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“I missed you too, lass.” He lifted her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Did you find the warlock?”

“Yes, we did.” Ria set her bag down in the hallway. Cerberus, still in his human glamour, appeared from the kitchen and gave them a nod. “How were things here?”

“She was well-behaved,” he reported. “Mostly.”

“Mostly?” Asterion raised an eyebrow at his niece.

“I was an angel,” Korinnae said in a firm voice.

“She tried to teach me the choreography,” Cerberus said. “I have three heads in my true form and I still couldn’t keep up.”

Korinnae grinned. “He tried, though.”

Ismene appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. She hugged Ria first, then stepped back. Her gaze lingered on them both, knowing eyes narrowing.

“You both look rested,” she said, emphasizing the last word.

“It was a good trip,” Ria replied in a neutral tone. It reminded Asterion of Xanthe when she was trying to hide something from their own mother.

“Mmm.” Ismene smiled and turned back toward the kitchen. “I made pastitsio. Sit down.”

Asterion glanced at Ria, who gave the slightest shake of her head. He wasn’t sure if that meant “don’t say anything” or “she already knows,” but either way, the instruction was the same: don’t say a word. He nodded back in silent agreement. This…thing between them was new, even to him. He was trying to figure it out himself. It would definitely be prudent to keep things under wraps, at least until they both knew where they stood.

Chapter 12

Ria

Something tugged at Ria, pulling her slowly from sleep. She woke disoriented, blinking into the dimness until she remembered where she was. Her room in the house in Alindale. The familiar surroundings gradually came into focus, and then an arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. A smile spread across her face. This was definitely an improvement from before.

Asterion was asleep beside her, his warmth pressed against her back. For all his gruffness and intimidating size, the minotaur apparently had a serious weakness for cuddling. He had practically wrapped himself around her sometime during the night, and she had to admit she didn’t mind one bit.

She turned toward the nightstand to check the clock, trying not to disturb him. She needed to make sure they still had enough time before they had to get up. More importantly, she needed to know how much time she had before she had to kick him out of her bed. They’d agreed that Korinnae shouldn’t know about them. Not yet, anyway.

She wasn’t sure how long they could keep it a secret, especially with the way Asterion looked at her when he thought no one was watching and the way she found herself gravitating toward him whenever they were alone. Still, Korinnae had already been through enough changes, and neither of them wanted to complicate things for her. For now, whatever was happening between them could remain theirs. And for the most part, they had managed to keep it to themselves.

Since returning from the Upperworld, a quiet routine had settled over the house. During the day, life revolved around Korinnae—her lessons, her healing sessions, meals, errands, and the endless questions that came with being ten and suddenly discovering that magic, gods, and hidden worlds existed beyond anything she’d imagined. Then, once the calf had gone to bed, the house would grow quiet.

Those hours had somehow become theirs. They would sit together in the living room, sometimes in comfortable silence, sometimes with tea, and talk through everything that still needed to be done. There was the matter of the tattoo, the search for answers about Korinnae’s magic, and the growing list of questions that seemed to multiply every time they solved one problem. The tattoo remained at the center of it all.

They had explained as much as they could to Korinnae. Asterion had expected tears or protests, but the girl had surprised him.

“What does Ria have to do?” she’d asked, her brow furrowed. “And why does it have to be that way?”

Ria had answered patiently, explaining that the magic required someone older, someone whose magic was fully developed. Korinnae was still too young, and placing the tattoo on her directly could be dangerous. The little calf had been upset. She had looked down at her hands for a long moment before asking if it was really necessary. When Ria told her it was, that this was what was required, Korinnae had nodded with a solemnity that seemed far too old for a child.

“So…that’s what the magic requires?”

Ria had smiled. “Yes.”

That answer, more than anything else, seemed to satisfy her. Korinnae understood rules. Traditions. The idea that some things simply had to be done a certain way. And so, the child had accepted it, even if she didn’t entirely understand.

The memory softened something in Ria. Korinnae had been through so much, yet she still trusted them. And in the quiet moments after the calf had gone to sleep, while plans were made and worries shared, she and Asterion had started trusting each other too.

She shifted slightly beneath Asterion’s arm, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing behind her. Even with everything they’d discussed, he still wasn’t happy about the tattoo. He hated the idea of marking her skin, especially when they didn’t know exactly what the magic would do once it was placed there. More than once, he’d questioned why she seemed so willing to accept that it would work.

“Because I trust the magic,” she’d told him.