Epilogue
Maldenis
“Everything looks great, hon.”
Ariadne didn’t look up from Liora’s wrist as she said it, her thumb pressed lightly to the pulse point while her other hand hovered over the open kit floating beside her—a compact case that had appeared from nowhere and proceeded to unfold itself, revealing vials, instruments, mirrors, bottles, and small bundled herbs that smelled faintly of smoke and saltwater.
“All fine,” she added.
“Define fine,” Maldenis said.
“Vitals are strong, coloration’s good, poison levels are down another twelve percent from yesterday.” She released Liora’s wrist and beamed at her. “You’re doing amazingly. Your body is fighting this really well.”
“Told you,” Liora said, directing this at Maldenis.
“I wasn’t worried.”
“You were.”
“I was observing.”
He was absolutely worried. The poison was still inside her. Ariadne had already explained that her magical treatment contained it. But he was still scared.
“Thanks, Ariadne.
“Call me Ria, please.” She clicked her kit shut with a snap of her fingers and turned around.
For the first time Maldenis got a proper look at her.
Early twenties at most, which seemed young for a protégé of Hecate.
Her disposition too, didn’t mark her as the type to get along with an entity that was older than time itself.
Though she was all business when she was doing her job, Ria had a sunny, sweet disposition of a barista the whole time she checked up on Liora.
But then again, Hecate didn’t have to explain her reasons for who she chose to take under her wing.
“Only my mother calls me by my full name,” Ria continued, putting her hands on her hips, squaring her shoulders in the universal impression of a parent at the end of their patience. “Ariadne Mina Park, what did you do this time?”
“Sounds like my abuela.” Liora said with a chuckle. “Thank you, Ria.”
“Welcome.” Ria clapped her hands together once. “Time for my next patient.”
They followed her through to the adjoining room. Korinnae was on the settee with her legs folded beneath her, and beside the window stood Asterion.
“Korinnae, this is Ria,” Liora said. “She’s going to check on you, okay? She’s very good, she just finished with me.”
She glanced at Maldenis, then added, almost casually, “And you’ve already met Maldenis. He’s actually your half-brother.”
The calf looked at him with wide eyes.
Maldenis hadn’t been prepared for it, the word landing that plainly in a room with others around. It moved through him in two beats; the first was something close to vertigo, and the second was something else entirely, warmer and quieter, that he didn’t have a name for yet.
Korinnae studied him for a long moment with the frank assessment of a small child. Then she nodded, apparently satisfied, and turned her attention to Ria.
“Hi, you must be Korinnae. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Ria.…”
The rest of it faded into the background as Maldenis turned toward the window where Asterion was watching them, not moving an inch even as Liora and Maldenis approached him.
“How is she doing?” Liora asked.
“She survived the attack,” Asterion simply stated.
“And you? What happens to you both after this?”
“We leave.” There was no bitterness in his words, just fact. “Our clan does not tolerate magic. Now that it is known what she is, there is no going back.”
“We could help,” Liora said. “It’s our mission, to help the children of Zeus. Did they tell you of the prophecy and—”
“Yes,” he bit out. “I will keep her safe. I promised her mother I would. We will be fine on our own.”
“Our team can find you place to stay, where those hunters won’t—”
“I do not take charity,” he huffed.
An idea struck Maldenis. “You know this region, and you clearly know how to protect someone. We could use someone like you.”
“I said, I do not take—”
“It’s work,” Maldenis said. “And you saw those hunters, what they could do. We need you,” he added, emphasizing the “need” part.
“We provide housing and protection,” Liora added. “Korinnae could go to a school in Alindale. And remember, she’s not out of the woods yet. The remedy Ria gave us isn’t permanent. She has to administer it regularly until we can find a real cure.”
His expression shifted, the internal struggling obviously playing out in his mind. “Can we not take potions from the witch?” he said, the last word spilling out of his mouth with distaste.
“Doesn’t seem like it,” she replied.
“So, I have no choice, if I want Korinnae to live?” he stated, glancing over at his niece.
“We don’t force people to work for us,” Liora said.
Maldenis added, “Even if you decide to find another place to stay, as long as you keep in touch, we’ll make sure she gets the treatments.” He was tempted to use his persuasion powers on the stubborn bull, but Maldenis knew this was a decision Asterion had to make on his own. “But it’s up to you.”
“So, what do you say?” Liora asked. “If you join us, Korinnae gets a safe place to stay, and she can make friends.”
Asterion paused for a moment. “And you speak for your whole group?”
“Yes,” Liora and Maldenis said at the same time, without hesitating.
Asterion was quiet. “Alright, I accept.”
“Great. We can—”
A sharp giggle cut across the room.
He was at Korinnae’s side in three large strides, one hand on her shoulder, scanning her face. “What happened? Are you hurt?”
