Page 17

S leep proved elusive as I watched our shadowy guardians patrol the property.

The storm raged on through the night. I swear it was mocking my discomfort.

Each thunderclap was perfectly timed with the triplets' synchronized kicks to my ribs.

Nature had a sick sense of humor. My swollen ankles throbbed as I shifted on the window seat for the hundredth time, trying to find a position—any position—that didn't make me feel like a beached whale.

I must have finally dozed off because the next thing I knew, sunlight was streaming through the windows.

The smell of coffee pulled me from the last dregs of sleep and my makeshift nest.

"You know," Nana said as she handed me a steaming mug, "normal people don't fall asleep watching magical shadow creatures do security sweeps."

"When have we ever been normal?" I asked as I accepted the coffee gratefully. The triplets stirred as the caffeine hit. The symbol pulsed with their movements. "It was like getting sucked into TikTok. I became mesmerized by the supernatural screen saver playing outside my window."

The sudden sound of the doorbell echoing through the house made us both freeze.

The shadows outside went still. I swear they tightened like coiled springs.

Through the window, I could see a woman in a floral sundress standing on our porch.

She looked completely ordinary, like a friend coming for a visit.

But the shadows' reaction told a different story.

"I'll get it," Aidon called from the kitchen. His power rippled through the house like a warning bell. There was something familiar about the woman. It couldn’t be Lyra. She wouldn’t be able to get past our wards. I hauled myself up and waddled out to see who it was.

The woman's smile when Aidon opened the door was pure sunshine and spring flowers.

"Since when can't I teleport directly inside?

That's new," Persephone told Aidon. I nearly choked on my coffee.

The Queen of the Underworld was standing in my entryway, looking like she'd just stepped out of a Better Homes & Gardens photo shoot.

"Mother?" Aidon's shock was evident as he shook his head. "We, uh, had to increase the wards after a new development. Phoebe and the others used a new technique. What are you doing here?"

She breezed past him, and her glamour fell away to reveal her true form. The simple sundress transformed into flowing robes that shimmered with the colors of changing seasons. "The Underworld is getting... interesting."

"Interesting how?" I asked from the top of the stairs. I gripped the railing as I made my way down with Nana hovering protectively behind me. The babies chose that moment to get excited about their grandmother’s presence. Their movements made the symbol flare like a disco ball.

Persephone's eyes became fixed on my belly.

"Oh my. That's new." She moved closer as I reached the bottom.

Power radiating from her in waves that made the house plants burst into bloom.

Through the window, I even noticed how the trees outside grew a foot.

"The old magics are more active than we thought.

Hades noticed it first. It started with disturbances in the deepest parts of Tartarus.

Places even the Titans fear to tread." Her words made my stomach twisted into a painful knot.

This was even more widespread than I could have imagined.

Before she could elaborate, my phone rang.

The tone was 'Stayin' Alive', which meant Clio. My daughter had developed a sense of humor and made that the healer’s ring tone so we would always know it was her.

"Phoebe?" Clio's voice was tight with urgency when I answered it on speaker.

"I need you to come to my house. Now. There's something you need to see. "

"Your house?" I exchanged looks with Aidon. "The one that got attacked by shapeshifters?"

"Yes. It's important. Trust me." She sounded like the healer, but doubt niggled at the back of my mind.

"We'll be there soon," I promised, then turned to Persephone. "Would you like to join us? Since you're here about the magical disturbances anyway."

Her smile was bright as spring flowers but razor-sharp as her pomegranate seeds. "I wouldn't miss it."

The voices brought Mom and Mythia in from the kitchen.

My stomach growled as they carried the scent of cinnamon and butter with them.

To my delight, Mythia pressed a warm scone into my hands while Nana filled them in.

"We'll have a real breakfast ready when you get back," Mom promised.

She helped me waddle to the door while Nana grabbed my bag.

