The air felt heavy, like a storm was about to break, but it was just them—divine beings who had seen empires rise and crumble, now sitting around, debating a damn teenager.
Apollo leaned back, arms crossed, watching the way the conversation had turned. "Look," he said, tone dry, "I did what had to be done."
Aphrodite, on the other hand, was bubbling with anger, her golden glow dimming at the edges like a candle about to go out in a strong wind. "Apollo, have you lost your fucking mind? That girl was still healing! And you pulled that shit? Are you out of your damn sunburned head?"
Apollo snorted. "It was necessary."
"Oh, necessary," Aphrodite mocked, eyes flashing. "Necessary for what? To traumatize her more?"
"To keep Parker under our radar." Apollo exhaled sharply, his patience wearing thin. "We all know something's off. He slips past us sometimes—blackouts, blanks, gaps where we should've seen everything. I had to know if it was real."
Aphrodite's fingers curled into her palm. "And this was the only way?" she challenged. "To see if he can actually hide some of his movements from us?"
"Would you rather we just sit around waiting for a neat little solution to fall into our laps?" Hera, to those who actually knew her—cut in, voice cool and practical. "We needed answers, and we needed them fast. And you, Aphrodite, are way too invested in that girl. Since when do we question our own moves because of a mortal?"
A flicker of something unreadable passed over Aphrodite's face, but before she could bite back, another voice joined in.
"She's right," Ares said, arms resting against the back of his chair. "Things aren't adding up. We were watching, but somehow, we didn't see shit when Atalanta and Cassandra met him. Only caught it after Parker walked away, and even then, we barely got scraps of their conversation. Same thing in his house. We saw nothing—until his bond with Tessa cracked open through the set limits."
A heavy silence settled over them.
Then Nyx sighed. "This isn't even the first time. Remember when Parker was supposed to head home? The entire thing was blank. Nothing. Until he showed back up in his mansion, beat to hell with his magical cat missing."
Dionysus chuckled, swirling his drink. "Speaking of which—how the fuck did Erebus become a mortal's pet?"
"Exactly," Hermes smirked. "We've been saying it. Parker's one of them."
"Even that Blackwood family…" Dionysus mused, setting his glass down. "They scream Origin Family."
Apollo pointed at him. "That's what I'm saying. And if Aphrodite would stop being so damn emotional about this, we could actually get somewhere. Parker might be the key to figuring this shit about these families out—he's the only link for us to know those anomalies."
Aphrodite closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose before meeting his gaze. "Then you better hope," she murmured, "that he isn't one of THEM. And more importantly—" her voice dipped, quiet but heavy, "not the son of HER."
A ripple went through the room.
Hera stilled. Ares' jaw tightened. A few others immediately shook their heads, muttering denials under their breath.
Then, scoffing, he muttered under his breath, "All that just over a man touching a woman's back? What's the big deal with it. And it's not like he's one of THEM, I am sure!"
Aphrodite chuckled, low and knowing. "You'll see."
They all knew, though. Knew why Apollo had really pulled that move. It wasn't just about testing Parker's tricks.
Cassandra, the one who had turned him ages ago, was drawn to Parker. Drawn in a way that was growing, something deeper, something undeniable.
And if Parker was tied to them—was Apollo ready to face the consequences of what he'd done to his woman?
The place was silent. No golden halls, no blinding radiance, none of the usual grandeur of Olympus. Just a secluded, mist-covered expanse where three figures stood apart from the others, watching from a distance. The other gods were gathered below, still locked in heated discussion, but up here? It was just Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The Big Three.
The ones with the most to lose. A lot to fear!
Hades exhaled slowly, arms crossed, eyes sharp. "So, tell me, Zeus… is the boy one of THEM?"
Zeus didn't answer right away. His gaze stayed fixed on the meeting below, his expression unreadable. Then, finally, he shook his head. "I don't know." His voice was quiet, but the weight behind it was anything but.
Hades clicked his tongue. "We're not sure, but damn if everything isn't pointing in that direction. And if he is—" His jaw tightened. "That's trouble. Real trouble."
Poseidon snorted. "Trouble?" He leaned against his trident, one brow raised whole thing was ridiculous. "You're acting like we're about to see Olympus burn."
Hades didn't blink. "We might and you know why!"
That shut Poseidon up. For a moment, at least. But then he scoffed, shaking his head. "You're both overthinking. Over crediting the boy. Why the fuck would they leave one of theirs behind?" He gestured vaguely. "We know his past. The only reason he's anything at all is because of the system. Aphrodite's creation."
Zeus exhaled sharply. "And?"
"And there's no way in hell a son of THEM would need a fucking system to grow stronger." Poseidon gestured again, this time toward the gods still gathered below. "Heck, why would their son be some nobody? A mortal kid tossed aside by his own guardian family?"
That part made sense. Too much sense.
Silence stretched between them.
Poseidon crossed his arms. "We're probably just overthinking. Maybe his system—whatever the fuck. For all it's worth—just has some weird, unique feature that lets him slip under our radar. That'd explain why we would keeps losing sight of him than overthinking that he's one of THEM."
Zeus and Hades exchanged glances. They wanted to believe that. Needed to.
Because if it wasn't true… if Parker was one of THEM, more terrifyingly, if he was the son of HER—
Then nothing, nothing, was going to save Apollo from what he did.
Poseidon, still lounging like he hadn't just laughed at the most dangerous possibility imaginable, smirked. "You two look like you're about to have a heart attack."
Hades sighed, rubbing his temples. "We just really, really hope that kid is a nobody."
Zeus nodded. "Not because of anything we did to him."
"No." Hades' voice dropped. "Because we know what's coming for us. Just the three of us!"
The crimes of their past were catching up. And if Parker was who they feared he might be—
Then they were fucked.