CHAPTER 18
DREYA
M y telekinesis was acting up again and making nearby objects float ominously. It wasn’t exactly helpful when we were trying to infiltrate the tunnels unseen. A large rock and a garden gnome drifted past my head. I consciously reeled in my power. Being the sister with uncontrollable psychic abilities was super fun during high-stress situations. Really.
Just as I was trying to convince a particularly determined squirrel to stay put, my phone buzzed. Given our luck lately, I half expected it to explode or start spouting prophecies in ancient Greek. But no. It was just Kaitlyn's name lighting up my screen with what turned out to be the first good news we'd had all day.
"Holy shit," I breathed. "Kaitlyn and Kaveh got Viktor. Terrence just escorted our favorite vampire turncoat to his new accommodations at Coldwater Creek."
"Terrence took him?" Kota perked up. "The supernatural cop that hasn’t handled much since we came on the scene in New Orleans?"
"The very same," I confirmed, trying not to smirk at her obvious annoyance. "Apparently, they needed someone who could handle a master vampire having a tantrum mid-transport. Terrence might not carry a gun, but he had magical cuffs that could immobilize the most volatile.”
"Did they say what happened?" Dani asked.
"Kaitlyn just said it was 'messy but final' and that Terrence had to pin Viktor with some kind of ancient binding spell while Kaveh did... whatever a djinn does." I tucked my phone away, accidentally making it float for a second before catching it. "She also mentioned something about Viktor owing her a new leather jacket and Kaveh needing to replace his favorite ceremonial dagger. Knowing those two, I really don't want the details."
"One less homicidal vampire to deal with," Phi noted with a decisive nod as we made our way to the tunnel entrance.
"Oh yeah," Lia drawled. "Now we just have to infiltrate a heavily guarded cemetery through underground tunnels that probably haven't seen maintenance since before the Civil War. Then, we have to establish a stable connection across dimensional barriers without ripping reality apart. And finally rescue our sister from between realities before her mind shatters from experiencing every possible version of existence simultaneously. Easy peasy."
"Your sarcasm is showing," I told her.
"Better than my panic," she countered. "Though I reserve the right to freak out if we run into any giant tunnel rats. There are limits."
The tunnel entrance gaped before us like the maw of some ancient beast. It even exhaled centuries of mold and decay. What I wouldn’t give for nice, clean, well-lit secret passages right about now. Unfortunately, that wasn’t on the agenda. Instead, we had to crawl through what felt like the city's moldy basement while some ancient assholes tried to destroy everything.
"Is everyone clear on the plan?" I asked as I double-checked my bag. The weight of my dagger and emergency potions felt reassuring against my hip.
"Yep. Phase one. Don't die in the creepy tunnels," Kota recited in a voice that echoed in the dank space.
"Phase two. Locate Dea without alerting the Lost Legends or accidentally creating a tear in space-time," Dani continued as she checked her gear.
"Phase three. Probably blow something up," Lia added with the kind of grin that made insurance adjusters wake up in cold sweats.
"That's not actually part of the plan," I reminded her through a chuckle.
"Yet," she said, waggling her eyebrows. "Give it time. Everything we do eventually involves property damage of some sort. It's like our signature move at this point."
"Can we focus?" Phi adjusted her detection equipment. It was making concerning whirring noises and occasionally spitting sparks. "The temporal distortions are getting stronger the deeper we go."
She wasn't wrong. The descent into the tunnels felt like walking into soup. Thick, magical soup that made my skin crawl and my magic go haywire. Our flashlight beams caught glimpses of ancient brickwork and what I really, really hoped weren't human remains. The air grew heavier with each step and was pressing against us like we were deep underwater.
"We’re close to the cemetery," Phi reported in a voice barely above a whisper. The display on her equipment flashed sporadically. It flickered between normal readings and what looked like ancient runes having a seizure. "The crystal's harmonics are definitely bleeding through down here."
I could feel what she was talking about. My magic was doing the equivalent of a caffeine-fueled jumping jack session. And my healing ability was trying to mend tears in reality that shouldn't exist. Worst of all, the empty space in our sister bond where Dea should be ached like a phantom limb.
"Stop," Maeve commanded suddenly. Her body flickered between dimensions like a glitchy hologram. She pointed to a section of the wall that looked exactly like every other moldy section. "Here. The barriers are thinnest at this point."
"You sure?" I asked as I eyed the suspicious liquid dripping from above. “Cause I'm pretty sure that's just water damage."
"The veils between realities aren't usually visible to the naked eye," she replied with the kind of patience usually reserved for explaining things to small children. "Unless you'd prefer to keep wandering until we find a convenient sign that says 'Tear in Space-Time This Way'?"
"Point taken." I inhaled to calm my racing heart and reached for Lia’s hand.
The five of us gathered in a rough circle. Phi pulled out the artifacts we'd brought from the hidden room. Each one hummed with power that resonated with the crystal's original frequency. The air around us vibrated like a bass speaker at a rave.
"Remember," Maeve instructed, "don't try to force the connection. Let the crystal's natural harmonics guide you. Your sister-bond will do the rest."
