Page 10 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues
"It's called the Trifecta Ascension," Jean-Marc explained, his voice shaking slightly.
“It was believed that they needed three powerful babies. It doesn’t mention having the same mother,” Nina interjected. “But I found a passage that talked about the failure of the ritual in the past. We think Lyra believes your triplets will make her successful.”
“What does it do?” Nana asked.
"It’s an ancient ritual performed with babies from a powerful magical bloodline. It allows the caster to absorb the raw, unformed magical essence of the newborns, effectively stealing their power before they can fully bond with it," Jean-Marcexplained.
"She’s going to take their magic." The horror of it washed through me.
"She’s going to consume it completely," Jean-Marc corrected grimly. “The babies wouldn't survive the process."
The room went deathly silent. Then, as one, every object not bolted down began to rise into the air. Books, lamps, furniture—all of it shot into the air and hovered. My connection to the triplets flared with my terror and rage. They were responding to my emotions.
"Easy," I whispered, stroking my belly. I needed to push those thoughts out of my head and calm down. "We won't let that happen." Gradually, the objects settled back into place.
"According to this text," Jean-Marc continued, "the ritual must be performed within minutes of birth, while the magical essence is still in flux. That's why she's been monitoring the triplets so closely. She needs to know exactly when you go into labor."
"And the shifting ley lines?" Mythia asked.
Nina lifted a shoulder. "I’m not certain, but I would bet the ritual requires a massive disruption in the natural magical flow to create what's essentially a vacuum that helps draw the power from the newborns."
"She’s doing this to ensure she can get to me and the babies at precisely the right moment," I summarized.
"And that virus she let loose in the house?" Nana added with a sardonic eyebrow raise, "That's her little insurance policy, darling. While we're out here playing magical fort-builders with our external defenses, she's already installed VIP access straight to your bedroom. Nothing says 'evil witch with a plan' quite like corrupting a pregnant woman's bra."
Aidon's phone buzzed with a text. "Hades and Persephone are at the property line with Murtagh and the shifters. They've started creating the containment sphere."
"Alright," I said, decision made. "Jean-Marc, find everything you can about countering this ritual. Mythia, work with Persephone on stabilizing the pathways. If we can anchor even a few points against the ley line shifts, it will help. Nana, I need you, Mom, and Nina to collect every contaminated item and create a quarantine zone. You get to experiment ways to safely eradicate her contamination."
I turned to Aidon, who was watching me with a mixture of pride and concern. "And you need to lead a team to find Lyra's base of operations. We know she's nearby. The magical signatures are too fresh for her to be far."
"Phoebe—" he began.
"I know," I interrupted. "You're worried. But I'm not asking you to go alone, and I won't be unguarded. Clio is staying with me, along with whoever else we can spare. But we need to act now, while we still have the element of surprise."
"What surprise?" he asked skeptically.
I smiled grimly. "Lyra thinks she's going to remain ten steps ahead of us. She doesn't know we've uncovered her plan. For once, we have information she doesn't think we possess."
"Twenty-four hours," he agreed. "I'll take a team to locate her, but I won’t engage unless absolutely necessary. Then I'm back here, regardless of the outcome."
"Deal," I said, relief flooding through me. Even from my bed, I was still a Pleiades witch. And I was gonna show her what I could do, even on bed rest.
CHAPTER 4
Sleep was a foreign concept after we discovered Lyra's virus. Every time I closed my eyes, the Trifecta Ascension ritual played like a horror movie in my head. My babies, torn from my arms. Their magic was ripped away while I lay there like a useless lump. And each time I jolted awake, those damn monitoring symbols on my ceiling pulsed. Mocking me. Reminding me that psychotic bitch was watching.
By the time dawn painted the sky, Aidon had already ditched our bed. Mr. Hero was leading the team to hunt down Lyra's hideout. The empty space beside me left a cold void in my chest. I'd practically shoved him out the door, knowing we couldn't just sit around with our thumbs up our asses waiting for Lyra to make her move. But logic didn't stop the worry from gnawing at my insides like a rabid beast.
When my bedroom door creaked open, I half-expected Clio with another round of potions and check-ups. Instead, Nina slipped in. She was carrying a large piece of parchment and wearing an expression of intense concentration. It was something I rarely saw on my daughter's face.
"Morning, Mom," she said, distracted. "How are the little gremlins treating you today?"
"They've been restless," I admitted. "They can sense the tension around here. No to mention they got used to me running around handling all the shit myself."
Nina's eyes tracked the movement of a pencil on my nightstand with unusual focus. "Interesting. That's the blue-toned magic—Thaniel, right?"
I blinked in surprise. "How can you tell?"
