Demeter looked tired when she met Lexi and Sella at the gates of Olympus, and the goddess lamented as she ushered them to the palace in a chariot. She spoke about the dire condition of the gardens and the speed at which the damage was spreading, and while Lexi listened attentively, her mind could not be distracted from Celia. Would she be able to help the nymph and her baby, or would she fail like she had with Rhea? Was godly magic no match for the prophecy?

In the infirmary, the mood was just as sober as Demeter's mood, and Lexi's chest tightened when she heard sobbing. At Celia's bedside, a vigil of nymphs gathered, their knees on the floor and their heads lowered. A bundle lay unmoving across Celia's belly as she caressed it, but there was no spirit floating nearby. Had Lexi arrived too late?

To the trained eye, spirits were not hard to miss, coming in shades between olive drab to blindingly white, and it was the white light that attracted Lexi to the corner of the infirmary where the tiny spirit hovered, watching the circle of mourning nymphs with curiosity.

"Hello, little one," Lexi said as she made her way across the room. The spirit acknowledged Lexi with a smile, which Lexi expected from a nymph. "Would you like to see your mother? I can take you to her."

The soul appeared hesitant to leave her corner but she didn't try to avoid Lexi's hand as Lexi extended it to her.

"Would you like a hug from your mother? She is waiting to feel you in her arms."

Lexi must have said the right thing, because the spirit drifted down and took hold of Lexi's hand. As soon as Lexi felt the connection, she tucked the nymph close and carried her to Celia's bed. Teary faces lifted as Lexi approached, and when they recognized her, their expressions brightened. Ebony was the first to her feet, tucking her dark hair behind her ear as she wiped her nose discreetly on the sleeve of her dress.

"Oh, Lady Lexi. You're here." Her greeting was choked-off by a sob as she dipped into a low bow. Lexi touched Ebony on the shoulder.

"Don't cry, Ebony. The baby's spirit is with me."

The nymphs responded by swiftly clearing a path for Lexi, their eyes glistening as they sniffled and sighed. Lexi sat next to Celia, catching the lovely nymph in her gaze and exchanging a moment of shared pain. "There is nothing more I want than for you and your daughter to be united." As Lexi made this proclamation, she realized her doubt had vanished, and she recited a prayer to Gaia thanking her for her gift as she reached out to the bundle. With gentle fingers, she pulled back the swaddling blanket and touched the body of the newborn, still pink and precious. Then she turned to the spirit hugging her neck. "You know what to do, sweetheart. Return to your body and fulfil your purpose."

Only Lexi could feel the soul respond to her plea as tiny hands released her. And only Lexi could see the soul as it floated down to reconnect with her body. But soon after, when the baby was wiggling in Celia's arms, everyone joined in a chorus of rejoicing voices.

"You are a blessing to us all, Lady Lexi." Celia spoke as she peppered her newborn's face with kisses. Lexi knew exactly how Celia felt. Nothing else compared to the love between mother and child.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I have two little ones of my own who will be expecting me when they wake up. I will call the palace later to check on you."

Lexi gave Celia's hand a squeeze, and Celia brought it to her lips to kiss it. "I will remember your kindness for as long as I live."

In a show of gratitude, Lexi was detained a few minutes longer as the nymphs entertained her with a dance. Demeter and Sella met Lexi at the infirmary door, and they took a chariot to the palace of titans. Lexi had forgotten she promised to accompany Demeter to the gardens, and as the sky paled with the approaching sunrise, Lexi imagined her babies waking to find only wet towels to suckle, a trick the nymphs used to appease them, which rarely worked for long.

Lexi could see the damages from the chariot as they landed in front of the garden gate. Shadowed by the gray light of dawn, Lexi was greeted by a blanket of dead leaves and buds. They hung from wilted branches and fluttered beneath her feet as Demeter escorted her and Sella between the rows. Every few feet, a patch of new blooms appeared to brighten an otherwise grim scene.

"It took Persephone and I all evening to nurture these back to health, and neither of us knows how long they will flourish." She stopped next to a plant laden with unopened buds, waving her hand over it. The buds slowly unraveled, exposing delicate pink petals. By Lexi's estimation, Demeter's gifts were as powerful as Rhea's, but Demeter's bearing did not reflect that. She looked daunted and tired.

