Page 35 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues
"We need to stabilize you immediately,"Clio said. Her expression was grave as she examined me. "Your magical pathways are overloading."
"We've been developing new methods to help," Persephone explained as she put crystals around my bed. "It combines divine power, healing magic, witchcraft, and shifter stabilization techniques."
"Think of it like magical fusion cuisine," Nana remarked with a smirk.
"It's experimental," Mom admitted as she mixed herbs in a mortar that steamed unnaturally. "But the triplets' powers have outgrown conventional approaches."
"I'm willing to try anything," I said, wincing as another surge of power rippled through me.
Clio began her stabilization process. Her healing magic flowed into me like cool mountain water. Mom added her mixture to my skin. It smelled like cinnamon and herbs. Persephone’s energy hummed with the power of rebirth and renewal and flowed into me. The combined approach eased the immediate discomfort. These babies were like three miniature suns, and my body was struggling to contain their radiance.
The house had been mercifullyquiet for almost two hours. I'd managed to doze off. I was briefly lulled by the steady rhythm of the triplets' movements within me. Their magical signatures pulsed in harmony. It was a comforting reminder that despite everything, they were thriving.
Clio finished checking my vital signs for the millionth time in the past twenty-four hours. "The fluctuations are stabilizing," she reported with cautious optimism. "Your power seems to be adapting to the pregnancy's demands and is no longer pushing things into dangerous territory."
"Or the triplets are adapting," I suggested as I shifted to find a more comfortable position. My swollen belly made every movement an exercise in careful navigation.
"Either way, it's progress," she conceded with a small smile. "Try to rest while you can."
I nodded, though rest had become an increasingly elusive luxury. Between the magical surges, the constant vigilance against Lyra's forces... and the physical demands of carrying triplets with extraordinary powers, I felt perpetually exhausted. And I was only getting up to go pee. Sure, I had to do that every few hours, but I barely racked up two hundred steps.
Mom came in and placed a cup of herbal tea beside my bed. "Drink this when it cools. It should help strengthen you."
"Thanks," I murmured, grateful for her practical approach to crisis management. Since learning about the problems, she'd thrown herself into researching magical pregnancies with characteristic determination.
The relative calm was shattered before she could straighten. An explosion rocked the foundations of the house. The windows rattled ominously, and dust sifted down from the ceiling. The triplets did triple back flips in response to the sudden surge of adrenaline flooding my system.
"What was that?" I demanded as I threw my legs over the side of the bed.
Mom and Stella rushed to the window. Her expression hardened as she surveyed whatever was happening outside. "Another wave of attacks is hitting us. It’s bigger than the last. They've brought reinforcements."
More explosions followed in rapid succession. Each one was closer than the last. I could hear shouting now. Familiar voices were calling out warnings and battle commands. The distinctive crackle of combat magic colliding with defensive wards came through theopen window.
"I need to see," I insisted as I stood despite Clio's protests.
"Phoebe, you can't—" she began, but I cut her off with a look.
"They're fighting for us. The least I can do is bear witness." My body protested the movement as I walked over to the window. It was astonishing how quickly bodies became accustomed to doing nothing. My muscles shouldn’t be trembling with the effort of supporting my pregnant frame. I’d been literally running around and fighting less than two weeks ago. The Pleiades power within me surged in response and sent iridescent sparks cascading over my skin. It eased some of the weakness, which was nice.
"At least let me help you," Mom sighed, recognizing the set to my jaw that screamed I wasn't taking no for an answer. It was the exact same expression Nana got right before she whipped out her shotgun and started threatening supernatural beings. The stubborn-as-a-constipated-mule gene ran strong in our family.
Mom slipped her arm around my waist, and we shuffled toward the bedroom window. Outside, flashes of magic lit up the night like a deranged fireworks show. "Shit." Stella pressed her face against the glass. "They've breached the south ward." She looked back at us, her expression grim. "I need to get out there."
"Go," I ordered. "They need you more than I do."
Stella didn't need to be told twice. She bolted from the room with Mom and Persephone following behind her like mothers on a mission. Mom hesitated, torn between staying with me and joining the fight.
"I need to get downstairs," I announced as I switched directions and began waddling toward the door like an overloaded penguin.
Clio stepped in front of me, arms crossed. "Absolutelynot. You're staying in this bed if I have to magically glue your pregnant ass to it."
I gave her my best don't-fuck-with-me glare. "My kids are out there, Clio. Jean-Marc and Nina are fighting for our lives. I need to be closer in case they need me."
"And what exactly do you think you can do besides pop out three magical babies prematurely when you collapse?"
"I don't know," I snapped. "But I'm not staying up here twiddling my thumbs while my family gets slaughtered."
She didn’t fight me after that. Getting downstairs was like participating in an extreme sports event for the severely pregnant. Each step required a complex maneuver factoring in my massive belly, swollen ankles, and the three magical terrors using my bladder as a trampoline. By the time I reached the bottom landing, my nightgown was soaked with sweat, and I was panting like I'd run a marathon.
