Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

A my stood at her cabin door, keys in hand, looking at the small place she had called home for less than two months. It felt surreal to pack up her few belongings, knowing that she was moving in with Dante.

She opened the trunk of her car and carefully stacked the last of her things inside. She wasn't surprised at how little she had. Once she and Ryan had called things off, she'd left most of her old things in the city. She'd taken only what she could fit in her car after Joe had driven her back to her small apartment to get her things. She had wanted to start fresh when returning home and now she was thankful for it.

Funny, she'd been so broken over Ryan breaking up with her back then. Now, of course, she realized that technically she was the one who had called things off.

With one last glance at the cozy cabin, she drove off, excitement and nervousness swirling in her chest. As she drove into town, the beautiful fall colors surrounded the roads, making her nostalgic for her favorite season of the year.

Fall in Hidden Creek was stunning. The bright orange and red leaves covered the trees and roads. There were signs of the coming Halloween season everywhere. Homes and businesses were decorated with fun skeleton scenes or seasonal flare, even though it was a little over a month and a half away still.

When she pulled into the Coffee Corner, she could see that Xtina, Jess, Mia, Brea, and Liz had already gathered, talking and laughing at a table by the window. The moment Amy walked in, they waved her over.

"Amy." Jess grinned and pushed a cup of coffee towards her. "Your favorite. How was your first night back?"

"Thanks, it was wonderful." She took a sip of the coffee. Jess had a strange power to know what everyone wanted. Then again, she was a witch and the owner of the coffee shop.

As they sat down, Amy pulled out her phone. "Okay, so you won't believe this. But I got photos of our trip. I forgot to show everyone last night because my phone was dead and, well, there were a lot of other things going on." She scrolled through the pictures she had taken of the mountain temple, the carvings, the statues, everything. She passed her phone around the table, and their eyes widened as they flipped through the photos.

"That's insane," Mia breathed, staring at the intricately carved walls. "This is… ancient writing and a temple, right?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah, it was surreal. The carvings, the architecture… all of it."

"What does any of it say?" Xtina asked, looking down at the phone.

"You can't read it?" she asked.

"No," Xtina said, along with the others.

"I guess I'll have to translate all of it." She paused, biting her lip.

Xtina furrowed her brow. "You can read all of this?"

"It's part of the powers we unlocked," Amy explained, leaning in. "Prometheus said I have omnilingual abilities. Apparently, all gods and demi-gods do. I'll need to spend some time translating what each of these says."

The group was quiet for a moment.

"Who is this?" Liz said, turning the phone around to show a picture she'd taken with Theo when he'd told them about the temple.

"That's Theo." Amy smiled. "A boy who helped us while we were there."

"Theo?" Xtina frowned.

"Yes." Amy quickly ran through what had happened, how the boy had found her on the side of the mountain and taken her into town. How he had helped them find the temple and then how they had saved him from Thanatos.

"Of course," Jess said, snapping her fingers as she picked up her own phone and typed something in. "Theogony." She smiled and turned her screen around to a sketch of an older Greek man. "In the 7th century BCE, Theogony wrote several epic poems titled ‘Days by Hesiod.'" She paused. "The story of Pandora and Epimetheus."

"What? Seriously?" Amy took Jess's phone and quickly scanned the page. "Wow, way to go Theo." She laughed.

"We wouldn't have most of the stories of the Greek gods if not for him," Jess added.

"Fate," Liz said softly. Everyone glanced over at her. "Sorry." She ran her hands over her large belly. "Being an oracle has some drawbacks." Her eyes scanned everyone's. "Knowing that the birth of my children starts the ball rolling for the end of the world… I've always known, but I had hoped that something would change."

"It still can," Amy said, taking her sister-in-law's hand in hers.

Before anyone could respond, Liz suddenly inhaled sharply, clutching her stomach. Her face paled, and her wide eyes met Amy's. "Oh my god."

"Liz? What's wrong?" Brea asked, concerned.

Liz's breaths were shallow, and a nervous smile tugged at her lips. "I think… I think my water just broke."

The table erupted into chaos, everyone scrambling to grab their things and help Liz get to the hospital. Amy's heart raced for a brief moment, knowing that the moment had finally arrived—Liz's triplets were finally coming.

