"What did you see?" Mom asked urgently.
"She has the Pleiades artifacts," I whispered, my hands covering my belly. "The original sisters' power focuses. She's planning to use my babies as a way to be given the power."
Horrified exclamations erupted, but I held up a hand. "There's more. She said three lights to anchor the first revival."
"She’s going to use necromancy," Vera breathed. "She's attempting to resurrect the dead using living vessels so she can get their power. That's forbidden magic of the darkest kind."
"Forbidden by whom?" Aidon asked dangerously.
"By every magical tradition that has ever existed," Iris replied firmly. "The dead should rest. Trying to bring them back through unwilling hosts destroys both spirit and vessel."
"My children are not vessels," I snarled.
"Of course not," Tansy soothed with the kind of voice you'd use on a rabid wolverine. "But if we're going to stop her, we need to cut off her power sources. If she has the original artifacts and corrupted ley lines feeding her magic, she can complete the ritual whether she has physical access or not. The parasitic connections will be enough."
"Then we break the connections tonight," I said, because waiting around for the apocalypse wasn't really my style.
"Phoebe, the storm isn't until tomorrow—" Stella began.
"Then we make our own storm," Mom interrupted, her voice carrying steel wrapped in determination. "We break those parasitic bonds and cleanse the ley lines before she can drain enough power to pull off her grand scheme."
Nana looked up from her shotgun with the kind of grin that usually preceded property damage. "About damn time we took the fight to her instead of sitting around like ducks in a shooting gallery."
"What exactly are we talking about here?" I asked because our magical plans had a habit of becoming more complicated than advertised.
"A three-generation spell," Mom explained, like she wasn't suggesting we attempt something that could potentially turn us all into magical puddles. "We combine my kitchen witch magic with Nana's unique witchcraft and your Pleiades powers tosimultaneously break the parasitic connections and cleanse the corrupted ley lines."
"That sounds incredibly dangerous," Clio warned. "The magical strain could trigger early labor. Not to mention what happens if we accidentally destabilize the entire magical grid."
"Everything is dangerous right now," I pointed out. "But this gives us a chance to cut Lyra off from her power sources instead of hoping our defenses hold while she gets stronger."
Hades stepped forward. His divine presence made the coven members step back like he was radioactive. "My son's children will not be used as vessels for ancient spirits. If this working offers a way to stop her, we attempt it."
"The theory is sound," Vera said thoughtfully. "Three generations of the same bloodline, each with different magical strengths, could generate enough power to break parasitic bonds and cleanse corrupted energy simultaneously. Especially, if they have divine support." She gave Aidon and Hades an intent look.
"And if it works," Iris added, "we'd cut her off from both the babies and the ley line power she's been siphoning. She'd be back to whatever magic she had before this whole mess started."
I looked around at my family's faces. Fear battled determination, but underneath was unwavering love and fierce protectiveness. "What do we need to do?" I asked.
"First, create a proper ritual space," Mom said. "Somewhere energies can build without frying every electronic device in a three-block radius."
"The back garden," Nana suggested. "It's where we've done our strongest spells. It’s warded and blessed by Hattie’s bones. The earth there knows our magic and won't fight us."
"I'll add to the ward around the perimeter," Aidon offered. "I can make sure there is no outside supernatural interference while you're doing whatever insanely dangerous thing you're planning."
"We'll help with herb preparations," Vera said for her coven sisters.
"And I'll monitor vital signs," Clio added reluctantly. "If anyone shows magical exhaustion, we stop immediately before someone becomes a cautionary tale."
As plans formed, the triplets stirred. Their earlier harmony had settled into a steady, determined rhythm matching my own resolve. They sensed the threat and were apparently ready to help kick some magical ass. They were going to be a handful.
"There's something else," I said. "In the vision, Lyra mentioned preparations were nearly complete. We may not have as much time as we thought."
"All the more reason to act tonight," Mom said firmly. "We start when the moon reaches its zenith."
"Persephone should be back from Olympus by then," Hades added. "She went to consult about potential divine intervention."
My head snapped around to my father-in-law. "Will they help?"
