The scent of lavender, dragon musk, and recently clapped goddess cheeks still lingered in the air when Sasha's voice cut through the post orgy bliss like a damn buzzkill.
"Alright, pentacle of spicy chaos," Sasha purred sarcastically, her voice echoing in the quiet stone chamber, "cuddle time's over. I intercepted something horrifying. You might want to sit your naked asses down."
Still sprawled across the tangled sheets, Rhiannan groaned and rolled over, her silver dragon tattoo shimmering faintly in the moonlight. "If it's not breakfast or another round of sex, I swear to the goddess I'm ignoring it."
Kaleb's wolf ears twitched. Arwen muttered something about cursed timing. Liam, fully naked with a cocky grin, just winked. Sable didn't move. Elisha grumbled low in his chest, already sensing something was wrong.
Sasha flicked on a holo screen in the air above the bed. Blurry, distorted images flickered: bones stacked in unnatural spirals, trees made of charred skeletons, and a throne carved from thousands of skulls. On it? A hulking shape cloaked in shadow. Breathing.
"The Bone Forest," Sasha said, tone grim. "It's calling her back. And something in there just woke up."
No one breathed.
That night, Rhiannan dreamt of ash and blood. Of walking through endless mist, her bare feet crunching over brittle bones. The voice came soft and slithering...
"Come home, daughter of blood and moonlight. Come back to me."
She jolted awake, covered in cold sweat. Her scream tore through the room.
The next morning was tense. Sasha relayed what little more she could gather, a necrotic pulse emanating from deep within the forest had triggered her sensors. It wasn't just a place now. It was active.
Elisha stormed through the halls, barking orders. Kaleb sharpened his axes while glaring at anyone who dared speak to Rhiannan without permission. Arwen stitched new protective runes into Rhiannan's traveling cloak. Liam paced, muttering in multiple dead languages. Sable was... forging swords. From a divine realm meteor. Because of course he was.
The castle hummed with energy, both magical and chaotic as hell.
Gailia and her twin dragons, Fenix and Draven, insisted on coming. Sasha shut that shit down immediately. "If you want your internal organs melted into goo, by all means, step foot into the Bone Forest. Otherwise? Bye, bitches."
Preparations were underway. Sasha helped load potions, enchanted gear, blood rune maps, and warded armor. Mo the monkey jumped into Rhiannan's bag, clutching a banana and declaring, "I'm the mascot. Deal with it."
That night, Rhiannan visited Liam. The vampire king sat alone, staring out the window at the moon.
"You okay?" she asked.
He didn't answer for a long time. Then... "The Bone Forest knows your name. It remembers you."
She froze. "What do you mean?"
He looked at her, eyes haunted. "You were taken from there. Not just from the divine realm. From there. It's not just a place. It's a graveyard of forgotten gods. And it wants you back."
The next morning, with weapons strapped, cloaks fastened, and tension high, they all gathered in the courtyard. Rhiannan's eyes burned with resolve.
Sable handed her a new dagger forged from the meteor.
"Let's go cut a bitch," he said. She accepted it happily, thanking him with a kiss to the cheek. Sable blushed all the way to his neck.
Just as Sasha activated the portal spell, a whisper of wings filled the air.
A creature crash landed at Rhiannan's feet.
A sprite. One of the cute little bastards from the hot springs. Bleeding. Gasping.
"The Undying King..." it croaked. "Has risen."
Then it died. Rhiannan was heartbroken. "Poor little thing!" She murmed.
Mo, from Rhiannan's shoulder.. "Welp. We're fucked."
The sun dipped behind the jagged peaks, casting long violet shadows as Rhiannan knelt before the fallen creature. Her fingers trembled as she gently arranged the strange body in the mossy clearing. The tiny sprite's glassy eyes stared up into the heavens, and her tears fell like raindrops onto its scales.
"You were brave," she whispered, voice cracking. "You deserved better."
A heavy silence hung around them. Her mates stood back respectfully, solemn, arms crossed over their chests as they honored her moment.
