Selene knew she shouldn’t be surprised, and yet, she was. Pressing her forefinger against her forehead, she stepped into the room. The entangled pair didn’t wake. She couldn’t be more thrilled to be away from home and Jeanette than she was at this moment.

Selene stood at the end of the bed, looking for something to throw. But then, as her eyes scanned the room, a more brilliant idea came to mind. Spreading her hands over and above the bed, she formed the most mischievous grin.

“Pluviae.” Rain trickled down from the ceiling above them. Nivette woke first, cursing loudly as her hair fell over her naked breasts, wet with rainwater. Eris bolted up second, his ivory sheets already soaked, hugging his lower torso, even after the spell ended. Neither looked pleased.

“Selene! What the hell!”

Once again, her brothers’ hormonal antics were running her patience thin. “Hush.” Selene’s tone was dark, one she knew he was well acquainted with. She took a deep breath and looked at the pair, crossing her arms.

“See, I expect this kind of behavior from Eris, but Nivette, really? You two are just lucky that I am the one that bothered to peak into the room and not Ranita. We’ve been wondering what’s been taking you so long. There comes a point when exhaustion is no longer an excuse.”

Selene grabbed the first pair of pants she saw lying on the ground and threw them at her brothers’ wet head. “Get up and get dressed. Nivette, it’s nice to see you, and I’m glad you’re alive, but please, get out of my brothers’ room when night falls.” Selene stormed from the room, slamming the door with a wave of her hand.

Allowing herself to breathe, she calmed herself, counting the seconds before she walked from the room. Why couldn’t he just keep it in his pants?

“That was very intrusive,” muttered her brother, closing the door behind him. He was still buttoning up his shirt. Selene held back her fury.

“It’s uneven.”

“Huh, oh, thank you.”

Holding on to the railing, knuckles turning white in her grip, she bit back her fury. “Really, Eris? Every pretty girl you come across, must you always seek to deflower them?”

“Nivette was already deflowered.”

Selene, no longer able to control her anger, spun around and shoved her brother into the wall. “You idiot! This isn’t a game! Our lives are at stake, you selfish moron.”

“It meant nothing to her. Besides, I happen to like her very much.”

Selene threw her hands up in exasperation, returning her grip to the railing to control herself. “Oh, you like them all very much at first, and, at first, it means nothing to them. But, given time, she’ll fall in love with you like the rest. Now, as for the others, I couldn’t care less. You’re a pig, but you’re my brother, and all those girls, we nothing more than pretty faces with empty heads. But, Nivette is smart, and I actually like her! More importantly, I don’t want a scorned Vampyre to be in charge of my protection thank you very much! Do not continue this, or I’ll kill you myself.”

“A tad over dramatic, don’t you think,” said Eris walking away, his hands tucked into his pockets. Selene sighed, rolling her eyes exasperated.

“Eris, I beg of you, don’t continue this. It’s all I ask.”  Selene stood there, her hand gripping the railing tighter, her earth magic coursing through her, connected to her emotions. Catching herself, she yanked her hands off the railing, wiping away the moss that had grown underneath her hands. Looking at her brother, eyes pleading, Selene stood her ground. She’d use her magic to hold him to the ground if she needed to. But, finally, Eris stopped at the top of the stairs, turning to smile back at her warmly.

“For you, Selene, will I stop my depravity…until we reach the palace.”

Selene smiled her magic smoldering, her runes that had been burning beneath her skin cooling. “Better than nothing, I suppose.”  Eris held his hand to Selene, who took it, letting her brother drag her down to what was left of breakfast.

Selene sat with her book on her lap near the library fireplace, absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair, watching the rain pelt against the window. Footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, but she didn’t turn to greet whoever it was. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

“Not even going to say hello,” came a chilling coarse voice. Selene’s eyes slanted, and she looked at Kyra, whom she had deemed ‘The Crone.’

“I don’t particularly like you; therefore, I’m not going to seek your company by exchanging false pleasantries.”

“Oh, but it would be polite,” said Kyra taking the seat across from her. Her thin and cracked lips were set in a sad attempt at a smile. The result was something similar to that of a Cheshire cat: frightfully unattractive.

“What do you want? And please, wipe that pitiful excuse of a smile off your face; it’s even more unflattering.”

“Blunt, aren’t you.”

“Get on with it.” Her tone was short, tempered. She hated this woman, hated her attitude and disrespect.

