The next blast of power flared brighter, blinding, violent, tearing through the air with enough force to drive everyone back. The ground split wider beneath them, the magic surgingin wild, uncontrolled waves, and then Liora dropped. She hit the ground beside the calf, unmoving.
For a heartbeat, the world held. Then the attackers dissolved, their forms unraveled into dark smoke, slipping through the air as if they had never been there at all, gone as suddenly as they had come.
Silence crashed down over the cul-de-sac.
The light dimmed, the violent hum of magic fading into nothing, leaving only the aftermath, cracked earth, scattered weapons, and bodies too still.
Asterion was cradling the unconscious calf, his massive hands shaking. The sheer size of him made the tremor more jarring, each unsteady movement betraying a fear that didn’t belong on a creature like him. Maldenis caught the look on his face—raw and unguarded—as he bent over her, protective and frantic, as if his body alone could shield her from whatever had just happened.
Maldenis didn’t think. He moved and barely registered anything around him as he crossed the distance, dropping hard beside Liora.
Her eyes were closed. And for a split second, his mind refused to process it, like if he didn’t name it, it wouldn’t be real. His hand hovered just above her, then settled against her shoulder, too careful, like she might break under the weight of him.
“Liora,” he said, his voice rough, barely steady.
No response.
Something cold twisted low in his chest.
Zara suddenly shoved into him, enough to force him back. “Move.”
He didn’t argue. Didn’t even think to. He let himself be pushed aside, his hands dropping uselessly to his sides as Zara took his place.
She dropped beside Liora, all sharp focus and urgency, Zara’s expression tightening with every second that passed.
Maldenis felt it then, that creeping dread, slow and suffocating.
“Elian!” Zara snapped.
He was there instantly, no hesitation, no wasted motion, dropping to the ground beside them.
“We need Hecate.”
The name landed heavy. Maldenis knew of Hecate, the Titan who had trained the triplets, who had pushed their abilities beyond what they’d once been capable of. If anyone could understand power like this, wild, uncontrolled, and dangerous…
Elian didn’t hesitate. He pushed to his feet immediately, already reaching for the magic, hands lifting, energy gathering, the air around him shifting as he called out across whatever distance separated them.
Maldenis stayed where he was. Frozen. Eyes locked on Liora.
“Help me,” Zara looked up at him. “Lay them flat. Both of them. They need to be ready for treatment.”
He nodded, the motion automatic, and carefully placed Liora onto the stone. Every movement felt wrong, too slow and deliberate, as if he could somehow undo what had happened if he handled her gently enough. His hand lingered for a fraction of a second longer than it should have, hovering near her before he forced himself to pull back.
When he turned toward the minotaur, Asterion didn’t move. He held the calf tighter, massive arms curled protectively around her small frame, as if letting go would mean losing her entirely. Up close, Maldenis could see the fear carved deep into every line of his face.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Asterion said hoarsely.
“If you want her to live,” Zara met his gaze, steady and unyielding, “you need to trust us.”
The words settled between them.
Maldenis watched the shift happen: Asterion’s grip faltered, and his gaze dropped to the child in his arms, something raw flickering across his face, fear, helplessness, the kind of desperation that stripped everything else away.
For a moment, it looked like he might refuse.
Then, slowly, reluctantly, he moved.
He lowered her to the ground beside Liora with a care that bordered on reverence, his hands lingering as if he couldn’t quite bring himself to let go.
