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Nana filled Mythia in on the basics while I ate the scone and then slipped on my shoes so I was ready.

Thank the gods for the invention of slides.

Clio's voice made me look up. "We might not know what the mark means, but Phoebe and the babies are fine," she told Aidon. "No bubble wrap will be required."

"Thanks, Clio," Aidon said as he eyed me like I might spontaneously combust. "Mind swinging by tomorrow for a follow-up? Just in case she grows an extra head or something equally charming?"

Clio nodded as she hiked her Mary Poppins bag of wonders higher on her shoulder. "I had already planned on it. But if she starts speaking in tongues or levitating, give me a ring, yeah?"

"You'll be my first call," he promised.

As Aidon showed Clio to the front door, I focused on grabbing a second scone and a bottle of apple juice. Nana bumped me with her hip. "Scoot over, preggo. Your grandmother needs her sugar fix, too. Mmmm, Mythia's scones are worth fighting over," she said around a mouthful. I couldn’t agree more.

We’d almost finished them when Mythia wiped her hands on her apron.

"Let’s get to it now that we aren’t in danger of Phoebe getting snarly from hunger.

I think I have what we need in my mound.

This calls for some serious pixie magic.

" She looked at my belly with concern. "We'll do the ritual there. It's where my magic is strongest."

We followed her out to her pixie mound on the property. The tension hung over us like storm clouds before a tornado. Aidon stayed pressed against my side. His hand on my back betrayed how worried he really was.

Nana, bless her sassy heart, broke the silence. "You know, when I was carrying your mother, the worst thing I had to worry about was heartburn and swollen ankles. You kids today always gotta one-up the older generation."

I snorted. "Sorry, Nana. Carrying god-spawn triplets doesn't exactly come with an instruction manual. I'd settle for swollen ankles over magical mysteries and potential world-ending scenarios any day."

"Well, if anybody can handle carrying three little godlings while fighting ancient evil, it's you," Nana said as she gave me a look filled with pride. "Though I gotta admit, watching you deal with pregnancy cravings and world-ending threats keeps life interesting."

The pixie mound hummed with magical energy as we approached.

It was surrounded by the ethereal glow of pixies darting around, going about their business.

Mythia approached a group and spoke quietly to several of her kin.

Their expressions grew serious as she explained the situation.

They quickly dispersed to help prepare as Mythia said, "Give me a moment to gather what we need. "

At my nod, she disappeared into the mound.

I watched as the other pixies began arranging crystals.

Mythia emerged then with an ornate bag that sparkled with pixie magic.

The others moved on to drawing symbols in precise patterns in a clearing nearby.

Mythia joined them and laid out her supplies with practiced efficiency.

Her fingers moved with graceful purpose as she mixed herbs and arranged stones in configurations I didn't recognize.

Every now and then she'd mutter something in an ancient pixie dialect that made her magic flare.

“Fiona didn’t talk about this kind of setup,” I observed.

Mythia’s eyes traveled to the glowing symbol on my belly. "I also brought items to enhance a divination ritual," she explained. "I believe it could be the best way for you to get answers. Are you comfortable with that?"

“That is a brilliant idea,” Stella agreed before I could.

I nodded, drawing on my inner strength. "Let's do this before I change my mind and decide to go grab a lobster roll instead."

My family formed a circle around the set up.

Mythia led me to the center, where intricate magical symbols had been carefully drawn in the earth.

Aidon looked ready to object to being separated from me, but Mythia's stern look brooked no argument.

Even gods knew better than to question the pixie's wisdom in magical matters.

"Remember what Fiona taught you," Mythia murmured as we took our positions. "Let your magic flow freely. Don't try to force it to join with mine. Just guide it as we cast additional wards. And for the love of all that's holy, don't sneeze. These runes are delicate."

Before beginning the divination, we focused on protection.

Mom, Nana, Selene, and Nina began casting wards the moment I did.

Our magic flowed together as we wove layers of wards around the property.

I jolted when Mythia and her pixies’ magic joined the party.

They wove Fae safeguards through it all, creating defenses both ancient and new.

By the time we were done, I doubted a fly would be able to get through them.

With that done, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

My magic was responding to the ritual's call and stirred deep within me. It was still mingled with Mythia's power. My eyes snapped open when wind blew hair into my face. We’d created a swirling vortex. This was different from the wards. My instincts told me that we’d moved on to the divination.

