Chapter 3 #2
"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 to simultaneously 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?"
Hades' expression darkened like storm clouds gathering. "The gods are divided. Some view this as mortal affairs. Others are concerned about the precedent they set if they intervene."
"What about the fact that Lyra is trying to use my children to become more powerful than the original Pleiades?
You know, the ones they forced to give power away.
" I couldn’t believe they would allow that to happen.
If they were worried about seven individuals wielding this much power, what would they think of one?
"That's where the division lies," Hades replied with disgust. "Some gods see the triplets as divine enough to warrant protection. Others consider them mortal enough to be outside jurisdiction. Politics."
A soft chime from Jean-Marc's tablet drew attention to the screen. "She's drawing more power," Nina observed. "The ley line corruption is getting worse."
"Let's get started before I chicken out." I sighed, leaning into Aidon.
The next couple of hours blurred as we frantically prepared. The back garden transformed into a ritual space with circles of salt and silver. Candles were positioned precisely. Herbs were ground and prepared.
Aidon reinforced property defenses. His divine power wove protection spells that hummed with authority. The coven witches proved invaluable. Their magic complemented our improvised approaches.
Vera instructed us in the use of moonbell.
Their chiming created musical harmony that would strengthen the ritual circle.
Iris prepared graveyard keeper's moss, its light-redirecting properties creating deeper protection pockets.
Tansy worked with stormcaller root, grinding it to powder that sparked with miniature lightning.
"The preparations are almost complete," Mom said, wiping sweat despite the cool air. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm about to attempt something that could either save my children or turn us all into goo," I replied honestly. "But ready."
"And the babies?"
I pressed a hand to my belly, feeling for them. "They're excited. I think they know we're trying to help."
"Good," Vera said, surveying our work with critical experience. "The ritual will draw on their natural defenses and your combined power to break the parasitic bonds. The more cooperative they are, the more likely we will be to cut her off."
As midnight approached, I felt the weight of what we were attempting. Three generations preparing to weave untested magic against an enemy who'd had centuries to plan.
"Are you certain?" Clio asked one final time. "Once we begin, there's no stopping. The magical backlash could be catastrophic."
"I'm certain," I said, though my heart hammered like it was trying to escape my ribcage. "I cannot allow her to hurt my kids and destroy the world. We all know that’s what will happen if she succeeds."
Persephone appeared at the garden's edge in a whirl of spring-scented wind. Her expression was troubled. "Sorry, I'm late. The council ran longer than expected."
"What's the verdict?" Hades asked.
"Officially, the gods will not intervene in what they consider a mortal magical conflict," Persephone replied. "Zeus was particularly adamant about not setting a dangerous precedent."
"And unofficially?" Hades asked as he embraced his wife.
"Unofficially, several gods expressed support. Artemis is incensed about threats to unborn children. Athena believes Lyra's actions threaten the natural order."
"But they won't help directly." I was disgusted but not surprised.
"They can't," Persephone corrected. "But they can look the other way if certain individuals need to draw on more power than mortal magic should allow."
Hope flickered in my chest. "Meaning?"
"Meaning you have friends in high places who won't interfere if you need more juice than your usual magical allowance," Nana supplied.
"That's something," Mom said pragmatically. "Ready to begin?"
I took a position in the center circle. I was flanked by Mom and Nana. Three generations united in purpose. Not to mention, desperate determination. The other witches arranged themselves at key perimeter points.
"Remember," Vera called softly, "the herbs respond to emotional states. Fear and anger will corrupt the spell."