Page 22 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues
"We create new wards with built-in resistance to corruption," Persephone suggested.
CHAPTER 7
Let her watch. Let her think she had the upper hand. We would be ready for her. And when the time came, she would discover just how formidable the united Duedonne family could be—babies and all.
That confidence lasted approximately four hours before all hell broke loose. I was just finishing lunch—a delicious stew Mythia and Mom had prepared—when the first rumble of thunder shook the house. My initial thought was that a normal storm was rolling in. That would have been just fine with me. I loved a good thunderstorm. Not to mention the rain would wash away some of the magical residue Lyra had left behind. But the second rumble made my skin prickle with warning.
"That's not natural," I murmured and pushed aside the tray. I struggled to heave my enormous belly toward the edge of the bed.
Mom appeared in the doorway with concern on her face. "Stay put," she ordered, crossing to the window and peering out. "Something's happening with the weather."
"No shit," I replied, ignoring her command and continuingmy ungainly shuffle toward freedom. "If I have to witness another supernatural catastrophe, I'm at least doing it with a view."
Before she could object further, a blinding flash of purple lightning split the sky. It struck the north corner of our property. Right where Nana and Nina had placed the strongest ward anchor with Aidon. The thunder that followed rattled the windows and set off car alarms.
"That wasn't aiming for a tree," I said, finally reaching the window beside Mom. "What is she going after?"
“It’s so difficult to get into that creature’s mind. She’s evil, so she might just want to kill our allies,” Mom replied with a shudder.
Outside, churning black clouds gathered from seemingly nowhere. They formed an unnatural spiral directly above our house. It swirled with energy that wasn’t from any weather system I recognized. Veins of purple lightning forked through the clouds, pulsing in a rhythm that seemed almost deliberate.
"Get Aidon," I said, not taking my eyes off the nightmare brewing above us. "And Hades if he's still here."
Mom was already on her phone. "They're coming," she said as she read their response. "Stella reports similar formations over the eastern boundary. Murtagh says the western edge is still clear, but the clouds are moving that way."
Another lightning bolt slammed down. This one struck the protective circle Persephone had created around the garden. The ground where it hit sizzled and smoked as if doused with acid. That was going to piss my mother-in-law off. She gave new meaning to ‘monster-in-law' when mad.
"That lightning is eating through Persephone’s barrier like it’s nothing," Mom noted grimly. “I hope that’s because Persephone didn’t put as much effort into itbecause she thought it was safe so far inside the wards, and not because Lyra has reached a level of power that is nearly unbeatable.”
Careful to keep my power in check, I sent out a thin tendril to get a feel for the magical landscape. “This feels a touch chaotic. Almost like she’s throwing everything at us to see what sticks and putting her all into it. She knows I can’t fight back, and the rest of us are so busy trying to protect me and the babies.”
The rain began while I was talking. The sky dropped fat, hissing droplets that steamed where they hit our magical shields. Mom flinched away from the window as a droplet splashed against the glass. We gaped when we noted it left a pockmark in its wake.
"Acid rain?" she said incredulously. "Seriously?"
"Not acid," I corrected, watching as more drops fell. Each tried to burn through our outer defenses like they were made of tissue paper. "This is a magical attack."
Aidon and his mother walked in then, looking as grim as I felt. "Lyra is doing this," Persephone confirmed without preamble. "She's woven her magic into the natural weather patterns. And she’s tied it into the ley lines to feed it power."
"That's cover for something else," Aidon added with his gaze fixed on my belly. "The lightning strikes are creating a resonance with the triplets' magic. I can feel it."
As if on cue, a surge of movement rippled across my abdomen. "The storm is feeding off the babies' magic, which is responding defensively, making the storms stronger."
"Precisely," Persephone said. "It’s a clever trap. The more we try to shield ourselves, the more power the triplets exert, and the stronger the storm becomes."
"Okay, so we stop trying to shield. We need to take power from this before it destroys the house. Can we break the connection with the babies?" Mom asked as she sought a solution.
Before anyone could answer, Clio rushed in, medical bag in hand. "I felt the disturbance," she said, making straight for me. "Back to bed. Now."
For once, I didn't argue. The magical resonance had already triggered a cramping sensation low in my belly. It wasn't a contraction—not yet—but it was heading in that direction.
"The lightning," Clio announced after a quick examination, "is vibrating at a frequency designed to trigger labor. Each strike increases the pressure on your uterus." She looked up with a grave expression. "She wants to force early delivery."
"So she can perform her ritual," I finished.
"She’s doing a frighteningly effective job of it," Clio confirmed, her hands working frantically to counteract the magical pressure. "My healing spells are being disrupted by the storm's energy. I can't stabilize you."
Another bolt struck, this one close enough to make the house shudder. The magical backlash sent a wave of pain through my abdomen that had me gasping. "Do something!" Mom demanded in a voice that was sharp with fear.