"Because that makes it so much clearer," Lia muttered as she clutched my hand.
I closed my eyes and reached for the connection that had always linked us together. The empty space where Dea should be felt like a wound. Around it, I could feel my other sisters' energy pulsing strong and sure. That was when I felt a familiar presence brushing against my consciousness. It was warm, fierce, and loving in a way that made my heart clench.
"Mom?" I whispered. My voice broke as my soul ached painfully. The others went still. It was the kind of stillness that comes with trying not to shatter something. They wanted to see her as badly as I did.
She appeared before us. She was translucent but undeniably there. Her smile was exactly as I remembered. It was the one that had gotten us through every moment of our lives. It hadn't wavered even through years of chemo and radiation. It was there even when the cancer was winning. She'd faced death with the same grace and strength she'd shown in life. And taught us one final lesson about courage.
Kota made a sound somewhere between a sob and a laugh. "You still look like you're about to tell us to straighten our spines and remember we're Smith women."
"That's because you're slouching, dear," Mom replied, and oh God, that familiar teasing tone made my eyes burn. She'd always known how to break the tension and how to make us laugh even when things seemed darkest.
Phi was blinking back tears. Lia was crying freely while Dani was holding her hand and smiling. We all felt that bittersweet ache of having our mom here but not here. We missed her so fiercely that it felt like a physical pain. It hurt worst of all because Dea wasn’t experiencing this.
"You need anchors," Mom said simply. Looking at her, I saw all the love and pride she'd always shown us. "Something to hold you steady while you reach across the void."
More spirits materialized. They were more of our ancestors. I'd bet some were even the ones who had originally protected the crystal. They formed a circle around us. Their power added another layer of stability to our efforts. But it wasn't enough. We needed something stronger.
"Your loved ones," Mom said before I could even voice my observation. She always had been the smartest person I’d ever known. It didn’t matter that she never had any secondary education. "Your families. They're your strongest connections to this reality."
Understanding hit me like a supernatural freight train. I reached out through my bonds, not just to Steve but to my children and grandchildren. The response was immediate and overwhelming. Love surged back through our connection like a tide and wrapped around me like the warmest blanket.
Around me, my sisters were reaching for their families and drawing on the bonds of love that transcended even death itself. The kind of bonds Mom had helped us forge. She had shown us by example how to nurture and protect. She’d given us the best gift anyone ever could in each other. My sisters and brothers were my greatest treasures.
The effect was immediate and intense. Reality stopped trying to tear itself apart around us. The artifacts' light steadied, and Phi's equipment settled into a rhythm that sounded less like an imminent explosion and more like controlled chaos. "That's my girls," Mom said softly. Her pride wrapped around us like a familiar hug and a sob left me. We were all crying so hard we couldn’t breathe. "You’re always strongest together."
Looking at this woman who had raised us to be both strong and gentle. She had shown us how to face both life and death with grace. And had made sure we knew that family was about more than blood. I felt that familiar mix of grief and gratitude. We missed her every day, but everything she'd taught us lived on in how we loved each other. How we faced challenges. And how we built our own families.
"We love you, Mom," Kota whispered. She voiced what we were all feeling.
"And I love you, my brave girls," she replied. "Now go get your sister back."
Even as her spirit faded, I could feel her strength remaining with us. This time it wasn’t just in our memories. She was there with us. We loved fiercely and fought harder, and we’d never give up. Just like she taught us.
Through our combined connections, I could finally sense Dea clearly. She was fragmenting because she was experiencing countless realities simultaneously. Underneath the chaos, I felt a surge of emotion from her that could only mean one thing. Mom had reached her too. Tears pricked my eyes as I sensed my sister's response to our mother's presence. Even trapped between realities and with her consciousness scattered across countless dimensions, Dea was crying.
That had to be a good sign. If she could still feel, react, and miss Mom with that same bone-deep ache we all carried, then she hadn't completely lost herself to the temporal fluctuations. And maybe, just maybe, Mom was doing what she'd always done best. Protecting her children, even from forces that could tear everything apart.
I could feel Dea fighting and holding onto her identity with that special brand of Smith stubbornness. The same stubbornness Mom had shown during her final months. It fueled the strength that had made her keep smiling and telling us, “I’m okay.” It was how she kept being our rock even when her body was failing her.
"She's still in there," I told my sisters, my voice thick with emotion. "Mom's with her.”
Lia nodded and wiped her eyes. “I think... I think she's been with her this whole time, keeping her anchored just enough until we could reach her."
That was exactly the kind of thing our mother would do. She would absolutely find a way to guard her children even from beyond the veil. Especially when one of us was lost in the spaces between realities. Some mothers gave their kids chicken soup when they were sick. Ours held our souls together when they were scattered across dimensions. Honestly, that tracked for our family.
"I’m calculating exact coordinates now,” Phi reported. “Though you're not going to like where they have her."
"When do we ever like where the bad guys set up shop?" Lia asked.
