Page 44 of Poltergeists & Change of Life

Aidon chuckled and placed a palm over mine on my belly. "No, we agreed to teach the children not to attract sea creatures while swimming in the ocean."

I decided not to pursue that line of conversation. I was still not over having an octopus suctioned to my big belly. Some things were better left alone, especially when you're about to go into a magical battle in an asylum that probably hadn't seen a health inspector since the Victorian era.

"I'll be providing a little... chaos," Nana promised as she held up a bag that was moving of its own accord. It also emitted a faint glow and what sounded suspiciously like giggling. I decided, once again, not to ask. When it came to Nana's brand of magic, plausible deniability was your best friend.

I took a deep breath as the triplets stirred restlessly within me. They could sense the tension and buildup of power. "I would be offended that you all left me to be the bait, but I know nothingelse will lure Lyra in. I'm looking forward to being a cosmic worm on a hook."

I tried to strike a heroic pose. It didn’t have the same visual impact. The watermelon farm in my midsection ruined it. "Do I at least get a cool codename? How about 'Pregnant Avenger' or 'The Waddle Wonder'?"

Before anyone could respond (probably for the best – I'm not sure I was ready for Aidon's attempt at dad jokes), the air around us grew thick and heavy. My gaze shot to the exit from which the worst was coming. The asylum corridors seemed to stretch and warp, shadows deepening in the corners. Lyra did like to make a dramatic entrance.

"Show time," I muttered as I moved forward with all the grace of a penguin on roller skates. "I’m going to take this to her." I didn’t want her to get back to full power.

“We’ll go with you,” Nana said as she grabbed Stella’s hand. “She’s not likely to be alone. I’ll release the Krakens wherever she is.”

I decided not to ask about that. In this case, ignorance was bliss. We moved through the asylum's twisted corridors as silently as possible. The walls pulsed with malevolent energy. My heart dropped into my stomach (which, given my current size, was quite a journey). Lyra exited a room at the end of a long, shadow-filled hallway. She looked like a supermodel ready to tackle the runway in Milan. And floating beside her was Hattie’s twisted spirit.

Lyra looked different than she had upon our arrival. While her eyes still glowed with an unnatural light, they were dimmed. And now shadows clung to her like a second skin. It was the sight of Hattie that really made my blood boil. Hattie’s ghost flickered with shadow, and her eyes were empty. They were vacant, like all the light and life had been sucked out of her. Which, to be fair, is exactly what Lyra had done.

A surge of rage shot through me, so strong I was surprised I didn't spontaneously combust. Sensing my anger, the triplets started kicking up a storm. Great. Now I was pissed off and had to pee.

"Lyra," I growled in a low and dangerous voice. The sound was so threatening I scared myself. "Let. Her. Go. Or I swear, I will waddle over there and show you why you don't mess with my family."

Lyra's laugh echoed through the asylum halls. It sounded like the cliche of nails on a chalkboard. If the chalkboard was made of souls and the nails were dipped in pure evil. "Oh, Phoebe," she purred. "Still trying to play the hero? When will you learn? You can't win. The power of the Heart of the Abyss flows through me now. I am a goddess!"

I snorted. My survival instinct had taken a vacation months ago. It was probably lounging on a beach somewhere, sipping cocktails and laughing at my life choices. "A goddess? Please. I'm mated to a god, honey. Trust me. You don't make the cut and never will. Now, are we going to stand around monologuing all day, or are we going to do this? Because I've got a nursery to decorate and a friend to save, and not necessarily in that order."

For a moment, just a moment, I saw a flicker of uncertainty in Lyra's eyes. Good. She should be scared. Hell, I was terrified and I was on the good guys' side. Then, her face twisted into a snarl of rage. She unleashed a wave of dark energy that would have turned us all into very magical pancakes. My babies threw up a magical shield that blocked her attack.

A second later, all hell broke loose. Again. Yeah, that's how we roll in the Dieudonne household. The asylum erupted into chaos. Aidon and Melinoë raced from the room and clashed with Lyra's shadow creatures. Aidon’s wings were out, and his sword flashed as he dispatched the beings with ease. His sister was right beside him, laughing and having the time of her life.

