Before anyone could argue, he turned and grabbed the girl’s hand, pulling her quickly away from the sandpit. The child looked confused as she stumbled after him. Within seconds, they had disappeared down a side path.
“What the—” Liora stared after them.
Footsteps approached behind them as the rest of the group caught up.
“What happened?” Maldenis frowned.
Brontaios looked equally confused. “You found something?”
Zara let out an irritated breath. “Oh, we found something.”
Elian rubbed his arm where the minotaur had grabbed him. “Yeah,” he muttered. “And apparently we’re not supposed to use our powers here.”
“They went that way,” Liora pointed down the narrow stone path the minotaurs had taken.
They hurried after them, their footsteps quick against the worn stone as they moved deeper into the neighborhood. The houses here were closer together, smaller than the ones near the ridge center, with carved wooden doors and thick stone walls.
Ahead of them, Brontaios spoke under his breath. “This clan…” he said, sounding uneasy. “They have a history with magic.”
Liora glanced at him. “What kind of history?”
“They hate it.” Brontaios grimaced.
“We noticed,” Elian scoffed quietly.
“They left the Upperworld centuries ago,” Brontaios continued. “Their clan fought a sorcerer there. Lost badly. Since then, they’ve blamed magic for everything.”
Liora shot him a look. “Well, that would’ve been nice to know before we started triangulating in the middle of their playground.”
“Agreed,” Maldenis snorted. He glanced ahead, already scanning the buildings. “Let’s just see if we can get him to talk to us.”
The path curved and opened into a small cul-de-sac. Several homes faced the round clearing, their doors painted in deep, earthy colors. Liora immediately spotted the minotaur from the park entering one of the houses on the right, the little girl still holding his hand. The door shut firmly behind them.
“There,” Zara said.
They slowed slightly as they approached.
“Ready?” Hektor asked quietly.
Maldenis nodded. He, Hektor, and Brontaios stepped forward first, naturally forming the front of the group. The triplets moved right behind them.
Maldenis reached the door and knocked firmly. The sound echoed against the stone walls. For a moment, nothing happened, then the door opened with a sharp pull.
The minotaur stood there, filling the doorway with his broad frame. His dark eyes swept over the group, and his expression made it very clear he hadn’t cooled down since their last encounter.
“You’ll be in deep trouble,” he said bluntly, “if you do not leave our territory.”
Maldenis didn’t move; instead, he offered a polite nod. “My name is Maldenis of Solkaris,” he said evenly. “And we’re not here to cause problems. We’re looking for the children of Zeus.”
The minotaur’s expression hardened.
“There are forces searching for them,” Maldenis continued calmly. “Dangerous ones. Our job is to find them first and make sure they’re safe.”
The minotaur’s gaze flicked from Maldenis to the others, lingering briefly on the triplets. He looked deeply unconvinced, but after a moment, he glanced down the street behind them.
He exhaled sharply. “We should take this inside,” he muttered. “Before someone starts asking questions.”
He stepped aside.