"They've got her suspended between the worst moments of every possible timeline," Phi explained grimly. "It's like they're forcing her to experience every tragedy that could have happened to us simultaneously."
A surge of rage shot through me. "Those bastards."
"Dea," I called through our sister-bond. "Hold on. We're coming."
Her response was faint but clear. " Hurry. And tell Lia to lay off the energy drinks. I can feel her vibrating from here ."
"She's still snarking," Kota said with a relieved laugh. "She's going to be okay."
The Lost Legends must have sensed something because reality suddenly buckled around us. The walls of the tunnel rippled like water, and something that definitely wasn't human screeched in the distance.
"They know we're here," Maeve warned. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast. Also, that screaming? It’s bad. Very, very bad."
I looked at my sisters and saw the same determination burning in their eyes that I felt in my soul. "Time for phase two?"
"And definitely phase three," Lia added with a fierce grin. "I've got some potions just begging to meet these tunnel walls."
"Remember," Mom said. We all spun in a circle. We all wanted another glimpse of her, but she wasn’t there. "You're stronger together than apart. Trust in your bonds. And Lia? Try not to bring the whole cemetery down on top of you."
"No promises," Lia replied cheerfully.
With our ancestors, children, and mates anchoring us firmly in this reality, we gathered our power. The artifacts pulsed in time with our heartbeats. Above us, the guardian spirits' distraction reached a crescendo. Everything aligned perfectly for one crucial moment.
"Now!" I commanded.
Our combined power shot outward, riding the crystal's natural harmonics like a wave. Reality parted before us, revealing glimpses of countless possible worlds. Some were beautiful. Others were horrifying. All of them were fragments of what could have been. And there, caught between moments, we found our sister.
Dea was suspended in a web of corrupted energy. She was in her dragon form with our mother next to her. The sight made my healer's soul scream in protest. No mind was meant to endure that kind of strain. The Lost Legends appeared around her. Their forms rippled between states of matter like oil on water. They moved to stop us, but they'd made one critical mistake. They came from the belief that our connection to the crystal was about power. They didn't understand that it was about family. We would do anything to get Dea back.
We hit their defenses with everything we had. Five sisters, backed by the power of our mother and other ancestors. We were anchored by our loved ones, and all focused on a single purpose. Bringing our sister home. Under our attack, the corrupted energy holding Dea shattered like glass. Screams echoed around us as I reached across dimensional barriers and grabbed her hand. Dea snatched the Larmes du Bayou and pulled it to her chest. The Lost Legends tried to pull her and the artifact back. Thankfully, they couldn't match the combined strength of our family. Lia pulled me and Dani had ahold of Lia. Phi and Kota were both behind Dani, adding their strength to our chain. We all put everything we had into getting free.
After a surge of sister-power, the six of us fell backward. Reality snapped back into place, and I caught Dea as she collapsed. I immediately started pushing healing energy into her. The others crowded around. They added their own power to help stabilize her. Her aura was a mess of temporal distortions. Underneath it all was that steady core of Smith stubbornness.
"Mom helped," Dea managed weakly in a voice rough with emotion. "She... she kept me together when I started losing myself. Kept reminding me who I was. It was easier to block the chaos out when she showed me memories of us growing up. She even made me laugh with that story about the time Lia tried to teach me how to skateboard." She took a shuddering breath. "Also, speaking of Lia, who let her have that much caffeine? I could feel her bouncing through multiple dimensions."
Laughter bubbled up in my throat. It was half hysterical and half relief. Trust our mother to use childhood memories as spiritual anchors. "The Lost Legends?" Phi asked. I noticed how her hands trembled slightly. It wasn’t from caffeine, either. We'd come too close to losing another family member today.
"They’re still out there," Maeve confirmed grimly. "They're weaker now. Breaking their connection to your sister cost them the power they couldn't afford to lose. Also, I think your detection equipment is about to explode."
"It does that," Phi said dismissively. "I've got at least two minutes before actual detonation."
"Good," I said as I finished healing the worst of Dea's dimensional trauma. "Because I think it's time for phase three."
"See?" Lia smirked, already pulling out what looked suspiciously like military-grade explosives. "I told you we'd blow something up."
I shook my head at her eagerness. We needed to get Dea somewhere safe to recover. Then, we could plan how to end this fight once and for all. Something told me the final confrontation was going to be epic. And probably involve property damage. I hoped not much of the latter because our trap was going to come into play and we’d spent too much money and too many hours restoring the plantation
"Home?" I suggested, supporting Dea as we started back through the tunnels.
"Home," my sisters agreed in unison.
"After we blow up their ritual site," Lia added hopefully.
"After we blow up their ritual site," I agreed because sometimes you had to pick your battles. And this one was definitely worth some property damage.
Behind us, reality slowly settled back into its proper shape, though I could still feel echoes of other possibilities lingering in the air. We'd won this round, but the real fight was still to come. At least now we were back at full strength. If there was one thing the Lost Legends were about to learn, it was that you don't mess with family. Especially not this family. Also, we really needed to start a property damage fund. Our insurance premiums were going to be astronomical after this.