Don't Panic, It's Just Magic

Chapter I:

"Honestly, Carter," Sadie muttered, swerving the rented jeep around yet another tumbleweed, "next time you can handle this yourself."

The sun beat down mercilessly, turning the Arizona landscape into a shimmering oven. Her throat was parched, hair a frizzy mess, and the only sound was the monotonous drone of the engine. She slammed her fist against the dashboard, accidentally hitting the horn.

She would be fine, they said. Just retrieve Thoth's missing quill, they said. Carter was busy, they said.

Sadie scoffed. Carter's 'urgent' matter more likely involved a mischievous griffin and a stolen bagel than anything actually important. Or something like that. Ever since they had ridden of the panty hose that was Apophis, her brother had been filled with nothing more than excuses and more excuses when it came to why he couldn't do certain things. Okay yeah, Carter had assumed significantly more duties being the Pharoah in the First Nome, or head of Brooklyn House or whatever, but that didn't mean that he always had to delegate the more 'menial' duties to her.

Apparently, the First Nome was on some kick to reclaim lost artifacts, even seemingly insignificant ones like Thoth's quill. As if the fate of the world depended on a glorified feather duster. Who even cared? The god of knowledge probably misplaced it himself. She'd much rather be back in Brooklyn, experimenting with new spells or even cleaning out Khufu's bed if it meant not being stuck in this godforsaken desert.

Sadie glanced at the gas gauge, and a sharp pang of fear shot through her. It was still showing full. Sadie flicked her fingers on the glass, muttering a quick incantation under her breath.

The needle dropped down to near empty.

"Just perfect," she groaned.

Another glance at her map confirmed her suspicions—she was still miles away from the turnoff.

"Stupid forgotten temples," she grumbled. "Why couldn't they be located somewhere with decent public transport?"

Or better yet, somewhere she could just portal to. But no, the blasted quill was allegedly nestled deep in some useless canyon, its magic disrupting the pathways of the Duat, making any attempt at direct travel too risky. So, here she was, stuck in a sputtering jeep in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but a potentially cranky Thoth and her own snarky thoughts for company.

Just when she thought the day couldn't get any worse, something dark and lumpy appeared in the middle of the road.

"Great," Sadie groaned, slamming on the bakes with all her mounting frustration. "Roadkill. Just what I needed."

She hopped out of the jeep, the heat hitting her like a blast from a furnace. Squinting, she approached the lump, ready to curse whatever poor creature had met its end on this desolate highway. But as she got closer, something felt… off. The lump wasn't an animal. It was a man.

A very attractive man, she might add. Even covered in dust and with a nasty gash on his forehead, he looked like a Greek statue come to life. Dark, tousled hair, tanned skin, and a jawline that could cut diamonds. He was sprawled out on the asphalt, completely still.

"Bloody hell," Sadie muttered, rushing to the stranger's side.

Against her better judgment, she reached out and touched his arm. It was surprisingly warm, radiating a strange energy she couldn't quite place. Checking for a pulse, she found a faint but steady heartbeat. She gently brushed the hair away from his forehead, wincing at the nasty gash. "Hang on, you," she murmured, more to herself than to him.

She muttered a healing spell, her fingers glowing with golden light.

The gash on his forehead started to close, and his breathing deepened. But just as she was about to sigh in relief, his eyes snapped open. Startled, her first instinct was to punch him. But she caught herself just in time, fingers uncurling into an awkward wave.

Sea-green eyes, the color of a stormy ocean, locked onto hers. They were filled with confusion, pain... and a hint of something else she couldn't decipher.

"Who are you?" he rasped, his voice raspy from disuse.

"Sadie," she said, dusting herself off and trying to sound confident. "And you're lucky I found you before the vultures did."

He blinked, then winced as he tried to sit up. A sharp gasp escaped his lips, and Sadie rushed forward to help him.

"Easy there," she said, supporting his back. "You took a nasty knock. What are you even doing out here?"

He looked at her, his eyes filled with a strange mix of gratitude and wariness. "My name is Percy," he said slowly, as if testing the words on his tongue.

"Percy," Sadie repeated. "Well, Percy, it's nice to meet you. Though I must say, you've picked a rather inconvenient place to take a nap." She flashed him a quick grin. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Percy winced as he finally sat up, his expression pained. "I'm not sure," he admitted, brow furrowed. "I remember... something chasing me, but after that, it's all a blur."

"Chasing you?" Sadie surveyed the empty road with a frown. "Well, whatever it was, it's gone now."

