Selene sat alone in her far too enormous and extravagant bedroom, her knees pulled to her chin. She had a dark rich wood desk and a bed that could easily fit five of her. Her windows were large, making her feel insignificant and exposed. The drapes meant to cover them were thick, white with gold embroidering and flowers laced into it, spelled to forever bloom. She had to resort to magic to pull them over the window to ease the feeling of being exposed.

She felt so cold and alone within the palace’s thick stone walls, despite the blazing fire in the fireplace and the heavy warm sheets on her. She would not admit this to anyone, but she was scared. The Vampyre King, the first of his kind, was coming for her, and no spell she cast could reveal his reasons. What made her special? The Vampyre King didn’t want to kill her. So instead, he tried to turn her. But for what purpose? To make him Queen? His heir? Add her to his Garrison of highly prized Hunters? She was a good fighter, a powerful Witch, she’s been told, but did that really warrant his attention?

Someone knocked at the door, and she snapped her fingers, unlocking it. Azelia walked in with a tray of food, a smile on her face. Sweet, like the honey color that graced her wings and eyes. Selene wondered if her face hurt, smiling all the time. Selene was sure her face would.

“I thought you might be hungry,” said Azelia, setting the tray on the table Alizeh poured her a cup of what looked like blue syrup.

“Oh, thank you.” Then, getting out of bed, Selene asked, “Uh, what is that?”

“This is what we like to call Sweet Water. The taste is peculiar to the person who drinks it. When I drink it, I taste sweet honeydew. Here, have some. It’ll calm your nerves.”

“Thank you.” Selene took the glass and inspected it some more before taking a cautious sip. Knowing that she should trust the Reborn, she shouldn’t be so careful, but something felt off. However, the moment the drink touched her lips, she was calm. The drink was sweet and reminded her of home. She closed her eyes and smiled. A memory from her childhood came blissfully forward.

Selene was five, her hair was short, and she was at the age where she tried to copy everything her brother did. Her legs dangled from the high chair, and kicked the air anxiously. Her mother had a surprise for her. It was the most delicious thing she had ever drunk.

“It tastes like—”

Azelia shushed her. “Only you should know what makes you feel that way.” Then, holding the glass in both hands like a child, she thanked her again, taking another sip. “You are fortunate, Selene Sintas,” said Azelia softly.

“Excuse me?” she said, swallowing the drink and licking her lips.

“You have a brother who cares deeply about you. You have Shadowling companions working to keep you safe and Reborns taking you in under their wings, no pun intended. Not to mention Nivette, who is helping you despite her brothers’ death.”

“Do you know anything about the Vampyre King?”

“Yes. Do not fear him. If he is coming for you, it is because of his love for his parents. Everything he has ever done, every choice he made, has been because of that love. Not always good choices, but he is a Vampyre, a creature of the Gray, like Witches, swayed by both the Dark and the Light.”

Selene thought about that, cupping her drink in her hands. Of all the Reborns, Azelia was the most forthcoming, but she needed to change the subject quickly. “So, uh, were you there when Eris stabbed me,” she joked, laughing uneasily.

Azelia did not join in the laughter. “I’ve never seen what happened to you happen before.” The lines on her forehead creased with worry. “Shadowling blades are tricky; they can be poisonous to others, depending on the owner, but never deadly. Delusions, maybe hallucinations, and other dark side effects. Those are rare circumstances, though, and depend on the owner’s desire.  However, for Reborns, they are death. The Darkness is so overwhelming for us Reborns. But I never have I seen them turn a person.”

Shrugging, Selene picked up another biscuit. “Uriel said it was Nuri’s Shadow.”

“What?” Azelia’s eyes went wide with fear, her breathing strained, her chest rising and falling deeply. “Nuri’s Shadow?”

“Y-yes. Nuri, the Shadowling, granted death. I’m sure you know the story; his darkness went to his blades upon death. That’s what Uriel told me anyway.” Selene wasn’t sure what was happening and why this was such a big deal. She was okay now, and Eris had dealt with the Shadows, locking them up within the blade.

