Chapter 3 #2
Hecate—Titaness of crossroads and shadowed magic, ally of the Olympians, and one of the few beings who could make Medusa look mild—had taken the triplets under her wing with surprisingly fierce dedication. She’d pushed them in ways none of them had expected.
“It wasn’t easy,” Zara continued. “But she taught us how to refine our abilities. To distinguish Zeus’s lineage from the other monster branches.”
“Basically,” Liora said, “she grilled us until our brains felt like overcooked noodles. But we can do it now. Mostly.”
Elian nodded, rubbing the ink along his forearm. “We’re strong enough that Hecate thinks we can handle the search on our own.”
Zara felt a flicker of pride warm her chest as she said, “So yes, we’re looking for Zeus’s kids. And we’re ready.”
“The abilities you listed don’t really explain how you can find Zeus’s offspring,” Hektor frowned, unimpressed. “Just what do you do? And do you do it individually or as a group, since you are triplets?”
Zara couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her mouth. Sharp of him to catch that.
“Oh, right,” Elian said, straightening. “We forgot the important part.”
Zara exchanged a glance with her siblings. This, at least, they knew how to demonstrate, even without actually activating it.
“The real magic?” Liora said, standing up. “It happens when we’re together.”
They moved instinctively, forming a loose triangle around the center of the room. The shift was immediate, subtle, invisible to normal senses, but present enough that Perseus stiffened, eyes narrowing as if he could feel pressure gathering in the air.
The room seemed to hum, a faint resonance thrumming through the floorboards, as if something ancient were stirring beneath the surface of reality.
“When we focus,” Liora continued, her voice low and electric, “our senses blend. What Elian sees, what Zara feels, and what I pick up through resonance, it all fuses. One stream. One interface.”
“We get this…panoramic awareness,” Zara said, gesturing slowly with her hands. “Like a supernatural 3D map of the space around us.”
“It’s not just knowing someone’s magical,” Elian added, “We see how they’re magical. What type, what intensity. Their emotional signature, their intentions, their, like, spiritual fingerprints.”
“And their connections,” Zara said. “Bloodline, ancestry, divine influences. And in this case, if they’re tied to Zeus.”
“Those threads show up like glowing lines,” Elian said, excitement creeping into his voice. “Sometimes runes or symbols float around them. If the blood is strong, like god-level strong, we can see echoes of their ancestors, too. Almost like holograms.”
Hektor stared at them for a long beat.
Medusa looked pleased.
Perseus looked impressed despite himself.
Zara felt her pulse skip, just a little, with pride.
Liora crossed her arms and arched a brow at Hektor. “Well, we’ve shown you ours. Won’t you show us yours?”
Hektor let out a low grunt, somewhere between annoyance and resignation.
Before he could shut the question down entirely, Medusa stepped in smoothly. “Hektor’s an enforcer in the Drakkon stronghold,” she explained. “He’s spent years navigating Vale Crossing’s territories. He knows the politics, the leaders, the trouble spots…all the things you three don’t.”
Perseus nodded, leaning back in his chair. “Think of him as our fixer. If we need access to a community, he’s the one who gets us in. No closed doors, no hostile borders.”
Hektor finally uncrossed his arms, gaze steady and unreadable. “And I keep people in line,” he added flatly. “If things go bad, I handle it.”
Zara tried to ignore the tiny spark that shot through her, probably curiosity. Probably.
“Great,” Liora said brightly. “So, you’re our muscle.”
Hektor grunted again.
Which, honestly, sounded like a yes.
Zara barely had time to process Medusa’s, “We’ll be right back,” before the gorgon slipped out the door, Perseus close behind her.
The moment the door shut, Liora snagged Zara by the elbow and yanked her a few feet away from the table.
“You’re into Hektor,” Liora hissed.
Zara choked on nothing. “What—no—I—what?!”
“He was a total asshole.” Liora jabbed a finger at her. “And you just took it. Smiling. Being all patient. That’s your tell, Zara.”
“What,” she said again, but this time it came out weaker, more like a squeak than a protest.
“What’s going on?” Elian walked up to them, already grinning.
Zara groaned. She knew exactly what was coming next, and she knew exactly how loud her siblings could be.
“Could you guys keep it quiet?” she whispered through clenched teeth. “Seriously.”
Elian leaned in, whispering dramatically, “Ooh, this has to be good.”
“No, it’s not,” Zara hissed back, heat crawling up her neck.
From across the room, Hektor glanced over, brow furrowing like he was trying to decide whether they were plotting something or just naturally chaotic.
Which, unfortunately, was both true.
Zara’s eyes went wide. “Liora,” she warned under her breath.
But her sister only smirked, leaning in close enough that Zara could practically feel the teasing radiating off her.
“Zara’s hot for the dragon,” Liora snickered.
Zara whipped around so fast she nearly sprained something, checking to see if Hektor had heard.
Thank the gods, he was hunched over his phone, massive thumbs moving with surprising delicacy as he scrolled. Completely oblivious.
For now.
Elian followed her line of sight and let out a low whistle.
“Ah. Well…yeah, I can see the appeal.”
Zara glared daggers at him. “Don’t you start too.”
But Elian only shrugged. “Come on, Zara. You’ve always been into manly men. Or—”
His grin widened, wicked. “I guess now it’s manly Drakkons.”
Liora snorted so hard she nearly doubled over.
Zara groaned, burying her face in her hands.
“I hate you both,” she muttered.