Clio looked toward the foot of my bed, where Hades and Persephone stood like living statues carved from shadow and starlight. "Your grandchildren are fighting the birthing process," she told them. "I don't know how to convince them it's safe."
Hades stepped forward, and the very foundation of the house seemed to hold its breath. His power didn't crash against the walls. It seeped into them. This wasn't the kind of magic that could be fought or reasoned with. This was the power that governed every ending, every beginning, every moment when one thing became another.
"Little ones." His voice rolled through the magical chaos like thunder. Underneath it was something that made my chest tight with unexpected emotion. Warmth. Love. It was the voice of a grandfather who would move mountains for his family. "Your fear serves no one. Trust in your strength."
Persephone glided to his side. Her power was gentle but absolutely certain. Her presence washed over me like warm rain after a drought. It carried with it the scent of new growth and fresh beginnings.
"You are surrounded by family, my darlings," she crooned. "We are here to protect you and your mother. Your grandfather will not allow anything to happen to you."
For one heart-stopping moment, I felt the babies' terror waver. Hope bloomed in my chest so suddenly that I gasped. Aidon's emotions shifted, too. His dread gave way to a fragile relief that felt like holding a soap bubble. It was beautiful but ready to burst at the slightest wrong move.
Another wave of magical backlash tore through me like shards of broken glass. Nyssa's shadows exploded outward in a burst of pure, undiluted panic. Her fear crashed into her siblings through whatever connection they shared in the womb. All three of them yanked their magic inward with the desperate strength of drowning swimmers.
"They're still too scared," I sobbed, the words ripping from my throat as exhaustion, pain, and frustration collided in a perfect storm of misery. Tears I didn't remember shedding burned hot tracks down my cheeks. I could taste salt and desperation on my lips.
Aidon's anguish hit me so hard I actually saw stars. I was reeling from the emotions that I almost missed the vast hunger lurking in the spaces between worlds. It was drawn by the labor like a shark scenting blood in the water. Shit.Lyra was coming.
CHAPTER 19
The first rule of supernatural warfare was that the moment you thought you had the upper hand, the universe would kick you in the teeth so hard your great-grandchildren would feel it. I should have remembered that rule when Jean-Marc's laptop started screaming like a hyena with its tail on fire. It should be the first rule they teach newbies. Forget about stressing secrecy and how intent is the key to magic—thiswas just as important.
"She's riding the eclipse energy directly," Jean-Marc announced, his voice tight with the kind of fear that made seasoned warriors wet themselves. He lifted wide eyes from the laptop screen. I saw everyone’s dread reflected in them. "The power signature is unlike anything I've ever seen. She's not just using stolen magic anymore. She's become a conduit for the eclipse itself."
My mouth opened to ask the dozen questions exploding in my brain—How is that even possible? What does that mean for us? Are we completely screwed?—but the universe had other plans. My next contraction bulldozed into me with the force of a Monster truck over kindling, stealing my breath, my words, and any hope of forming coherent thoughts.
But this time, the babies' response was different. Instead of chaotic magical overflow, their power moved with deadly precision. Through our soul-speaking connection, I felt their instinctual terror. They were feeding off my fear, their father’s rage and worry, and the collective "oh-shit" energy radiating from everyone around us. More than that, they could sense the malevolence in the magic itself. The power was so fundamentally twisted that even unborn babies knew it was epically, apocalyptically bad.
"The contractions are syncing with her approach," Clio observed, her hands glowing as she monitored both my vital signs and the babies’ health. She was still trying to coax them to come out, but it wasn’t working. "Every spike in labor pain corresponds with an increase in her power levels."
"She's using the parasitic bonds to access the birth energy and use it to fuel her final assault," Thalia observed. "I should have known she would have a dozen contingencies should you put an obstacle in her path. After all, you’ve been forcing her to develop new approaches since you came on the scene."
"She can’t get to you guys if Mollie, Nina, and Amelia can cast a protection over the birth itself," Tarja said into my mind and everyone else’s if Mom’s nod was anything to go by. "But you need to activate it now, before she gets close enough to interfere."
I heard Tarja talking to Mom, Nina, and Nana through the process, but I didn't catch any details. The contractions stole everything from me. It became obvious they were casting the complex birth protection when the air in our bedroom began to shimmer. Three generations of Duedonne women were combining their power to protect the babies and me. Mom's kitchen witch magic created a foundation of nurturing protection. Nana's raw, wild energy added layers of fiercedefensive fury. Nina's Pleiades power bound it all together with threads of starlight that no earthly magic could break.
"The birth protection matrix is in place," Tarja confirmed.
"It hasn't changed the power she's bringing to bear. I've never seen anything like it. She's breaking magical laws and rewriting them." Vera frowned as she looked at the screen over Jean-Marc's shoulder.
Was everyone safe? It wasn’t just me in danger. My power allowed me to sense every supernatural being on our property. There were so many contributing their strength to our defenses. The freed prisoners poured decades of suppressed rage into protective barriers. The gods added their unique powers to the mix. Even the pixies from Daethie's mound had joined the effort. Their tiny forms were crackling with surprisingly potent magic.
But it wasn't enough. Lyra's approach was like a natural disaster gaining momentum. She wasn't just coming for my babies anymore. She wanted her prisoners back. And she wanted to remake the world in her own image. She was going to start with everyone I loved, as well.
"She’s like right on top of us," Jean-Marc called out in a tight voice. He was holding it together surprisingly well, considering the magical tsunami bearing down on us. "The dimensional barriers are weakening and inverting. Whatever's been trying to break through from the other side? They're about to succeed."
The contraction that hit me then nearly drove me to my knees, even lying down. The pain was excruciating, but what terrified me more was feeling the babies' magic spike in response to the immediate threat. It was weaker than it had been.
"They know she's coming," I gasped, pressing both hands to my belly as the triplets' power continued building. "They can sense her through the parasitic connection. And they're scared."
"I’m going to rip her entrails out for this," Aidon growled.
Hades placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. "Fear will make them fight harder. And after what she put them through, they deserve the chance to fight back."
"She's here," Kieran announced from his position by the bedroom window. His dragon senses were sharper than anyone else's.
Tseki nodded in agreement. "I can smell the stolen magic on her. It reeks of violation and despair."
No one was prepared for what she actually did. The first wave of Lyra's assault wasn't physical or magical. It was a mind-fuck of epic proportions. A crushing weight slammed down on my brain and every other person in the house. Their screams and groans made that clear. Even Hades grabbed the sides of his head.
