Chapter 12

The dusty shelves of some forgotten office greeted us as we quietly entered a dimly lit room. We'd found a backdoor unlocked and entered what looked like an old office building. The smell of aged paper and dust replaced thatl of wet dog, mingled with an undercurrent of malicious energy.

We were on a mission to find anything we could about the Order of Umbra. I'd cast an invisibility spell on our group again, so we could move more freely throughout the building. I wouldn't be able to hold it long. While I'd gotten some sleep the night before, it wasn't enough. Creating three babies from scratch took a lot of energy.

"Hey, maybe we can decipher the ancient runes on the walls to weaken the cult"s grip on Salem," Stella suggested.

I considered her comment and what we'd encountered since arriving in Salem. There was no doubt the Umbra had a hold here. "Can you work on that while we continue searching the area?"

Todd looked at his wife with shock. "You can do that? Without a secret decoder ring?"

She fluffed her blonde hair and gave him a ‘duh' look. "You didn't know you married such a badass."

"I'm a lucky son of a bitch," Todd replied with a smile.

Stella traced her fingers over the runes etched into the weathered walls. Her expression was a blend of curiosity and determination. Aidon, Tseki, and I stalked through the space, leaving Stella and the others there.

Aidon cocked his head to the side when he noticed Stella in the same place as before. "These symbols hold a lot of power but don't overthink it. Your instincts are spot on."

"Think of it as another cryptic puzzle. Just what you needed to spice up your day, right," I teased Stella.

Siobhan"s ethereal form floated in front of a particularly evil-feeling rune. "The cult"s rituals are deeply intertwined with these symbols. I think this one represents their hold on Salem."

I smirked. "So, we play connect-the-dots with these fancy doodles and hope for the best? Sounds like a plan."

Aidon shot me an amused glance. "If only it was that easy, Queenie. Before you go connecting shit, we need to understand the symbolism, the intent behind each one. There's got to be a book they're using. Eris wouldn't want her people sacrificed in the process of whatever she is planning."

He'd stopped questioning her involvement the night before. He tried to talk to me when we climbed into bed, but I was too damn tired to get into it. The distance he felt between us only fueled his anger at his ex, and I was petty enough to take that as a win in my column.

"Intent, danger, got it. We"ll add "mystical linguist" to our resumes," I quipped as I looked out at the walls in the hall. Ancient runes stared back at me, their meaning as elusive as ever.

Stella chuckled. "Just don"t quit your day job. We need your sarcasm more than ever."

As we delved into the labyrinth of abandoned offices, the building buzzed with a strange energy. I paid more attention to the symbols with Stella, allowing the guys to handle security. The runes seemed to shimmer, responding to our collective effort to decipher their secrets. It was like playing a game of warped charades, with the fate of my family hanging in the balance. It had become personal for me after meeting Siobhan. Eris was after me, and I was going to deliver her a slap down.

Aidon muttered to himself as we turned a corner and came across some glowing green runes. "These symbols denote a binding ritual. If we can reverse their effects, we might weaken the cult"s influence."

We stopped at the juncture and stared at the markings. "Reverse a binding ritual? That sounds easy enough," I said, my tone dripping with sarcasm. How the hell did we change a goddess's power? "I bet there"s a "How to Undo Goddess Magic for Dummies" book somewhere around here."

Stella shot me a look. "All we need to do is change the shape and meaning. We've got the power."

I sighed dramatically. "Says the woman not growing three babies. Let's do this."

Tseki and Murtagh continued to search the building while Todd, Aidon, and Siobhan stayed with us. I dropped the cloaking, and we went to work using a sharpie, our wit, and all the magic we could throw at the wall. It wasn't easy, and I wanted to quit so many times until the black marker started sticking. The air crackled with the intensity of our efforts, the weight of history pressing down on us. The light of the corridor was dim. We were surrounded by the secrets of ages past, both mundane and supernatural. The more they resisted, the harder we tried.

The hall pulsated with an otherworldly glow as Tseki and Murtagh carried a table toward us. We gathered around, and my head reared back. "It's a makeshift altar," I said. The scent of incense and anticipation replaced the stench of decay.

Stella adjusted the candles with a meticulous touch. "Phoebe, use your link to the Pleiades. It's potent and can be a crucial element in disrupting the cult"s plans."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not so sure about that. It's witchcraft. What can I do differently?"

Aidon rubbed the tops of my shoulders. "The Pleiades have a unique energy. It's why you lead the others. One element is your connection to the stars. You can harness their power. At least, that's what legends say. I"ve never seen it before."

