Page 37 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues (Mystical Midlife in Maine #17)
A idon's shadows pounded against the magical barrier.
Each impact was like a thunderclap in the confined space of the pocket dimension.
It felt like my heart was being ripped out as I watched him fighting to reach me.
His power was dark and beautiful in its fury, but the barrier held firm against even his considerable strength.
I lifted my shaking hand toward him. Not wanting to give Lyra the satisfaction of seeing our pain, I dropped it and schooled my expression.
Deep breaths, Phoebe. Focus. Another contraction gripped me with hot claws.
This time, instead of fighting it, I closed my eyes and turned inward.
I sought the chaotic pulse of the triplets' magic.
"We need to stay together a little longer," I whispered, channeling every ounce of calm I could muster.
I breathed slowly, deliberately, creating a rhythm that pushed against the frantic magic flying around us. Remaining calm was difficult given that beyond my magical prison, I could see my family waging war. Spells were exploding and creatures were dying. Those I loved most were in danger .
The sudden roar that ripped through the pocket realm was divine fury given voice. It was the battle cry of an enraged god who'd just realized someone had dared to mess with his family. The sound vibrated in my bones and sent the triplets dancing in response.
A smile curved my lips as I locked eyes with the thing wearing Lyra's face.
"Hear that? That's the sound of your plan going straight to hell—literally. Hades is here now. And he sounds pissed. Trust me, you won’t like being on his bad side.
" I pushed myself up straighter despite the pain.
Vicious satisfaction rushed through me at the flicker of uncertainty that crossed Lyra's stolen features.
"You really should have done your homework," I continued, my voice stronger now.
"Gods don't play by mortal rules, and that particular god?
He specializes in tearing apart realms just like this little bubble you've created.
Nothing will stop him from getting through that barrier.
Not your magic, or ancient allies. Not even death itself.
And when he does?" I laughed, low and dangerous.
"You're going to learn why even other immortals fear the Lord of the Underworld when his family is threatened. "
"Your pet god," she snarled, circling me like a predator assessing wounded prey, "cannot breach this realm without destroying it—and you with it. Do you think Hades would risk your precious babies? Three unborn children with power that rivals his own?"
She leaned closer. The smell of decay that was rolling off her made me want to puke. "Besides, I've already taken what I need from you. Your labor feeds the ritual. Each contraction strengthens the spell. By the time your beloved family breaks through, I'll have ascended beyond their reach."
Her eyes flickered to my swollen belly, hunger naked in her gaze. "Hades may rule the Underworld, but I will rule everything and turn him into a mewling godling. And when I have your children's power..." She laughed, the sound like breaking glass. "Even death will kneel."
I kept my smile fixed in place, refusing to show fear.
The scariest monsters always monologued.
And every second she wasted talking was another second my family had to reach me.
My only priority was keeping these babies safely inside me until my family could break through.
If there was one thing I'd learned about being a Pleiades witch, it was that giving up was never an option.
A particularly violent explosion from outside made the barrier flicker momentarily. Lyra's expression shifted from smug satisfaction to irritation. With a gesture of her elongated fingers, she reinforced the weakened section. Not before I caught a glimpse of her strain.
I squinted through the shimmering wall of magic, and my heart hammered against my ribs like it was trying to escape. Holy shit balls, Stella was taking on three of those nasty-ass creatures at once. Her ponytail whipped around as she ducked and spun, slashing with that dagger Bas had made for her.
A crash to my left had me jerking my head around.
Nina was surrounded. My breath caught seeing my daughter in danger like that.
Her lips pulled back in a snarl that would've scared the piss out of me if I'd been on the receiving end.
Jean-Marc moved like a shadow behind her and took out one of the things trying to kill his sister.
"Assholes!" I hissed and ducked as something exploded nearby. It rained sparkly crap inside and outside Lyra's magical bubble. That was interesting. I wasn’t sure if I could use that to my advantage, or not.
Those questions were derailed when I saw Aidon moving like a freaking freight train through a cluster of Forgotten Ones.
Mom was casting spells and tossing potions.
