Page 39

T he ancient power of the sections of the First Song slammed through the room like a tidal wave.

It made my magical core vibrate in response.

Everyone in the room seemed transfixed by the beauty of the partial song.

Their faces softened with wonder as they leaned forward, eager to hear it in its entirety.

My fascination died quickly as reality set in.

How the hell had these assholes breached our wards?

Had this old magic, this First Song, or my magical mark somehow allowed them to breach our protections?

I'd been so confident in those measures.

Hell, I had practically preened over their strength.

I counted on them to keep me and my loved ones safe.

Gods, how foolish could I be? There was always a way around magical barriers if someone was determined enough, had enough time and courage, or maybe just enough stupidity.

Because really, who in their right mind would push past my wards when I had a literal god, a dragon, and a pack of powerful shifters at my back?

Shaking my head, I refocused on the matter at hand. "Jean-Marc," I called out, keeping my voice steady despite another contraction building. "Check that text again. What exactly does it say about the heart's location?"

He flipped frantically through the weathered pages, muttering under his breath. Nina leaned over his shoulder, tracing symbols that glowed at her touch. I hadn’t ever seen them working together like this because he was usually away at school. It warmed my heart to see.

"Here," Jean-Marc said. Excitement made his voice crack.

"Listen to this. 'While the entrance lies within Tartarus, the chamber itself exists in a pocket between realms. The Keepers used Tartarus to hide it, knowing few would dare venture deep enough to find it’.

" He looked up, eyes bright with discovery.

"There's more. The text mentions something about 'bridges between worlds' and 'paths that only the pure of heart may walk’. "

"Great," I muttered, rubbing my belly where the triplets were doing their best impression of a magical rave. "Because nothing says 'let's hide the source of all magic' like stuffing it in supernatural maximum security and adding some cryptic nonsense."

"We need Father," Aidon said. His power was crackling around him like dark lightning as he watched the enemies trying to get to our front door. "He knows Tartarus better than anyone."

"I will call him," Persephone stated, her voice echoing with divine authority.

She closed her eyes and released a single, pure note that filled the room with the warmth of a spring afternoon.

The floor beneath us shuddered as her power gathered.

Golden light spun from her fingertips and wove complex patterns in the air around us.

The babies kicked happily and the light dissolved into mist. A breath later, the air grew thick with power.

The space between one heartbeat and the next seemed to warp.

A tear developed and it widened into a doorway of deep shadow.

Through it wafted the rich scent of pomegranates and ancient stone, along with a wave of dry, earthen warmth.

Hades stepped through with his usual fluid grace.

Each movement was calculated and precise.

His perfectly tailored charcoal suit whispered of wealth, while his pristine silver cufflinks caught the light like captured stars.

His presence filled the room with the weight of eons, and the authority of someone who had witnessed empires rise and crumble to dust.

His dark eyes fixed immediately on my belly where the mark pulsed in waves of purple, gold, and electric blue.

It then traveled to the Keepers fighting in my yard.

"Interesting timing," he observed dryly.

"I was just dealing with some rather unusual activity in the deeper levels.

It seems my grandchildren are awakening powers many want to remain dormant.

Demons and gods are quite put out about it. "

"Yeah, about that—" Pain sliced through my middle, making me hiss.

Clio materialized at my side. Her healing magic surged into me like waves breaking on a shore.

My instincts screamed for rest, but the smarter part of me knew it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

This magic was going to mess with me whether I played hero with the Keepers or sat on my ass eating bonbons.

Given the mark on my belly, I knew I had to be involved in solving this.

"The contractions are getting stronger and closer together," Clio warned quietly. "We need to move quickly. Your magical reserves won't hold forever."

Nodding in agreement, we filled Hades in on everything we had discovered. Mom finished with, "There has to be a way to access the heart's chamber without going through Tartarus. Phoebe can't make that journey right now. Not in her condition."