Siobhan floated closer to me. "I can feel your celestial heritage. It's alluring to one like me. I can't believe you were nothing more than a mundie a year ago. Incredible."

Heat flushed my face. "You can feel that? I had no idea it was different from witchcraft. I'm a witch, not some star."

Aidon tsked me. "Phoebe, your connection to the Pleiades constellation is a gift. It doesn't mean you aren't a witch. That's who you are. Embrace it and give this a try."

I rolled my eyes, though a hint of determination flickered within. "Fine, I'll play cosmic disruptor. But if I accidentally summon an alien or something, don"t blame me."

As we prepared to rewrite the symbols, I tried to identify and connect to celestial energy. I had no idea what it was or how to access it. Squaring my shoulders and inhaling the incense, I thought of the night sky and how it had always energized me. A tingle started at the base of my spine. I grabbed that feeling and held it while calling on my magic.

"Remember, Phoebe, focus on the Pleiades. Channel their energy," Aidon advised.

I gave him a mock salute. "Got it, Yahweh. Initiating Pleiades power-up complete."

As I closed my eyes, the celestial energy filtered through me. I felt the distant embrace of the stars above. Their light intertwining with my power. It was like tapping into an otherworldly Wi-Fi network. It was powerful, mysterious, and a little bit unpredictable.

Stella began chanting incantations, her voice blending into a harmonious symphony. The hall quivered with energy. I let the Pleiades" celestial power flow through me, directing it toward the markings.

Stella"s voice cut through my trance. "Phoebe, focus on disrupting the threads in the markings, and I will redraw them. We leave it a blank slate until we can alter it. Then we can reprogram it. Doing it all at once is too much."

I couldn"t help but mutter under my breath, "No pressure, right?"

As our efforts intensified, the floor beneath us trembled. My connection to the constellation became a beacon of light against the encroaching darkness. The air crackled, and for a moment I got immersed in the dangerous dance we were trying to stop.

Whether it was my celestial heritage or sheer determination, something shifted in the hall. Stella whooped right as I felt the power erase the evil intent. My eyes flew open. The air cleared, and the group exchanged triumphant glances.

I smirked at my friends. "That was easy. Who knew disrupting divine runes was just a cosmic light switch away?"

As we basked in the aftermath of our triumph, I wondered what surprises awaited us next in Eris's supernatural saga. We'd gained some ground, but it was far from over. Just when I thought changing the runes was going to be the highlight of my week, the universe threw us a curveball.

Stella looked grim as she pointed at the wall. "They"re adapting. I can feel the magic being used to counter our disruption. It"s like they took a course in Magical Counterattacks 101."

Aidon"s expression mirrored my frustration. "Fuck. That shouldn't be possible. It's not Eris doing this, or I would feel her unique signature."

I wanted to rant and rave. They shouldn't be able to do that. "We need a step-by-step guide on "How to Outsmart Eris 101". I"d love some light reading while I have a snack."

Stella shot me a concerned look. "It's not snack time yet. We"re up against a goddess, and she seems particularly interested in you and the babies. We need to find whoever she has impeding our progress."

Aidon nodded, his gaze fixed on some distant point only he could see. "Put up a block, and we will search the whole place. They can't be too far. To pull something like this off, they have to be close."

Eris had just unleashed a storm that would test not only our magical prowess but also the resilience of our relationship. I refused to allow the goddess of discord to get the better of me and take my mate. This meant war!

"The building is empty. The only thing we found was this altar. There were more symbols, but none of them glowed like this," Tseki interjected.

Murtagh nodded in agreement. "We should check other locations nearby. I bet they left last night after we found this place."

Siobhan shivered. "I hope they didn't have enough time to do this somewhere else. This is powerful magic."

Turning to go, I headed for the exit. "There wasn't enough time. We might not have broken Eris's hold here, but we have them playing keep up. To stop us from afar took a lot of power."

Stella smiled as she opened the door. "Which will be easy to find. We can even grab you an ice cream cone while we're searching."

"Or maybe even a donut at Honeycomb," I suggested.

The air in Salem crackled with an electric tension. The town square, usually a quaint haven of historic charm, was a somber sight. The tourists milled about buying things and taking pictures but with much less enthusiasm. It was almost as if they could feel how the cobbled streets beneath our feet seemed to pulse.

My hand shot out to Aidon, and my chin jerked up and to the right. "There are shadows dancing on the time-worn facades of those colonial buildings."

Stella glanced at the darkened sky, her expression a mix of wonder and concern. "Is it just me, or is the universe having a party?"