"Not long before Rhea's passing, she told me she believed you were the embodiment of Gaia, just as she was," Demeter went on. "She had grand plans for your future as mother and daughter, plans she may not have imparted to you yet."

Lexi shook her head. "She didn't mention any grand plans."

"Well, she probably didn't want to burden you. You have taken on a great many responsibilities since you joined us, and now you have young ones of your own. Persephone told me of the message you received from Gaia after the incident with Zeus, about the promise you made to succeed him. Persephone and I both think that is the only way to turn this tide of misfortune."

"But Demeter, your gifts mimic those of Rhea. So does Persephone's. Perhaps the prophecy is telling us that the Olympians are to take up the staff. You are the direct offspring of a titan."

"And you are the direct offspring of an Olympian, inheriting gifts from both your father and the divine mother, Gaia. You are receiving messages from her. Surely this means you are the one to take up the staff."

Lexi held Demeter's gaze long enough to let her know she was well aware of the enormous burden weighing on her shoulders. Then Lexi's feet carried her further down the garden row, and she held her hand over the plants, letting her godly energy flow as she walked. A gust of wind blew past their feet, scattering dead buds and fallen leaves, while in Lexi's wake, new buds grew, and she heard Sella's breathy gasps as she trailed behind her. Even Lexi was impressed by the spectacle of her own gift.

"Did you know there are many gods who do not possess gifts?" Demeter said as she watched Lexi resurrect the dying blooms. "At least not in the way mortals imagine them. Some are more like inclinations or special talents. It does not make them any less a god, but there are far fewer powerful gods in Olympus than you may realize."

Lexi stopped at the end of a row to consider Demeter's revelation. Lexi had often wondered about Odessa's godly gift, but the subject never came up. Did that mean Odessa didn't have one?

Demeter took Lexi's hand and patted it affectionately. "Your gifts are very powerful, especially for one so young, and you have more compassion than any god in Olympus. I know you are still learning about your lineage, but I urge you to consider the importance of Gaia's message. If not you, who is there to guide us away from enabling our demise?"

The sun broke the horizon, and Lexi felt her breasts swell and leak into her nursing bra. Despite the distance between her and her babies, she knew they were waking. Sella came to stand next to Lexi, giving a gentle tug on her dress as a reminder.

"Not a day goes by that I don't think about Gaia's message," Lexi said to Demeter. "And each time I do, I think about how much it will impact my relationship with Hades. That may sound selfish, but I have learned that people cannot neglect their own happiness and still have enough to help others find it too. Believe me when I say that I am committed to finding a way to fulfill my duties while nurturing the loves of my life, and I feel a solution is close." Lexi glanced at the sky as she crossed her arms over her chest to stave the flow of milk. "I really must head home, your ladyship. The babies will give everyone fits if they don't eat soon."

"Of course." Demeter nodded soberly and pulled Lexi in for a hug. "Your wisdom proves your worth, Lexi. Should you need anything from me that will help facilitate a resolution for you, I am only a call away."

*  *  *

The babies were in full freak-out mode when Lexi opened the door to her bedroom, and Hades stopped pacing in front of the fireplace to offer her a worried smile. He appeared extremely grateful to hand over his son, who was sucking Hades' knuckle raw, and he helped Lexi get settled in her chair while Blythe tucked Elm into Lexi's waiting breast.

"I'm sorry for taking so long," Lexi apologized as she rested her feet on the footstool Hades pushed in front of her. "After I helped Celia's newborn take her first breath, Demeter insisted I see the gardens. They look desperate, and I'm not just talking about the flowers."

"I imagine." Hades nodded gravely as he rubbed his knuckle and started pacing in front of the fireplace... again.

"How long have the babies been awake?"

Hades glanced at the hourglass. "Just over half an hour. It was as if they knew you were missing as soon as they woke up. Lisbon and I took them on a walkabout around the palace, but there was no consoling them. Even Lisbon could only appease them through three hymns."

Blythe bustled in with a breakfast tray before Lexi even realized she had gone to fetch it, and she set the tray on the table next to Lexi. As Blythe set up their meal, the scrying mirror chimed.

"I will answer that, your graces." Blythe flitted across the room, and Lexi listened intently for the voice of the caller.

"Pleasant morning, Blythe, is it?"

"Yes, it is. And a pleasant morning to you, Mnemosyne. How can I be of service?"

