Selene caught sight of Eris doused in the shadows of the Palace. He finished quicker than she had and took the time to get cleaned up, wearing some of his old clothes that he had stolen from his room in the palace. The high glowing moons lit the sky and ground beneath them, their light beams bouncing off the Palace steeples. Approaching her brother, Selene twirled her dagger in her hand. He simply stared at her.

“New clothes?” he asked, eyebrow cocked upward.

“They would have gathered dust in Kyra’s closet. No sense in letting that happen. Her clothes did not offend me. Besides, I couldn’t exactly walk around covered in blood.”

“I take it she’s dead then.”

Selene gave him a curt nod. “She and Larkin. Ripped their throats out and sucked out their blood, thoughts and memories. They were quite delicious, actually, as well as repulsive. How did your fight go?”

Eris showed off his new sword. “I got a new blade out of it, not bad for a night’s work.”

She paused, looking at the magic around them, remembering her old purpose. A purpose that would save everyone, that would save the future. A purpose that She of the Darkness had distracted her from. “Will you wait here?”

“What are you going to do?”

Selene smiled. “Make an entrance.” Selene winked at him and headed to the front of the Palace, thrusting the door open with a wave of her hand, letting wind billow in behind her. The four guards there, a few she had trained with, charged but stopped abruptly. They all stared at her with expressions of despair coupled with bewilderment.

“I’ll be gone shortly, guys. I just need to discuss something with Naavah.” Her nose twitched at the smell of sweat and flowers, metal and armor. “I can smell you, Uriel. There’s no need to hide. I won’t bite.” She watched Uriel step forward from the east corridor, his eyes filled with heartbreak.

“Anita said this was your state. I fought to believe it.” Letting out a sigh, he headed up the stairs. “Follow me, Selene.” With his back to her, Selene could not see the pain on his face, but she felt it through his tone. He had been her friend, her guard, someone she…shaking the thoughts from her head, the memories and feelings too much to bear, she followed Uriel up the grand staircase to the Council Chamber silently, staying one step behind him.

Opening the door for her, keeping his eyes to the ground as she passed him, Selene saw that only Naavah and Anita filled the room.

“Uriel, please stand guard,” ordered Naavah in her regal tone.

“Of course, your majesty.” After taking one last look at Selene, Uriel bowed and closed the door behind him as he left. Selene stayed where she was, silently calling Ultima to her. The cat jumped off Anita’s shoulder and trotted along the table towards Selene, who took her warmly into her arms.

“Hello Naavah. Hello Anita.”

“Oh Selene—” began Anita.

“Hush. I do not want your sympathy. Please don’t offer it.”

“Why have you returned?” asked Naavah as diplomatically as she could. Selene smiled sorrowfully.

“Before the attack, I was going to address a serious issue to the council. The slaughter of my home only enforces what I have to say. You need to bring down the barrier. You need to do it now while most Covens have control of their Blood Hunger.”

“Selene, I can’t. That is too serious—”

“Oh, shut it,” started Selene, quickly regretting it. “You are risking more bloodshed than in the Sanguine. These barriers were not gifts of the Light! They’re traps, put there by those of the Dark. They want all the races to kill each other. They will take away the barrier when peace can no longer be negotiated. It’s why Kyra and Larkin were able to bring down the barriers. Everything was just a trap.”  She paused, taking a deep breath, letting the knowledge sink in. “Naavah, the barrier will come down tonight with or without your approval. I have the goddess’ blessing in my pocket; I don’t really need yours.”

“Selene—”

“Naavah, listen to her,” murmured Anita. “The barrier must come down, or the ground will be watered by blood.” Anita looked at her solemnly. “It would seem you and your brother have fallen to the care of darkness, and I was an unwitting participant.”

“It happened, Anita, and some of it’s my fault. I have Eris, though, so I’ll be fine. We need to move on.”

“You will frighten many people,” said Naavah.

“And save countless souls,” finished Selene.

“Yes, you will.” Naavah stood up, making her way to her in her light blue nightgown and satin robe, hugging her warmly like she had when she first met her. When she pulled away, Selene saw the tears fall down her cheek.

“Be careful, Selene.”

Winking, fighting away her own tears, she said, “Aren’t I always.” Selene left the Council Chamber and entered the hallway.

Selene stumbled down the halls. A scent stopped her, a scent that nearly broke her heart. Selene turned around and watched as Pietro steadily approached her. Putting Ultima on the ground, she urged her cat to join her brother outside to leave her alone to do what she needed. The further she got, the closer Pietro got.

“You’re still here.”

“When they saw you were gone, they refused to let me leave. They thought I would know where you were.”

“Did you?”

He shrugged. “It wasn’t that hard to guess.” Pietro continued to stare at her, sadness and longing in his eyes. “It’s harder to read your thoughts.”

“You should stop doing that.”

“Where would the fun be in that?” Pietro reached out to her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. His warm lips touched her own in such heartbreaking passion, causing her strength to nearly break apart. “I love you, Selene.”

“You make letting go so very difficult.”

“Good.” He pulled away, his teal eyes softer than they’ve ever been.

“I love you too, Pietro. I need to leave now,” she said, pulling farther away. Every inch she moved broke her heart even more.

“I know. Visit.” Pietro gently stroked her cheek, sending chills over her body. Selene made no promise and ran from the hall to the caverns beneath the Palace.

All the guards were gone. Selene passed the dungeons, catching a glimpse of Ranita’s blood that still stained the ground.

She continued down the stairs and used her strength to tear the Silver door off its hinges. A crystal surrounded by an almost blinding light was in the center of a tiny room. How misleading that light was, but Selene could taste the magic around it, could sense the darkness thick within it. Wiping her hair out of her face, she realized she was not alone and looked ahead, beyond the crystal.

“Hello, Goddess.”

“This was not the fate I had weaved for you,” said the woman clad all in white with shimmering white hair and shining gray eyes.

“How reassuring.”

“Selene, heed my warning. There are still dark forces out there that seek your death and that of your brother. Be watchful and keep that with you always.” The Goddess pointed to the marble glowing in Selene’s hand before twinkling out of existence. Selene almost wanted to laugh as she threw her marble into the center of the brilliant crystal.

Time seemed to move slowly as the marble flew into the giant crystal, landing within the center.

The crystal cracked and shattered, sending Selene crashing against the wall. Selene clutched her head and shielded her eyes from the blinding light, light that was beginning to burn her skin, as she searched for her marble. Once her hands closed around it, Selene bolted from the room and the light, running through the palace, through the hallways, and out entrance, ignoring all the wakening cries of fear and confusion. Stopping at the stairs, she watched the scene unfold before her, taking small tender steps to her brother and cat. Above, the sky was littered with falling stars.

Eris kept his back to her, his head turned to the sky, and he held his hand to her. She bent down to clutch her cat, who jumped on her neck, only to dig her nails into her skin before she held his hand.

“What now?” he asked, watching the stars fall.

“We live,” she muttered simply.