Selene didn’t like the expression on her friends’ faces. A part of her wanted to play the naïve oblivious little girl and wonder why Blake looked so unhappy. However, she suspected it probably had to do with the arrogant grin on Pietro’s face. The urge to greet him was excruciating.

“You’re gone for little over a month! The both of you! And what happens? You,” she practically yelled at Selene, “continue to break the laws of magic! And you!” Selene didn’t think her voice could become shriller, but it did. Eris blanched. “You are a pig playing with the hearts of those who love you!”

“Oh, get over yourself!” yelled Eris. “I never loved you. Whatever we had, I had the courtesy to end back home!”

“End? Things did not end!”

“Yes, they did,” yelled Selene, jumping to her brothers’ defense. “You simply wouldn’t listen! You never listen to things you don’t want to hear!”

“Oh, don’t even get me started on you! You’re just like him. First Blake, now this guy Pietro, whose poor soul you seem to have entrapped.”

“If only,” muttered Eris, rolling his eyes. “Sorry, Blake, but Selene is entrapped by the Touched Born.”

“Eris!” she hissed, her cheeks burning, forcing her to look away from Pietro.

Blake sighed. “Jeanette, enough. They’re right.” Blake looked at Eris in friendly disdain. “Eris is nothing if not forthcoming.” Eris smiled and shrugged as though it were nothing, causing Blake to sigh again. “I didn’t come to bicker or fight. I came to say hello and to see how you both were doing. You look beautiful, Selene.” Selene smiled at Blake and gave him a warm hug. He returned it equally warmly while Jeanette gave Selene a scalding glare. Selene wouldn’t even bother.

“Don’t I get a hug? I know you missed me,” said Pietro, grinning obnoxiously.

“How many times have I told you to stay out of my head?”

“My apologies.”

“I highly doubt that.”  Smiling, she hugged him nervously. She could feel her brothers’ eyes watching her disapprovingly. Making her way back to his side, she pursed her lips as he glared. Then his expression changed, and he grew paler. From the corridor on the right stepped Azelia. Oh boy, she thought, sharing her brothers’ small groan.

“I was told we had guests. Hello, I’m Azelia. It’s a pleasure to meet old friends of Eris and Selene.”

Jeanette’s eyes flared with jealousy and rage. Under her breath, Selene cast a Silencing Spell, and when Jeanette opened her mouth to let out a shrill scream, no sound came out. She spun and stared at Selene with a mixture of shock and hatred. Pietro laughed, and even Blake’s face broke into a huge grin. Eris gave her a silent “thank you.”

“Is something wrong?” asked Azelia, concerned.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s got a slight case of laryngitis,” began Selene.

“Our friend Jeanette here is always screaming about something,” finished Blake. Eris laughed.

“You don’t need to worry about her,” said Eris, kissing Azelia. “She’ll be fine, right Selene?’

“Oh yes. Once she stops her yelling and over-exaggerating. Don’t you think you should take a break, Jeanette? Your voice may never come back otherwise.” She gave Jeanette a pointed look. Jeanette, obviously reluctant, nodded, crossing her arms defiantly. Triumphantly, Selene smiled.

“It’s nearly supper time. I should show them to their rooms. Oh, that reminds me. Selene, could you please fetch Anita? Her mother’s looking for her.”

“Of course.” Selene bid farewell to her friends.

Eris watched her go, noticing Pietro watching after her longingly. Eris screamed his thoughts so loudly Pietro winced, returning a hateful glance at him.

“Don’t look at her that way.”

“That is not how I look at her. You and I are completely different people. I may be arrogant, but to quote your ‘friend’ Jeanette, I’m not a pig. I don’t defile every pretty face that crosses my path.”

Picking up his bag, Pietro followed Azelia up the stairs. Eris resisted the urge to not go after him and beat him to the ground. Instead, he stalked off to the Dining Hall, his feet hitting the ground hard while his nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists.

***

Selene met Anita in the hall outside her room. She had a quizzical expression on her face.

“How was your reunion?”

“Oh, brilliant,” exclaimed Selene sarcastically, throwing her arms up. Anita laughed.

“Well, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at your brilliant reunion?”

“Your mother saw fit to save me by telling me to tell you that she is looking for you.”

“Oh, well, it is almost dinner, isn’t it.” Anita started down the hall, braiding her hair subconsciously. Selene followed, close to her heels. “Question, was it as dreadful as I saw?”

