Page 2 of Pregnancy Pains & Mystic Chains
Nodding in agreement, I said, "Precisely what I was thinking. This thing got through all our defenses to mark my unborn babies. Whatever this is, it walked right through our usual safeguards, and none of us had any idea."
That's when Stella's face lit up like a kid who just found the secret prize at the bottom of a cereal box. "Ooh! Ooh! I've got it! Why don't we combine our magic with Fae power like Fiona and the girls do? You know, similar to the potion they taught us about seeing through Dark Fae glamour."
I considered her words carefully. Despite Lilith teaching us that witchcraft didn't mix with other magics, we had proof it could work. Fiona and the Backside of Forty had proven that when they were in Eidothea. The information wasn’t widely known.
"You know," Nana said thoughtfully, "their mix of Fae and witch magic isn’t a bad idea. We just need a Fae we can trust. Do we know if Mythia's pixie magic will work for something like this?"
I nodded, feeling a spark of hope for the first time since this whole mess started. "Fiona's been doing it successfully. And let's face it, that could be a quick way to get the answers we need so we can get back to hunting down Lyra. Unless anyone's got a copy of 'How to Decipher Ancient Belly Tattoos for Dummies' lying around?"
Aidon looked like he was considering smiting something. "It's risky," he growled, his protective instincts clearly warring with our desperate need for answers.
"Life's risky, big guy," I shot back. "Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"
"Don't say that!" everyone in the room chorused, looking at me like I'd just volunteered to juggle nitroglycerin.
"Fine, fine," I grumbled. "But seriously, we need to do something. And this... well, it's something. And it probably won’t blow up on us."
Mom was the voice of reason. "We should at least talk to Mythia about it. It’s a moot point if the pixies can’t help."
I nodded, relief washing over me at having a concrete next step. "Alright, let's go find Mythia."
"She's probably in the kitchen," Nana said. She was already heading in that direction. "I smell her famous elderberry scones." My stomach growled like a hangry grizzly bear waking from hibernation, reminding me I hadn't eaten since breakfast.
The need for food had me moving far faster than moment before. My nose carried me to the cooling rack where Mythia was adding more scones. Grabbing one, I broke off a piece and popped it in my mouth. Mythia chuckled when she heard my groan. “I figured you would be hungry soon,” she said with a smile that died when she saw Aidon’s face. "What's happened now?"
Nana filled Mythia in on the basics while I ate the scone and then slipped on my shoes so I was ready. Thank the gods for the invention of slides. Clio's voice made me look up. "We might not know what the mark means, but Phoebe and the babies are fine," she told Aidon. "No bubble wrap will be required."
"Thanks, Clio," Aidon said as he eyed me like I might spontaneously combust. "Mind swinging by tomorrow for a follow-up? Just in case she grows an extra head or something equally charming?"
Clio nodded as she hiked her Mary Poppins bag of wonders higher on her shoulder. "I had already planned on it. But if she starts speaking in tongues or levitating, give me a ring, yeah?"
"You'll be my first call," he promised.
As Aidon showed Clio to the front door, I focused on grabbing a second scone and a bottle of apple juice. Nana bumped me with her hip. "Scoot over, preggo. Your grandmother needs her sugar fix, too. Mmmm, Mythia's scones are worth fighting over," she said around a mouthful. I couldn’t agree more.
We’d almost finished them when Mythia wiped her hands on her apron. "Let’s get to it now that we aren’t in danger of Phoebe getting snarly from hunger. I think I have what we need in my mound. This calls for some serious pixie magic." She looked at my belly with concern. "We'll do the ritual there. It's where my magic is strongest."
We followed her out to her pixie mound on the property. The tension hung over us like storm clouds before a tornado. Aidon stayed pressed against my side. His hand on my back betrayed how worried he really was.
Nana, bless her sassy heart, broke the silence. "You know, when I was carrying your mother, the worst thing I had to worry about was heartburn and swollen ankles. You kids today always gotta one-up the older generation."
I snorted. "Sorry, Nana. Carrying god-spawn triplets doesn't exactly come with an instruction manual. I'd settle for swollen ankles over magical mysteries and potential world-ending scenarios any day."
"Well, if anybody can handle carrying three little godlings while fighting ancient evil, it's you," Nana said as she gave me a look filled with pride. "Though I gotta admit, watching you deal with pregnancy cravings and world-ending threats keeps life interesting."
The pixie mound hummed with magical energy as we approached. It was surrounded by the ethereal glow of pixies darting around, going about their business. Mythia approached a group and spoke quietly to several of her kin. Their expressions grew serious as she explained the situation. They quickly dispersed to help prepare as Mythia said, "Give me a moment to gather what we need."
At my nod, she disappeared into the mound. I watched as the other pixies began arranging crystals. Mythia emerged then with an ornate bag that sparkled with pixie magic. The others moved on to drawing symbols in precise patterns in a clearing nearby. Mythia joined them and laid out her supplies with practiced efficiency. Her fingers moved with graceful purpose as she mixed herbs and arranged stones in configurations I didn't recognize. Every now and then she'd mutter something in an ancient pixie dialect that made her magic flare.
“Fiona didn’t talk about this kind of setup,” I observed.
Mythia’s eyes traveled to the glowing symbol on my belly. "I also brought items to enhance a divination ritual," she explained. "I believe it could be the best way for you to get answers. Are you comfortable with that?"
“That is a brilliant idea,” Stella agreed before I could.
I nodded, drawing on my inner strength. "Let's do this before I change my mind and decide to go grab a lobster roll instead."
My family formed a circle around the set up. Mythia led me to the center, where intricate magical symbols had been carefully drawn in the earth. Aidon looked ready to object to being separated from me, but Mythia's stern look brooked no argument. Even gods knew better than to question the pixie's wisdom in magical matters.
