When I couldn’t take it anymore, I shouted, "Enough!" The symbol's power exploded outward then and joined with Aidon's next attack. The combined force sent our attacker crashing through a display of enchanted wind chimes.
Their hood fell back, revealing a face marked with symbols that matched my belly's mark. "The time approaches. The ancient ones rise. The children must--" A bag of extra-spicy chips exploded against his face. This one was courtesy of Nana.She’d managed to interrupt whatever ominous prophecy they were about to deliver.
"Nobody threatens my great-grandbabies," she declared, brandishing another bag. "Now get out before I show you what else I can do with snack food."
The figure actually hesitated and looked from Aidon's gathering power to Nana's deadly snack arsenal. A second later he vanished, leaving only the scent of ancient power and spicy chips. The dark light around Aidon slowly faded. Though, he maintained a protective stance near us.
Greg surveyed the destruction before grinning. "Best entertainment since the mer-people tried to unionize the food vendors." He handed me a fresh bag of chips. "On the house. Anyone who can channel that much power while pregnant deserves free snacks. And hey," he added to Aidon, "nice work with the whole wrathful god thing. It really added atmosphere to the place."
CHAPTER 4
The drive home from the Crossroads Collective was tense. Not even Greg's magical blue chips could fully distract me from the weight of what had just happened. Between shapeshifters at Clio's and cryptic hooded figures at the market, this day was shaping up to be a real winner. My belly symbol pulsed with a gentle rhythm that somehow managed to be both reassuring and annoying as hell.
"We need to decompress," Mom announced as we pulled into the driveway. Her expression was set in that familiar 'I-know-what's-best-for-you' look that hadn't changed since I was five. "You mentioned wanting to try that magical prenatal yoga video Clio recommended, didn’t you, Phoebe?"
I groaned and shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "Mom, after everything that's happened today, do you really think doing downward dog with this on my belly is the best idea? These babies are already doing acrobatics without encouragement."
"Actually," Selene interjected from the backseat, "some gentle movement might help stabilize the energy you’re putting off. Plus, it could help with your back pain. If these babies are anything like you and your kids, they get more restless when you're stationary for too long."
"I’ve read about pregnancy, Mom. The babies do need you calm and centered," Nina added. Her fingers were flying across her phone as she spoke. Given the way Stella jumped out of her vehicle behind us, I bet she texted Stella about our yoga plans. "Honestly, Mom, you've been wound tighter than Dad before a big surgery."
"Fine," I conceded as I hauled myself out of the car with all the grace of a beached whale, "but if I end up getting stuck in an uncomfortable pose, I'm blaming all of you. I hope Mythia will make me a smoothie before we start. With pickles. And chocolate sauce."
"That's disgusting," Nina muttered as she walked through the door and headed for the kitchen.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Stella enthused as she bounced into the house beside me. I wasn’t so sure, but I was always up for a challenge.
Mythia flew right for me, stopping a few feet away. “Please tel me Nina was wrong. You want a smoothie with pickles and chocolate sauce?”
I bobbed my head. “Yep. It’s going to be as good as adding pickle juice to my sodas.” Based on the retching sounds around me, no one else agreed, but Mythia agreed to make one while we got ready.
I watched as Aidon, Stella, and Mom shoved our furniture against the walls like they were preparing for some kind of magical throwdown. Which, given our track record, wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility.
"I'm staying right here," Aidon announced, hovering nearby as if I might spontaneously combust. Knowing our luck lately, I couldn't exactly fault him for the helicopter-mate routine. I nodded and pressed a kiss to his lips.
"Remember," Tarja projected from the windowsill, "your magic is tied to your emotions right now. When you feelyourself slipping, ground your energy into the earth instead of letting it spiral outward. We don't need more dancing toasters. There is enough of that coming from your magical tattoo."
"But dubstep would be an improvement," I countered.
Mythia swept in carrying what looked like a toxic waste spill in a glass. "Your afternoon craving, my lady!" she announced with a flourish. "One pickle, dark chocolate sauce, and vanilla protein smoothie. Blended to perfection."
My mouth watered as I grabbed the glass. The rest of the room gagged at the combination, but my babies had the taste buds of a chaos demon. I took a long sip, sighing happily as the weird-but-wonderful flavors hit my tongue.
"That," Tarja said with visible disgust, "is an abomination against nature."
"Says the cat who ate sardines on her ice cream during her pregnancy," I shot back, taking another deliberate sip just to watch her whiskers twitch. "I'm going to have Mythia make this for you next time you're pregnant."
Tarja's ears flattened against her head. "That was a moment of temporary insanity."
"Alright, ladies," Stella cut in before our pregnancy-craving showdown could escalate. "It's time for prenatal yoga." She pulled up the video on her tablet and then streamed it to the television.
The yoga instructor on the screen had that serene look that made me want to throw things at her. Her voice oozed calm like honey from a jar. "Center yourself," she cooed, "and allow the magical energy to flow through your chakras. Embrace the divine feminine within." My divine feminine was currently craving pickles while my magical tattoo was making household appliances dance. Let's see Little Miss Zen handle that.
"The divine beings within me are currently doing the macarena on my bladder," I muttered as I tried to follow her instructions.
I'd barely gotten into the first pose when the symbol on my skin flared like a disco ball. The room's energy shifted, and suddenly, my yoga mat was floating three feet off the ground.
"Well, shit," I muttered as I tried to maintain my balance. "This is new. A little help here?"
