Page 47 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues
Jean-Marc nodded his head as he scribbled furiously in his notebook. "What if we used them as focal points? We could try to time important parts of the counter-ritual to match the triplets' energy output?"
"That could work," Mom agreed with a smile. "We'd need stabilizing anchors throughout the property. Something to capture and redistribute any excess power."
"Like magical surge protectors," I suggested. "Things that can absorb energy without overloading."
Nina went to the cabinet where we kept some magical supplies. "Obsidian, black tourmaline, and selenite crystals could work." She rooted around, no doubt looking for one of them. "I can prepare them with binding spells that allow them to absorb specific types of magical energy."
As we debated the technical aspects of our counter-ritual, my phone buzzed with an incoming message. I frowned at the unfamiliar number. "Who is it?" Jean-Marc asked, noticing my confusion.
"I don't know," I replied, opening the message.
My breath caught as a series of strange symbols filled the screen. They weren't anything I recognized, yet they seemed vaguely familiar. It was like a half-remembered dream.
"What the hell?" I muttered as I turned the phone so the others could see.
Mom leaned closer and narrowed her eyes on the image. "Those look like protection glyphs, only they aren’t."
Jean-Marc took the phone and studied the symbols intently. "They're encoded. Similar to what witches used during the Spanish Inquisition to communicate secretly."
Another message arrived, containing a single sentence in English. “Three flowers bloomed where seven stars fell. The darkness hungers but light remains.”
"That's creepy," Nina remarked as she read over Jean-Marc's shoulder.
"It's a reference to the Pleiades sisters," Aidon interjected. "Seven stars, three flowers... it's talking about the triplets."
“What does it mean?” I asked as my stomach twisted into a knot.
A third message appeared. “She takes more than she can hold. I escaped. Others did not. Her ritual has flaws. Weakness in the bonds. Need your help to break the pattern.”
The phone buzzed again, displaying a picture of a hand-drawn diagram that showed a ritual circle. Some symbols matched those that had appeared on my stomach during the pregnancy. "Holy shit," I whispered. "Someone escaped from Lyra.
Mom’s attention sharpened, and she looked over the latest message. “Sounds like it was someone who was part of her experiments."
"Or it's Lyra herself, trying to manipulate you," Nana said sharply. Her eyes hardened as she considered the idea. "This reeks of a trap."
"I don't think so," I countered, though I couldn't exactly explain why. My instincts were screaming that this was legitimate. "The triplets aren't reacting defensively." I hadn't realized until then that I had begun to use their reactions as agauge of sorts. Moments ago, they'd been causing magical chaos. Now, they were strangely calm.
Before anyone could reply, another message appeared. “The anchor points can be inverted. The ritual reversed. But only by one who carries the blood and the bond. Only by you.”
"It’s definitely a trap," Nana insisted. "She's trying to lure you out."
"I'm not so sure," Mom said slowly. "These symbols are genuine ancient protection glyphs. That's not common knowledge."
"Can we trace the messages?" I asked Jean-Marc.
He frowned at his computer screen as his fingers flew over the keyboard. Multiple windows populated with scrolling code. "The signal's bouncing through multiple proxy servers across different countries. Whoever sent this used a sophisticated VPN chain and Tor relays. They definitely know how to cover their digital footprints."
That sounded like it fit Nana’s trap theory more than mine. I closed my eyes and placed a hand on my belly, trying to feel what the triplets were sensing. A subtle warmth spread through me. It wasn’t the fierce protective heat I'd come to associate with danger. This was something gentler. It almost felt hopeful.
"I think it's legitimate," I said finally, opening my eyes. "And even if it's not, the information about anchor points could be valuable."
My phone buzzed once more, making Mom jolt in surprise. “Will send coordinates when safe. Prepare a binding potion of dragon's blood, moonstone dust, elder flower, sage root, and tears of a willing divine being. Must be brewed under a waning moon. Time is short.”
"That's a powerful binding mixture," Clio observed. "Designed to seal corrupted magic and return it to itsnatural state."
"We have everything except the divine tears," I noted as I slid my gaze to my mate. "You or your mom could provide those."
"You're actually considering this?" Nana asked incredulously. "Following instructions from a mysterious stranger while pregnant with triplets who happen to be the target of a psychotic magic-stealing witch?"
