Page 8 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues (Mystical Midlife in Maine #17)

S leep was a foreign concept after we discovered Lyra's virus.

Every time I closed my eyes, the Trifecta Ascension ritual played like a horror movie in my head.

My babies, torn from my arms. Their magic was ripped away while I lay there like a useless lump.

And each time I jolted awake, those damn monitoring symbols on my ceiling pulsed.

Mocking me. Reminding me that psychotic bitch was watching.

By the time dawn painted the sky, Aidon had already ditched our bed.

Mr. Hero was leading the team to hunt down Lyra's hideout.

The empty space beside me left a cold void in my chest. I'd practically shoved him out the door, knowing we couldn't just sit around with our thumbs up our asses waiting for Lyra to make her move.

But logic didn't stop the worry from gnawing at my insides like a rabid beast.

When my bedroom door creaked open, I half-expected Clio with another round of potions and check-ups. Instead, Nina slipped in. She was carrying a large piece of parchment and wearing an expression of intense concentration. It was something I rarely saw on my daughter's face .

"Morning, Mom," she said, distracted. "How are the little gremlins treating you today?"

"They've been restless," I admitted. "They can sense the tension around here. No to mention they got used to me running around handling all the shit myself."

Nina's eyes tracked the movement of a pencil on my nightstand with unusual focus. "Interesting. That's the blue-toned magic—Thaniel, right?"

I blinked in surprise. "How can you tell?"

She shrugged, setting her parchment on the foot of my bed.

"I see their magic in colors. Each of the babies has a distinct signature.

Thaniel's is blue with silver undertones.

Nyssa's is darker, almost purple-black. And Melaina's is golden with these weird little fractals that keep changing shape." The colors matched up to what we’d seen when dealing with the symbol that suddenly appeared on my belly. I didn’t see anything when their magic seeped out like this.

"When did you develop this ability?" I asked, impressed and slightly unnerved by her casual precision.

"It's been growing stronger over the past few weeks," she explained, unfolding the parchment to reveal an intricate map of our house.

"At first, I could just sense when magic was being used nearby.

Now I can identify individual signatures, track their movements, and see how they interact with other magical energies. " Woah, that was incredible.

She tapped the parchment, distracting me when it became covered in swirling, interconnected lines of various colors. "I've been mapping Lyra's movements through the house based on residual traces. Look at this."

I studied the map, noting how certain paths appeared more prominent, with thicker lines and deeper colors. "She's been focusing on specific areas." It wasn’t surprising, but what did that mean?

"Not just areas," Nina corrected. "I think she’s been following people." She pointed to concentrations of energy around rooms associated with different family members. "She's been studying us individually.

Nodding, that made sense to me. “She’s trying to learn our magical signatures. No doubt she’s testing our strengths and weaknesses." My blood ran cold as I recognized the implications. "She's been preparing to face each of us individually."

"That’s what Nana and I think," Nina agreed. "She's been particularly interested in Jean-Marc and you. I’m not surprised the traces are strongest here."

I touched a particularly dense cluster near my closet. "The gods only know what she’s learned."

"We should assume she knows more than we want her to," Nina added before she traced a complex pattern where multiple magical signatures intersected. "That's what made me want to show you this. I noticed something strange when I was mapping the triplets' energy."

She closed her eyes, her hand hovering over my swollen belly. "There—feel that?"

I did. One of the babies—I thought it was Melaina—shifted position. I’d gotten used to their movements and magic and could tell them apart. A warm, resonant hum spread from my abdomen. It synchronized perfectly with the soft glow that had begun to emanate from Nina's fingertips.

"Melaina's harmonizing with my magic," Nina whispered, awe in her voice. "Amplifying them, actually. When I'm close to her, I can see magical traces that were previously invisible to me."

As if in response to her sibling's activity, another ripple of movement came from within me. It was Nyssa wanting in on the action. A subtle darkening of the shadows in the corner of the room followed.

"That's Nyssa," I murmured, watching as the darkness pulsed in a rhythm that was similar to how Aidon's shadows behaved when he was feeling protective.