Korinnae leaned away from him. “Uncle Asty, I’m fiiiiiine,” she said, her tone like an embarrassed teen. “Ria’s kit opened by itself.”
Ria pressed her lips together. “She’s doing good. Resilient,” she added with a lift of her dark eyebrow. “More than she gets credit for.”
The minotaur’s nostrils flared. “If your magic hurts her in any way—”
“My magic saved her,” Ria replied, her tone matter of fact. “And I will find a cure.” Lifting her head, she met the minotaur’s gaze, her expression steely, never breaking.
So, the friendly, sunshiny witch had nerves of steel.
Interesting.
Asterion straightened slowly. He looked at his niece, then back at the window, which he returned to without a word.
Korinnae watched him go, then looked at Ria. “He does that,” she said quietly.
“I can see that,” Ria said warmly. “Okay, hold out your hand for me….”
Maldenis caught Liora’s eye. She was biting back a smile. Maybe he wasn’t the only one who found this interesting.
Later, when they returned to Liora’s room and she had fallen back asleep—truly asleep this time—Maldenis sat in his chair and let himself think.
He was still sitting there when his phone buzzed on the nightstand. Grabbing it before it could wake Liora, he slipped out into the hallway, pulling the door behind him.
His mother’s face filled the screen. “You look terrible,” Melora said by way of greeting.
“And good morning to you too, Mother,” he replied sarcastically.
“Have you been sleeping?”
“Enough.”
Her slitted golden eyes did a quick, assessing sweep of his face that told him she did not believe him. “How is she?”
“Better. She woke up this morning, then argued with me.” He leaned against the wall. “So, basically herself.”
Something shifted in Melora’s expression. It was brief, but he had spent his entire life watching his mother’s face for those small movements. “Good,” she said. “That is very good. Hecate’s little witch was well-trained.”
“Ariadne knows what she’s doing. She’ll help find a permanent cure.”
“Still, I called in a few favors of my own,” she continued, her tone businesslike once more.
“I’ve reached out to three of my contacts, one in the eastern archives, one who owes me a significant debt in the lower regions, and an old acquaintance who specializes in curses of this particular nature.
” She paused. “I expect to hear back within the week.”
He exhaled. “Thank you. Seriously.”
“Don’t be dramatic,” she said, which was probably as close to ‘you’re welcome’ as she could get. “May I see her?”
He blinked. “She’s asleep.”
“I won’t wake her. I only want to—” She stopped. “Never mind.”
“No, hang on.” Pushing off the wall, he eased the door back open, heading to the bedside and tilting the screen carefully toward Liora. She was still curled on her side, one hand tucked under her cheek, eyes closed.
His mother was quiet for a moment.
“She protected the girl,” Melora said finally. It wasn’t a question.
“Threw herself in front of her,” he said. “Yeah.”
“Bring her to see me. When she is well enough to travel.”
He turned the phone back to face him. “She’d like that.”
Melora’s expression was composed, as it always was, but her eyes said that she had more to say about Liora.
“I knew,” she murmured under her breath.
“Knew what?”
She looked at him directly. “That she would be right for you. From the moment I saw her. That girl has more spine than most basilisks I have worked with, and she does not let you get away with anything.” There was the faintest trace of a smile on her lips. “You needed that.”
He stared at her. “Did you plan this?”
“Plan for you to drunkenly stumble in that spring?” she scoffed. “You give me far too much credit. But when I met her, I thought, yes. This one will not let him disappear into himself. She will push him toward what he is supposed to be.” A pause. “I was not wrong.”
“Of course not,” he muttered. “You could have just told me, you know.”
“And what would you have done?”
He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it. “Run in the opposite direction,” he admitted.
“Yes,” she said. “So I didn’t tell you.” She straightened on screen. “Call me when the witch does her next examination. And eat something, you look like a wraith.”
“Goodnight, Mother.”
“Goodnight.” She hesitated, just for a fraction of a second, like there were more words she wanted to say. Then the call ended.
Maldenis stood in the dim hallway for a moment, phone in hand, thinking about what had transpired. How his childhood had been spent disappointing her, never living up to her expectations.
But maybe, he had misunderstood her. She wasn’t angry because he was not as accomplished as her other clutches. Or that he didn’t live up to his divine parentage. She was frustrated because she had seen potential that hadn’t yet been whipped into shape.
It was complicated. But at least now, it was something.
He set the phone down and looked at his wife, still asleep, one hand curled loosely at the edge of the blanket. His actual wife. In all the ways that mattered and several he hadn’t anticipated. Stubborn, funny, and annoying. And definitely braver than she gave herself credit for.
He had not been nothing, as it turned out. He had simply not yet known what he was.
Maybe I’m starting to figure it out.
Reaching over, he tucked the blanket more securely around her shoulder. She didn’t wake.
Somewhere out there were more children of Zeus who didn’t know what they were yet. They had work to do.
He found, to his own surprise, that he was looking forward to it.
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