percy nodded wordlessly.

“Los Angeles, please,” said Devin to the driver. He groaned.

“That’s three hundred miles, kid. You want me to drive you there? Pay up front.”

Devin thought for a moment.

“Do you accept casino debt cards?”

“Some,” admitted the driver, “Depends which kind. Gotta swipe ‘em first.”

Devin dug through his pockets, the tugged out his LotusCash card and handed it to the driver, who eyed it skeptically.

“Try it,” Devin encouraged him.

 The driver took the card from Devin and swiped it. Instantly, the meter machine rattled and nearly glowed as the lights flashed. An infinity symbol flashed near the dollar sign. The driver’s mouth fell open as he looked back at the three of us in shock.

“Um….where in Los Angeles….your majesty?” he asked, as I flinched, as ‘your majesty’ wasn’t too far off ‘princess.’

“The Santa Monica Pier,” said Devin, looking smug at the fact that the driver dared doubt him, “Get us there fast, and you can keep the change.”

 As I got nostalgic, remembering how Cassidy had told the driver that same thing as I went to Camp Half-Blood for the first time, the driver slammed his foot down on the gas. The speedometer didn’t dip below ninety-five miles per hour the whole drive.

*****

 “Guys,” Percy said, as we zoomed through the Mojave Desert, “Back at the truck, with the animals….Remember how I said the zebra told me that the truckers were animal smugglers?”

Devin and I nodded, as Devin shut the window between us and the driver.

“Well….I kind of…” Percy stopped, looking frustrated, like he didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say.

“Let me guess,” said Devin, “You could actually hear the zebra talk in your mind?”

Percy stared at Devin before he nodded, his mouth wide open.

“Yeah,” he said, “How did you know?”

“Poseidon is the god who created horses,” Devin explained, “That’s why you can hear them speak in your mind and communicate with them.” Percy shook his head as if he expected to wake up from a dream.

“Are you serious? That’s so cool!”

“Yeah,” said Devin, “Just like I am particularly talented in arts and crafts and playing the flute, for instance. And Violet can speak with doves and dolphins, both of which are symbols of Aphrodite, and can also bewitch people with her voice, using her charmspeak.”

“Wow…” Percy said, sitting back in his seat and deeply exhaling.

“So that’s why the Athena campers gave me the flag when I asked for it during my first Capture the Flag game,” I said, putting the pieces together. Devin nodded and smile.