Selene cornered Nivette in her room. She saw slight fright coupled with amusement flash in her azure eyes. Nivette crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.

“Yes?”

“I need your wristband.”

The azure eyes darkened. “Why?”

“I’m going after Kyra and Larkin. I’ll need to be able to go through the barrier and walk in the sun if I want to find them quicker.”

“The King will kill you if you do such a thing.”

“Maybe.” Selene held out her hand. “Hand it over.”

“I swear you and your brother taunt death.” Taunting death didn’t matter to her. She was already dead.

Selene stood there, watching Nivette unwillingly remove her bracelet and place it on her hand. She sucked in her lower lip with displeasure, eyes hardening with disapproval and concern. “Try to hide their deaths if you can. I’d hate for you to die now.”

“Very well,” she said, nodding. Before Nivette changed her mind, she fastened the bracelet on her wrist before running off to search for her brother. It wasn’t hard to find him. He was sitting on his new throne, one leg on the armrest as he leaned back, grinning like an idiot.

“I like this seat.”

“I can see that.” She saw his eyes leave her face and center on her wrist. His grin vanished, replaced by a somber expression.

“Leaving?” he asked

She nodded. “When are you?”

“Later tonight.” Pausing, he leaned forward, cupping his hands between his knees. “Do you know where to start?”

“Seraphim. Kyra has a sister there, remember.”

“Don’t kill her,” he said, his lips curling into a weak smile.

Selene returned it with her own sad smile. “That depends on her cooperation. Farewell, brother.” Stepping up to him, she hugged him tightly before running off.

 

Selene’s feet pounded against the ground as she raced against the sun, over rivers and streams. She looked around for any sign of life on the road and closed her eyes to better concentrate. Down the road was a traveler. They were either very brave or stupid to travel at this time of night. Either way, she needed to feed just a bit if she wanted to pass the following two towns by quickly.

Surveying her surroundings, she leaped high onto a tree branch, perching herself like a cat. In the dark, she waited. The traveler soon appeared, pulling along a merchant carriage whistling a little tune she could not place, smoking on a pipe. The jingling of the knickknacks echoed through the air while incense tickled her nose.

Selene waited until he was under her branch before she tackled him to the ground. The horse neighed and kicked into the air as she dug her fangs deep into the man’s throat. He struggled, his pipe falling to the ground. Soon, as she continued to drink, he fell limp, and his heartbeat slowed, telling her to pull away.

Heaving him back onto the seat, she gazed at how helpless he looked. Is this how she had looked, so fragile? Bending down, touching her forehead to his, she wiped his memory, envious that he wouldn’t remember her.

It took her a moment to calm the horse down. Still, when it responded kindly to her touch and stopped neighing, eager to escape the monster in the dark, she picked up the pipe near its feet, dusted it off, and placed it on the owner’s lap before sending the horse on its way. Watching him leave, relishing in his blood and life. Selene shook away all those thoughts and ran on, the sun rising on the horizon.

 

Selene ate an apple from a tree while she sat on the outskirts of Nephilium. Somehow, she knew that Kyra and Larking were here, but the city was too vast, even for her, and her patience was thin. She knew that Kyra’s sister would know where she was and hoped that she would be able to frighten some sense into her. Selene knew Kyra’s sister had refused to help Uriel and the other Royal Guards.

Kyra did not deserve such devotion, did not deserve such love.

Watching the sunset in the sparkling city, she tossed her apple core into the ground and shut her eyes. Using her air rune, she sniffed the air. Her eyes flared open at the faint scent of Kyra and Larkin lurking somewhere in the bright city.

Soon.

 

Watching her eighth moon rise, Selene walked down the alleyways of Seraphim. People were still in mourning, still in shock, still wondering how the Shadowlings had come through in such a massive pack. Obviously, the council was hiding Larkin and Kyra’s involvement.

Creeping behind a small two-story building made of wood and brick, she pressed her body against the brick walls, letting a group pass her. Once they were gone, she searched for the door to the house of Angelica’s—Kyra’s sister.

Her hand closed around a silver handle. The white paint on the door was chipping. She entered the parlor room and slammed the door shut behind her.

“Hello? What—?” She screamed as she entered the parlor room from what looked like the kitchen. The knife that had been in her hand clattered on the floor.

“Hello, Angelica. You should sit down; you don’t look well.”

