Page 28 of Poltergeists & Change of Life

Nana's smile was a deadly blade, sharper than Aidon's steel. "Listen up, bookworm. Respect isn't handed out like candy—it's earned. You're the creation of a madwoman. A witch who'd burn the world to get her way. This 'turning over a new leaf' act? It's fresh, and your judgment's greener than spring leaves. We can't afford to wait while you figure out which end is up or who's playing for which team. So, here's the deal. I hear you magical types have a thing for riddles. Give us your toughest. If we crack it, you let us through. How's that sound?"

The creature was silent for a long moment, and I held my breath. Finally, it nodded, sending a shower of loose papers to the ground. "Very well. Answer this riddle, And you may enter. Fail, and face expulsion."

It drew itself up, seeming to fill the entire cavern, and spoke in a voice that echoed like waves crashing against cliffs. "I have a mouth but do not speak, a bed but do not sleep. I can run but never walk, and have a head but never talk. What am I?"

My brain was foggy as sea mist. It churned like a whirlpool trying to make sense of his question. Mouth, bed, run, head... I was about to blurt out 'a really lazy marathon runner' when Aidon's eyes widened with realization. "A river!" he exclaimed. "It's a river!"

The creature's eyes flared brighter for a moment, then dimmed. "Correct," it rumbled, sounding almost disappointed. "You may pass."

With a sound like a thousand pages turning at once, the creature dissolved. In its place was a hidden doorway. I let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding, then immediately regretted it as another wave of nausea hit me. "Nice job, Yahweh," I managed to say between deep breaths. "Remind me to buy you a drink when I'm not, you know, gestating."

Aidon cocked his head to the side and pressed a hand to my cheek. "Phoebe, are you sure you're okay?”

Stella nodded and said, “Yeah. You look like you're about to pass out or throw up. Or both."

"I'm fine," I lied again, straightening up with effort. "Let's just find what we came for and get out of here before Mister Papier-Mâché changes his mind."

We stepped through the doorway, and I nearly fell to my knees. The magical energy here was even more intense. It swirled around us in a maelstrom of power and knowledge. It was beautiful, awe-inspiring, and absolute hell on my overloaded senses.

The room was vast and stretched farther than should have been possible, given the constraints of the subway station. Bookshelves towered to dizzying heights. They were crammed with tomes, scrolls, and artifacts of every description. I’d never been near so many Dark artifacts.

"Spread out," Aidon commanded as he scanned the endless shelves. "Look for anything related to Lyra's relics, soul binding, or ancient covenants."

“And keep your feelers peeled for anything that feels like Lyra. We need to find those other artifacts,” I reminded them and took a wobbly step forward.

The floor seemed to shift under my feet. For a moment, I thought I was going to face-plant into a stack of grimoires. But then something strange happened. A pulse of energy emanated from my belly. It was different from the chaotic swirl around us and spread outward. It interacted with the archive's magic in a way I couldn't quite understand. Whatever it was, I would take it. My nausea receded and was replaced by a connection.

"Uh, guys?" I called out with a shaky voice. "I think the babies are doing something weird."

Aidon was at my side in an instant. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

I shook my head, trying to find the words to describe the bizarre sensation. "No, it's... it's like they're reaching out. Like they're drawn to something here."

As if responding to my words, a book on a nearby shelf began to pulse with an ominous, blood-red glow. Drawn by an inexplicable urge, I reached out and grasped it. The moment my fingers touched the cover—bound in what felt suspiciously like human skin—a jolt of dark energy surged through me, and my perception warped.

I was grossed out by the thought of what I held while also seeing the archive's true nature with terrifying clarity. The chaotic swirls resolved into intricate patterns. Some were nightmarish. At the center of the origin of this place was the book in my hands. Its malevolent energy resonated with an answering darkness inside me.

"Holy shit," I said as my vision swam with symbols. "We've stumbled into something far beyond our imaginings."

The others gathered around as I carefully opened the grimoire. Its pages were filled with forbidden knowledge, diagrams of unspeakable rituals, and symbols that seared themselves into my mind. Somehow, I understood it all.

"This is the Codex of Eternal Shadow," I explained. The words tasted of ash and blood. "It's a compendium of the darkest arts. Ones capable of tearing the veil between worlds."

Stella's face paled. "This might be what we need to understand what Lyra's done to Hattie."

I nodded, but my focus was split. Half on the book, half on the writhing, hungry energy emanating from my womb. The triplets were reaching out, yearning for the power that saturated this place. I snatched Aidon’s hand as fear seized me. I didn’t want my babies to turn Dark. Aidon placed a protective handover my stomach and let me lead him deeper into the archive. The others followed, muttering protective incantations, but I barely noticed. I was caught in a trance, pulled by an irresistible dark gravity.

We wound through labyrinthine shelves. The malevolent magic grew thicker with each step. Finally, we emerged into a hidden alcove. There, suspended in a vortex of writhing shadows, was an amulet that made my blood run cold. It was an abomination of beauty and power.

It had a pitch-black stone that was veined and pulsing crimson light. It hung from a chain that seemed to be woven from tormented souls. But as I looked closer, I realized it wasn't a single stone at all. It was six distinct relics fused together into one unholy artifact. And at its center was a hole that would fit Hattie's locket if I wasn’t mistaken.

"That's it," I whispered as my hand landed on top of Aidon’s. "That's how Lyra did it. How she turned Hattie into a poltergeist. It’s all outlined in this book. She had to fuse the power of each of her Dark artifacts. It was the only way she could reach beyond our wards and grasp Hattie’s soul."

“Hattie’s locket is connected and goes in the middle.” Aidon's face was a mask of dread. "She created the Heart of the Abyss," he said in a voice tight with fear.

“What’s that?” Nana asked.

Aidon sucked in a deep breath. His fingers dug into my belly slightly. "It’s a relic of such evil the original was destroyed eons ago. The vilest of beings have continuously recreated the magic over the years. But this... this is worse. She's reconstructed it using six artifacts of power. To my knowledge, nothing like that has been done before"

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