"She misses her dad," Nina observed. "I've seen it happen before—when Aidon leaves, her shadows get more active, like she's trying to fill in for him."

The insight struck me deeply. These children were already exhibiting such distinct personalities and powers from the womb. Each was connected uniquely to different family members. It was exciting and terrifying. It’s what made them targets for Lyra.

"And Thaniel?" I asked, curious about how he was with Nina.

Nina grinned. "He's the reason Jean-Marc suddenly finds his research books opening to exactly the page he needs.

Or why time seems to slow down when he's deep in concentration.

Thaniel creates these tiny temporal pockets.

Jean-Marc doesn't even realize it's happening, but I can see the blue-silver magic all around him. "

Before I could respond, a soft knock preceded Clio's entering for my morning check-up. Her eyebrows rose at the sight of the magical map spread across my bed. "I see Nina's been showing you her new ability," she remarked, setting down the tray. "Quite impressive, isn't it?"

"That’s an understatement," I replied. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

Clio shook her head. "In all the healing knowledge passed down through my bloodline, there are records of perhaps three individuals with natural detection abilities this refined. Usually, it takes decades of training to achieve what Nina's developed in months."

Pride swelled in my chest even as concern shadowed it. "Could it be dangerous for her? This rapid development?"

"I'm right here, you know," Nina interjected, rolling her eyes in typical teenage fashion.

Clio smiled apologetically. "I mean no offense. From what I can tell, it's a natural evolution of your existing gifts. I suspect it was accelerated by proximity to the triplets. All three of them seem to be acting as magical catalysts for those they're connected to."

That was both fascinating and concerning. "What does that mean for after they're born?"

"They are showing unprecedented magical potential," Clio said simply. "Which is precisely why Lyra wants them."

Nina began carefully folding her map as her expression hardened. "I'll keep tracking the residual signatures," she said. "If I can identify how Lyra moves through magical space, maybe we can predict where she might try to breach our defenses next and stop her."

As she left, Clio began her now-familiar examination routine. Her healing energy probed gently to check on the babies. I submitted to it with the resigned patience I'd developed over the several days, though my mind still churned with the implications of Nina's discovery.

"You're concerned about Aidon," Clio observed after several minutes of silence.

I sighed. "Is it that obvious?" She wasn’t wrong. I was just more worried about my babies.

"Only to someone who's seen how much you love each other," she replied, her hands hovering over my belly. "He'll be fine, Phoebe. Hades and Murtagh are with him, along with a dozen of our best fighters."

"It's not just that," I admitted, leaning closer.

"Before he left, I noticed something wrong with his powers.

His shadows moved erratically, rippling with unusual patterns.

The protective spell around my bed fluctuated throughout the night, strengthening, then weakening at random.

At first, I thought it was his anxiety about leaving us, but now I'm not so sure. "

Clio's brow furrowed. "I won't pretend to understand the depths of a god's power, but even immortals can be affected by emotional strain."

"He's torn," I explained, voicing the realization that had come to me during the night. "Part of him needs to hunt down Lyra, to eliminate the threat at its source. But another part can't bear to leave me and the babies unprotected, especially now that we know what she's planning."

"Such fundamental opposing instincts would challenge anyone," Clio said carefully. "Even a god."

I rubbed my temples, frustration mounting. "And there's nothing I can do to help him from here."

"That's where you're wrong," Clio countered, her voice firm but gentle. "The best thing you can do right now is exactly what you're doing. Resting, recovering, and protecting the triplets. Rushing into action would only give him one more thing to worry about."

It wasn't the answer I wanted, but I knew she was right. Our attention was diverted when the bedroom door burst open without warning. Stella stumbled in, disheveled and breathing hard. Her clothes were torn and smudged with what looked like soot.

"Stella!" I gasped, automatically trying to rise before Clio's firm hand on my shoulder kept me in bed. "What happened?"

"Found... Lyra," she panted, collapsing into the chair beside my bed. "Or at least, one of her meeting places."