The hospital was buzzing with an undercurrent of excitement and tension as Amy, Mia, Xtina, Jess, Brea, and the others gathered in the waiting area. The anticipation of Liz giving birth to triplets—Luna, Stella, and Orion—had the entire group on edge. Joe had met them there at the hospital after she'd called him and told him what was going on, and he and Liz had been whisked away into delivery, leaving everyone anxiously waiting for news.

The sterile, bright lights of the hospital hallway showcased everyone's nervous smiles. She could see it on everyone's faces, time was running out.

The hours passed slowly, and the conversation dipped in and out of normalcy, though there was an unmistakable sense of urgency in the air.

As night settled in, Dante and Jacob finally arrived after work, their expressions shifting to relief when they saw everyone still waiting.

"Any news?" Jacob asked, rubbing the back of his neck as he walked over to Jess, who was sitting on the edge of her chair.

"Not yet," she answered, smiling softly up at him. "But I think we're getting close."

Dante walked straight over to Amy, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "How's Liz?"

"She's strong," Amy replied, leaning into him. "We're all just waiting now."

The hospital cafeteria was the only place open at this late hour, so they all decided to grab some hamburgers while they waited. The group moved into the brightly lit cafeteria, settling at a long table. The sound of trays clattering and muted conversations filled the space as they all sat and ate.

Amy pulled out her phone again, scrolling through the photos of the temple. She hadn't been able to stop thinking about it, and it was clear that something significant was connected to the carvings and text.

"I showed these to a few this morning, but I've been meaning to show the rest of you something," she said, glancing around at the group. "These are from the temple Dante and I found. It's our story."

She handed her phone to Tara, who was sitting closest, and soon it made its way around the table. As the images of the ancient carvings were passed from person to person, Amy noticed something unusual. Tara paused, studying one of the photos with a slight frown, and then passed it to Selene, who did the same.

Joleen and Lucas shared a glance before Lucas spoke up. "How is it that I can read ancient Greek?"

Amy's heart skipped a beat. "Wait, you can?"

Tara nodded, her voice quiet but certain. "I can too. These symbols, the stories in them, they're familiar."

Selene leaned in, tapping one of the images. "These are the writings of the gods. Somehow, I know them."

Joleen chimed in. "We're all demi-gods, remember? Our heritage runs deep."

Amy blinked in surprise. She hadn't fully connected who was a demi-god and who wasn't. "So the four of you can translate these?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes."

They all exchanged glances, the realization settling in. They too had an army of gods for the fight.

Dante, who had been silent until now, crossed his arms. "We need to figure out what these stories mean as soon as possible. If they're just past lives or if there is a warning about the future in any of them."

"Agreed. Send us copies of these images. We can all go over them and look for clues," Lucas suggested.

The moment Liz's triplets were born, they knew that Moros and Thanatos wouldn't be far behind. The clock would start ticking, and the countdown would officially be started.

They returned to the waiting area and, less than an hour later, Joe came out with a huge grin on his face.

"Mom and all three babies are doing great," he said to cheers.

Then he showed them all the photos of Luna, Stella, and Orion. The babies were all snuggled in colored blankets with little hats on their tiny heads.

"When can I see them?" Amy asked her brother.

"Tomorrow. Liz has asked that we get rest for tonight," Joe responded.

After Joe returned through the doors, everyone dispersed in silence.

While they were joyful about the new life, a shadow of impending danger loomed over them all. They had one month to convince Hope to return to Hidden Creek and to find Prometheus.

An hour later, Dante held her in his arms as they snuggled in his bed together. His hand gently traced circles on her shoulder blade.

"I called my sister today," he said softly.

"And?"

"She'll be here tomorrow. I told her Dad was having some health issues."

She sat up and looked down at him. "You lied to your sister?"

He nodded with a grin. "To save the world? You bet."

"What about Prometheus?" she asked, laying her head back on his chest.

"Let's just hope that whoever he is, he is somewhere close by." He sighed. "For now, at least, Hope is on her way."

Oddly, it wasn't as difficult to fall asleep as she'd expected. Not with the clock to the end of the world already ticking. When exhaustion finally took over, her dreams were filled with the faces of her two nieces and nephews. How they had been or would be ten years from now. Their laughter and smiling faces filled her visions.

