Page 52 of Bedrest Blues & Otherworldly Clues
He never finished the sentence. A portal opened beneath his feet, swallowing him instantly. It snapped shut before anyone could react. "Aidon!" I screamed and lunged forward, only to be held back by Mom.
"Don't," she warned. "That's what she wants."
Lyra laughed in a sharp and unpleasant tone. "Your defenses are impressive, I'll admit. It took months to find the right combination to neutralize them. But everything has a weakness. Even gods and their magic."
Three creatures came bounding up the stairs. Mom, Nina, and Jean-Marc took off after them, leaving me alone withLyra in the hallway. "You won't win," I told Lyra. I had to fight to keep my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my throat. "My family will stop you." There was no doubt about that. They would never stop.
"Your family is currently occupied," Lyra replied with maddening calm. "And soon, your children's power will be mine. The ritual is prepared. The alignment approaches. All that's missing is you."
The triplets kicked violently inside me. Their magic was building to another crescendo. I tried to direct it, to focus it on Lyra, but it scattered chaotically again. A blast hit Clio, temporarily paralyzing her limbs. Another surge cracked the ceiling above us, sending chunks of plaster raining down.
"Stop it!" I pleaded with my unborn children. "You're hurting the wrong people!"
"They can't help it," Lyra said, stepping closer. "I've cast a reflection spell. Their magic sees enemies everywhere now, including in those they love. Beautiful, isn't it? Using their own power against you?"
From downstairs came a tremendous crash, followed by Nana's outraged yell. "Get your slimy tentacles off my shotgun, you interdimensional piece of—" Her words dissolved into the sound of something heavy hitting the wall.
"Nana!" I shouted, straining to hear a response.
"Oh, don't worry," Lyra said with false sweetness. "I won't kill your family—not yet. They'll be much more useful as leverage to ensure your cooperation."
The air rippled again as more creatures materialized around us. These were more solid than the shadows all around us. Somehow, I knew these Forgotten Ones were more present in our realm than their brethren.
"Take her," Lyra commanded. "Gently. I need her intact for the ritual."
They advanced on me from all sides. I backedup until I hit the wall. My hands protectively cradled my belly. The triplets' magic was still firing in all directions, but none of it touched the Forgotten Ones, who seemed to move between the chaotic blasts.
"Mom!" I called desperately. "Aidon!" The closest Forgotten One reached for me with elongated fingers. I slapped its hand away. "Don't touch me, you overgrown shadow puppet!"
The creature paused, tilting its featureless head as if confused by my resistance. Then it simply stepped aside as Lyra moved forward. "Always the fighter," she observed. "That's one trait that makes you such a perfect vessel for the Pleiades power. You have such spirit. Such defiance. It's almost a shame to take it from you."
She extended her hand, and a jolt of her corrupted magic shot directly into my chest. I gasped as icy numbness spread outward from the point of impact. It temporarily paralyzed me. The triplets' magic surged in response, but instead of protecting me, it continued to ricochet wildly.
Through the window, I could see Stella and Selene fighting back-to-back in the yard. Their combined power created a whirlwind of magical energy that kept dozens of corrupted creatures at bay. But for every enemy they struck down, three more appeared to take their place.
"Your counter-ritual planning was quite clever," Lyra remarked conversationally as she signaled to the Forgotten Ones. They moved to surround me, creating a circle that hummed with a strange energy. "Using the alignment against me. Redirecting its power to strengthen your defenses. A pity you won't get the chance to implement it."
Jean-Marc came running down the hall. "Get away from my mother!" he shouted as he hurled a blast of concentrated energy at Lyra.
She caught it one-handed and examined the spell withmild interest before crushing it like a bug. "Impressive, for a mundie," she commented. "But ultimately futile."
With a casual flick of her wrist, she sent Jean-Marc flying into the opposite wall. He hit with a sickening crack and slumped to the floor. Blood trickled from a gash on his temple.
"Jean-Marc!" I screamed, fighting against the paralysis with everything I had. The triplets responded to my distress. Their magic remained wild and untamed. Objects throughout the hallway began to levitate and spin in dangerous vortices that threatened friend and foe alike.
"Enough of this," Lyra said, her patience evidently wearing thin. She drew a symbol in the air that began to glow a peculiar shade of purple. "It's time to leave."
The floor beneath us began to glow with the same purple light. "What is this?" I demanded, still struggling against the paralysis that held me.
"A special transportation spell," Lyra replied with evident pride. "One that bypasses conventional magical barriers. Even gods can't track it. Your mate will search for you, of course. But he'll be looking in the wrong places and the wrong dimensions."
Clio had finally broken free of her paralysis and lunged toward me. "Phoebe!"
She was too late. The spell activated with a surge of power that swept me away. The last thing I saw was her desperate face as the world twisted around us. Then everything dissolved into swirling purple darkness.
When my vision returned, I found myself in a vast stone chamber that felt off. If my magical senses were right, it existed partially in our world and partially elsewhere. Lyra’s comment about Aidon not finding me made sudden sense.
Massive pillars supported a ceiling that appeared fifty feet above me. At the center of the room stood analtar made of black stone that absorbed the light around it. "Welcome to your new accommodations," Lyra said, gesturing grandly around the chamber. "It’s temporary, of course. Once the ritual is complete, you won't need housing at all."
