Chapter 82: EPILOGUE - Invidia

Eighteen years later

The trees and plants of the forest hide my position, where I watch and listen from a distance to the bustling sounds of Longsang. Pain lances my heart, and anger holds my body in a vice as I observe the nagata going about their day, smiling and laughing, completely unincumbered. The sounds of their joy pierce my soul, taunting me as the haunting words of my father’s rejection echo through my mind.

“You are nothing but an abomination. Your mother should have disposed of you when she had the chance.”

Even now, I hear those words as if they were spoken just moments ago. He didn’t look at me and see a daughter, he saw a plight on his bloodline; a stain against his name. He thought I was weak…but he couldn’t have been more wrong. He robbed me of a family and sense of community just as much as my mother did. I was a child born of two species yet welcomed by none.

For years I tried to find acceptance among the nagata who escaped Longsang during its seclusion, but just like my father, all they saw was a monstrosity; something unnatural. Nagata despised me, and makkari were made uneasy in my presence. There was never anywhere for me to belong. They saw me as wrong and less than…Well, I am much more than they ever could have imagined now. Longsang should have been my home. I will reclaim what should have been mine, and no being on this Earth will stop me.

“You are not an easy person to find, Invidia,” announces a feminine voice, pulling me from my reverie.

I whip around and find a 5’1” figure standing in front of me, concealed by a black, hooded cloak. I stare at the figure in stunned confusion. How were they able to approach without me hearing them? I take a breath through my nose, only to find no scent lingering in the air. I feel the flame of my magic burning inside me and quickly draw on it, my body releasing a purple glow as I throw my hand out, releasing my magic in an attempt to capture the foreign invader.

My eyes widen in shock as the purple energy of my magic appears to hit an invisible wall and fizzle out. I quickly recover and lunge at the figure, moving with incredible speed, but no matter how fast I move, they seem to move just a second faster, effortlessly evading my every move. I let out an enraged hiss, throwing my fist at them, only for them to catch my fist in their hand with ease. Their grip tightens, and I let out a cry of pain as I feel the bones in my hand become crushed under their force. Through scrunched-up eyes, I notice a large silver cuff around their wrist, radiating a powerful magic I would recognise anywhere.

I drop to my knees, biting back a cry of anguish as I look up at the mysterious figure. I can make out cream-coloured skin and long brown hair, but as I look closer, I notice a few loose strands that are a glaring neon green.

“Who are you?” I demand through clenched teeth.

“Who I am is not important. All that matters is that you have something I need,” she states, her voice eerily calm.

“That’s usually my line,” I retort mockingly.

She releases my hand and stands up straight. I hold my hand to my chest and scoot back as I thankfully start to feel my hand heal.

“Those runes of yours are most intriguing,” she comments, a suspicious lilt to her voice.

I glance down at myself, looking at the selection of silver runes that are tattooed on my dark skin, each one giving off a metallic shift with each movement I make.

I look back up at the figure, my eyes narrowed, “What do you want?”

She steps towards me and squats down. “I want you to show me how you used God’s blood to make them.”

My eyes widen infinitesimally. How the fuck did she know these were made with God’s blood? How does she even know who I am? Who is this bitch?!

“Why the fuck would I help you?” I spit.

“Because if you do not, I will drag you to the palace and let them know exactly who you are, and I have a strong suspicion you don’t want that,” she tuts.

“What’s to stop me from just killing you instead?” I question with a sinister smile.

Beneath the hood, I can just make out a sinister smile of her very own. “You already tried once and failed. But by all means, feel free to try again,” she taunts.

My nostrils flare as I breathe in anger. Decades of careful planning, all for it to be ruined by some white bitch with an anonymity complex.

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t,” I say reluctantly, “I have no more God’s blood.”

She reaches into her cloak, and my eyes widen in disbelief as she pulls out a glass vial containing a familiar silver liquid. “That won’t be a problem.”

I sit up straight, the pain in my hand forgotten as I look from the vial to the woman, “How did you get that?” I eagerly ask.

“Never you mind. How about we make a deal? I will hand over this vial…” I reach out swiftly to swipe the vial from her hand, but once again, she’s a second faster as she pulls her hand back. “On the condition that you show me how you made those runes,” she offers.

I look from her to the vial, my lips setting into a hard line. I look over, past the trees and the plants, at the people of Longsang far off in the distance, completely unaware of what’s going on. If I don’t help this woman, she’ll ruin everything I’ve worked for. If I help her, she gives me a huge advantage that will aid me in reclaiming what is mine. My expression hardens as I hear the happy sounds reach my ears.

I look back at the woman; my decision made. “You have yourself a deal.”

\[FIND OUT WHAT COMES NEXT IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE GODS’ SAGA… THE ROYAL SHADOW SERIES, COMING SOON\]

~ Author's Note 24/01/2026 ~

And so concludes the final main book in the first half of The Gods Saga, the Queen Among Series. Thank you to everyone who stuck with this story and made it to the end.

To those wondering what is to come next, allow me to let you know what you can expect...

There are still 3 novella spin-offs to be released before we dive into the second half of The Gods' Saga. Runaway Empress - the prequel about Mei's parents, Dark Vocation - Manon's story, and Valor, Verve, and Virtue - Cole and Andromeda's story.

The second half of the saga is the next generation books, and is called the Royal Shadow Series. The cover and synopsis for these books are already available on all my socials ADB_Stories or Author A.D. Burnell). The Royal Shadow Series will consist of 9 books, and then the saga will be complete.

Part of the saga is the anthology A Court of Arcane Souls, which features short stories based on side characters readers wanted to read more about, but these stories are not available on the book apps, nor will they ever be; they are exclusive to my subscription platform. There are currently 4 short stories available: From Omega to Beta (Torie's story), Say Yes Like You Mean It (Derrick's story), A Motherly Bond (Jessica's story - Marcus' mother), and Embracing Her Cursed Love (Eisa's story). There are 4 more scheduled short stories to come that have been requested, and likely even more after that. This anthology, along with all my books, will be released in paperback when finances allow.

Any questions, please leave a comment or reach out via social media, and I will answer them. I can't tell you when these books will drop as my mental and physical health has deteriorated over the last several months, and I am in the process of planning to undergo surgery sometime this year. But i will say, the next book i'll be focusing on is the final book in the Codename trilogy, so if you haven't read any of my other books, consider giving them a go, they are all available on this platform.