Page 30 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues (Mystical Midlife in Maine #17)

"Aside from redirecting power, what exactly are these focus points doing?" Mom asked as she studied the map with a frown.

Stella pulled out her phone and showed us images of strange structures embedded in the ground. "They're energy collectors. Each one absorbs ambient magic from its surroundings and funnels it toward Lyra's ritual site."

"She's creating a massive power reservoir," Jean-Marc theorized. "Something to enhance the alignment's natural effects."

"That was our assumption, too," Persephone said with a wince as she touched the cut on her forehead.

"These locations in Maine aren't random picks from a magical hat.

Lyra has somehow managed to create mystical connections between these local points and the places where the original Pleiades sisters first manifested their power on Earth. "

I stared at the map as if I would be able to see the underlying power she was using. "Holy shit balls."

"Language," Mom muttered without any real conviction.

"No, I think 'holy shit balls' covers it nicely," Nana countered. "Why is that important? Some of us didn't get lessons in ancient witch history."

Persephone's lips twitched with amusement. "As you know, the original seven Pleiades weren't just random descendants of power. They were divine daughters, banished from their celestial home."

"Right, their parents were forced to send them away," I nodded, absently rubbing my belly as the triplets shifted.

"Exactly," Persephone confirmed. "Atlas and Pleione had no choice but to exile their daughters when the Olympian council discovered their latent abilities. The other gods were terrified of what the sisters might become and demanded they be cast out before their powers fully manifested."

"It was exile or execution," Nana added grimly. "Not much of a choice."

Persephone nodded. "They scattered their daughters across the mortal world, as far apart as possible, hoping distance would dilute their combined potential."

"Nothing like a little divine family drama with a side of exile," I quipped.

"Something like that," Persephone agreed dryly.

"What you might not know is that Maia discovered her gift for illusion in Europe.

Electra found her connection to lightning in Canada.

Taygete's shape-shifting abilities emerged in central Africa.

Alcyone commanded the winds in North America.

Celaeno's divination powers awakened in northern China.

Sterope harnessed fire in Australia. And Merope, the youngest, developed her healing abilities in what would become Russia. "

"But these points on our map are all within fifty miles of us," I said, feeling the triplets shift anxiously inside me.

"That's Lyra's sick genius at work," Aidon interjected, pointing to the clustered markers.

"She's creating focal points here in Maine that tap into the energy signatures of those original sites across the globe.

It's like she's folding space, creating magical tunnels that connect directly to those ancient power sources. "

"She's attempting to tap into the very first source of Pleiades power,” I summarized. “And reaching through time and space to the original transformation spots."

"Exactly," Persephone confirmed. "If she succeeds, she could potentially access the entirety of Pleiades' magic throughout history—past, present, and future. She'd become a magical black hole, sucking in power from the beginning of your lineage."

"Well, fuck me sideways with a broomstick," Nana muttered, collapsing into a chair. "As if we didn't have enough problems."

Remembering the mysterious messages, I pulled out my phone and showed them to Persephone and Stella. "I received these while you were gone. Someone claims to have escaped from Lyra and wants to help us counter her ritual."

"This mention of 'anchor points' matches what we found,” Persephone pointed out. “Each focus point is anchored to its location through blood magic, tying it to its corresponding ancient site. Breaking that anchor would disrupt the entire network."

"Do you think the message is legitimate?" I pressed, hope flickering like a match in a hurricane.

"Possibly," she conceded with all the enthusiasm of someone agreeing to a root canal. "But it would be extremely dangerous to pursue."

"Nana thinks it's a trap," I admitted.

"Smart woman," she replied, earning an approving nod from my grandmother, who looked momentarily smug.

"But the triplets aren't reacting defensively," I pointed out. "And they've been on high alert for anything even remotely threatening. Their magical panic button hasn't gone off once about these messages."

As if to prove my point, the babies chose that moment to send a gentle wave of warmth through me. It felt like being wrapped in a heated blanket on a cold day. It was distinctly different from their usual protective surges that felt more like being struck by magical lightning.

