Page 27 of Pregnancy Pains & Mystic Chains
"It’s more than that," Tarja's eyes gleamed. "The land itself remembers the old powers. It's been waiting for children like these."
"Of course it has," I sighed as Aidon helped me to the couch. "What's next? Are the throw pillows going to start spouting prophecies?"
"Actually," Stella said, with poorly contained excitement, "you might want to take a closer look at those curtains Mom bought last month. The pattern isn't just flowers."
"Not helping," I groaned, but found myself eyeing the drapes suspiciously. Did the floral design did contain familiar curves and angles?
Before I could reason it out, Selene called us to the kitchen. With a groan, I heaved myself off the couch and into the kitchen.There were laptops and empty coffee cups covering the island. She'd been researching for hours.
"Tarja is right about the magic being there all along. They're actually everywhere," Selene said as she turned a screen toward us. "I found them hidden in corporate logos, architecture, and public art. The Keepers have been embedding their magic in plain sight for centuries."
Thunder cracked overhead and my babies kicked as if to join in the conversation. Dark clouds gathered despite the clear forecast. They were centered directly above our property.
Persephone’s expression turned to one of pride. “The babies' are prodding the ancient forces.
“Well, they need to stop,” I snapped. “Tell them to shift their focus on finding a way to hide the energy of this magical mark.”
"I'll call the coven," Mom said, already dialing. "We need a concealment spell targeted to hide that tattoo and I don’t have the first idea where to begin."
Tarja settled on the coffee table, her presence commanding attention. "This needs to be done by Phoebe and those closest to her. Throughout history, familiar bloodlines have protected magical pregnancies. We keep records of signs, techniques, protections. I had an ancestor once who helped hide twins blessed by the moon itself. It was terribly dangerous when they starting glowing silver in the womb. Another familiar watched over a child who spoke to dragons before birth."
"That's fascinating," I interrupted and reached for a cookie Mythia had just put out, "but how does it help us now?"
"We can find what they used in the archives and it can act as a guide for us. You will still need to tailor it, but I can guide you through the process," Tarja replied.
I placed a hand over my glowing mark as three distinct kicks followed its pulsing light. "Alright. Let’s protect them. And then kick some ancient secret society ass."
"They’re going to regret messing with us," Aidon growled. "They'll learn why the Underworld fears its prince."
"And why you don't mess with a Dieudonne witch," Mom added as her magic crackled around her hands.
The family quickly organized. Mom asked Lilith to send us anything she could from the archives. Selene and Nina hit the library while I had some pickles and ice cream. Outside, lightning split the sky in patterns that matched my mark. Surrounded by family and ancient magic, I was ready to take the ancient powers on. These babies might be part of some cosmic plan, but they were mine first.
The symbol flared in agreement and sent ripples of light across the room as the babies kicked in perfect sync. Their movement were accompanied by a surge of power that made the house hum in response. Change was coming, whether the universe was ready or not.
CHAPTER 10
Ijolted awake on the couch with my heart racing as fragments of my dream slipped away like water through my fingers. What the hell had scared me so badly? My family's quiet movements were comforting and helped settle my racing heart as I chased the wisps of memory.
Between one second and the next, images slammed into me like a punch to the gut. My breath caught. I’d dreamed of desperate mothers who were fighting to protect their babies. There had been a woman in Salem whose fingers trembled as she carved wards into floorboards by candlelight. I could see the beads of sweat dripping down her face. Each mark blazed with power meant to shield the life growing inside her.
The image shifted to a Victorian witch in London. Her corset strings were woven with spells so intricate I wondered if it was a family heirloom. It would have taken hundreds of hours to get them done like that. Her magic twisted through the fabric and around her growing belly. When she left her house she seemed to fade into the shadows of cobblestone streets.
My heart pounded as another vision took hold. This one involved a witch under towering pines. Her voice carried ancient songs into the misty air. The melody wrapped around her likea cloak to mask the spark of power that burned within her daughter.
I lay there with my pulse racing as their fear and fierce determination echoed through me. The scent of Mom's cooking finally broke through my nightmares. It grounded me in the present, making my stomach growl. The weight of those mothers' plights pressed against my chest.
"Are you okay? You were glowing," Nina said from her spot on the floor. She was surrounded by ancient texts and her laptop. "Your belly became a nightlight. And muttering in what sounded like Ancient Greek."
"The babies were active too," Stella added from the kitchen doorway. She balanced a tray loaded with steaming mugs on one palm. "The symbol was pulsing like a disco ball."
I struggled to sit up, which was about as graceful as a walrus attempting her return trip to the ocean. "How long was I out?"
"About an hour," Mom answered as she emerged from the kitchen with Mythia fluttering behind her. Her hands were stained with herbs, and I think she had dragon scales in her hair. "Persephone left to do some research in the Underworld. She thinks there might be records in the oldest sections of their archives about similar pregnancies."
"Did she say when she'd be back?" I asked, accepting a mug from Stella. The tea inside smelled like midnight gardens.
"She said it might take a while," Mom replied, brushing absently at her apron. "Apparently, the deepest archives are guarded by something she called 'The Librarians of the Void.' They're very particular about their filing system."
