Page 26

C offee wasn't going to cut it. Not for this.

Mom and Mythia had prepared an entire spread.

They put out cookies and a platter of meats, cheeses, and crackers.

Mythia gave me something my babies decided they had to have while we were waiting.

Potato chips dipped in strawberry yogurt.

It was surprisingly good, but would have been better with pickles.

Mom was setting out a dozen different kinds of drinks when everyone returned looking like they'd been through a war.

Jean-Marc's normally perfect hair stuck up in wild tufts, and there were several cuts on his face.

Stella had a smear of something that I hoped was ancient temple dust across her cheek.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked Jean-Marc, but Clio made it to him and healed his abrasions.

“I'm fine, Mom,” he insisted.

I nodded as Aidon wrapped his arms around me. "What did you find?" I asked them.

Instead of responding, Aidon pulled an ancient tome from his coat.

The leather binding radiated power that made my mark pulse beneath the concealment spell.

The cover was worn smooth in places, but intricate symbols still glowed faintly along its spine.

Like so many other things lately, they matched parts of my mark.

"Mother gave me this before I returned earlier," he said. "It's from the deepest archives of the Underworld. Once we got to the temple, I was glad she did."

"Your father's librarians actually let her take it?" I asked as I reached for the book. The moment my fingers touched the cover, energy surged through me like static electricity. Pain lanced through my back and abdomen, making me gasp.

"They didn't exactly have a choice." Aidon's smile held a hint of pride. "She may have threatened to turn their building into a butterfly garden. Complete with eternal springtime and particularly aggressive pollinators."

"That sounds like Persephone," Mom chuckled as she set down a fresh plate of cookies. "Though I'm surprised she didn't just charm them into submission."

"Oh, she tried that first," Aidon replied. "Apparently, the Void Librarians are immune to charm. But they're terrified of butterflies. Something about chaos theory."

Stella sent some photos to my tablet while Jean-Marc pulled up others on his laptop. They had told us the temple walls were covered in prophecies. No doubt, each was more cryptic than the last. I looked over the images as I grabbed a licorice wrapped pickle spear and dipped it into the yogurt.

Some of the pictures showed three figures standing against monsters.

Others depicted what looked like the remaking of the world itself.

The detail was incredible. Each carving seemed to shift and move in the photos.

If the prophecies themselves were alive, did that mean we could stop this? I prayed it did.

"The translations so far are intense," Jean-Marc said as he zoomed in on one particular section.

His fingers flew over the keyboard as he cross-referenced symbols.

"When the three-fold power awakens, the First Song shall echo once more through the realms. The barriers between worlds grow thin.

That which was sundered shall be made whole. "

"There's more," Stella added, pointing to another image. "This part talks about 'the children of twilight' that will be born between divine and mortal worlds. And look at these symbols here." She indicated a series of intricate markings. "They indicate the children will hunger for power."

"Well, that's not ominous at all," I muttered. "Any chance there's a part that explains exactly what that means? Maybe with helpful diagrams and a step-by-step guide to prevent raising children who will destroy the world?"

"Actually..." Stella pointed to another photo, this one showing a different section of wall.

"This part seems to be about protective maternal magic.

It talks about ancient powers that were bound away ages ago.

Powers that helped magical mothers protect their children.

The text mentions something called 'The Mothers' Shield'.”

“It’s a force that could repel any threat to magical children," Aidon reported. “These babies will be fine.” The look in his eyes as he gazed at my belly was filled with so much love it made me choke up.

"This explains why they're so afraid," Selene added in response to what Stella had said as she studied the images.

"Think about it. If these powers return, their ability to control and manipulate magical pregnancies would be gone.

The Keepers would lose their influence over one of their primary sources of power. "

"Wait," I interrupted, placing a hand on my swollen belly. "Their source of power? I don't remember hearing about that part."

Selene's eyes lit up with that familiar gleam she got when sharing new information.

"That's another thing we discovered in the temple.