The tension in my spine eased when Mom, Nina, Stella, and Nana's magic returned to the mix. I needed them to be part of this. It was a security blanket for me. I felt if they were part of it, nothing could go wrong. Like when I was little and my mother kept the monsters under my bed from getting me. Selene was the only one not involved. I looked at her and was relieved when she added her power too. She’d become part of the family since arriving on my doorstep and should be part of it.

After that, the energy began to pulse in time with the symbol on my belly. The pixies shifted the ritual. Their Fae magic added a wild, untamed element that made the air crackle. The hair on my arms even stood on end. Following Mythia’s advice, I let my magic flow.

It was odd that I wasn’t actively directing the spell.

A few seconds later, a vision overwhelmed my senses.

That’s when I knew the divination ritual had hit its peak.

Ancient symbols spiraled through my consciousness.

Each one radiated power that made the mark on my belly seem insignificant in comparison.

I saw vast cosmic spaces whirling while an eerie melody echoed through them.

The images came faster, each one burning itself into my mind.

Robed figures stood in a ceremonial circle.

Their presence was heavy with dark purpose.

There was a book bound in what I recognized with growing horror as human skin.

Then, I saw a cavern that seemed to reach into the earth's core.

Its walls were covered in the same symbols that now marked my womb.

A voice cut through it all like a hot knife through butter.

There was an ancient, powerful quality as it spoke words I couldn't understand. I felt them in my soul, though. Somehow, I knew it was a warning. It was a prophecy and a call to arms all rolled into one cryptic package. And I didn’t know the first word of it.

I gasped and broke the connection. I felt like I'd just been on the world's worst acid trip.

Aidon was there in a flash, steadying me.

My hunky god made the best crutch. As the magic faded and left me feeling hollower than a chocolate Easter bunny, I looked at the expectant faces around me.

They all stared at me with expressions that would've been comical if the situation wasn't so serious.

Mom had broken out her ‘I'll fight the universe itself’ face, while Nana's eyes held that dangerous glint that usually preceded someone getting whacked with a wooden spoon.

"Well?" Aidon demanded. "What did you see? Who can I kill to make this go away?"

I shook my head, trying to organize my thoughts. They were about as cooperative as a herd of cats. "It's not Lyra," I said slowly, clinging to the pieces I could remember. "It's... something else. There was a prophecy or warning I think."

"Older than Lyra?" Nina asked as she moved closer to me. "How did someone else get to you?"

"I don't know," I admitted as I put my arm around her shoulders. "But whatever this is, it's ancient. Powerful. And I think it's coming for us.”

Aidon tensed beside me and growled, “Somehow, I doubt it wants to throw us a baby shower."

"Evil coming after us isn't exactly new," Nana replied dryly. "But maybe we should stock up on diapers and holy water while we figure this out."

As nervous laughter rippled through the group, I met Aidon's eyes. The worry I saw there mirrored mine. Whatever this new threat was, one thing was clear. Our lives were about to get a whole lot more complicated.

"Did you see anything else?" Mythia pressed gently. "Any clues about what this entity might want? Or what we're dealing with?"

I closed my eyes, trying to recall the fleeting images. "There were symbols similar to the one on my stomach. And a book. It looked old and was bound in..." I swallowed hard, not wanting to voice my suspicion.

"Bound in what, dear?" Mom asked.

"I think it was human skin." I shuddered along with everyone else like we'd all simultaneously stepped on a cold, wet spot in socks.

Aidon's grip on my side tightened. "It had to be a grimoire," he growled. "Dark ones were often bound like that. Ancient practitioners believed it enhanced their power."

"Like regular magic books weren't scary enough," Nana muttered. "They had to go and make them even more unsettling."

Stella, who had been uncharacteristically quiet (a sure sign things were serious), spoke up. "But why Phoebe? Why now? Did she win some lottery we don't know about?"

It was a good question, and one I didn't have an answer to.

I looked down at my swollen belly. My hand ran over the symbol that still pulsed with an otherworldly light.

"I don't know," I admitted. "But I have a feeling it has something to do with the babies.

As if being pregnant with god-spawned triplets wasn't exciting enough. "

A protective hush fell over the group. This wasn't just about me anymore.

Whatever was coming, it was after my children.

Our children. And that thought filled me with a fierce determination I'd felt with my older children.

No one hurt my babies and got away with it. Mama Bear mode had been activated.