The trek to Aidon's SUV felt like a military operation, with everyone hovering as I navigated the front steps. I bypassed the passenger seat, knowing better than to take it from my mother-in-law. I sucked in a breath before I tried folding myself and the triplets into the vehicle. As ready as would ever be, I climbed—more like rolled—into the backseat with as much dignity as a woman who couldn’t see her feet could muster.

Persephone glided into the front beside Aidon without so much as wrinkling her robes. The drive to Clio's was tense. She spent the entire ride studying my pulsing tattoo through the rearview mirror. She occasionally muttered in ancient Greek, making the air smell like spring rain.

My gaze traveled over the lawn as we pulled up to Clio's craftsman house. The scorch marks from our last visit were still visible on the lawn. The black patches were stark against the green grass. Aidon helped me out of the SUV and we made our way to the porch where Clio waited. The healer’s usual calm demeanor slightly frayed around the edges.

Her gaze darted between my belly and Persephone.

"Your house sits on a convergence point," Persephone noted as she flicked her wrist and repaired the damage caused by Aidon when he fought the shapeshifters.

"I bought this house specifically for the energy. I figured it would enhance my healing abilities," Clio explained as she ushered us inside. “It’s actually why I asked you to come.”

The moment I crossed the threshold, I felt it. The house thrummed with power that made my tattoo resonate like a tuning fork. The babies responded immediately. Their movements became more energetic.

Clio led us to her exam room, where the walls were humming with ancient power. Her normally placid German Shepherd, Ajax, paced anxiously at her heels. He was whining and agitated.

Clio grabbed a crystal from her desk and held it over a map spread across the examination table. "The convergence is acting up. Watch."

The crystal spun wildly, stopping at different points across New England.

With each pause, the crystal pointed to a new location.

Ajax howled each time it stopped, his eyes glowing an unnatural amber.

"These points are all similar. I bet they’re places where old magic pools. I think this forms a pattern."

"It does, and it matches the network of hidden locations we found," I said, thinking of Selene's research.

My hand instinctively went to my belly as the triplets responded to the surging energy.

Ajax whimpered as he looked at me. He hadn't stopped since we arrived.

His behavior was as erratic as the energy signatures Clio was tracking.

Persephone traced the points with a finger that left trails of spring green light.

"Old power is stirring," she murmured. "The kind that predates even the gods.

We're unsure how it will affect the balance of magic, but every pantheon is watching closely.

" Her eyes fixed on my belly. "Especially with new power growing. "

Ajax suddenly collapsed, his legs giving out as the crystal made another wild spin. Clio dropped to her knees beside him, her healing magic wrapping around him in golden threads.

"This is affecting more than just magical signatures," she said grimly, stroking Ajax's fur. "I have no idea what is happening or why, but I thought you should see it so you know what we need to monitor." Her gaze flicked to the window where shadows began gathering.

I jumped out of my skin when a familiar voice echoed through the room at that same moment.

"Mom?" Jean-Marc's voice carried through the house.

We all turned to watch him walk in. My heart leaped at the sight of my son, but joy quickly turned to concern.

Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his usually neat appearance was rumpled like he hadn't slept in days.

"Nina said you weren't home," he said as he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. What was he doing there? He should be in North Carolina attending classes. "I tracked your phone when I got into town. I had to see you right away.

"I've been having dreams," he continued before I could speak. "About the babies. And ancient powers waking up. I thought it was just stress from finals until I started researching for my mythology thesis. The symbols from my dreams? They're showing up in historical records."

"What kind of records?" Persephone asked, moving closer to him.

Jean-Marc blinked at the goddess's presence. He wasn't used to the magical world yet, much less being in the presence of deities. Persephone wrapped an arm around his shoulders. My heart warmed at her easy acceptance of my older son.

His shoulders relaxed and words poured out.

"Private collections, mostly. There's this network of antiquarians who've been tracking magical phenomena for centuries.

They hide in plain sight and operate out of small shops and auction houses.

The stuff they know..." He shook his head. "It goes way beyond normal mythology."