The battle made the Avengers look like a schoolyard scuffle. Pixies darted between lumbering shadow beasts and peppered them with magical arrows that exploded into bursts of blinding light. Where had they come from? My gaze skittered around and landed on Nana who had her bag open on the ground next to her as she flung potions. Was that Mythia? It sure looked like it. I don’t know why the idea of Nana bringing them along shocked me.

A wolf burst through the doorway and landed right in front of me while I was busy gawking like an idiot. I tossed a spell at Lyra and warmed at the thought of Murtagh and Layla coming to help. Layla stalked away to help Murtagh grapple with writhing tentacles of darkness (I knew those tentacles would show up somewhere). Their howls mixed with the screams of the shadow creatures.

Nana was cackling like a madwoman while hurling potions left and right. Each vial exploded in a burst of chaotic magic that defied description. I saw one turn a shadow monster into what looked suspiciously like a conga line of disco-dancing ferrets. Another opened a tiny portal that seemed to lead to a dimension composed entirely of custard.

Don't ask me how. I'd learned not to question Nana's methods. The woman once turned a rabbit into a rubber duck because it was chewing on the flowers. You didn't mess with Nana. Next to me, Stella had begun chanting. Her voice rose above the din as she wove the spell to free Hattie. That was my cue. The air around her shimmered with power as her magic built. Symbols and equations floated in the air around her. She was wielding complex magical formulae that made my head spin just looking at them.

I channeled every ounce of power I had as I headed right for Lyra. The triplets were fully on board with this plan, their magic surging through me in waves that made reality ripple. Theirprotective barrier wove together with mine. It made me feel like a magical bulldozer. I was more than ready to flatten anything – or anyone – that stood in my way.

"You want power?" I shouted, my voice carrying over the chaos of battle. "Let me show you real power. Let me show you what a Dieudonne can do! Spoiler alert. It involves a lot of property damage and some very creative swearing."

My intent was locked on freeing Hattie and destroying Lyra’s hold over the Heart. Without either she would be weakened. I unleashed everything I had in a blast of pure, unadulterated power that made my previous magical feats look like party tricks. The air between us warped and twisted. Colors that had no business existing in our reality bloomed in the wake of my attack. I'm pretty sure I saw Plaid at one point. Plaid! In magic!

Lyra's eyes widened in shock as she threw up a hasty shield. My magic slammed into it with the force of a freight train and sent cracks spiderwebbing across its surface. For one blissful moment, I saw fear in Lyra's eyes.

"What's the matter, Lyra?" I taunted and pressed my advantage. Pregnancy-induced mood swings made for excellent battle banter, as it turns out. "Afraid of little ole me? Or maybe it's the realization that you've royally pissed off someone who can reshape reality with morning sickness?"

In response, her face twisted into a snarl of rage. Then she pushed back with a wave of dark energy that made my bones ache. We were at a stalemate, neither of us able to overpower the other. But that was okay. I didn't need to beat her – I just needed to keep her distracted.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Nana inching closer to Lyra. She had a glowing potion in her hand. The vial pulsed with an inner light that made my magical senses tingle. Whatever was in there, it was powerful. And knowing Nana, it was probablyat least a little bit illegal. Her eyes met mine, and I understood. This was our chance. Our one shot at ending this.

With a primal scream that I'm pretty sure made several parallel universes sit up and take notice, I poured every ounce of magic I had into my attack. The triplets, bless their little hearts, decided this was the perfect moment to kick into overdrive. Their power surged through me and amplified mine in a way that made reality hiccup.

Lyra stumbled back, and her shield flickered. That was all the opening Nana needed. With a cackle that would have made a banshee proud, she hurled her potion straight at the Heart of the Abyss. Time seemed to slow as the vial arced through the air. Everything paused to watch.

The potion hit the Heart dead center. For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then, with a sound like a thousand mirrors shattering at once, the Heart of the Abyss exploded into a million glittering pieces.

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