“How are you so powerful? I’m almost ninety-six, and never, in all my years, have I met someone as powerful as you. How is it possible?”

Selene rolled her eyes and closed her book with a loud thumb quelling the fear within her. The runes along the edges glowed briefly to lock it. “Really? That’s your question?”

“Is it truly that absurd?”

“Yes.” Standing up, she gave Kyra her own sad, apathetically facetious smile. “Quite simply, I’m blessed by the gods of light. Now if you don’t mind, the air here has suddenly become quite putrid.” Stomping from the room, she faced a smiling Ranita, who seemed to be waiting for her in the lit hallway.

“You should be a tad more polite dear Selene.”

“Should I? My cleverness seems to make you smile.” Selene wrapped her arm through Ranita’s and pulled her along.

“True enough. I agree that Kyra needs to be put in her place.” Ranita glared back at the door. “Tis a pity she has a part to play.”

“In what?”

“Fate.” Ranita pulled her along. “Now tell me, Selene, how are you so powerful?”

Selene stopped walking and bent down to uncover her ankles. “These are runes. One is a protection charm, while the other is a speed charm. The one on the nape of my neck is the Earth rune, and you know of the other one. Thank you, by the way.”

“Had I known you had the others, I think—no, I still would have obliged your request. You should have told me, though.”

“I know, but see, here’s the thing, I wasn’t lying when I said I was blessed by the gods…or at least one of them. The Goddess of Light is quite frightening.”

Ranita laughed. “Oh, I’ve no doubt about that.”  She began to walk away, but Selene touched her arm lightly, stopping her.

“Ranita,” she began, “why is Kyra so—” she struggled to find the right word.

“Vile?”

Selene smiled up at Ranita. “Yes, that’s the word.”

Ranita paused in thought and looked away. “The man she loved chose a Reborn for a wife. He has no love for her now, though.”

“Why?”

“Because she treats our daughter with such disgust.” Ranita walked away, the slightest hint of a smile curved onto her delicate face. Selene looked back at the room containing Kyra. A woman scorned was never a pretty thing.

***

Eris wanted to see Nivette again and ached for her like he had never ached for a young woman before. His foot tapped and tapped while a silent laughter filled his head. It was a mocking laughter, an amused laughter. His head twitched. As the room darkened, shadows tightened at his side, taking the form of a female body before finally revealing Negal. Her lips arched to the left, hinting at a smile.

“Hello, Negal.”

“My, you’ve actually found a woman you ache for. How does it feel?” Leaning forward, she propped her right arm on her leg to hold up her head, staring at him coyly with her black eyes.

“Exhausting.”

“So call upon Nivette, you want to anyway.”

“I promised Selene wouldn’t. Besides, she has a point. With women, I rarely have a connection. In fact, I’ve never made a connection.”

“And yet, with Nivette, you do. One wonders.”

“My indiscretions’ won’t be tolerated at the palace.”

“You’re not at the palace yet.”

“I promised my sister.”

“Who says she needs to know?” Eris looked at Negal, who sat on the bed in a black lace corset and brown leather trousers. Her long black coat hung on her shoulders elegantly while shadows danced around her very being. The door burst open suddenly, revealing a scowling sister.

“Not you, too, I hope,” she said, staring at Negal. Negal burst into wholehearted laughter.

“Oh heavens no, my dear,” said Negal wiping at her tears brought on by her laughter.  “I have enough sense to know what is good and what isn’t.”

“Good.” Selene closed the door and placed up a spell. The door and walls shimmered. “Negal, can you ask Void to watch over Kyra and Larkin?”

“Why?”

“The shields over the carriages should not have shattered, not if those two were in charge of setting up the spells around them. They’re supposed to be the most powerful witches in the realm. And yet Vampyres, with little practice of magic, were able to break them. It doesn’t make sense. I don’t trust them. There is something…something off about them.”

“And yet the royal court trusts them,” commented Eris cynically.

“That is Naavah’s choice. You cannot alter it,” said Negal standing up. “I will ask Void to watch over those two. That attack on the carriages was unexpected and risky for the Vampyres. There was not enough cover where they attacked to protect them when the sun rose.”  She paused a moment, thoughtful. “I will have to investigate this.

“Meanwhile, don’t wander from the Reborn trio.” Negal’s form became shadows without form before vanishing into the air. Eris looked at his sister.

“Only one more day.”

“I think by now we’ve experienced just how much can happen in one-day dear brother,” she muttered as the clouds in the sky knitted together, hiding the light.