"I realize my call is poorly timed, but I understand Lexi paid of visit to Olympus in the wee hours, and I was hoping to seek her counsel on an urgent matter."

Blythe offered Lexi and Hades a prominent eyebrow raise before responding to Mnemosyne. "What is the urgent matter? I will relay it straight away."

"First, I wish to extend my affections for the babes, with an apology for my delay in extending it. A great many events have occurred since."

"Indeed, they have. Both the lord and lady will be thusly notified. And the urgent matter...?"

"The urgent matter is Calliope's great granddaughter, Grace. Her first offspring is due in twelve turns of the hourglass. With two stillbirths occurring within a day of each other, one now living and one not, I daresay there are many of us here who wish to avoid another."

"That is a matter of great urgency." Blythe turned again to Lexi, who watched from her position at the fireplace, two babes tucked tightly to her breasts. Only a glance was needed for Blythe to assume the role she excelled at. "At the present moment, however, Lady Lexi is a fair distance across the room feeding the babes, and I expect they would be opposed to..."

"Oh? It seems my call is poorly timed," Mnemosyne gushed. "Please, extend my apologies and my concern for the current circumstances. I will never be far from my scrying mirror. Pleasant day, Blythe."

"Pleasant day, your ladyship."

Blythe tapped the glass and returned to her previous duties of stirring cream into oatmeal, her gaze flitting to Hades where he continued pacing. He was brooding, and everyone in the room felt it. Just as Blythe set the bowl of oatmeal next to Hades' chair, the scrying mirror chimed again, and Hades glared at it like he might set it on fire.

"Let Fiona answer it," he said in a low, forceful tone.

A minute later, Fiona's voice echoed out of the speaking tube. "Persephone wishes to speak with Lady Lexi."

If the caller had been anyone but Persephone, Hades would have shouted his annoyance, based on the deepening crease in his forehead. Instead, he remained mute while the momentum of his pacing increased.

"State her business, please Fiona," Lexi called over her shoulder.

"It regards Demeter. Persephone is concerned about her mother trying to fill Rhea's shoes and the strain it is putting on her."

"Please, extend my sympathies as well as my apologies for not speaking to her now, Fiona, but I will do so once the babies are at rest."

"Very good, my lady."

The room fell silent, filled only with the sound of suckling babies and Hades' feet slapping the marble floor. Lexi felt Hades' angst as if it was her own, because it was her own. Lexi had what everyone wanted. The Midas touch. The magic pill. But she tried to put aside the harsh reality for a moment while she fed her babies. They deserved to be nurtured too.

When the scrying mirror chimed a third time, Hades stopped pacing, and both Lexi and Blythe watched as he stalked across the room. Hades tapped the glass, and Lexi suddenly feared for whomever was unfortunate enough to have called.

"Good day, Lord Hades. I hope my call has not come too early."

Lexi recognized the voice of her friend Odessa, and she flashed a warning glance at Hades, but it was unnecessary. He had already adjusted his expression to reflect the enchanting, charismatic god he was.

"Good day, Lady Odessa. To what do we owe the privilege of this call?" he crooned.

"I am sure you and Lexi have been terribly busy with your babes. I can't tell you what a blessing they have been. Everyone is talking about the twins being a sign that Lady Lexi has been chosen to carry us through this dire prophecy."

Hades' expression darkened but only enough for Lexi to notice. "That appears to be the consensus."

"Is Lexi indisposed? I did want to ask her a question. It is nothing too urgent. It is about fertility."

"Fertility?" Hades lifted his hand to his chin and scratched the stubble he had let grow there. "Would this information be used for yourself, or is it for a member of your family?"

There was a moment of silence before Odessa offered her rebuttal. "Myself, if you must know. I am giving the matter some thought."

"I see. Well, Lady Lexi is currently engaged with a pair of voracious eaters, but I am sure she will be eager to contact you at her earliest convenience."

"She is feeding the babes? That's so lovely. Please, tell her I think about her every day, and I feel truly blessed to be her friend. Good day, my lord."

"Good day, Odessa."

The next thing Hades did was walk to the speaking tube and shout into it. "Take messages on all future calls unless a god has arrived at the gates in spirit."

A cheerful voice quickly echoed back. "As you wish, your benevolent lordship."