“Probably worse. I’m actually surprised you didn’t hear Jeanette. She was screaming like a banshee. I had to use a Silencing Spell before she tore Azelia’s head off. Honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t charge at her. But that’s Jeanette, always blowing everything out of proportion. She can be quite exhausting.”

“Amazing,” laughed Anita. “And she wonders why Eris doesn’t love her. It’s a miracle he put up with her all these years.” Both girls laughed as they made their way down the hall. After a few minutes, they ran into Urit and Abel, Azelia’s brother.

“Oh, Selene, hello,” sniffed Urit.

“Hello, you two. Why aren’t you heading to the dining hall?” Selene studied Urit, whose eyes were red as though she had been crying. She had never seen it before and didn’t want to see it again as she watched Urit hold onto Abel tightly.

“I’ve lost my appetite,” said Urit, looking pale and frightened.

“I was just escorting her to her room,” stated Abel. “You should hurry down. Ranita is searching for Anita and says that it is quite urgent.” Anita and Selene parted to allow Urit and Abel walk down the hall. Both girls exchanged troubled looks.

“I wonder what has her so frightened,” whispered Selene.

“I wonder why my mother needs to see me so urgently.”

“You could peek.”

“No, she hates it when I do that. I used to do it all the time as a child to avoid getting in trouble.”

“Well, I doubt you’re in trouble.”

“Me too, but I’m still getting a bad feeling. I feel like darkness is descending.”

“I’m sure it’s nothing.” Selene grabbed her friend’s arm, pulling her along gleefully but still unable to fight the fear that darkness was descending.

***

Sitting cross-legged on her satin white sheets in her stupidly delicate dress, Selene read through the pages of a book she had snatched from the Palace library. Within its pages were the earliest accounts of the Vampyre King, who, according to some, had never taken a life, highly revering it. He would drink a being’s blood but leave them alive.

But then he got lonely and started turning others, creating his own race. The cost of his loneliness was high. However, something was called “The Sanguine,” a bloody century. Vampyres lost control of their appetite. It happened shortly after one of the Gods put up the barriers. An idea went through her mind; luckily, she knew someone who would know the answers to her questions. Putting the book down, she waved her windows open.

“Nivette, could you please come in.” A gust of wind swept through the room, followed by Nivette. Selene stared at her, wishing she was the one dressed in the cotton and leather gear for fighting and not the blue dress with the overly tight bodice.

“Yes?”

“What do you know of the Sanguine years?”

“Not much. I’m not that old.”

“Well, I know, but what have you heard about it?”

Shrugging, Nivette sat on the bed, stretched her legs, and leaned back, propping herself on her arm. “I know that it was caused by the Blood Hunger.”

“What is that?”

Nivette placed a finger over her lips in thoughtful silence before speaking again. “When you look in my eyes, you see the faintest red correct?” Selene nodded. “Well, when our eyes are wholly eclipsed in red, that is the Blood Hunger. It takes control of us, something we cannot fully control. The Sanguine years were that. Vampyre after Vampyre was falling prey to the darkness in their hearts. Village after village was wiped out. Witches were near extinction.

“Then, it’s said that the Reborn army teamed up with the Vampyre King and his personal garrison of Vampyres, Touched Born Witches he had managed to save, some of the firsts, I bet. Together, they stopped the slaughter after so much blood was spilled.

“From that day forward, it became law that no Vampyre is ever allowed to take a life. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, however. We Vampyres try to resist, but the blood and thoughts are becoming scarce. Unfortunately, there are rumors of a repeat.”

“What do you do when it happens? Whenever a life is taken?”

“Whenever a life is taken, a trial is set. Those who are truly remorseful live. Those who would do it again die. Blood Hunger must be tamed, and examples must be made.”

“Have you ever made the mistake?”

Nivette looked at Selene mournfully. “Yes. Twice, in fact. Decades apart. I tried to save my second victim, tried to turn him. I failed. The Vampyre King forgave me, allowing me to live.”

Selene but her lower lip. “Do you think history will repeat itself, Nivette?”

There was a long pause before she answered. “Yes. These barriers may protect them, but they do more harm than good. I don’t know what the gods were thinking. Sometimes, I don’t think it was a gift from those of the light.” Selene, who had begun biting on her nail, nodded in agreement. A chilling thought went through her. How much longer can the Blood Hunger be contained?