"Because that's not creepy at all," I muttered. "Please tell me the third group is less nightmare-inducing."
"The protectors are actually on our side," he said. "They're the ones who've been helping mothers escape, like Dr. Harrison's group. They believe the ancient powers were meant to flow naturally between bloodlines. They've been working underground for centuries, preserving knowledge about pregnancies like yours."
"And fighting a secret magical civil war, apparently," I added. "Any chance that knowledge includes how to stop my mark from causing chaos?" I wasn't sure if that was why the spell downstairs went awry, but it seemed like a safe bet given the trouble it had caused.
"Actually..." He paused, and I could hear more papers rustling. "There might be something in Hattie's old grimoire. Remember that tracking spell Gammy and Nana were talking about?"
"The one that nearly set Binx on fire last time they tried it?" I remembered that incident vividly. Binx hadn't spoken to any ofus for a week afterward. The scorch marks on his tail had taken days to grow out.
"They think they've figured out what went wrong. If they can get it working, it could lead us to the Keepers' records about similar pregnancies. Dr. Harrison says there's an archive somewhere in the area that contains detailed records of every magical pregnancy they've ever tracked."
My exhaustion warred with excitement at the prospect of actual answers. Jean-Marc promised to keep me updated on any developments and send over copies of whatever relevant documents he could find. After we hung up, I let myself sink deeper into my pillows as my mind spun with possibilities. I had almost drifted off when my door flew open with a bang.
Selene burst into my room. Her hair was singed at the edges, and she practically vibrated with nervous energy. A faint smell of ozone and burnt cinnamon followed her in. "I got in," she announced as she dropped into the chair by my bed. "The destroyer faction is meeting tonight. They think I'm a potential recruit."
"Absolutely not," I said immediately. "It's too dangerous. They’re worse than most of what we’ve ever faced. These people want to kill magicalbabies, Selene. What happens if they realize you're spying?"
"It's our best chance to learn what they're planning," she countered. "And I've already got a glamour that can fool even Nina's new sight. Watch this."
She muttered something under her breath. Her spell rippled out of her, and a second later, her appearance changed. The shift was subtle but complete. Her familiar features rearranged themselves into someone forgettable. Your eyes would slide right past her in a crowd.
"They'll never know I'm not really one of them," she said in a slightly deeper voice. "We’ve gone over my cover. They’ll think I'm a disillusioned member of the controller faction."
I fixed Selene with my best mom glare. It probably wasn't very intimidating given that I could barely keep my eyes open. "Tell me everything. How did you even make contact?"
"I had Tseki fly me off the property so I could circle around behind those watching our house," Selene said as she got up and began pacing the room with barely contained energy. Her hands sparked with residual offensive magic. "I even managed to get close enough to plant a tracking charm on one of them before they noticed anything. They're using some kind of dead drop system to communicate. I followed the signal straight to it, and there's an emergency meeting happening tonight about recent 'concerning developments' in the area."
"You mean me and the babies."
"Exactly. This is our chance to learn exactly what they're planning. Maybe even identify some of their key players." She clenched her fists, and I could feel the magic crackling around her like static electricity. "I'm tired of playing defense. We need to stop them and end their whole twisted interpretation of that prophecy before anyone else gets hurt.”
Footsteps thundered up the stairs before she could continue. Mom and Nana burst in, looking like they'd been caught in a magical windstorm. Which, given the earlier protection spell mishap, they probably had. Mom's hair stood up in wild directions, and Nana's usually impeccable outfit was covered in what looked like sparkly soot.
"We did it!" Nana announced triumphantly, brandishing a crystal that pulsed with golden light. "We modified Hattie's tracking spell to work with the new magical frequencies around your mark. It's already picking up something big."
"Multiple somethings," Mom corrected, spreading a map across my legs. Various points glowed with different intensities on the enchanted paper. "Look at these convergence points. They're not random. They form a pattern that leads to?—"
"The old lighthouse," I finished, seeing where the lines intersected. "But that's been abandoned for decades."
"It’d be the perfect place to hide a stronghold," Selene mused as she leaned forward to study the map. "And it's not far from where the destroyers are meeting tonight. That can't be a coincidence."
"It's not," Nina said from the doorway. "The magical signatures are similar. Whatever's in that lighthouse is definitely connected to the Keepers. Their auras have the same oily feel to them."
The babies chose that moment to execute a perfect synchronized flip that made me gasp. The mark flared brightly enough to be visible through both my shirt and the blankets. Energy pulsed outward, making the tracking crystal in Nana's hand chime like a bell.
"That's definitely not helping your energy levels," Clio observed as she appeared behind Nina. I hadn't even heard her come up. "Everyone out. My patient needs actual rest, not more reasons to worry."
"But—" we all started to protest.
"Out," she repeated firmly. "You can plan your magical espionage and archive raiding somewhere that won't drain her further. The babies are already pulling enough energy without all of you adding to it."
"We'll keep you updated," Selene promised as she stood.
"Be careful tonight," I called after her. It was frustrating to know that she was going no matter what I said. I was used to being in the thick of the action, not home in bed. "Thesepeople are willing to kill to maintain their power. Don't take any unnecessary risks."
"I'll have backup," she assured me. "Stella and Layla will be nearby if anything goes wrong. And Nina can monitor the magical signatures from a safe distance."
As the others started filing out, Nina lingered by the doorway. Her head tilted to one side and her expression shifted from fascination to concern. "The magical currents around you have changed," she said slowly. "Imagine a river that's been flowing one way for centuries suddenly deciding to run backward. The old power structures are unraveling wherever your mark's influence reaches."
