The Dragons' Bathhouse: A Reverse Harem Enemies-to-Lovers Soulmate Romance

48

It was strange to be at Ukiyo when the sun was high up in the sky.

The bathhouse was closed and all was quiet, save for the trickle of water from the natural hot springs. The Emperor and Empress led the way, flanked by armoured security with gilded swords and silver guns. It felt odd for powerful deities to bow at her feet, but Eden was too preoccupied with thoughts of her soulmates to care. And her heart pounded as they grew closer to the place the twins had locked themselves in.

They would have sent the twins to the Heavens, the Emperor had explained. But Keegan's magic was too powerful for their court magicians to decipher and break. Her twins had chained themselves to the establishment with their powers, and it would take years of work to free them without Keegan's magic. Ukiyo had been closed off to the rest of the world ever since.

As they walked closer and closer to what the Empress had described to be a deep cave that required teleportation magic to enter, the fire in her chest flickered to life in response. She had to steady herself against the wall to stop her body from running towards her twins, her breath escaping her body in weak pants.

"You're sure about this?" Seri asked softly, her leaves bristling in the wind as she shifted on her feet. They stood before the room that was magically connected to the centre of the cave. The room was where the deities would stand guard at, monitoring her vitals as she approached the twins.

"I've never been so sure in my life," Eden replied, shaking her head. Seri would be waiting outside of the room for news of her failure or success. The deities had promised Eden that they would care for the wood nymph, ensuring that her best friend would live a life of protection.

"You could always step away from this now, live happily with me in my forest."

"Seri, I will never be happy for the rest of my life if I run from this." Eden's smile was grim, stretched thin over her face. "I have to try, I have to. And the only reason why I'm here is that I have hope that they can overcome the madness." Eden sighed, holding her best friend's hands. "Thank you for everything, for letting me see reason. For finding me."

For giving me this chance to save them.

Seri's dark eyes watered, turning into a deep dark blue and her voice was accompanied by the sound of flowing water in a creek. "I—I will miss you, I love you so much."

"I love you too," Eden embraced her, hugging the wood nymph tightly, pressing a kiss to her branches and leaves. "I will see you soon." She promised, but her words sounded empty in the air and Seri let out a soft sob.

Eden turned her head then, unable to look at her best friend as she followed the guards into the final room. The room was packed, crowded with deities that worked over monitors that no doubt measured the vitals of her and her dragons. Eden looked past them, her eyes drifting towards the grey stone door that would no doubt take her to her dragons.

The Empress stood from her chair, her lips downturned and her eyes filled with her sadness. A silver tray sat on a table beside her, a cloche placed over the concealed Peach of Immortality within. Eden stared at it, a strange sense of fear and determination settling over her. She was really going to do this.

"My dear, thank you for doing this," the Empress whispered, drawing her into her arms and Eden squeaked in surprise. The goddess held her tight, her tears warm on her shoulder and Eden awkwardly stroked her back, relaxing into her touch.

"No offence, your highness. I would have done it without your help, had I known."

Eden would have. She would have stormed into their cave without the protection of the sky dragons or the Peach. Nothing, even the fear of death, could have stopped her from attempting to save her soulmates, because as long as there was hope for their survival. She would do anything.

Hope would have pushed her to do anything, even give up her life for them.

The Empress smiled sadly, pulling back to look at her with those familiar blue eyes. "Mother."

"Pardon?"

"Call me mother, my dear." Eden's heart fluttered at the Empress' words, feeling warmth pool in her chest. Acceptance...It was what she hoped for from her dragons' parents and it was nice to know that she had achieved it in this lifetime.

"And I, your father." The Emperor interrupted stepping forward with a stiff smile on his lips. He patted her shoulder encouragingly, his touch warm and strong. "We will protect you. Our court magicians will monitor your vitals from the outside of the cave. If need be, I will enter to drag you out of there. You can call for help and we will hear."

"Thank you," Eden murmured and for a moment the room was strangely warm. The tension in the air melting into one of sweetness and hope. The sudden muffled roar broke the warmth in the room, a stab of a knife into her ballooning happiness, a strangled cry that shook her to the core.

Eden froze, her heart pounded in her chest at the broken sound, the pulsating beat so loud that she could hear it rushing in her ears. The worry that filled her was like that of a broken dam, the emotions spilling and swirling through her system. She didn't know who it was, but the sound was bursting with his pain and despair. It was a scream that shattered her heart, a tortured cry that forced tears to her eyes. It called for her, his voice, it called for her to come to him, to help him. To save him.

The concern that flooded her veins was the last push that she needed.

"They feel your presence," the Emperor explained. "We must be quick."

He raised the cloche, revealing the crystal bowl and the single golden spoon at the very centre, in it, was a generous slice of peach. It was the prettiest peach Eden had ever seen in her life. A layer of soft pink skin, coated in a tiny fuzz of pastel hues with the consistency of whip cream. The flesh itself was a bursting golden yellow, shimmery and dripping with sweet juice. It wobbled with even the slightest of movement, appearing to have the texture of smooth, silky jelly.

Eden didn't hesitate to take the spoon and put it into her mouth. The Peach of Immortality was sweet, sweeter than anything she'd ever tasted and it exploded in her mouth, slippery ambrosial flowing down her throat without the need to chew. It coiled in her belly warm and tingly, radiating across her skin in waves of heat and energy.

It was followed by a rush of vitality that flooded her body and filled her with power.

Eden felt as if she could fly, as if she could run for the hills and never stop. It wasn't the heart-pounding caffeine from a pot of dark coffee, nor was it the rush of alertness from a good sleep. This was a power that made her stronger, and healthier than she had ever been before. She felt as if she could do anything, her body buzzing with the need to release all that power from within.

Eden gasped as her skin shimmered and glowed, an indication of her newfound state as a deity of the Heavens, and she clenched her hands into fists. She was ready. She strode to the door that would teleport her directly into the centre of the cave, not before stopping to glance back at her newfound family.

"Thank you," she said softly and she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye, for the word seemed to signify her failures. Instead, she licked her lips giving them the brightest smile that she could give in that very moment. "I'll be back." The Empress graced her with a shaky, encouraging smile and the Emperor nodded, sighing as he spoke.

"Good luck my daughter."

And she opened the door.