Perseus gathered the last of the maps and tapped them into a neat pile. “On that note, Medusa and I have to run. But tomorrow morning we’ll figure out some of the logistics and hopefully divide tasks.”
He gave them a parting nod, the kind that made him look every inch a hero, which Hektor suspected he practiced in the mirror, and followed Medusa out the door.
The room fell into the kind of silence that meant everyone was too tired to pretend they wanted to talk anymore.
Hektor leaned back in his chair, the wood creaking under his weight.
He still hated meetings.
Still hated sitting still.
Still hated the way his tailbone felt like it had fused to the seat.
But…
He eyed the triplets: Liora stretching her arms overhead, Elian tipping chips into his mouth, and Zara tucking a loose curl behind her ear as she gathered her notes.
…he did not hatethis team.
Which was somehow worse. He went back to pretending to read the map in front of him.
“So…is there somewhere we can go for happy hour?”
Hektor lifted his gaze to Zara, looking at him with a hopeful spark in her eyes.
Was she talking tohim?
“Happy hour?” he echoed.
“You know, a place where people go for drinks. After work.”
He frowned. “That’s a thing?”
“Yes,” she laughed. “In the Upperworld, coworkers unwind, relax, bond, complain about their bosses…that kind of thing.”
Humans. And their rituals. Leave it to them to give everything a cute, unnecessary name.
“There are bars here,” he said at last. “We can go to any one of them.”
“Oh, that’s a great idea,” Liora chimed in immediately, jumping into the conversation.
“Yeah, I’m in,” Elian added. “Do they have anything special? Like a Vale Crossing liquor? A Drakkon brew? A mystery potion we’re not supposed to drink but probably will anyway?”
Both Hektor and Zara turned toward them at the same time. Zara looked annoyed, while he felt vaguely alarmed.
“There are…beverages,” Hektor gave Elian a flat stare. “Strong ones. Some you might actually survive.”
Zara laughed softly, the sound warm and quick, slipping under his skin before he could guard against it.
“Perfect,” she said. “Lead the way then?”
For reasons he didn’t bother trying to understand, Hektor stood. And for the first time all day, he didn’t mind being part of the group moving toward the door.
As they walked out, Zara fell into step beside him. He glanced down at her; she barely reached his shoulder. Small, yes, but built entirely out of sharp edges and bold color. He was starting to get the sense that her personality alone could knock down a door.
Behind them, her siblings trailed close, and when they joined the conversation, Hektor and Zara both looked back at them, an instinctive check-in he couldn’t quite name.
Zara smiled up at him. “So…where are we going?”
