Author's Note:
This novel, in it's entirety, is available on my Patreon. Patreon Free Members can read my new complete book by chapters, Things We Do for Love. This novel will be posted by chapters on Fridays, until the novel is complete on BCTS.
The morning air in Hotel Colorado crackled with tension as the four women moved through the grand lobby with the synchronized precision of a unit that had found its rhythm. Lynn's maternal instincts had transformed into strategic coordination, Hanna's ancient wisdom guided their tactical decisions, Hope's warrior training provided defensive expertise, and Felicity's growing abilities served as their power source. They had become more than family—they had become a force.
"The breakfast service needs to be moved to the interior dining areas," Lynn directed the kitchen staff, her voice carrying the authority of someone who had embraced her role as the hotel's maternal guardian. "The outer walls are showing stress fractures from the dimensional probing."
Hope nodded approvingly at the defensive positioning. "Good instincts. We need to consolidate our residents in the most protected areas while we assess the threat level."
The tesseract within Felicity's core pulsed with increasing instability as she watched her family work together. The energy had been building throughout the night, responding to the mysterious forces that were testing the hotel's defenses with growing aggression. Whatever was coming, it was no longer content to probe—it was preparing to attack.
"The grove's protective systems are holding," Hanna reported, her connection to the hotel's living infrastructure providing real-time updates. "But the attacks are becoming more focused, more intelligent. This isn't random dimensional instability—someone is orchestrating this."
As if summoned by the growing crisis, Miss Devereux materialized beside them with her clipboard practically vibrating with urgent readings. Her usually perfect composure showed cracks of professional concern, and her pages cycled through data that painted an increasingly dire picture.
"The dimensional barriers are weakening," she announced, her voice maintaining its professional efficiency despite the alarm in her eyes. "The probing attacks have increased in frequency and intensity throughout the night. The hotel's infrastructure is adapting, but we're approaching the limits of what the current systems can handle."
From the depths of the building came the sound of running footsteps as Mr. Medici emerged from the basement workshops, his weathered hands glowing with diagnostic energy that had taken on an urgent red hue. His instruments showed readings that defied conventional understanding, and his expression carried the weight of someone who had seen similar patterns before.
"The power fluctuations are off the charts," he reported, his voice tight with concern. "The tesseract energy is becoming unstable, creating resonance patterns that are interfering with the hotel's defensive systems. We're looking at a cascade failure scenario if this continues."
Lyra Boring appeared from the direction of the library, her unremarkable features sharp with the kind of alarm that transcended her usual unflappable demeanor. Her book was writing itself at an unprecedented pace, its pages filling with equations and observations that suggested imminent catastrophe.
"The mathematical models are showing exponential escalation," she said, her forgettable appearance somehow conveying profound urgency. "The tesseract energy is building toward a critical threshold. If it reaches full manifestation without proper control, the dimensional consequences could affect multiple realities."
The tesseract within Felicity's core blazed with sudden intensity, responding to the crisis with power that demanded immediate expression. She could feel the energy construct within her expanding, pressing against the boundaries of her human form with increasing pressure.
"It's happening," she gasped, her voice tight with the strain of containing forces that defied normal physics. "The tesseract—it's trying to manifest physically."
The air around Felicity began to shimmer and distort as the infinite energy source within her core reached the limits of concealment. Geometric patterns appeared first—crystalline structures that existed in multiple dimensions simultaneously, their faceted surfaces reflecting not light but possibility. The tesseract was revealing itself as more than just a power source—it was a living dimensional construct with its own intelligence and purpose.
"Everyone back," Hope commanded, her warrior instincts recognizing the volatile nature of the manifestation. "Give her space to work."
The tesseract burst into full visibility with a sound like reality itself being rewritten. The crystalline construct hovered in the air before Felicity, its impossible geometry shifting and changing as it adapted to physical existence. It was beautiful and terrifying—a perfect marriage of mathematical precision and infinite power that pulsed with the rhythm of cosmic forces.
