Chapter 5 #2
"Here it is," Vera said, picking up a small glass vial filled with what looked like purple sand. "Dreamshade powder. It's tricky to work with because it has to be taken internally, but it could work."
"This one might help too," Nina said, picking up a silver tuning fork that made the air shimmer when she touched it. "It's designed to find the resonant frequency of magical bonds.
"We'd still need to map the frequency of each connection first," she continued, putting down the tuning fork. Once we have that, we can enchant the dreamshade to disguise each tract while you slip through."
It sounded too simple to work, which meant there was a good chance it would blow up in our faces. "Let's try it."
"This could get you killed," Mom said bluntly.
"That's where you all come in. I survived last time because Nina cast protections on me and the babies.
" I took the vial of dreamshade powder from Vera, watching it shift colors in the light like an opal.
"You can make it so the worst I'll encounter are those razor wires that nearly knocked me unconscious before. "
“Be careful, Queenie. I don’t like this.” Aidon let his anguish show on his face.
Cupping his cheek, I smiled at him. “We will be okay. You can help keep us safe.”
Nina struck the tuning fork against the table edge as I was pressing a kiss to his lips.
A chuckle left me at the not-so-subtle nudge from my daughter to get on with it.
The tone the device made caused my eyeballs to start vibrating in their sockets.
With the process started, I tipped a small amount of the bitter herb and blackberry-flavored powder onto my tongue.
My face puckered like I’d sucked on a lemon.
Shaking that off, I pushed all thoughts out of my head. Instead of bulldozing through the connections like a magical battering ram, I focused on letting the dreamshade alter my signature. Focus was key to magic, and I embraced the notion fully.
Turning back to the silver scrying bowl, I felt the others gather around me. I placed my hands on either side and closed my eyes. I looked inward first. I had to find the connections before I could follow them.
Deep in my magical core, I sensed the three parasitic bonds wrapped around my babies' developing power like invasive vines. They pulsed as they constantly siphoned energy from the triplets. "I can see them," I whispered. "There are three channels leading away from the babies."
The tuning fork's clear tone resonated through the kitchen. It stabilized the bonds and made them easier to navigate. Concentrating on what I wanted, I focused on becoming a random magical current instead of a nosy observer. The dreamshade helped, making my awareness feel like flowing energy.
I let myself slip into the first connection.
I rode it like electricity through a wire.
The first few attempts produced nothing but discordant noise that split my skull.
It probably pissed off every magical creature in a three-block radius.
But unlike my earlier solo attempts, I wasn't hitting those brutal razor-wire barriers.
"The dreamshade is working," I said. "I can feel her on the other end. She’s distant and I can’t see anything.”
“Are you setting off her wards?” Aidon asked.
Shaking my head, I replied, “No. Lyra's traps aren't recognizing me as a threat."
"Keep going," Vera encouraged. "Try slipping through while the powder masks your signature."
On the fourth try, something clicked. I rode the disguised connection like a ghost in the machine.
The dreamshade had actually made me appear as harmless background magic.
Feeling triumphant, I closed my eyes and concentrated.
I let my consciousness slip along the parasitic bond like water flowing downstream.
The sensation was nauseating. It felt like being flushed down a cosmic drain. I held on.
Between one breath and the next, I wasn't in my kitchen anymore.
I stood in an abandoned warehouse, watching Lyra pace before a massive ritual circle carved into concrete.
Black candles flickered around the perimeter.
There were symbols etched into the floor.
Of course, they pulsed with dark energy that made my stomach clench with instinctive terror.
"The connections are weakening," she snarled to someone in the shadows. "Those meddling fools are interfering with my work."
"Perhaps we should accelerate the timeline," a smooth male voice suggested.
"No. The lunar eclipse is still optimal. But we need to ensure they can't disrupt the ritual." Lyra's expression turned calculating. "Send the others to test their defenses. I want to know exactly what we're dealing with."
The vision wavered, and I snapped back to my body with a jarring impact that left me gasping and clutching the table. Aidon’s arm went around my waist, and he tugged me close. "What did you see?" he asked.
"I saw a ritual circle in what looks like a warehouse. Lyra's planning something for the lunar eclipse." I rubbed my temples against the building headache. "She knows we're interfering and is pissed. She's sending more creatures to test our defenses."
"What is she sending and how many?" Mom asked.
