Eris was searching for his sister when he found Nivette blocking his path with hungry eyes.

“Hello, Eris, miss me?” Nivette inched closer, and Eris felt his body heat rise as her lips covered his. Longingly, he kissed her back, knowing how wrong it was. His sister’s voice echoed in his mind, shattering his desire. He hated when she was right. Eris pulled away and took a whole footstep away from her. Staring at her, he swallowed fearfully as the red tinge in her eyes began to cover the deep azure.

“Uh, we need to talk.”

“Elaborate, Eris dear.” The icy coldness from her made the hall darken.

“Okay, um, well, while you’ve been gone, I began courting Azelia.” He took a deep breath. “Nivette, I care about you. I truly do, in fact, more—”

“Than anyone except Azelia,” she finished. The pain was evident in her voice, and the anger burned inside her. Eris urged his feet to move farther back, but they defied him.

“Nivette, I’m sorry—”

“Oh enough. This isn’t the first time I’ve come in second to a Reborn, let alone Azelia.”

“Nivette—”

“I said shut up, Eris.” Eris tightened his jaw and stared at her. Nivette simply sighed. “I’ve had centuries to deal with this kind of rejection before. I’ll be fine.” She smiled at him, a warm and amused smile fringed with heartbreak. The red in her eyes was subsiding. “Now, why are you wandering the halls at this time of night?”

Relief flowed through him. For a moment there, he thought he was going to die. “I was looking for my sister,” he answered, his muscles relaxing. “She’s supposed to be in the Ceremony Chamber, but she’s late and never late for anything.”

“Is she fond of any of the men here?”

“I suspect Uriel, but I doubt he’d keep her out this late. Too noble. Besides, when it comes to Selene, her magic is the first and second priority. Keeping me in line is her first.”

“Kyra?” supplied Nivette suspiciously.

“She’s away. Her sister fell ill.”

“Larkin?”

“He’s around, but Anita’s foreseen—”

“No one can foresee everything,” she hissed. “What fools. I’m gone for a few weeks, and one of you goes missing within the confines of the Palace. Only Shadowlings can come through—”

“And so we have,” came a soft voice. Nivette launched herself before Eris, ready to leap to her death. Eris stared at the Shadowlings, confused. They were unlike the others. One carried a haughty air around him, while the other had eyes as gentle as a doe, covered in sadness.

“We promise you no harm. Negal sent us. She has been detained for the moment. I am Vega my brother is Void. This is Ettore, his sister—”

“Is one of Senid’s loyalists. You met her in the hall, always one for theatrics.” Vega slapped his arm, but he merely continued to grin. “Your sister is fine. She’s sleeping up on the Observatory. Beautifully, I might add.”

“Ettore dear now is not the time.”

“You’re probably right, my dear.”

“You should go to her,” continued Vega. “Larkin is lurking. He can do little without starting an uproar. Reborns do not respond kindly to our kind.”

“Where is Larkin?”

“Walking to the Observatory, knife in hand.”

Eris took off without another word. He ran with all his might. Selene was helpless, probably in a spell-induced sleep. Damn them. Kyra was a sneaky one. She probably planned this so that if Larkin failed, she wouldn’t be held accountable. Poor Larkin, the fool, brainwashed to do her bidding.  But if anything happened to Selene, fool or not, he would take a sword and plunge it through his heart. And Eris would if any harm came to his sister.

“Nivette, go wake Uriel. Bring him to the Observatory. He’s the Honor Guard. He’ll arrest Larkin. Hurry,” he yelled at her, pumping his legs faster and harder. Feeling her vanish at his side as he ran on. Right now, he wished he was a Vampyre.

Upon reaching the Observatory, he found that door bolted tight. Again and again, he pounded against it, slamming his body against the door, kicking and screaming for Selene to wake up.

“Selene!” He prayed to She of the Light to help him, to give him strength. He kicked in the door. If only he had more strength if only he had the strength of a Vampyre or…

His thoughts sent him spinning. No longer was he fighting a door to open. No, now he was fighting Senid, Negal at his side.

“You betrayer!” yelled Senid, lunging at him.

“Coward,” said Eris, sidestepping him.

“Don’t you dare call me a coward. They are prey, you fool! We are the hunters! For all your foulness and all the things you’ve done, I could forgive, overlook and forget them all! But you, you helped her forge a weapon to destroy us! Your brethren! How dare you!” Senid leaped forward. Eris evaded him easily, driving himself to the ground, his foot kicking up…

Suddenly, Eris was falling to the stone floor. The door to the stairwell flung to his side. His hands stopped his fall while his knees bent, launching him up the stairs. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting offered by the moons, he saw Larkin standing over Selene, blade poised to strike. Eris screamed. His rune glowed and ached on his back as he sent Larkin flying toward the high stone wall. He ran to Selene, who was still sleeping soundly, but, thankfully, very much alive. He shook her, but her eyes stayed closed, a blissful expression showing her ignorance of the grave situation.

“Selene! Wake up! Futuo Selene!” He shook her hard. Her hair spilled out of its intricate design. Selene still did not wake. “Goddess, hear me, help her wake—” Eris was tackled to the ground. Now Larkin was fighting him, trying to kill him, his earlier pray forgotten. He saw the light from the moons bounce off the blade as they wrestled for it, rolling over the ground.

Selene’s eyes fluttered open. A voice woke her, urging her to wake up. It was not that of the Goddess but that of her brother. What was wrong? Selene clutched her head, wincing at the pain from the headache she had somehow obtained. Finally looking up, Selene forgot about it. Her anger and hatred flared as she saw Larking fighting with her brother. Her runes lip up, and with her speed, she launched herself at Larkin, pulling him off her brother and throwing him against the wall. She pulled her dagger from under her dress skirt, wincing at its coldness. Larkin’s eyes widened as he stared at the blade in her hands.

“About time you woke up,” said Eris getting up. Selene ignored him and pointed her hand at Larkin.

“Tenere!” Silver blue tendrils of light sprung from her fingertips, wrapping around Larkin and holding him in place. Eris swore.

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

“Because you’re an idiot,” she smiled and tucked the blade back under the layers of her dress. Eris noticed that it was held where her garter should be. So like his sister. Footsteps rang in the air, making the pair of them turn. Uriel and Nivette sprang through the open doorway.

“He was trying to kill her,” said Eris heatedly.

“Release him, Selene. I’ll take him to the dungeons and confer with Naavah,” said Uriel.

“No need,” came a voice. Eris turned his head and looked at Vega as she seeped from the shadows. “Ettore is already speaking with her.” Eris saw the looks between the two of them. It was the same look he saw Uriel and Void exchange. Now he finally understood. One of them was his hunter.

“Hello, Vega.”

“Fare thee well, Uriel.” She bowed and backed back into the shadows, vanishing completely. Uriel, regaining his composure, pulled a pair of gold manacles from his belt, runes etched into them to strip Larkin of his magic.  Even though he shouldn’t have, Larkin sneered at Selene as if he was successful with his mission.  A chill went down her spine.