Percy glanced around as well. "Where am I?"

Sadie snorted. "The middle of nowhere, by the looks of it. Can you walk?"

"I think so," Percy nodded slowly.

Sadie offered him a hand, helping him to his feet. He swayed unsteadily, but managed to stay upright. He smelled like fresh water - rather strange given the circumstances.

They made toward the jeep as Percy opened his mouth, "I was heading back to Ca—" He stopped abruptly, jaw clenching.

"Back to where?" Sadie gave him a hard look.

His eyes darted around, as if searching for an escape route. "It doesn't matter," he said, voice tight. "It's... complicated."

Sadie raised an eyebrow. "Complicated? Look, I just saved your life from whatever decided to use you as a chew toy. The least you can do is tell me who you are."

Her eyes fell on his shirt. His clothes were in tatters, but the gold letters on his purple shirt were still legible. "Camp Jupiter," she read aloud. "Sounds fancy. You a counselor or something?"

"Umm... sure."

"Sure?" Sadie eyed him skeptically. Something about him felt distantly familiar. Not in the physical sense, but she could sense it in the Duat, a subtle power that hummed beneath the surface. It tickled the back of her mind, like a half-remembered dream.

"You got something else going on, don't you?" she asked, eyes sharp. "Are you a magician?"

Percy blinked, his face filled with what looked like genuine confusion. She seemed to have gotten his undivided attention now. Sadie almost felt disrespected that it wasn't because of her good looks.

"A magician?" He echoed the word as if he'd never heard it before.

"Yeah, you know," Sadie said, waving her hand with a flourish. "Someone who does... magic."

Percy's frown twitched into a half-smile. "Like pulling rabbits out of hats?"

Sadie laughed. "Sometimes. More often it's fighting monsters and keeping the world from imploding, but hey, rabbits are fun too."

Something shifted in Percy's demeanor, his smile turning guarded. "Monsters, you said?"

Sadie bit her lip. Perhaps she shouldn't have been as forthcoming.

"Yeah, you know," she said, trying to backpedal a bit, "like... mythical creatures. Things that hide under your bed at night."

Percy's eyes narrowed. She could feel the palpable shift in his energy. Dangerous, like a shabti with a grudge. Her own senses were tingling. He wasn't some mortal human, she knew that for a fact now.

"Look," Percy finally said, voice strained. "I don't know what's going on. I don't know what to believe or who to trust, and my head feels like it's going to explode."

"Hey," she said gently, "it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." She decided to take a chance. "I'm a magician," she explained, "from the House of Life. We're, um, sort of like... the Egyptian version of whatever you've got going on."

"Egyptian?" He echoed.

Sadie nodded. "Yeah, you know, pyramids, pharaohs, the whole lot."

He stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "What do you mean, what I got going on?"

"Don't take me for stupid, Percy. I can tell there's something up with you." She prodded his chest with her finger. "You might not be just like me, but I can tell my bangers from my mash. So what are you?"

Percy hesitated, then seemed to make a decision. "I'm a demigod."

"A what?"

"A demigod," Percy repeated, his jaw tightening. "Half-god, half-human."

Sadie tilted her head. She'd heard crazier. "Okay, go on."

"I'm…" Percy hesitated, then let out a long breath. "I'm a Roman. A Roman demigod."

"Roman?" Sadie's brows furrowed. "As in, ancient Rome?"

Percy nodded, his expression grim. "Sort of. It's... complicated."

"And you're half-human, half-Roman god?"

Percy simply nodded again, scratching his unruly hair. "...Yeah."

Sadie's gaze fell on the tattoo on his forearm - SPQR. She recognized it from somewhere, and tried to wrap her head around it, but looking at Percy, it was as if he was going to faint if he didn't sit down. She decided not to press him for more details. Between his still semi-dazed state and his overuse of the word 'complicated,' she figured that was enough on the questions for now.

"Alright then, Roman," she said, gesturing towards the jeep. "Let's get you out of this sun."

She helped Percy into the passenger seat, then retrieved her backpack and staff from the back. A jeep with little gas, a Roman, and a supposedly magical quill waiting for her at the end of this road. Just another day in the life of Sadie Kane.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked, twisting toward her. "And what's that fancy stick in your hand?"

As she settled behind the wheel, she couldn't help but let out a laugh. "Oh, you'll see."

Author's Note:

Hi guys! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Excited to finally write some Kane Chronicles, been long overdue. I'm sure you got a lot of questions :) Hope you enjoy my take on Percy x Sadie. You can find me in the Discord in my bio!