"They might be sensing something we can't," Stella suggested. "I bet their connection to Pleiades magic is strong."

"We should prepare the binding potion regardless," Mom suggested. "It's a powerful mixture that could be useful even if this turns out to be some elaborate mind-fuck."

"Mom!" I gasped in mock horror. "Language!" She rolled her eyes at me, but I caught the hint of a smile.

"I'll provide the tears," Aidon volunteered. His expression softened as he looked at me. "It won't be difficult, considering how terrified I am of losing you and our children."

I squeezed his hand. "You won't lose us. We're going to turn this situation around and kick Lyra's ass back to whatever rock she crawled out from under." The triplets kicked in unison, as if applauding my bravado.

Jean-Marc cleared his throat. "Getting back to our counter-ritual. I think we can incorporate what Persephone and Stella discovered. If Lyra's using the seven points to amplify the alignment's power, we can create our own network to redirect it."

"Like a magical lightning rod system," Nina said, her eyes lighting up with understanding. "We catch the energy before it reaches Lyra and channel it into our protection instead."

"Exactly," Jean-Marc agreed, his eyes brightening with excitement. "We'd need seven anchor points of our own, positioned to mirror Lyra's network but inverted."

"And what powers our anchor points?" I asked, rubbing my belly absently as the triplets shifted.

"We have the perfect source," Mom said with a thoughtful expression. "The unique magical connection between all of us."

"A ritual circle with seven positions," Stella mused. "Each held by someone with a specific connection to either Phoebe or the triplets."

"Aidon for Nyssa," I began, mentally mapping it out. "Jean-Marc for Thaniel. Nina for Melaina."

"We each act as an anchor,” Nana nodded .

"You would create a complete circuit," Clio confirmed. "A perfect balance of bloodline, chosen family, and divine energy. The seven points will mirror Lyra's network. Rather than stealing power, they'll amplify and protect it. That’s always more powerful."

"And I'll be at the center," I concluded. "As the conduit for all of it."

The triplets kicked simultaneously, as if signaling their agreement with the plan. A gentle ripple of magic spread outward from my belly. A second later, the diagram on the table glowed briefly.

"I think they approve," Aidon said with a small smile.

"The only question remaining is location," Mom pointed out. "Where do we perform this counter-ritual?"

"It needs to be somewhere naturally powerful," Clio said. "A place where multiple ley lines converge."

"What about the clearing in the forest behind our property?" Aidon asked. "It sits at the junction of three major ley lines."

"That could work," Jean-Marc agreed. "We'd need to prepare the ground with protective circles and place the crystals Nina mentioned."

"And we'll need additional defenders," Stella added. "People to hold back any threats while we complete the ritual."

"Hades, Murtagh, Tseki, and the shifters can form an outer perimeter," Aidon decided. "With Selene, Layla, and the pixies creating a secondary defensive line."

My phone buzzed with another message from the mysterious contact. “ She knows you're planning something. Be careful. Will contact again when safe .”

"Well, that's comforting," I muttered sarcastically.

"Regardless of whether we trust this person," Aidon said, "they're right about one thing. Lyra will be expecting us to act. We need to be exceptionally careful with our preparations."

"We should start immediately," Mom suggested. "The waning moon rises tonight. It’ll be perfect for brewing the binding potion."

"And I'll begin preparing the crystals," Nina added.

"I'll coordinate with Hades and the others about defensive positions," Persephone offered.

As everyone dispersed to their assigned tasks, Aidon remained by my side, his hand still clasping mine. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "The risk is substantial."

"I'm sure about one thing," I replied, meeting his gaze steadily. "Waiting for Lyra to come to us hasn't worked so far. It's time we took control of this situation."

He nodded slowly. "Just promise me you'll be careful. These mysterious messages... even if they're genuine, the sender might not understand the full danger."

"I promise," I said, leaning forward to kiss him gently. "But I also promise to follow my instincts. They've kept us alive this long."