Semelē sauntered through the streets of Beverly Hills with her head held high. Whippy and the other pegasus had sat them just outside of Bel Air. They had previously been heading for The Flats of Beverly Hills, but Perseus had foresaw a trap that awaited them there if they continued. That was something that she had been able to confirm once she ripped a small hole into the mageia that surrounded the area.
The Minotaur stayed within that area, hunting down food since in general, Beverly Hills and its environs were home to a myriad of critters, from coyotes and mountain lions to squirrels and skunks.
The two boys had stood guard around her as she worked on manipulating her spell again. She hated messing with wards that weren't her own.
"Are you sure a spell couldn't get us closer," Atkis asked and Semelē resisted the urge to cast him back into the sea. His sisters and brother were some of the most famed and powerful witches in history and he wondered why she didn't use a spell to get closer?
She could. She could tear down the wards as easily as popping a bubble or shredding paper. She could turn the entire North American continent into a hellscape and draw her out. Realistically, there were no lengths that she wouldn't go, but when it came to strength and power, subtlety was the key.
"Spell casting is more than just chanting words and hoping you get the desired outcome," she explained after taking a calming breath. "The wards and spells that she layered over Beverly Hills are saturated in the air. A multitude of them actually. Casting a spell to her is like setting every alarm in the world off at one time and being face to face with instant defenses that shoot first and ask questions never."
Semelē cast a glance around her, impressed despite herself. "The spell that she placed around here is so intricate that I could stay here for centuries just working to unlock one of them." She was powerful. She was easily one of the most powerful witches at sea and could take on a lot of the ones above the surface. She had the privilege of private tutors and access to spells and potions that most would kill for, but she was still a novice in regards to Pasiphaë and her siblings.
(And yes, she did know some spells that could even out the difference and make them equals, but she could guarantee that they knew more that could shift the balance.)
Semelē fixed her outfit, catching sight of the mortal paparazzi that were eyeing them. A few of them were taking pictures and it took her only a moment to realize that they recognized Atkis with them. "It looks like we will need mortal disguises sooner than we thought."
The males turned to look and Atkis immediately straightened his posture, putting on an expression of confidence and ease instead of walking around like a petulant child.
"Well if she didn't know we were here before," Atkis murmured as the twins followed his example. Perseús made a mental note to thank their teachers. It seemed those etiquette lessons were good for more than just dinner with the nobles and Olympioi.
"What are we to say if they ask for a name," Semelē mused. "I personally think our mortal surname should be Haligenes."
"Is that not too on the nose," Perseús asked. It did mean Born in the sea. His sister waved her hand. "Mortals are idiots. They believe anything and ignore the truth even if it shot them in the face."
"Please do not shoot any mortal in the face," Atkis groaned. "Keep the epithet as your surname. Tis fine. Mortals, especially those in America, are astonishingly obtuse. There will be very few who understand the etymology of it and even those that do know the meaning, well they would not believe that you are deities since you were not born during the olden days unless they name you as one of the Ôkeanis or Potamoi."