“Vile creature, get out of my house!” Angelica flung a fire spell at her that Selene extinguished, annoyed. She didn’t have time for this, she thought as she rolled her eyes, snatching the woman’s wrist tightly and dragging her into the kitchen. Selene threw her into the seat, sending it rocking back. Catching it before it fell, she grabbed Angelica’s neck tight enough to scare her.

“Where is she?”

“W-who?”

“Oh, don’t play stupid Angelica. Where is Kyra?”

“I will never tell you, creature.”

“Creature?” Selene let out a bitter, sarcastic laugh that sounded like a snobbish Reborn going “haw haw haw.” “I’m no creature. My name is Selene Sintas. Do you know it?”

“Selene Sintas is no Vampyre.”

Selene laughed again, bitterness dripping off it. “She is now, courtesy of your sister. Do you not know what she has done?”

“Those crimes are lies—”

“Wrong!” she screamed, her rage getting the better of her. “Your sister is a cruel, bitter, petty crone of a woman. Your sister is responsible for the death of so many lives.”

“Lies—”

“Are you really that blind?”  Selene couldn’t believe it. “Only a powerful Witche could have weakened the barrier, even for a moment. Your sister and Larkin were the High Witches to the Queen. Come on, Angelica, you’re smart. Why else would she flee? You must have seen the darkness in your sister’s heart.” Selene let go of her neck and leaned against the table. “I’ll give you two choices. Either tell me, or I will rip the memory and thoughts from you.” Sad tears filled the woman’s eyes.

“You’ll kill her.”

“It’s no less than she deserves.”

“If I tell you—”

“I’ll take away the memory; you’ll never know I was here.”

Angelica nodded and wiped at her tears. “There is a house under the name of our brother in Nephilium. It’s a blue house on the corner of Michaels Street and Azelia Avenue in the north district.” Looking up at Selene, meeting her gaze evenly, her brown eyes watery, she continued, “You know, she wasn’t always so cruel and cold, but there was always a darkness there, I can admit that.”

Darkness lives in all of us, she thought, but she kept it to herself and nodded in acknowledgment. “Thank you.” Selene kept her promise but took it one step forward. She touched her temples, making her forget Selene was here, making her forget what she told her, but also took away the love and devotion she had for her sister, as well as the pain from her loss. When she was done, Selene vanished quickly into the night. Selene took a moment to watch her, to make sure she was okay. Angelica looked surprised to have tears on her cheeks. She wiped them away, confused, before cheerfully returning to her cooking.

 

In the dark shadows of the night, she watched and waited. She licked her lips with hungry anticipation. Selene looked down at the puddle that grew steadily at her feet as the rain trickled from the sky. Vaguely, she saw her reflection. Her clothes were stained and dirty, torn here and there. Selene would need to get some new clothes soon.

A sharp click of a lock unhinging stirred her, and she looked out from behind the shadows. Two cloaked figures. Selene licked her lips again as she stepped onto the street where, if anybody was watching, she could see her clearly.

“Hello Kyra, hello Larkin. I’ve been looking for you.” Both figures stopped and turned, flinging spells at her. Selene blocked and dodged them easily. “I was more powerful than you when I was mortal. What makes you think I’m any less now as Vampyre.”

“How could they fail to kill you!” screeched Kyra, stumbling back.

“I have friends in high places.” Selene winked before pouncing on Larkin first. He struggled in her grasp, and all the while, she laughed, slamming him into the side of a building. Kyra screamed.

“Any last words, Larkin?”

“You will burn.”

“We’ll see.” Selene bit into his throat, not carefully, as she would normally do, but viciously. Blood gushed from the wound, and carelessly she drank. Half the blood glided down her throat while the other half simply gushed from the wound, staining them both. As she took his life, she saw his thoughts and memories. She saw Ranita’s death. Kyra had been the one to stab her, like the cold-blooded creature she was. Selene continued to drink, not because she was hungry, but because she wanted vengeance. Pulling away, leaving him with little life, Selene tossed him to the ground. The wound she had inflicted continued to bleed. There was no way he would survive, but he would suffer, just as she had, just as Ranita must have. Casually, maliciously, yet delicately, she wiped the blood from her lips with her fingertips, relishing in the fear in Kyra’s large eyes. “I’ll kill you.”

“Doubtful.” Kyra stumbled back, pulling out her knife, the same knife she had used on Ranita. Enraged at the sight, Selene let the Blood Hunger take hold as she lunged.