“They did, but those weapons were hidden.”

“By who? Was it you?”

“No, me.” Selene spun around, nearly dropping the warm and fluffy biscuits she had grabbed. Negal stepped from the shadows; fear laced her coal-black eyes, a fear that made Selene’s blood freeze while she watched the exchange between the two. Suddenly she felt like she didn’t even belong here, as though her presence was unimportant.

“Negal how?” asked Azelia, wringing her hands together.

“Senid, Shira, and Evida went searching.”

“Negal, who’s Nuri?” demanded Selene. If Negal was scared, then Selene deserved an answer. But, as Negal looked at her, Selene was frozen by the cold and detached look in her eyes.

“My brother.” Negal looked back at Azelia. “The blade was not meant for her, Azelia.” Selene watched Azelia’s eyes widen in some unseen horror, her skin growing pale.

A knocking startled them, and Selene jerked, caught off guard. Negal dove back into the shadows just before Eris entered the room. Selene almost yelled at him for startling her.

“Hello—Azelia?”

“Hello, Eris. I will leave you two for now.”

“Oh, um, okay,” stuttered Eris as Azelia hurried past him. Soon Eris was staring at the door, his back to his sister. Then, rolling her eyes, she picked up a pillow and threw it at his head. Eris turned around, glaring at her before picking it up and tossing it back on the bed to flop down on.

“You look at her differently,” commented Selene, taking her pillow to hug on her lap.

“That obvious?”

“A blind man would be able to see it.” She crossed her legs and looked down at her brother. “Can I see the dagger?”

“Certainly, dearie.” He sat up briefly to pull the dagger from his coat and handed it to her. It was deathly cold. Even invoking her Fire rune did nothing to warm her touch. Nuri…

“Who gave you the Fire rune, by the way? I never asked.”

“Ranita. She came into my room and saw me going through my book. She offered to do it, said it would come in handy and get my mind off you being lost in the forest with a dozen Vampyre trying to kill you. She knew what to do.”

Selene looked down at her brother, who gazed up at her curiously. “You know, Selene, I think those runes are the only reason you’re still, you know, alive.”

“Lucky me,” she muttered sarcastically.

“You’re not done, are you?” he groaned, covering his face with his hands.

Selene laughed, placing her cup on the nightstand. “You know I’m not.” He laughed and reached for a biscuit.

Selene examined the dagger. The dagger was cold as death. Nivette’s dagger that now carried the mark of Damnation.

“Eris, do you know what this blade is now?” He shook his head as he chewed. “This is Nuri’s Shadow. Nuri was Negal’s brother. He was—”

“A Shadowling granted death,” whispered Eris.

Eris swallowed deeply in the fear and was grateful to be lying down. His legs felt like they would buckle beneath him. His sisters’ voice was faint, distant. Somehow, he already knew everything she was telling him. His dreams of late kept showing him more and more things he did not wish to see.

Somehow, he felt like he had a connection with Nuri. He saw Senid and Negal in a different, more familiar light. Saw Nivette, Azelia, Uriel and Naavah in a new light. Something was happening to him. He looked at Selene, both worried and scared, wanting to tell her, but she had enough to worry about. Eris couldn’t bear to frighten her furthermore. As her brother, he knew her better than most. Bravery and determination were the only things holding her together. If she let go, fear would tear her apart.

“Are you going to keep it?” he asked warily.

Selene took a moment before nodding. “I think it would be safer in my hands than out there, wherever it lands. Besides, I want to see if I can bind this Darkness to it to find the other blades and do it. Maybe what happened to me will never happen again. Besides, I think I might be powerful enough to do it.” Opening the top drawer of her dresser, Eris carefully watched her place it in, as though it would break before she slunk into bed beside him.

“Selene?”

“Yeah?”

“Your room is huge!” Together they laughed, and Eris watched his sisters’ whole being relax. Eris was happy to see her be herself again. He wished things would stay this way.