"The direct connection," Dr. Merideth Zvezda breathed, appearing with her notebook filled with equations that were updating themselves in real-time. "The tesseract isn't just drawing power from dimensional sources—it's directly connected to the Goddess who created you."
The realization hit them all simultaneously. The tesseract wasn't just an energy source—it was a conduit to divine power, a direct link to the cosmic force that had transformed Felicity from pure energy into her current form. The unlimited nature of its energy wasn't theoretical—it was literally infinite, drawing from the same source that had created universes.
"Show us," Lynn said, her maternal instincts overriding her fear. "Show us what you can do."
Felicity reached out with her consciousness, letting the tesseract's power flow through her with unprecedented freedom. The effect was immediate and overwhelming. Her healing abilities, which had been growing steadily since her arrival, suddenly expanded to encompass not just individual beings but entire dimensional spaces.
The hotel itself responded to her enhanced power, its walls straightening as structural damage was healed, its protective systems strengthening as she channeled energy into their magical matrices. But more than that, she could feel her awareness expanding to encompass alternate versions of the hotel across multiple dimensions—some that were sanctuaries like theirs, others that had fallen to the very forces now threatening them.
"The multiverse manipulation," Lyra observed, her book documenting the unprecedented display of power. "You're not just healing this reality—you're accessing resources from alternate dimensions."
The tesseract pulsed with recognition at her words, its crystalline structure opening to reveal an interior space that defied conventional understanding. Within the construct lay a pocket dimension—a sanctuary space that existed outside normal reality, protected by barriers that could withstand assaults from any source.
"Dimensional sanctuary creation," Mr. Medici breathed, his instruments showing readings that suggested the space within the tesseract was larger than the hotel itself. "You've created a shielded space that exists in its own reality pocket."
But even as they marveled at the tesseract's capabilities, the attacks on the hotel intensified. The mysterious forces that had been probing their defenses launched a coordinated assault, sending waves of dimensional energy that struck the building's protective barriers with increasing violence.
"They're responding to the tesseract's manifestation," Hope realized, her warrior training recognizing the tactical implications. "They've been waiting for you to reveal your true power."
The tesseract blazed with protective instincts, its connection to the Goddess's power allowing it to reach across dimensional barriers and access resources that existed in alternate realities. Weapons materialized from universes where they had never been destroyed, protective wards appeared from dimensions where they had been perfected, and healing energies flowed from realities where they had been magnified beyond current limitations.
"Techno sorcery," Dr. Zvezda murmured, her mathematical understanding providing context for the impossible. "You're not just manipulating energy—you're swapping objects and resources between alternate universes, pulling what you need from realities where it exists."
The demonstration was both beautiful and terrifying. Felicity stood at the center of a maelstrom of dimensional energy, her consciousness expanded to encompass multiple realities simultaneously. The tesseract served as both anchor and amplifier, its crystalline structure channeling power that could reshape entire dimensions.
"The family protection protocols," Miss Devereux observed, her clipboard showing readings that documented the tesseract's defensive capabilities. "The interior space is designed to shield those you love from any form of dimensional attack."
As another wave of assault struck the hotel, Felicity acted on instinct. The tesseract opened like a flower, its interior space expanding to encompass her three family members. Lynn, Hanna, and Hope found themselves standing within a crystalline sanctuary that existed outside normal space-time, protected by barriers that could withstand the destruction of entire universes.
"This is what the Goddess prepared you for," Hanna whispered, her ancient wisdom recognizing the true scope of Felicity's abilities. "Not just healing individual souls, but protecting entire realities from forces that would destroy them."
The tesseract space around them pulsed with warm light, its walls showing views of the hotel from multiple dimensional perspectives. They could see the attacks intensifying, the mysterious forces launching increasingly desperate assaults against defenses that were now being reinforced by resources from across the multiverse.
"The unlimited healing," Lynn realized, watching as Felicity's power flowed through the hotel's systems, restoring damaged areas faster than the attacks could destroy them. "You're not just fixing what's broken—you're making it stronger than it ever was."