"I have no idea. She didn’t say, and I couldn't see the man she was talking to."
"This is huge," Nina said, practically vibrating. "If we can spy on her through the bonds, we can stay ahead of her plans."
"You should try again, see if you get more details," Vera urged.
“I had planned on it,” I admitted.
We spent the next hour systematically testing approaches.
They mapped which frequencies worked best for surveillance while the dreamshade kept me hidden.
Being a spy was kinda fun. Although there was more nausea than I expected.
By the end, I could tap into all three parasitic connections and spy on Lyra for a few seconds.
Each time left me feeling like I'd been steamrolled by a freight train.
"Your exhaustion levels are concerning," Clio said, checking me over. "You've pushed too hard today."
"It’s worth it if we can figure out what that bitch is planning," I replied, settling into my chair.
"This changes everything," Mom said. "We can prepare since we know she's coming during the eclipse."
“Plans come later. Phoebe needs a break," Aidon insisted. “Let’s go for a walk through the garden.”
The corners of my lips turned down. “But I’m the size of an SUV.”
"Fresh air will help," he said, offering his arm. "And we need to check the perimeter defenses."
The garden was peaceful in twilight. The sound of the ocean soothed my soul. It was balmy for an evening in Maine. Fireflies danced among the herb beds. For a few minutes, I could almost pretend we were normal. Just an average couple taking an evening stroll. Almost.
Beside me, Aidon went rigid. It wasn’t like when he heard a weird noise. He went deadly still. He was a powerful god sensing a threat. And it made my heart start pounding. So much for the calm walk.
"What is it?" I whispered, my hand instinctively moving to my belly.
His dark eyes swept the perimeter. His power unfurled and sped out of him. "Something is doing systematic magical reconnaissance. Given what you said, I would guess they're mapping our defenses and looking for vulnerabilities."
My stomach dropped. "How many are out there?"
"There are at least three different signatures. They’re spread across the property line and working in coordination."
Before I could suggest we get the hell out of there, something remarkable happened.
The triplets' magic suddenly flared to life.
Their power manifested outside my body. Gold, blue, and purple lights erupted from my belly.
They moved outward in protective waves across the entire property.
Where it touched our existing wards, they blazed brighter.
"Holy shit," I breathed, watching my unborn children create a defensive barrier stretching from the house to the property line.
Their power hummed as it wove through every protective enchantment we'd established. Their magic enhanced our defenses while adding layers that felt both ancient and utterly new. They were claiming this territory and marking it as theirs. They were trying to ensure their family would be safe.
"They're protecting their nest," Aidon said. The pride was evident in his voice. "They know they're in danger, and they're fighting back."
I was able to pick out the threat as they worked. Aidon added his power to the babies’ and together, they disrupted whatever surveillance operation had been testing us. When the lights faded, echoes of their power remained woven through our wards.
"That was incredible," I said, both hands pressed to my stomach. "But also terrifying as hell. They shouldn't be able to do that yet."
"Divine children develop faster than mortal ones," Aidon said, his hand covering mine. "Especially under threat. They're adapting to protect themselves and us."
His other hand settled at the small of my back as he guided me toward the house. "We need to tell the others."
I didn't argue. The casual stroll was officially over. We found everyone in the living room. The shift in their expressions from relaxed to battle-ready happened the second they saw Aidon's face. Apparently, gods of the Underworld had a particular look when shit was about to hit the fan.
"We just encountered hostile magical surveillance," he announced without preamble. "There were at least three operatives probing our defenses."
"And the babies manifested protective magic," I added, settling into my chair with more haste than grace. "Their power joined with our wards and pushed them away."
“They’ll be back,” Aidon interjected. “We need to run patrols.”
“On it,” Murtagh said as he and Tseki stood and moved toward the backyard.
"Their abilities could be why Lyra's connections aren't as effective as she expected," Mom observed. "I bet she designed them for a witch's unborn children, not divine hybrids who can actively resist."
"Speaking of resistance," Jean-Marc said, looking up from his tablet, "if we can find the eclipse ritual, we might actually get ahead of her. I haven’t found anything that fits her goal yet."
"Assuming Lyra doesn't adapt first," Nina pointed out with her usual cheerful pessimism.
"She's had years to perfect these techniques," Vera added soberly. "We can assume she has planned countermeasures."
"Then we need multiple backup plans," I said firmly. "And if all else fails, we improvise the hell out of it."