Page 16 of Pregnancy Pains & Mystic Chains
"Just simple stretches," Stella demonstrated, moving like she'd never had an awkward moment in her life. Show-off. "See? Nothing that'll upset the babies' ancient mojo."
"I'll look into some other Fae symbols and see if I can find other similarities," Selene said as she grabbed a nearby book. "There has to be more information about them somewhere. And Nina, once you're done helping your mom avoid turning into a pretzel, we should check the rest of Hattie's library."
As everyone settled into various positions around the room, clearly planning to camp out and monitor me, I couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. The symbol's steady pulse seemed to agree. It was a constant reminder that my babies' arrival would bring more than just sleepless nights and diaper changes.
That was a problem for another day. Right now, I needed sleep, tea, and possibly one of those pickle cookies Mythia made me. The rest - prophecies, ancient powers, magical revolutions - could wait until I didn't feel like I'd just climbed Mount Everest wearing a full pack.
"You know," Nina said thoughtfully as she bent down beside me, "if the babies are going to change things, does this mean we get to redecorate Olympus? Because honestly, Zeus's taste in architecture is so last millennium."
I laughed despite my exhaustion, then immediately regretted it as my abdominal muscles protested. "Let's focus on getting them here safely before we start planning any big renovation projects."
"But think about it," she persisted. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "We could update the throne room and add some modern amenities. Maybe install Wi-Fi? The gods need to join the twenty-first century."
"I'm sure Zeus would love that," Aidon said dryly. "He can barely handle email."
The symbol pulsed again, and this time I could have sworn it felt amused. Great. Not only was I carrying magically significant triplets, but I had a cosmic tattoo with a sense of humor. Just another day in the life of a pregnant Pleiades witch with a god for a baby daddy.
At least things couldn't get any weirder. Right? "Don't even think that," Tarja said, startling me and cutting off any further thought. "You'll jinx us all."
She was probably right. As I continued to bend and twist my body, surrounded by my family and wrapped in a blanket that radiated ancient power, I couldn't help but wonder what other surprises these babies had in store for us. Something told me we were just scratching the surface of whatever drama was unfolding. But hey, at least we had pickle-flavored cookies. A girl had to take her wins where she could get them.
CHAPTER 6
Iwoke to sun streaming through the windows and the smell of bacon. For one blissful moment, everything felt normal. Then the symbol on my belly pulsed. The damn thing sent little ripples of light across my skin like a supernatural alarm clock. That woke the babies who started wrestling for the better position. Blinking my eyes open, a smile spread across my face. Light from the mobile from Hades and Persephone got the babies danced across my ceiling.
"Good morning to you too," I muttered and rubbed my stomach to settle the triplets. After yesterday's magical labor scare, Clio had insisted on a follow-up appointment at the hospital where she worked. Something about wanting to monitor me with her full array of equipment rather than just the portable ultrasound. Given how we’d been attacked by shapeshifters at her house last time, I was grateful not to be going back there. Guilt momentarily swamped me. Her house was no longer safe because of me and my babies. I made a mental note to add to the wards the coven renewed after the attack.
Tarja stretched beside me. "The energy around you has changed," she observed. "It's settled a bit more. Now it’s like listening to an old song."
"Because that's not ominous at all," I replied, struggling to sit up. Being pregnant with triplets made moving difficult. I don't think I was this big at the end of my other pregnancies.
The kitchen was already buzzing with activity after I used the restroom and made my way downstairs. Mythia fluttered between the stove and counter, orchestrating what looked like enough breakfast to feed a small army. Which, given my current appetite, might be just enough. The air sparkled with her familiar pixie magic as she worked.
"There's my favorite human nightlight," Nana called from her spot at the island. She was surrounded by old books, coffee, and a muffin the size of my head. "How are you feeling this morning?"
"I felt like I was tossed into a magical meat grinder," I replied as I eased onto a stool with my back protesting the movement. "But at least nothing's floating today. Yet."
"Don't jinx it," Nina warned as she entered. She was dressed and ready for school. "I’ve got a trig test this morning and can’t help wrangle the coffee maker."
"This will help keep things calm," Mythia interrupted as she placed a plate piled high with bacon, eggs, and pancakes in front of me. "We added some enchantments to the batter. Nothing that will make things worse," she added quickly at my alarmed look. "Just an old recipe with your mom’s twist to help stabilize magical energy. And before you ask, yes, I did add pickles to the batter. The babies seem to like them."
"You're a goddess," I declared, diving in.
"Don't let Artemis hear you say that," Aidon said as he appeared. He was unfairly attractive after watching over me the entire night like an overprotective guardian angel. "She'ssensitive about new deities since the attempted assassination." He dropped a kiss on my head. "Ready for your appointment?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I said around a mouthful of pickle-pancakes. The combination should have been disgusting, but it was heaven. "Though I still say we should bring backup in case something weird happens."
"Define weird," Nina quipped as she stole a piece of bacon from my plate. I smacked her hand away. "Because our baseline for weird is pretty high these days."
Nana made a triumphant sound before we started rehashing what had been happening lately. "Ha! I think I've cracked part of what is going on. Look at this." She held up a paper covered in her cramped handwriting. "If you look at an ancient fertility calendar, there are specific ritual dates. And guess what? The next major date is-"
"My due date," I finished, feeling a chill creep down my spine. "That should not be as surprising as it is. Having divine triplets wasn't exciting enough without adding ancient fertility rituals to the mix. What does it mean?"
"Hold your horses. There's more," she continued. Excitement made her eyes sparkle. She shuffled through her notes, sending several papers floating. "These rituals predate Olympus. They're connected to powers that existed before the Titans, maybe even before Chaos. And before you ask why I think they’re connected, it’s because these symbols match parts of your mark exactly. I didn’t see it at first because I was looking at the whole mark, but then when my eyes got bleary, I saw it."
"Nope," I declared as I got to my feet. "It's too early for this kind of drama. I need to get through this checkup first. Then we can deal with whatever ancient fertility cult apparently has my due date circled on their calendar. It’s too disturbing to think that Persephone slipping me those pomegranate seeds was orchestrated by powers she was unaware of."
"But Phoebe," Nana protested, "this could be important. These texts mention something called 'The Great Awakening'. A time when the old powers would return through chosen vessels."
