Page 50 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues
"Hades, Murtagh, Tseki, and the shifters can form an outer perimeter," Aidon decided. "With Selene, Layla, and the pixies creating a secondary defensive line."
My phone buzzed with another message from the mysterious contact. “She knows you're planning something. Be careful. Will contact again when safe.”
"Well, that's comforting," I muttered sarcastically.
"Regardless of whether we trust this person," Aidon said, "they're right about one thing. Lyra will beexpecting us to act. We need to be exceptionally careful with our preparations."
"We should start immediately," Mom suggested. "The waning moon rises tonight. It’ll be perfect for brewing the binding potion."
"And I'll begin preparing the crystals," Nina added.
"I'll coordinate with Hades and the others about defensive positions," Persephone offered.
As everyone dispersed to their assigned tasks, Aidon remained by my side, his hand still clasping mine. "Are you sure about this?" he asked quietly. "The risk is substantial."
"I'm sure about one thing," I replied, meeting his gaze steadily. "Waiting for Lyra to come to us hasn't worked so far. It's time we took control of this situation."
He nodded slowly. "Just promise me you'll be careful. These mysterious messages... even if they're genuine, the sender might not understand the full danger."
"I promise," I said, leaning forward to kiss him gently. "But I also promise to follow my instincts. They've kept us alive this long."
CHAPTER 16
The preparations continued through the night. Despite Clio's objections, I insisted on staying downstairs where I could be useful. The magical binding potion simmered on the stove, releasing spirals of silver steam. Aidon had contributed the divine tears required. It was the only time I had seen him cry, and it had torn at my heart.
Shaking my head to banish the memory, I focused on the activity around me. The kitchen island was crowded with crystals that Nina was enchanting one by one. She worked with practiced precision as she infused each stone with protective magic.
"How's it coming?" I asked as I shifted on the stool at the kitchen island.
Nina held up a black tourmaline crystal that pulsed with soft light. "Almost done with the seventh anchor stone. Each one is keyed to a specific family member's energy signature."
"And I've finished mapping the ritual circle coordinates," Jean-Marc added, looking up from his laptop. "The clearingAidon suggested is perfect—three ley lines intersect almost exactly at its center."
"Which means it's probably on Lyra's radar too," Stella pointed out grimly. She was cleaning black residue from her athame at the sink. "We should expect company."
"That's why we'll have three layers of defense," Aidon replied from where he stood guard at the window. "Hades is bringing reinforcements from the Underworld at dawn."
I started to respond when a strange sensation washed over me. It was a momentary pressure, as if the air had suddenly thickened before it returned to normal. The triplets reacted instantly. Their magic flared in alarm. "Did anyone else feel that?" I asked as my hand moved protectively to my belly.
Mom looked up sharply from the grimoire she was consulting. "Feel what?"
Before I could explain, another pulse rippled through the house. It felt like a shock wave passing through everything. The lights flickered, and the protective symbols Selene and Nana had drawn on the windows briefly glowed bright red.
"That's not good," Nana said as she reached for her shotgun.
"Something's testing our wards," Aidon reported.
Stella moved to the window beside him. "The Forgotten Ones who were watching the property are moving."
Another pulse hit, this one strong enough to rattle the windows. The crystals Nina had been enchanting began to vibrate and emit high-pitched tones that clashed discordantly. "This isn't a test," I realized as a chill raced down my spine. "It's the beginning of an attack."
Aidon's phone rang, making my heart jump into my throat. He answered it with a terse, "We know they're trying to get through." After a moment, he added, "Dammit. Alright, thanks." He hung up and turned to us. "Murtagh's team hasspotted multiple breaches in our outer perimeter. Lyra's deployed some kind of magical disruptors that are overloading our ward network."
"What about the protection spells from Hattie?" I asked as I slid off my stool.
"They're holding for now," Aidon replied as he moved to my side. "But they're being targeted, as well. She knows where to hit us.”
I sighed and fought the urge to curse the vile witch. “It seems like we didn’t get all of those seeds after all."