Aidon observed the building with a furrowed brow. "The efforts are intensifying. Those are Eris's little spies. Ignore them and focus on her followers."

I made a face as Tseki stopped outside the café. "Can you get me a lemonade and donut? One of the ones with blueberry frosting if they still have it." Tseki nodded and ducked inside.

As if Tseki's absence was a cue, magical energy enveloped us. The buildings shimmered with an ethereal light, and the wind carried whispers of Dark incantations. Aidon grabbed hold of me, and I reached for Stella who had hold of Todd. The very fabric of reality seemed to ripple, making the mundie world waver.

Aidon"s wings came out in response to the surge of mystical power. "Get ready," he declared, his voice a resonant cadence that echoed through the magical currents.

I glanced at Stella, a mix of determination and uncertainty in her eyes. "Ready for what?" I asked.

"How the hell should I know?" Aidon retorted. "This bitch has lost her damn mind."

"We need to obscure the human minds," Stella interjected.

"Hide the supernatural activities this time," I countered. "The chaos isn't as widespread, and who knows what will happen if we mess with their minds again."

Tseki came running out of the café just as we chanted the spell. Siobhan went to the roof of a nearby building and opened her mouth. I thanked the gods I couldn't hear her wailing. It meant I was safe for the time being. Not that I would get cocky.

As we stepped forward, I braced myself for the worst and called up my magic. The town square was now bathed in a bluish glow. It made Eris's followers look like ghosts despite how the sun hung high in the sky. Across the street, it cast a deceptive serenity over Salem"s town square.

I stood at the heart of the disturbance with Stella, Aidon, Tseki, Murtagh, and Todd. My heart raced as I watched the Order of Umbra's Dark witches charge at us. My witch fire left my hands as I ran to meet them. It was odd to see the mundies going about their day as if nothing was happening while magic flew all around them.

As the first wave of Umbra closed in, Siobhan let out another wail. The Banshee"s cry echoed through the square, reaching a pitch that defied the bounds of human tolerance. About a third of the Umbra dropped to their knees, clasping their hands over their ears, visibly shaken by the banshee"s haunting wail. It hit me why they were acting like that a second later.

"They"re marked for death!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the Banshee"s cry. The ominous warning hung in the air as chaos erupted.

Aidon conjured his black sword and started cutting a swath through the crowd. Tseki and Murtagh engaged the Umbra with swift, calculated strikes. Stella and I used magic against witches who could block it and throw even worse at us.

My gaze sought Todd. He was our weak link in this fight. He had no powers. He was a sitting duck. I didn't have time to think about what a badass he was using modern weaponry against the Umbra. He had a taser in one hand and his gun in the other.

The report of Todd's gun was loud. His bullets were punctuated with flashes of arcane light. Tseki had a dagger because he couldn't risk shifting in the middle of the day with so many mundies around. He still dispatched enemies with a series of swift strikes. Murtagh"s rune-covered blade glowed as he danced through the fray, dismantling Dark magic with each swing.

In the midst of the battle, Siobhan"s banshee wail continued. It was a dissonant symphony interwoven with the chaos. She remained vigilant on the rooftop, her presence a spectral guardian.

Todd used his taser to disrupt the Dark energy of an Umbra, rendering them momentarily incapacitated. A scream left me when the tide turned on him. I was tossing fireball after fireball as I watched Todd take a hit. He dropped like a stone. Stella ran toward him, unconcerned about anything else. So, I went behind her and doubled my attack.

"Aidon, we need backup!" I called out, watching Todd grit his teeth against the pain.

Aidon focused on taking out the witches as he made his way toward us. I stood by my bestie, who was hovering over her husband, and continued my assault. With a swift motion, Aidon lifted his smartwatch to his mouth and shouted to his agents that we needed support and cleanup.

Stella couldn"t tear her eyes away from Todd. The Umbra began scattering and the fighting died down. Pretty soon, Siobhan"s banshee wail began to subside as she kept a watchful eye on the unfolding events.

"Can he hear her?" Stella whispered, her anxiety palpable.

"No, he can't. He's not dying," I told her as I fumbled in my bag, searching for a healing potion. Finding one, I handed it to her to give him.

As the Order of Umbra retreated, their ranks diminished. Tseki and Murtagh remained on alert with Aidon while Stella watched Todd closely. The town square was now scarred by magical remnants. It returned to its tranquil fa?ade while I continued concealing the aftermath and watched Tseki take off running after one of the Order of Umbra.