"I wish I had more information on how to reach the chamber where this heart is located," Hades replied at the same time his eyes had that calculating look I'd come to recognize. It usually meant something terrifying for me. "Unless..."

As if on cue, the babies' power surged. New portals ripped open around the room to different locations.

The kitchen now had a lovely view of what looked like ancient Rome, while the living room window opened onto some kind of crystalline cavern.

A particularly enthusiastic portal in the hallway showed what appeared to be the surface of Mars.

"Close that one," Stella yelped as she cast a spell to shut it before our air could get sucked out into space. "I don't think we need an interplanetary incident on top of everything else."

Hades' laughter rolled through the house like thunder, deep and full of power. The walls trembled, and shadowy doorways blazed into existence around us. Each one was a tear in the veil leading to places unknown. The God of the Underworld's eyes gleamed with fierce pride.

"Perfect," he purred, laying a hand on my swollen belly. The triplets surged toward his touch. Their movement was so intense I swayed. "Already mastering the paths between worlds. They take after their grandfather, I see."

"Can you use their power?" I asked as hope rose. "Maybe you can create a direct path to the entrance?"

"Now that's a clever plan." Hades' smile held the same wicked delight I'd seen in trickster gods.

He lifted his hands, and ancient power rose around him like heat from desert sands.

"I can guide them to channel this new force that's claimed them.

Their power mixed with mine should be enough to bend these doorways to our will. "

The babies responded instantly. Their tricolored light pulsed in perfect sync with Hades' power. Nyssa's shadows twined with his darkness while Thaniel's temporal energy stabilized a gateway that was just forming. Melaina's golden resonance wove it all together into something permanent.

"The magical resonance is incredible," Nina breathed. Her new sight allowed her to see layers of power most of us could only feel. "The way your power compliments and guides theirs. I can see the threads they inherited from you."

A massive portal took shape in the center of our living room.

Beyond it, I could see a temple that practically hummed with ancient power.

Its white marble columns seemed to glow with their own inner light.

There were also symbols similar to my mark carved into every surface.

The air that drifted through crackled with magical potential.

"That's definitely not in Tartarus," Stella observed as she peered through. "At least, not any part I remember from our last visit. And trust me, that's not something you forget."

"It's the entrance to the pocket realm," Helena breathed, her aged hands trembling slightly. "I never thought I'd see it with my own eyes. The texts speak of its beauty, but this..." She gestured helplessly at the magnificent structure.

"The portal's stable," Hades confirmed as he studied his handiwork with satisfaction. "The babies' power actually makes it stronger. They really are something special."

Another contraction hit, stronger than the last. The babies' power flared in response, making the portal's edges ripple like heat waves. "We need to move," Clio insisted. "These contractions aren't stopping. If her water breaks, I can’t stop them from coming."

"Ladies first," Hades said with an elegant bow, gesturing to the portal. "Though I suggest we hurry. The veil doesn't appreciate having holes poked in it for too long."

Aidon pressed a kiss to my lips and then nudged me toward the temple. "You guys go through. Hold it for a few more seconds, Father. I want to make sure Tseki and Murtagh have the help they need."

Nana nodded and started toward the portal while calling over her shoulder, "Don't dawdle, boy. Some of us aren't getting any younger. Though I suppose that doesn't apply to most of you lot." She walked through like she was walking into her favorite coffee shop.

I followed her through with Clio's steadying hand at my elbow. Persephone was beside us with that otherworldly grace of hers. The moment we crossed the threshold, the air hit us like a wall of pure energy. The ancient magic was so thick it felt like breathing starlight.

The babies stirred within me. Their excitement was palpable as their power reached out to touch something vast and sleeping in the temple's bones.

The structure itself seemed to wake at their presence.

Sections of solid stone simply ceased to exist. With walls gone, we looked into chambers that had been hidden since the first stones were laid.

"Sweet baby Zeus," Nana breathed. Her usual sass was momentarily forgotten as she watched golden symbols ignite along the walls. "Now this is what I call a welcome party."