Watching Nana roundhouse kick a demon in the face will change your perspective on retirement homes forever.
Magic really had given her a new lease on life.
She’d been spry before, but now it was like she was decades younger.
"They're quite persistent," Lyra remarked casually. "Like insects throwing themselves against glass, unaware of their own insignificance."
I said nothing, focusing instead on controlling my breathing as another contraction tore through me.
Taking advantage of her divided attention, I reached for the Pleiades magic within me.
It responded sluggishly. Lyra’s machinations had weakened it, but there was enough to create a thin shield around my belly.
It wasn’t enough to block her ritual completely. I prayed it was enough to slow it down.
Lyra noticed immediately, her lips curling into a sneer. "Still fighting? I admire your tenacity, but it's futile. Soon your children will be born, and their untethered magic will flow into me like water seeking its lowest point."
She turned to an obsidian altar that had materialized beside us between one second and the next.
This witch had more tricks up her sleeve than a magician.
Various arcane implements were lying on the surface.
Among them was a curved blade that seemed to drink in the surrounding light.
My heart stopped when my gaze landed on three small, empty cradles that had been crafted from some dark material.
"What are you planning to do to them?" I demanded.
"Nothing harmful," Lyra replied with false gentleness. "Quite the opposite. I'm going to set them free from the limitations their divine father and mundie mother would impose on them. They'll reach their full potential as catalysts for my new magical order."
Another explosion rocked the chamber. This one was powerful enough to cause cracks in Lyra's barrier. She hissed in frustration, and her attention was torn between her ritual preparations and maintaining our protective cocoon.
"Your family is becoming a nuisance," she muttered as she began casting a spell. With each word, new layers of defense formed around us. Creatures simultaneously materialized outside our bubble to join the fight against my would-be rescuers.
I watched through the shimmering barrier as my family fought like hellcats against an endless parade of nightmare fuel.
Aidon's shadows had grown teeth, for crying out loud.
Actual freaking teeth. They sliced through flesh like it was warm butter, which would've been awesome if I hadn't been busy trying not to push three magical babies into the waiting arms of a psychopath.
"Father!" Aidon shouted to Hades, who was taking on three of those creepy Forgotten Ones at once. Show-off. "We need to coordinate our assault! The barrier weakens when struck from multiple angles simultaneously!"
Hades gave one of those curt nods that screamed, ‘ I'm too badass to waste words right now’ . Black energy crackled around him like he was some kind of walking electrical storm. "Persephone! Stella! On my signal!"
Through a momentary clearing in the chaos, I spotted Stella turning into a magical demolition derby. She’d given up that precise, calculated casting she usually did. She was just channeling pure destruction. She was obliterating anything stupid enough to get in her path.
"There are too many!" she yelled, narrowly avoiding becoming tentacle chow. "They keep coming through the cracks!"
No shit. For every monster they killed, two more squeezed through the widening rifts. This collapsing dimension was like a pinata full of horrors instead of candy. Not something you want at your party .
I caught glimpses of Jean-Marc and Nina fighting back-to-back. They were protecting Clio while she frantically mixed potions. If they managed to reach me, she needed to be ready to stop this labor train in its tracks.
"Their patterns are changing," Jean-Marc called out. Apparently, analyzing attack strategies while fighting for your life was standard for him. "They're no longer just attacking randomly. They've shifted their attention to our stronger magic users." Namely, Aidon and Hades.
Nina nodded. Her magic was causing the creatures to bump into each other like drunk frat boys. "They aren't acting of their own accord. I can feel them fighting control."
"Lyra," Clio confirmed. "She's using them as extensions of her will, but the effort is dividing her focus from her primary ritual. That's our advantage."
Mom appeared beside them. Her fangs were bared, and her fingertips sported claws. Evidence of the tribred Lyra had turned her into. Her eyes glowed as she tore through what looked like a shadow wolf made of liquid nightmares.
"We need to push harder," she urged. "Phoebe's contractions are accelerating—I can feel it through our bond. If those babies are born in this corrupted space..."