Thankfully, for the first time in days, her dreams didn't turn dark. She woke with Dante's alarm and decided to head down to the hospital early to see her new family. She dressed and drove out of their driveway moments after he did.

After a quick stop for coffee and a short shopping spree, Amy arrived at the hospital carrying a bouquet of soft pink lilies for Liz and three small, carefully wrapped gifts in her arms. The hospital halls were brightly lit but quiet in the early morning.

Stepping into Liz's room, she was greeted by the warm, sleepy smile of her brother standing beside Liz's bed. Her sister-in-law was cradling one of the three newborns in her arms. Joe's grin widened when he saw her.

"Morning," Joe said softly, careful not to wake the babies.

Amy gave him a quick hug and then walked over to look down at the three tiny bundles.

"I can't believe they're here. Congratulations," she whispered, placing the flowers on the small table by Liz's bed. "They're all so perfect."

She sat down gently on the edge of the bed, her eyes immediately drawn to the three babies, each swaddled in pastel blankets.

"These are for them," Amy said, handing the bag with the small packages inside to Liz, who carefully unwrapped them. Inside were delicate silver charms—one shaped like a crescent moon for Luna, a star for Stella, and a tiny constellation for Orion.

"They're beautiful, Amy," Liz said, her voice full of emotion. "Thank you."

Amy smiled warmly, then glanced at Joe. "I couldn't resist. They'll be able to wear them when they're older." She remembered seeing them around each child's neck.

Earlier, when she was making her way through town and had stopped to get Liz flowers, she stopped by chance at the antique store. When she spotted the charms, she knew instantly that she was the one who had given them to the children.

Liz chuckled lightly. "You don't have to spoil them already."

Amy shrugged playfully. "That's what aunts are for."

For nearly an hour, she visited, holding each baby in turn. Luna with her sleepy eyes, Orion who squirmed in her arms, and Stella, so calm and peaceful. The world outside faded away as they all savored this new chapter in their family's life.

Eventually, Liz yawned, exhaustion settling in again from lack of sleep. Amy stood up, brushing a hand through Liz's hair affectionately. "You rest, okay? You've earned it."

"Thanks," Liz smiled, her voice barely above a whisper.

Amy stepped out of the room and began walking down the hallway. It wasn't often she got to feel this calm, especially after everything she'd been through lately.

But just as she neared the hospital's exit, the calm was shattered. The doors burst open and Dante rushed through them as he helped guide a gurney. His uniform was rumpled, and his face was a mixture of worry and focus. He rushed beside the team that was wheeling the gurney towards the ER. Suddenly, Amy's heart dropped.

"Dante?" she called, moving towards him, concern etched on her face. He didn't seem to hear her at first, his attention fixed entirely on the unconscious woman being rushed inside.

Hope.

Amy recognized Dante's sister immediately—her dark hair and face were covered with blood, there was a deep gash on her forehead, and her rich dark skin was now ashen.

"She was in an accident." Dante's voice was strained as he finally met Amy's gaze, his eyes pleading. "We got the call. A car hit hers head-on on the highway just outside of town... I don't know how bad it is. She's been unconscious this entire time."

Without thinking, Amy followed Dante as he trailed behind the ambulance team. They were quickly stopped by a nurse just inside the ER doors. "I'm sorry, you'll have to wait here."

Dante's frustration was palpable, but Amy gently squeezed his arm, trying to ground him. "They'll take care of her," she reassured him softly, though her own heart raced.

Just then, a figure rushed past them into the exam room that Hope had been wheeled into, and Amy's breath caught in her throat as the doctor jumped into action to work on Hope.

The doctor was tall and tan, with sandy blond hair and crystal silver eyes. He even had the sexy stubble on his chin and the dimples. There was no doubt. They had just found Prometheus.

Dante's eyes also widened in disbelief as the man, dressed in scrubs, stepped forward with calm authority, his gaze immediately falling on Hope. He quickly assessed the situation, his hands already working, giving directions to the nurses and other doctors.

"What the hell?" Dante whispered, barely audible.

Amy couldn't answer. She was just as shocked.

Everything was finally in place.

Just in time for the end of the world.