Page 61 of The Stars

“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.