Chapter 10
The moment Mom and Nina left to gather Luciana's supply list, the house settled into an eerie quiet that made my nerves jangle. Everyone else had dispersed to handle various tasks. Aidon insisted on reinforcing perimeter defenses before I took on this next task. It wasn’t as dangerous as the others because it wouldn’t directly taunt Lyra, but he didn’t want to take any chances.
Jean-Marc was researching anchor placement theories to make sure we had all the information we needed.
The coven witches were maintaining ward rotations and talking of calling in reinforcements.
That left me alone with Luciana's concerned face on the tablet screen and the triplets doing their best impression of hyperactive disco balls in my belly.
"Now that we have privacy," Luciana said, leaning forward on her end of the call, "tell me about these communications with your babies. This is unprecedented, cara mia. Even among the most powerful Pleiades bloodlines, direct prenatal contact like that is theoretical at best."
I shifted on the bed, trying to find a position that didn't make me feel like a brontosaurus with magical powers.
"Clio taught me a meditation technique called soul-speaking. Honestly, I didn’t think this was going to be much more than me getting quiet enough to identify the parasitic bonds.
That was all she said to expect, really.
But it was so much more. Their individual personalities were clear as day.
We actually communicated! Well, through emotions and stuff, but they sent so much more than how they were feeling. "
Taking a deep breath, I placed both hands on my belly and sank into the meditative state Clio had taught me.
The familiar warmth spread through my core as I reached for each baby's unique magical signature.
Hello, little ones. We're going to help fight the bad magic.
Can you show Luciana something? Maybe more about the sacred site?
The response was immediate and enthusiastic.
Melaina's golden threads erupted from my skin.
It was followed by Thaniel's crackling blue energy and Nyssa's protective purple ribbons.
They wove together above my stomach and recreated the detailed topographical map of northern Maine with impressive precision.
Luciana's gasp echoed through the tablet speakers. "Madonna mia... they're actively participating in magical workings. Look at the detail level. They're showing elevation changes, water sources, even the underground cave systems."
The projection shifted, zooming in on the corrupted ley line convergence beneath Mount Katahdin. Black veins pulsed through what should have been pure white energy streams. The babies highlighted specific points where the corruption was thickest, marking them with angry red pulses.
"They understand the contamination pattern," I murmured, watching in fascination as they traced the infection's spread through the mystical network. "Are those showing us the optimal placement points for the cleansing anchors?"
"This is beyond remarkable," Luciana breathed. "They're performing analysis that would take our most experienced elders hours to complete. Your children are going to change the face of magic."
“I’m not putting that pressure on them,” I replied as the map dissolved. It was replaced by a new projection showing what looked like architectural blueprints. Detailed schematics of the anchor artifacts themselves, complete with measurements and material specifications.
“Of course not, cara mia. They will have wonderful childhoods, but when they are grown they will be something to behold.” Luciana was frantically scribbling notes on her end.
"The silver base needs to be exactly seventeen centimeters in diameter.
The crystal housing must be positioned at a forty-five-degree angle.
Oh, I never considered placing those runes where they did. "
The babies' magical light show continued for another few minutes. They became downright playful not long after they began. They started chasing what looked like tiny glowing animals around my belly. They'd created a magical zoo. Little overachievers were already showing off.
"Your children are going to revolutionize how we approach magical workings," Luciana said quietly.
Her voice held that tone people get when they realize they're witnessing something that's going to change everything.
"The level of magic they just demonstrated?
Most adult witches never achieve that kind of analytical capability. "
"They're definitely going to keep us on our toes," I agreed, rubbing my belly where I could feel them stirring with what I could only describe as smug satisfaction.
Like they knew exactly how impressive they'd been.
"Let's just hope they use their powers for good and not for convincing their parents to buy them ponies and sports cars when they're older. "
Knowing my luck, these kids would probably figure out how to magically manipulate us into getting them whatever they wanted before they could even walk. Aidon was going to be a big pushover. At least I had some experience saying no to my kids.
