h4Chapter 146: Chapter 146: The New Beginning/h4

    The world was different now.

    Six months after the great battle, supernatural creatures walked openly among humans. The light that exploded from baby Frost had changed everything. Fear turned to curiosity. Hate turned to understanding.

    ra stood in the nursery, watching her three daughters y. Frost built ice castles with her tiny hands. The fire baby, now named ze, created warm flowers that never burned. Lightning, the youngest, made tiny storms in ss jars.

    "They’re getting stronger," Kael said, wrapping his arms around ra from behind.

    "Too strong," ra whispered. "Sometimes I think they understand things we don’t."

    "They saved two worlds," Ronan said from the doorway. "Of course they understand more than us."

    Darian walked in carrying a letter. His face looked worried.

    "What’s wrong?" ra asked.

    "We got news from the Council," Darian said. "They want to meet the girls."

    "Why?" Kael’s voice got sharp.

    "Because other supernatural babies are being born," Darian said. "All over the world. Babies with powers like ours."

    "How many?" ra asked.

    "Hundreds," Darian said. "Maybe thousands."

    "What kind of powers?" Ronan asked.

    "Earth movers. Wind shapers. Mind readers. Shape shifters," Darian said. "The battle six months ago didn’t just merge the worlds. It awakened something in everyone."

    ra felt her stomach flutter. But not from worry this time.

    She ced her hand on her belly. The flutter came again.

    "ra?" Kael noticed her movement. "What’s wrong?"

    She looked at her three mates. Her heart pounded.

    "I’m pregnant," she said quietly.

    The room went silent. Even the babies stopped ying.

    "How pregnant?" Ronan asked.

    "Three months," ra said. "I found out this morning."

    "Why didn’t you tell us sooner?" Darian asked.

    "Because I was scared," ra said. "What if these babies are even more powerful? What if they’re dangerous?"

    Frost crawled over to ra. She ced her tiny hand on ra’s stomach.

    Her eyes went white.

    "Two babies," Frost said in her old voice. "Brother and sister."

    "What powers will they have?" Kael asked.

    "Powers no one has seen before," Frost said. "Powers that will scare people."

    "What kind of powers?" ra asked.

    "Time and space," Frost said. "They can move through yesterday and tomorrow. They can be in two ces at once."

    "That’s impossible," Ronan said.

    "So were we six months ago," Frost said.

    Her eyes returned to normal. She giggled like a regr baby.

    "We need to tell the Council," Darian said.

    "No," ra said quickly. "Not yet."

    "Why not?" Kael asked.

    "Because I had a dreamst night," ra said. "A bad dream."

    "What kind of dream?" Ronan asked.

    "I saw scientists taking supernatural babies," ra said. "I saw them inboratories. I saw them being experimented on."

    "That won’t happen," Kael said. "We won’t let it."

    "Can we stop the whole world?" ra asked.

    Before anyone could answer, a knock came at the door.

    Darian went to answer it. He came back with a stranger.

    The man was tall and thin. He wore an expensive suit. His smile looked fake.

    "Who are you?" Kael asked.

    "Dr. Harrison Webb," the man said. "I represent the Global Supernatural Research Foundation."

    "Never heard of it," Ronan said.

    "We were formed after the Great Awakening six months ago," Dr. Webb said. "We study supernatural phenomena."

    "Study how?" ra asked.

    "We observe. We document. We learn," Dr. Webb said. "We heard you have three very special children."

    "They’re not avable for study," Darian said coldly.

    "Of course not," Dr. Webb said. "We wouldn’t dream of harming them. We just want to understand their abilities."

    "Why?" ra asked.

    "To help them," Dr. Webb said. "To help all the new supernatural children being born."

    "Help them how?" Kael asked.

    "By teaching them to control their powers," Dr. Webb said. "By keeping them safe from those who might fear them."

    Frost looked at Dr. Webb. Her eyes went white for just a second.

    "Liar," she whispered.

    Dr. Webb’s fake smile got bigger. "What did the child say?"

    "Nothing important," ra said quickly.

    "Children say the strangest things," Dr. Webb said. "Especially gifted children."

    "What do you really want?" Ronan asked.

    "I want to help create a better future," Dr. Webb said. "A future where supernatural and human children can live together safely."

    "And if we say no?" Darian asked.

    "Then you say no," Dr. Webb said. "No one is forcing anything."

    But his eyes said something different. His eyes said they had no choice.

    "We’ll think about it," Kael said.

    "Of course," Dr. Webb said. "But don’t think too long. Other families aren’t as lucky as yours. Other children need help now."

    He turned to leave. At the door, he stopped.

    "Oh, and congrattions," he said to ra.

    "For what?" ra asked.

    "On the new babiesing," Dr. Webb said. "Twins, I heard. How exciting."

    The door closed behind him.

    "How did he know?" ra whispered.

    "We never told anyone," Kael said.

    "Someone’s watching us," Darian said.

    "Someone’s been watching us for months," Ronan said.

    Frost crawled to the window. She looked outside.

    "Bad men in ck cars," she said. "They have machines that can see inside houses."

    "What kind of machines?" ra asked.

    "The kind that can see babies before they’re born," Frost said. "The kind that can tell what powers they’ll have."

    "That’s impossible," Kael said.

    "Nothing’s impossible anymore," Darian said. "Remember?"

    ra felt the babies in her stomach move. Like they were trying to hide.

    "We have to leave," she said. "Tonight."

    "Where can we go?" Ronan asked.

    "Somewhere they can’t find us," ra said.

    "There is no such ce," Darian said.

    "Yes, there is," Frost said. Her eyes went white again. "I can see it."

    "Where?" Kael asked.

    "In the between ce," Frost said. "Where time doesn’t work right. Where space folds on itself."

    "What’s the between ce?" ra asked.

    "It’s where the new babies will be safest," Frost said. "But getting there is dangerous."

    "How dangerous?" Ronan asked.

    "Some of us might not make it," Frost said.

    "Then we find another way," Kael said.

    "There is no other way," Frost said. "The bad men areing tomorrow. They’re bringing machines and weapons and cages."

    "Cages?" ra asked.

    "For the babies," Frost said. "For all the special children."

    Outside, car engines started. ck cars drove away from the house.

    "They’re leaving," Darian said.

    "They’re not leaving," Frost said. "They’re getting ready."

    "For what?" ra asked.

    "For the taking," Frost said. "Tomorrow at sunrise, theye for everyone."

    ra felt sick. Not from being pregnant. From being scared.

    "Can we fight them?" she asked.

    "We can try," Ronan said.

    "We can win," Kael said.

    "We can die trying," Darian said.

    "Or," Frost said, "we can disappear."

    "How?" ra asked.

    "The twins you’re carrying," Frost said. "They’re already moving through time. They can take us with them."

    "But they’re not born yet," ra said.

    "They don’t need to be born," Frost said. "They just need to be ready."

    "Ready for what?" Kael asked.

    Frost smiled. For the first time in months, she looked like a normal baby.

    "Ready to save their family," she said.

    Then her smile disappeared.

    "But first, we have to survive the night."

    Outside, thunder rumbled. But there were no clouds in the sky.

    "What’s that sound?" Ronan asked.

    Frost’s eyes wentpletely white.

    "The time babies areing early," she said. "They’re trying to be born now."

    ra doubled over in sudden pain.

    "That’s impossible," Kael said. "She’s only three months pregnant."

    "Time babies don’t follow normal rules," Frost said.

    Lightning struck the house.

    But not from the sky.

    Lightning came from ra’s stomach.

    "They’re here," Frost whispered.

    And everything went white.