The moment Rhiannan popped back into the castle, the air shimmered with divine tension. She didn't hesitate....her heart tugged her straight into Liam's chambers.
The room was lit by soft golden mage light, a dozen runes carved into the walls humming with protective magic. Her five mates were already there, Kaleb pacing, Arwen seated in a tense crouch by the bed, Elisha staring hard at the crystal ward glyphs glowing in the corner, Sable growling low under his breath as he glared at every healer in sight, and Azarion standing watch like a silent, divine sentinel.
All of them turned at once.
"Rhi!" Arwen started, but before he could finish, she was wrapped in their arms.
"We're sorry," Kaleb murmured into her hair, his voice low and choked with guilt. "We were assholes."
"We acted like the gods put us in charge of you," Elisha added, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're not fragile. You're just… everything."
"I know," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "I'm sorry too. I just… I needed air. And space. These hormones are no joke. And I love you all. So damn much."
Azarion's arms wrapped around her from behind, grounding her. "We love you more than war, more than breath. And we'll try to do better, even if our instincts are a mess."
Rhiannan placed her palms on Liam's chest, her magic immediately humming in sync with his soul. "He's stabilizing. The shadows are completely gone."
The castle's top mages worked around her, weaving gold and silver wards into the bedframe, the walls, even the damn floor. Rhiannan added her own divine flare, an intricate ward of silver flame and moonlight shaped like a protective nest. The second she finished, the entire room pulsed with warm, holy light.
And then....
Liam groaned softly.
Rhiannan gasped, immediately grabbing his hand. "Liam?"
His lips twitched, his eyes fluttered, and then he cracked one open. "Well… that was the worst nap I've ever had. Did someone get the number of the bitch who cursed me?"
Rhiannan let out a sob-laugh and practically tackled him with kisses, dotting his face in rapid fire bursts while his eyes crinkled in that mischievous, drowsy way.
"Mo!" she shouted behind her.
"ON IT!" Mo shrieked from the corner, leaping onto the bed dramatically with a rune tablet in hand. "FAENET! HE'S AWAKE! THE SHADOW IS GONE! OUR VAMPIRE DADDY LIVES! LOOK AT HIM! THAT IS A CURSE FREE FACE! HALLELUJAH AND HOT DAMN!"
"Mo! Get off the bed," Sable growled, but the joy in his voice betrayed him.
The tablet lit up with thousands of comments pouring in:
💬 "He's alive!! I'm crying!!" 💬 "Mo is our emotional support pixie and we do not deserve him." 💬 "I KNEW Liam couldn't die, that sassy bastard has plot armor thicker than the goddess' thighs." 💬 "Is Rhiannan kissing him??! I want to be reincarnated as her lips." 💬 "This story better end with the Forgotten King in a blender."
Liam blinked, dazed. "Wait, am I trending?"
"Only world wide," Azarion smirked.
"Good," Liam said with a grin. "I almost died. I better be famous for it."
Rhiannan laughed again, this time fully, her heart lighter than it had felt in days.
Liam was back.
And the war might not be over, but gods help anyone who tried to take any of them now.
It began with a shimmer.
Mo was still perched dramatically on the edge of Liam's bed, recounting his heroism live on FaeNet in a mix of high pitched squeals and interpretive dance. He wore his tiny "I survived a soul exorcism and all I got was this fabulous aura" shirt and was waving a mini rune tablet in the air like a conductor of chaos.
And then... the room went still.
Rhiannan felt it first, a pulse, like a heartbeat made of light and thunder. Divine magic slammed into the castle like a starburst, and every mage, guard, and creature nearby stopped what they were doing and turned toward the source.
Mo.
He froze mid rant.
His fur stood on end. His bright monkey eyes glowed with molten silver and gold, and his little body began to tremble as divine runes appeared across his chest and shoulders like ancient tattoos blooming into existence.
"What the actual fuck" Mo gasped, clutching his chest. "Am I... dying?! Is this a dramatic death scene?! Do I get lines?!"
But no. This wasn't death.
It was destiny.
A beam of silver light burst from the ceiling, and the shimmering outline of the Moon Goddess Nythera appeared above, her presence warm and blinding. The entire world was watching now, FaeNet flooded with messages in real time as viewers gasped, cried, and screamed emojis into the void.
Nythera's voice echoed like wind in moonlight.
"Little one. You were never meant to be a pet. Or a sidekick. Or a joke."
Mo's lips trembled. "I'm not?"
"You were forged with a spark no demon could crush. Your love, your loyalty, your soul, has always belonged to the light."
The light intensified.
Mo screamed as his tiny body stretched, warped, and morphed into something new.....a tall, androgynously beautiful fae shifter hybrid, radiant with gold skin, crystalline eyes, and a riot of iridescent curls. His long ears sparkled with celestial piercings, a tail still flicking mischievously behind him.
His voice, when it came, was music.
"I have fingers," he whispered, holding up his hands with awe. "Oh my goddess... I have FINGERS."
Rhiannan burst into tears.
She ran to him and threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest. "You've always been one of us. You've always been family."
Mo held her back, shaking. "Do I still get snacks? And hugs? And inappropriate jokes?"
Kaleb chuckled, stepping forward. "You'll get all of that, and armor, too."
Arwen grinned. "Welcome to the divine circus."
Elisha nodded solemnly. "You're one of our own now."
Azarion smiled with warm approval. "Long overdue."
Sable simply clapped him on the back. "You've got a warrior's heart. Time to use it."
And then, FaeNet detonated.
💬 "IS THAT MO??! OUR BABY MONKEY??" 💬 "WHO TF GAVE HIM ABS??? I'M NOT OKAY." 💬 "SOMEONE GET HIM A CROWN, A SWORD, AND A BOYFRIEND." 💬 "I JUST SENT HIM 100 GOLD COINS THIS IS MY SON NOW."
Donations poured in. Messages of love. Magical items. FaeNet's stream couldn't even keep up.
A notification burst in midair:
✨ MO THE REBORN: GODDESS BLESSED, LOVED BY ALL, OFFICIALLY HOT ✨
Rhiannan, still sobbing, pressed her hand to Mo's chest.
"You're not just my friend, Mo," she said, voice thick with emotion. "You're my soul bonded companion. My family. My equal."
Nythera smiled above. "He is fae now. Immortal. Blessed. Free to find his mates, to love deeply, to live wildly. As he always deserved."
Mo dropped to his knees, overcome.
"I.....I don't know what to do," he whispered.
"Start by being loved," Liam said gently. "We're really good at that."
And as the castle erupted into cheers, magic, and moonlight, Mo stood taller, glowing with a light all his own.
In the chaos Mo suddenly stood up ramrod straight, eyes wide and shouted, "She said MATES PLURAL, IM GETTING TITTIES Y'ALL!!" Then he dissolved into giggles.