Page 43 of Pregnancy Pains & Mystic Chains
"What exactly are you seeing?" I asked, intrigued despite my exhaustion.
She moved closer. "There are these threads of power - old ones that look like tarnished gold - that have been binding magical bloodlines. I can see where they're starting to fray and break apart. But there are newer threads too, bright silver ones, forming connections between magical mothers. It's like watching a tapestry reweave itself."
"It’s the network that's been draining my energy," I realized.
"More than that," she said. "The new connections are somehow... purer? Like they're closer to how magic was originally meant to flow. The babies' power is acting as a catalyst and accelerating changes that were already trying to happen naturally."
Mom and Nana exchanged meaningful looks before Mom pulled out Hattie's grimoire. "That might explain why the tracking spell reacted so strongly to the lighthouse. Nina, honey, come look at this. Tell us what you see in the magical residue."
Nina studied the map where the tracking crystal had left glowing traces. "Oh wow," she breathed. "The energy signatures there are ancient. They might even predate the Keepers. Andthey're similar to Mom's mark, but... original maybe? As if the mark is an echo of whatever power is stored there."
"Or perhaps," Nana mused, "that's where the power was first bound. The place where they began manipulating magical bloodlines."
"Which would make it the perfect place to hide their records," Selene added. "If we could access those archives while I'm at the meeting..."
"Are you freaking kidding me?" I cut in. "You're not splitting your focus during an infiltration mission. That's asking for trouble."
"She's right," Stella said from the hallway. "We need to handle these separately. Selene, we should focus on getting you ready for tonight. That glamour needs to be perfect."
"I can help with that," Nina offered. "Now that I can see how their magical signatures work, we can make sure yours matches exactly."
I watched as they gathered around Selene. The former ghoul had become a member of the family after Stella and I had restored her soul. It warmed my heart to see everyone offering different suggestions for her disguise. The destroyers would be expecting someone bitter, someone who had lost faith in the controllers' methods. Her glamour needed to be perfect. They added to her cover story. She was a disillusioned enforcer who had watched too many bloodlines weaken under suppression.
"Remember," Stella coached, "you're not angry about the suppression itself. You're angry that it's ineffective. That's what they'll expect to hear."
"Keep your reactions subtle," Mom added. "These people have survived for centuries by being paranoid. They'll be watching for any sign you're not what you claim to be."
Meanwhile, Nana had spread the map across my dresser and was weighing down the corners with crystals. "The lighthousewill need its own team," she said firmly. "Look at how these ley lines converge. The magical defense system there must be incredible."
"Good thing we have someone who can see exactly how those defenses work," Mom said, smiling proudly at Nina. "Think you can map out their weak points?"
Nina studied the glowing lines. "Maybe. The magic there is... layered and complex. But there are definitely gaps where the old wards are degrading. If we time it right..."
I couldn't shake the feeling that we were missing something obvious. The pieces were there - the divided Keepers, the hidden archives, the way magic behaved differently around my mark - but the answer remained just out of reach. My exhausted brain kept trying to put it together.
Sleep pulled at me as their conversations continued. Mom and Nana refined the tracking spell while Selene and Stella worked on perfecting her glamour. Nina's voice carried an edge of excitement as she described more of what she could detect with her new sight.
"The lighthouse definitely has wards," she was saying. "But they're old, and I can see where they're starting to fray around the edges."
"That could work in our favor," Mom replied. "We just need to find the opening."
The last thing I heard before drifting off was Aidon's quiet voice: "Be careful tonight. The destroyers won't hesitate to eliminate any threat to their power."
"Don't worry," Selene replied with grim determination. "They won't even know I was there until it's too late. By this time tomorrow, we'll know exactly what we're up against."
As darkness claimed me, the babies stirred one final time. The mark pulsed gently, almost like a lullaby. I had to rest forwhatever came next. I needed the energy to make sure my family wasn’t captured by the enemy.
CHAPTER 16
Ascream jolted me awake. My heart raced as I struggled to orient myself in the darkness. The mark on my belly pulsed with steady warmth. It was a stark contrast to its earlier weakness. My relief was heady. Whatever rest I'd gotten had helped restore my magical reserves. The babies stirred contentedly. Their combined presence was a comforting weight.
"Mom!" Nina's voice carried urgency but not panic. "You need to see this. Now."
"What's wrong?" I called back as I hauled myself out of bed. Moving wasn't the herculean effort it had been earlier. Thank the gods for magical recharging.
"I’ll send Aidon up to help you get down here." The edge in her voice had me moving faster.
“I’ve got it,” I called back. “I’m already out of bed, and that’s the hardest part these days.”
