"Remember what Fiona taught you," Mythia murmured as we took our positions. "Let your magic flow freely. Don't try to force it to join with mine. Just guide it as we cast additionalwards. And for the love of all that's holy, don't sneeze. These runes are delicate."
Before beginning the divination, we focused on protection. Mom, Nana, Selene, and Nina began casting wards the moment I did. Our magic flowed together as we wove layers of wards around the property. I jolted when Mythia and her pixies’ magic joined the party. They wove Fae safeguards through it all, creating defenses both ancient and new. By the time we were done, I doubted a fly would be able to get through them.
With that done, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My magic was responding to the ritual's call and stirred deep within me. It was still mingled with Mythia's power. My eyes snapped open when wind blew hair into my face. We’d created a swirling vortex. This was different from the wards. My instincts told me that we’d moved on to the divination.
The tension in my spine eased when Mom, Nina, Stella, and Nana's magic returned to the mix. I needed them to be part of this. It was a security blanket for me. I felt if they were part of it, nothing could go wrong. Like when I was little and my mother kept the monsters under my bed from getting me. Selene was the only one not involved. I looked at her and was relieved when she added her power too. She’d become part of the family since arriving on my doorstep and should be part of it.
After that, the energy began to pulse in time with the symbol on my belly. The pixies shifted the ritual. Their Fae magic added a wild, untamed element that made the air crackle. The hair on my arms even stood on end. Following Mythia’s advice, I let my magic flow.
It was odd that I wasn’t actively directing the spell. A few seconds later, a vision overwhelmed my senses. That’s when I knew the divination ritual had hit its peak. Ancient symbols spiraled through my consciousness. Each one radiated power that made the mark on my belly seem insignificant incomparison. I saw vast cosmic spaces whirling while an eerie melody echoed through them.
The images came faster, each one burning itself into my mind. Robed figures stood in a ceremonial circle. Their presence was heavy with dark purpose. There was a book bound in what I recognized with growing horror as human skin. Then, I saw a cavern that seemed to reach into the earth's core. Its walls were covered in the same symbols that now marked my womb.
A voice cut through it all like a hot knife through butter. There was an ancient, powerful quality as it spoke words I couldn't understand. I felt them in my soul, though. Somehow, I knew it was a warning. It was a prophecy and a call to arms all rolled into one cryptic package. And I didn’t know the first word of it.
I gasped and broke the connection. I felt like I'd just been on the world's worst acid trip. Aidon was there in a flash, steadying me. My hunky god made the best crutch. As the magic faded and left me feeling hollower than a chocolate Easter bunny, I looked at the expectant faces around me. They all stared at me with expressions that would've been comical if the situation wasn't so serious. Mom had broken out her ‘I'll fight the universe itself’ face, while Nana's eyes held that dangerous glint that usually preceded someone getting whacked with a wooden spoon.
"Well?" Aidon demanded. "What did you see? Who can I kill to make this go away?"
I shook my head, trying to organize my thoughts. They were about as cooperative as a herd of cats. "It's not Lyra," I said slowly, clinging to the pieces I could remember. "It's... something else. There was a prophecy or warning I think."
"Older than Lyra?" Nina asked as she moved closer to me. "How did someone else get to you?"
"I don't know," I admitted as I put my arm around her shoulders. "But whatever this is, it's ancient. Powerful. And I think it's coming for us.”
Aidon tensed beside me and growled, “Somehow, I doubt it wants to throw us a baby shower."
"Evil coming after us isn't exactly new," Nana replied dryly. "But maybe we should stock up on diapers and holy water while we figure this out."
As nervous laughter rippled through the group, I met Aidon's eyes. The worry I saw there mirrored mine. Whatever this new threat was, one thing was clear. Our lives were about to get a whole lot more complicated.
"Did you see anything else?" Mythia pressed gently. "Any clues about what this entity might want? Or what we're dealing with?"
I closed my eyes, trying to recall the fleeting images. "There were symbols similar to the one on my stomach. And a book. It looked old and was bound in..." I swallowed hard, not wanting to voice my suspicion.
"Bound in what, dear?" Mom asked.
"I think it was human skin." I shuddered along with everyone else like we'd all simultaneously stepped on a cold, wet spot in socks.
Aidon's grip on my side tightened. "It had to be a grimoire," he growled. "Dark ones were often bound like that. Ancient practitioners believed it enhanced their power."
"Like regular magic books weren't scary enough," Nana muttered. "They had to go and make them even more unsettling."
Stella, who had been uncharacteristically quiet (a sure sign things were serious), spoke up. "But why Phoebe? Why now? Did she win some lottery we don't know about?"
It was a good question, and one I didn't have an answer to. I looked down at my swollen belly. My hand ran over the symbol that still pulsed with an otherworldly light. "I don't know," I admitted. "But I have a feeling it has something to do with the babies. As if being pregnant with god-spawned triplets wasn't exciting enough."
A protective hush fell over the group. This wasn't just about me anymore. Whatever was coming, it was after my children. Our children. And that thought filled me with a fierce determination I'd felt with my older children. No one hurt my babies and got away with it. Mama Bear mode had been activated.
CHAPTER 2
Iwoke to the sound of singing coming from my bathroom. "What the hell is that?" I grumbled as I pulled my comforter over my head, trying to block out the noise. Tarja's ears flattened against her head as she lay curled beside me, her silver-tipped tail twitching with annoyance.
"Your appliances appear to have developed musical aspirations," she projected dryly into my mind. But the racket continued. What sounded like a tone-deaf duet of "Don't Stop Believin'" filtered through my bedroom door.
For a moment, I thought I was still dreaming. Then I remembered yesterday's magical tattoo adventure with the divination and groaned. Hauling myself out of bed, I waddled to the bathroom to investigate, Tarja padding silently behind me. My electric toothbrush and hairdryer were the culprits. They were enthusiastically performing a morning concert. What was happening now? Had my pregnancy-enhanced powers decided to turn my bathroom into a reject from America's Got Talent? Or had the powers behind my magical tattoo decided to torture me?
"Journey? Really?" I muttered. The symbol on my belly pulsed in response like it was giving me a thumbs-up for mymusical taste. I relieved myself, washed my hands, and brushed my teeth. "At least pick something from this century," I said before leaving the bathroom.
