A young shifter looked up from where he was bandaging his packmate's wounds. "What can we do? Lyra's got power we can't match."
"Maybe not individually," I replied. "But together? We've got something she doesn't understand. We've got cooperation. She can’t understand the power in helping someone else."
"This is unprecedented," Vera added with a smile. "Working together, we have already accomplished what none of us could do alone."
"Exactly," I said, feeling the babies respond to my conviction with warm pulses of support. "Here's what we're going to do. We're going to turn this house into the most magically fortified location on the East Coast. I would like everyone here to contribute their unique defenses."
The alpha straightened, and his power radiated through the room. "My pack can join the perimeter patrols. We'll know if anything hostile approaches long before it reaches the property line."
"Our water magic can create barriers that even magical fire can't cross," offered one of the sprites from the doorway to the bathroom.
"We'll grow defensive thickets that can actively fight back," Meredith said. Her voice was stronger now that she had a purpose. "We specialize in plants that respond to hostile intent."
"And we can weave illusions to hide the property from supernatural detection," added one of the Fae.
"Lyra may have power, but we have innovation.” I was genuinely hopeful for the first time in days. “She's been relying on the same ancient techniques for decades. We're going to surprise the hell out of her."
"There's something else we need to address," Mom interjected. "Lyra’s going to try and grab you tonight. If she's adapting her strategies this quickly, we need to be ready for anything."
A hush fell over the room. Everyone understood the implications. These babies weren't just Aidon's and mine anymore. They'd become symbols of hope for the entire supernatural community.
"Clio's been researching birth protection spells," Stella announced. "But we need to adapt them for our current situation."
My mind worked through the possibilities. "Mom, you can cook something up for practical protection, right? And Nana, you can create some magic for family bonds. You can work on our physical safety, Stella. We need to combine everything."
"That's..." Clio paused, her healer's mind working through the implications. "That's never been attempted before. The magical interactions could be unpredictable."
"Everything we're doing is unpredictable," Nana pointed out cheerfully. "Might as well go big or go home."
"Actually," Vera said thoughtfully, "there are precedents for combining traditions. The Great Binding of 1692 used similar techniques to hide Salem's supernatural community during the witch trials."
"How did that work out?" I asked.
"It saved hundreds of lives," she replied. "The mundane authorities never found them."
"Good enough for me," I decided. "How long do we need to develop these protections?"
"A few hours for the basic framework," Mom shrugged. "Longer if we want to add refinements."
"We don't have longer," Jean-Marc interrupted, his face pale as he stared at his monitoring equipment. "The probing attacks just stopped."
The room went dead quiet. Even the sprites stopped their soft burbling. "That isn’t good. What is she doing?” I murmured more to myself than anyone else.
"She's done studying things," Thalia said as she and Cordelia returned from their private conversation. "She's ready to make her move."
"How soon before she attacks?" Aidon demanded.
Cordelia's silver eyes went unfocused. "When the moon reaches its zenith, the eclipse begins. She'll use the lunar energy to amplify her final assault."
"At least she’s not moving up her timeline." My hands flew to my belly as the babies began moving restlessly.
"The veils grow thin," Cordelia intoned. "What was hidden shall be revealed. What was bound shall be freed. And what was cast down shall rise again."
"Enough with the cryptic warnings," I snapped, my patience finally fraying. "We need actionable intelligence, not fortune cookie wisdom."
Cordelia's silver gaze fixed on me with sudden clarity. "She'll come here. To this house, to you, when the moon's light dies. She's given up trying to steal your children from a distance. The eclipse will give her the power to breach any defense and force the birth herself."
"Then we'd better get these protection spells ready fast," I said grimly. "Because I'll be damned if that psychotic bitch lays a finger on my babies."