She rose slowly, eyes flashing silver. Her breaths were uneven. Her chest heaved.
Then, like a fucking thunderclap, she snapped.
"I'M DONE BEING A PAWN!" she roared into the sky. Her voice echoed off the mountains. "You hear me, you manipulative cosmic bastards?! I'm not your weapon. I'm not your fucking experiment."
A pulse of divine energy blasted outward, rattling the trees. The sky crackled. The mountain groaned. Her magic bled into the air like wildfire.
Kaleb took a cautious step forward, but Sable held him back. "Let her rage. She's earned it."
Rhiannan stood, chest heaving, silver tears streaking her cheeks. "If you take one of them from me, just one, I will tear the heavens apart piece by fucking piece. I swear it on my own goddamn soul."
Divine Realm POV
"She is a loud one," a smoky voice said.
The Goddess stood, glowing faintly, lips tight. Her daughter's pain rang through her like thunder. Around her, the other divine beings shimmered, gathered in silent council.
"She's getting stronger."
"She's unstable," another muttered. "Unpredictable."
"She's perfect," the Goddess corrected, with icy pride.
An elder god floated forward, his form wrapped in shadows. "Will you tell her the truth about her birth? That you are her mother? That she carries both chaos and order in her blood?" "That her father is a being of chaos cursed for life and is currently luring her to the Bone Forest? He snorted. "She deserves the truth."
The Goddess looked away. "She'll know. In time. When she needs it most."
"What happens if she fails?" a feminine voice asked softly.
The Goddess clenched her fists. "She won't."
Back on the mortal plane, Rhiannan wiped her face and turned to her mates.
"No more pity," she said, steely eyed. "We do this together. And one day, we will have peace. I swear it."
"Fuckin' right we will," Arwen grinned, wrapping his arms around her.
"Can I add 'kill the king and queen' to that list?" Sable asked dryly.
"Oh, that's already on the list," she smirked.
They laughed. The tension cracked just a little.
FaeNet Live
The livestream countdown ticked down and then popped on: "LIVE: The Goddess and Her Five."
Rhiannan smiled for the camera, surrounded by her deliciously dangerous men. Her auburn hair shimmered in the sun.
"We're about to set off on another quest," she said, brushing hair from her face. "No spoilers. Just... keep your eyes on the Bone Forest."
Kaleb leaned into frame, shirtless and gleaming. "Don't worry. We'll keep her alive. Even if we gotta kill a thousand shadow monsters."
Liam licked his lips. "Or ten thousand. Whatever it takes."
Elisha just stared at the camera with golden eyes and muttered, "Touch her, and you burn."
The stream exploded in hearts, emojis, and chaos.
FaeNet Comments:
💬@SheWhoSipsBlood: Omg Elisha can burn me anytime 😍
💬@WitchyMom420: Bone Forest? Is that code for orgy? Asking for a friend.
💬@QueenSlayerX: The Royal Family is SHAKING
💬@AnonFaen: y'all this is bigger than we thought. #ProphecyReal
💬@SpillTheTeaSister: Arwen and Gailia are the OTP we didn't know we needed 🤍
💬@FaeNetNews: Rumors swirl of royal assassins headed for the goddess. Developing story...
Royal Palace in the dungeon...
The air stank of mold and dark magic. Queen Lorelei stood beside the Bone Seer, whose eyes rolled back as a pool of black ichor swirled in a cauldron.
"They've located the Bone Forest," she rasped.
"Then we send our best," Lorelei said coldly. "We can't let them reach the Crown."
King Kristoff stumbled into the chamber, face pale, shirt torn, eyes manic. "They want to take it from us! The Crown. It belongs to ME!"
The Bone Seer glanced at Lorelei. "He weakens. The Entity's seed has taken root."
Lorelei sneered. "Let him rot. Just make sure the bitch dies."
The Seer nodded and summoned her most vicious agents from the shadows.
The hunt had begun.