"Nova!" Samantha called, already moving toward the stairs.
"Here!" Margaret's voice came from the sitting room, steady despite the chaos outside. "We felt the disturbance. Sage reinforced the nursery wards the moment the bells started."
Samantha skidded into the room to find her daughter sleeping peacefully in her enchanted cradle, completely unaware that reality was potentially ending outside. Margaret stood guard beside her, looking every inch the formidable witch she was, while Sage worked on strengthening the protective enchantments that already glowed like constellations around the baby.
"She's safe," Sage said without looking up, her hands moving through complex patterns that left trails of silver light. "For now. But whatever's coming—it's strong. Stronger than anything I've encountered in two hundred years."
Through the bond, Samantha felt her mates' relief at finding Nova safe, followed immediately by the cold calculation of warriors assessing their odds.
