“That’s deeper in the wilderness than most people ever go,” Stella pointed out as she joined the party. She was still favoring her arm. I wished she would let Clio heal her.
"There are old stories about that area," Jean-Marc added. “I’ve read about it.”
Thalia nodded in agreement. “There is sacred ground there that was never meant to be disturbed."
"What do you mean by sacred ground?" Aidon asked.
"Lyra discovered some ancient Pleiades artifacts there," Thalia replied grimly. "She was investigating legends about generations of strange, magical activity in that area. I’ll never forget how she crowed about finding what she needed to finally get the Pleiades power."
The projection shifted, showing underground currents of energy flowing like rivers beneath the marked location. The babies had somehow mapped the ley lines themselves, revealing a convergence point directly beneath the wilderness site. And they were turning black.
"Well, shit on a shingle," Nana muttered as she shook her head. "Those little hellions are showing us where the crazy bitch infected the ley lines."
Jean-Marc pulled out his tablet. His fingers flew as he cross-referenced the babies' map with geological surveys. "If this location forms one point of a mystical triangle with her other ritual sites, she'd be able to amplify magical workings exponentially. The ley line convergence would act like a supernatural amplifier."
"How much power does one woman need?" Nina scrunched up her face. "She’s got artifacts, ley lines, and she’s stealing from my baby brother and sisters."
I stared at the projection, as disgusted as my daughter. "We need to understand more about the artifacts we're dealing with. And more importantly, we need to cleanse those ley lines before the corruption spreads any further."
The black veins in the projection pulsed ominously. They looked like infected arteries carrying poison through the magical circulatory system of the world. Whatever Lyra had done, it was getting worse by the hour.
"We should call someone who knows more about Pleiades history," I suggested as my heart started to race. Seeing what was happening made it far more real.
"We could look through the books," Jean-Marc suggested. “I have a few in here.”
Shaking my head, I dismissed the idea. "We need the information faster than that will take. One of the other Pleiades should know something. They grew up being groomed for the position and taught a lot of information I don’t have."
“I wish I knew more, but I was taken too young,” Thalia lamented.
Nina held up her tablet. "You should call Luciana. She’s always willing to help."
I nodded, remembering the Italian woman who had been nice to me from the very beginning. "That's a good idea."
“I know it is,” Nina said as she handed me the tablet.
I pulled up FaceTime and scrolled to Luciana's contact, hoping she'd be awake despite the time difference. Crossing my fingers, I waited to see if she would answer. To my relief, the call connected after a few rings.
Luciana's smiling face fell as she took in our gathered group. "Phoebe,cara mia, what has happened? You look worried. Have the babies arrived?"
"No, they’re still inside. I’m hoping you know something about the Pleiades artifacts and sacred sites. We've found one in Northern Maine where Lyra stole some artifacts and infected the ley lines. We are hoping you can tell us how the relics are connected to the site and how the network can be cleansed." I gestured to Thalia beside me. "This is Thalia. She's a Pleiades who escaped from Lyra to help us, but she wasn’t taught this information."
Luciana's eyes sharpened as she studied Thalia's face through the screen. "Thalia... what is your family name?"
Thalia looked confused by the question. "Umbra. Why?"
Luciana's face went completely white. Her hands flew to her mouth, and for a moment she looked as if she might faint. "Dio mio... Thalia Umbra?"
"Yes," Thalia said slowly, clearly bewildered. "Do you... know that name?"
"ZiaThalia," Luciana whispered, tears streaming down her face. "We thought you were dead. Grandmother mourned you for so many years."
The silence in the room was deafening. Thalia's face went through a dozen emotions before settling on shocked disbelief. "I... what? I don't understand."
"You are my great-aunt. Your sister was my grandmother, Sofia. When you vanished in 1987, they searched everywhere. The family believed that an evilstregahad killed you."
Thalia's legs gave out, and she collapsed into the nearest chair. "Family? I have... family? I hadn't given it much thought. I only wanted to stop Lyra."
"I want a proper reunion," Luciana said, wiping her eyes. "But your priorities are right. We must focus on stopping Lyrafirst. After this crisis passes, I will fly you home to meet everyone.” Her focus turned back to me. “Now tell me about this site you've found."
