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Before Ria could take him, Korinnae gasped. “Ohh!” she hurried forward, her eyes wide with wonder. “He’s so tiny!”

The Pomeranian immediately began licking her hand.

Korinnae giggled. “I’ve never had a dog before.”

“And you’re not going to have one now.” Asterion watched as the tiny Pomeranian happily bounced around Korinnae’s feet, yipping every few seconds as though determined to announce his presence to the entire neighborhood. Before he could ask what was happening, Ria caught the look on his face.

“It’s not exactly what it looks like,” she said with a smile. “Persephone sent him.”

“The Queen of the Underworld?” Asterion asked.

She nodded. “He’s here to protect Korinnae while she’s in the Upperworld.”

Asterion looked from the fluffy little dog to the calf scratching behind its ears, then back to Ria. “That wee thing couldn’t protect anyone.” He let out an incredulous huff.

“Oh? Watch this.”

She gave a casual flick of her fingers, and a shimmer of magic rippled through the room. The tiny Pomeranian stretched upward, his body expanding until he stood nearly as tall as Ria. Two more heads emerged from his shoulders, each shaking out its thick mane before opening enormous jaws lined with gleaming teeth. The cheerful yips became three booming barks that rattled the dishes in the cupboards.

Silence settled over the kitchen.

Asterion stared. “Is that Cerberus?”

The enormous hound wagged all three heads.

“The one and only,” the middle head replied proudly.

The head on the left puffed out its chest. “Guardian of the Underworld.”

“And very good with children,” the head on the right nodded enthusiastically.

“You’re amazing!” Instead of shrinking back, Korinnae squealed with delight. “I like both your forms!” She hurried over without a trace of fear.

All three heads turned toward her, and their expressions softened immediately. Cerberus lowered himself onto his belly, allowing the calf to throw her arms around the massive middle neck.

“I like you too,” the center head admitted.

“Excellent taste,” the left head nodded sagely.

The right head licked Korinnae across the face, and she erupted into giggles.

Ismene smiled warmly. “Queen Persephone is very generous.”

Asterion slowly recovered enough to tear his gaze away from the legendary guardian of the Underworld. “How…did this happen?”

“Hecate must’ve told her about Korinnae.” Ria shrugged as though being loaned divine creatures was an everyday occurrence.

“That sounds like Hecate,” Ismene agreed. “The two of them have always looked after one another’s people.”

Cerberus looked over one shoulder at Asterion. “Besides,” the middle head said, “Queen Persephone told me a brave little girl could use a friend.”

The right head wagged enthusiastically. “So here we are.”

“And,” the left head added with obvious satisfaction, “I was promised snacks.”

“Oh, you’ll fit right in around here,” Ismene laughed.

“Hecate put a glamour over all of you,” Ria explained, glancing between Asterion, Korinnae, and Cerberus. “Humans would panic if they saw what you actually looked like. To everyone else, you’ll look completely normal.”