The tesseract's connection to the Goddess's power allowed it to restructure reality itself, pulling improvements from dimensions where the hotel had been perfected, where its defenses had been tested and strengthened through countless conflicts. The building was evolving in real-time, becoming not just a sanctuary but a fortress capable of protecting supernatural beings from any threat.
"The approaching threat," Hope said, her warrior instincts recognizing the tactical situation. "They're not just attacking us—they're forcing you to reveal your full power because they know what's coming."
The tesseract pulsed with grim understanding, its crystalline structure showing them glimpses of futures where the battle they were about to fight would determine the fate of multiple realities. The forces that had been probing their defenses were not the true enemy—they were scouts, preparing the way for something far more dangerous.
"We need to prepare," Felicity said, her voice carrying the weight of someone who had glimpsed the true scope of the challenge ahead. "The tesseract's power is unlimited, but it will take everything we have to protect not just our family, but everyone who depends on sanctuaries like this."
The staff members who had been watching from the safety of the hotel's interior approached the tesseract space with expressions of awe and acceptance. Miss Devereux's clipboard showed readings that documented the successful integration of divine power with hotel infrastructure. Mr. Medici's instruments revealed the perfect harmony between tesseract energy and defensive systems. Lyra's book filled with equations that described the mathematical beauty of unlimited power placed in service of protection.
"We understand now," Miss Devereux said, her professional efficiency masking deeper emotions. "You're not just a resident of Hotel Colorado—you're its guardian, its protector, its connection to the divine forces that make sanctuaries possible."
Dr. Zvezda approached with her notebook filled with theoretical frameworks that were being rewritten in real-time. "The mathematical elegance of your abilities is unprecedented. The tesseract doesn't just provide power—it provides the wisdom to use that power responsibly."
The tesseract space contracted slightly, bringing the four women back to normal reality while maintaining its protective barriers around them. The hotel's defenses now hummed with enhanced energy, its walls reinforced by materials from dimensions where they had been perfected, its protective systems augmented by technologies that existed only in realities where they had been needed.
"The family unit," Hanna observed, her connection to the hotel's living systems allowing her to perceive the changes in their group dynamic. "We're not just supporting each other anymore—we're amplifying each other's abilities."
The truth of her words was evident in the way their powers now interacted. Lynn's maternal instincts had evolved into strategic coordination that enhanced everyone's effectiveness. Hanna's ancient wisdom provided the grounding that allowed the tesseract's power to flow without causing dimensional instability. Hope's warrior training had transformed into tactical expertise that could coordinate defenses across multiple realities. And Felicity's abilities had expanded to encompass not just healing but the protection of entire dimensional spaces.
"The battle that's coming," Hope said, her warrior instincts recognizing the implications of their enhanced capabilities. "It's not just about protecting our hotel—it's about protecting the concept of sanctuary itself."
The tesseract pulsed with recognition at her words, its crystalline structure showing them glimpses of other sanctuaries across the multiverse—some that thrived under the protection of beings like themselves, others that had fallen to the forces they would soon face. The responsibility was staggering, but so was their power.
"Together," Lynn said, her maternal authority bringing them back to the core truth of their bond. "Whatever comes, we face it together, as family."
The tesseract blazed with approval, its infinite energy responding to the love and commitment that bound them. They had become more than just four women who had found each other—they had become a force for protection and healing that could operate across multiple realities, drawing on unlimited power guided by unlimited love.
Outside the tesseract's protective barriers, the hotel settled into a state of enhanced readiness. The attacks had ceased for the moment, but everyone understood that this was merely the calm before the storm. The true battle was yet to come, and when it arrived, they would meet it with everything they had learned about family, power, and the courage to protect what mattered most.
The tesseract hummed with infinite contentment, its crystalline structure now serving as both weapon and sanctuary, offense and defense, the unlimited power of divine love channeled through the bonds of chosen family. Whatever threatened their world would discover that some things were worth infinite sacrifice to protect.
The preparation for battle was complete. The real test of their family's strength was about to begin.