Luciana laughed, but her expression remained serious. Uh oh. We were about to have a conversation I didn't want to have. "Phoebe, you need to understand what this means. If word gets out about their abilities—"
"More people will want to use them," I finished grimly, because I wasn't born yesterday. I knew exactly where this was heading. "I know. That's why we're going to end this with Lyra permanently. No one else gets the chance to hurt my family." Not on my watch. Not ever.
The sound of the front door slamming announced Mom and Nina's return from their shopping expedition. "We’re back,” Mom called out.
"We found the blessed thistle at Meadow's shop," Nina called out cheerfully. "She practically threw it at us when she heard what we were dealing with. She said to tell you she's got your back, Mom."
Right. Sometimes I forgot that being the coven leader meant people actually looked to me for guidance. The problem was supernatural crises kept taking up my time, and I didn’t spend much with the coven. I needed to make time for them. Most had proven they would support me. No pressure or anything.
"Can you blame her for being eager to help the Pleiades?" Mom replied. "She knows the implications for everyone if we fail. Anyway, between her place and Marcus's, we cleaned them out of half their rare stock. Plus, Lilith donated what they didn’t have without question."
"And the silver?" I asked because none of those sources would have had that.
"Oh, that was easy," Mom said with a grin as she appeared in the doorway. "Daethie sent Chlora and Thicket to deliver it straight from the pixie mound. You know they were more than happy to contribute to taking down the bitch who's been messing with the natural order."
Mom and Nina set their packages that they were carrying on the coffee table in the sitting area of my room. "Did you buy out every coven member in the city?" I asked, eyeing the impressive haul.
"Pretty much," Nina said as she began rifling through the bags. "Wait until you see the crystals Marcus found in his back room. He said they came from some collector's estate sale. The guy was obsessed with collecting them and had hundreds."
Mom began pulling out items one by one. "We got everything on Luciana's list, plus a few extras that seemed relevant. Himalayan salt from the co-op for the purification circles. Lilith recommended we grab some black tourmaline for protection. Marcus had some great pieces in stock.”
“We got enough sage to cleanse half of Maine. Show her the silver," Nina urged, bouncing slightly with excitement.
Mom unwrapped a collection of gleaming metal discs, each over a foot in size. They looked like they were the size we needed. "The pixies outdid themselves.”
Luciana leaned toward her screen again. “It looks like it’s already formed into the perfect dimensions.”
Mom nodded in agreement. “Mythia said they started working on these the moment I told her what we needed."
"Thank the gods they work fast,” I observed. “I was worried about that part.”
Luciana's voice drew our attention back to the tablet. "Now that you have the materials, we can begin the enchantment process. But first, let me explain what we're actually creating."
She held up an ancient book, its pages yellowed with age. "These anchor artifacts are designed to penetrate deep into corrupted ley lines and establish purified connection points. Think of them as magical pacemakers. They will regulate the energy flow and prevent further contamination."
"How do they work exactly?" Nina asked, setting cross-legged beside me on the bed.
"You guys will put layers of enchantments on each anchor," Luciana explained, turning to a page covered in detailed diagrams. "The first layer creates a protective barrier around itself.
The second layer begins the actual purification process.
The third layer establishes communication with other anchors in the network. "
"And the fourth layer?" I asked, noticing there were five.
"The fourth layer is the most important.
It creates a feedback loop that actively rejects corrupted magic.
Anything tainted tries to enter the purified zone and gets violently expelled.
" Luciana's expression grew grave. "The fifth layer is emergency protection.
If Lyra attempts to corrupt the anchor itself, it will self-destruct rather than be turned against us. "
Nana whistled low as she entered the room. "Magical suicide bombers. That's hardcore."
"Nana, you should be resting—" I started.
"Rest, my wrinkled behind," she snorted as she rifled through the bags. "I'm not going to miss this."