“Oh no,” she whispered. “Notthat.”
Too late.
A column of fire roared upward from his mouth, blazing past the awning and lighting the night sky in brilliant red gold.
Phones dropped.
Screams echoed.
The courtyard cleared in seconds.
When the smoke drifted away and the heat faded, only the basilisks remained, stunned, impressed, and mildly offended.
One blinked and muttered, “…okay, that was excessive.”
Another shrugged. “Well, I’m awake now.”
All attention shifted to Pythorus.
Straightening, voice calm and authoritative, he said, “We’re here because some of you are not just basilisks. You are demigods descended from Zeus.”
Silence fell, charged and electric.
“With a statement like that,” one of the basilisks said dryly, “we should take this inside.”
Zara glanced at him. He looked older than the rest, a bit weathered around the eyes, maybe mid-thirties, which couldmean much older. He had the calm voice of someone who had seen enough nonsense to stop reacting to it.
A younger basilisk, smooth-skinned, green-eyed, hair tied in a too-casual knot, lifted a hand. “I’m going to need a drink for this,” he muttered.
Another one, taller, bulkier, and absolutely radiating eldest-child energy, gave the younger one a shove with his tail. “Be respectful,” he scolded…then added under his breath, “But yes. Definitely inside.”
Zara almost laughed.
The group of them headed back toward the bar, now mostly cleared out thanks to Hektor’s dramatic fire display. Pythorus fell into step beside the older basilisk, voice low, diplomatic. “If you’ll allow us a private corner, we can explain everything without an audience.”
Hektor motioned subtly for the siblings to follow, eyes sweeping for threats. His knight-mode was on; Zara could practically feel the tension humming beneath his calm face.
When she moved to follow, Hektor’s hand reached for hers. Not accidentally. Not casually. On purpose.
Her breath hitched before she could stop it. His hand was warm and steady. She looked up, and he was looking at her with a soft, unguarded look. The kind he never allowed anyone to see.
Her lips lifted before she could rein it in.
“Oh, come on,” Liora sighed loudly, dramatic as a stage actress. “Thisis happening now?”
Elian elbowed her. “Let them have their moment.”
Zara tried to hide her grin, her cheeks aching with the effort.
The basilisks led the way into the bar’s private lounge, stone walls glimmering with vein-like gold, ancient carvings catching firelight. It felt secret and dangerous.
She squeezed Hektor’s hand once, barely there, more of a whisper than a motion. But he tightened his grip in return.
She couldn’t help it. She wasglowing. Maybe it was ridiculous, maybe it was abrupt, maybe a god might smite them before the hour was over, but she’d been right.
This was happening.
It was late, just shy of midnight, when Zara knocked.