The Keepers draw significant power from controlling magical pregnancies.

If these protective abilities return to magical mothers, their influence would be gone.

They'd lose one of their primary sources of power. "

Nina leaned forward, squinting at the photos. "Is that why they've been targeting magical mothers? To prevent this from happening?"

"It would make sense," Jean-Marc said. "If they've been suppressing these abilities for generations, the return of protective maternal magic would completely upset their power structure."

"Wait a minute." Clio made a strangled noise from her spot next to Nana.

Her fingers flew across her phone screen.

"Oh my god. That's what I'm seeing here.

" She sat up straighter, her eyes widening as she scrolled.

"I've been going through medical records from magical pregnancies across New England for the past century.

There's been a sharp decline in maternal magic. I bet if I went back further, we would see more. In fact, I bet it began when the Keepers rose to power. It didn’t just happen here, either.

A cursory look shows evidence there are similar reports from other regions. "

"What do you mean it’s been affected?" I asked, leaning forward despite my awkward bulk. The babies chose that moment to execute a perfect triple flip that made me wince.

"Early records show robust maternal magic during pregnancy.

Protective shields forming spontaneously, enhanced healing, and even telepathic bonds with the babies.

" She swiped to another file. "Then it starts dropping off.

Look at this case from Boston. A pregnant witch who'd been displaying strong protective abilities suddenly lost them overnight.

There are dozens more like this. And here—" She zoomed in on an image showing a familiar symbol etched into a stone.

"This marking appears at nearly every recorded site where a pregnant witch's powers disappeared. "

"That's part of my mark," I breathed, my hand going to my belly where the concealed tattoo pulsed. "How many others are there?"

"Hundreds, likely more. Look at these records.

" Clio pulled up more files on her phone.

"A witch in Portland whose protective shields during pregnancy used to extend to her entire coven barely covered her daughter when she got pregnant.

Another in Augusta whose pregnancy allowed her to heal other expectant mothers could barely handle a hang nail.

There are more stories about women losing these abilities within the same decade. The pattern is undeniable."

"It's like dominos falling," Mom said softly. "Your babies started a process to fix all of this. I can see them wanting to make it better..."

"So, they woke something up," Aidon finished as he opened Persephone's book.

Ancient pages crackled as he carefully turned them.

"According to this, the First Song was the original source of all magic.

Before the gods, before the Titans, there was the Song.

It shaped reality itself." His fingers traced ancient text as he read.

"But something happened. The power was fractured, and it scattered.

Some of it was bound away, hidden in bloodlines and sacred places. "

"Why?" I asked. "Why bind away something so fundamental?"

"Fear," Aidon replied grimly. "Fear of power that couldn't be controlled. The text speaks of forces that answered only to the heart's true need - especially the need to protect one's children."

"Which the Keepers couldn't manipulate," Selene added. "They couldn't twist it to serve their purposes."

Nina's phone chimed then, making us all jump. She read quickly, her eyes widening. "It's Melody. She says there's something weird happening at Madame Rosewood's. The antique shop is... glowing? And she can feel the emotional resonance from three blocks away."

"We need to check it out," Stella said immediately as she reached for the purse she set down.

"Hold on," Aidon interrupted, his expression grim. "This could be a trap. The Keepers have strongholds all over the area. Some of them are even in antique shops."

"But Madame Rosewood's has been here forever," Nina pointed out. "I've heard Lilith talking about the place many times."

Mom frowned. "That doesn't mean anything. The Keepers play the long game. They could have taken it over years ago."

"Or Lilith might not know she’s a Keeper," Jean-Marc added quietly.

I shifted uncomfortably, another wave of magical energy rolling through me. "But if it's not a trap... if something really is awakening there..."

"We can't ignore it," Selene finished. "Especially not with everything we just learned about the suppression of maternal magic."

"Agreed," Aidon said after a moment. "But we go in smart. We keep our guard up and have multiple exit strategies ready."