Jason knew that this dinner had been a bad idea. He peeked over at Selene, who was silently eating her meal, lips pursed. She wasn’t the only one; they were all silent. Looking over at Cecilia, he hoped that she would break the silence. She gave him a questionable look, eyebrows slanted as if to say, “Well, what do you want me to say?”. Jason rolled his eyes, pointed to Selene, and then at his wrist, making a little inscription. Cecilia’s eyes widened.

“So Anita,” began Cecilia, “I see that you have a rune on your wrist. Can I ask which one that is? I can’t tell from here.”

“Stealth.”

“Body or spell?”

“Both.”

“Whoa! That’s one powerful rune,” exclaimed Nicholas. Jason watched Selene smirk, and relief flowed out of him.

“Why that one,” asked Cecilia.

“It seemed prudent at the time.” Jason glanced at Ettore, who laughed.

“What’s so funny?” asked Miranda.

“Oh,” began Ettore, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with his napkin, “Was I laughing? Pardon me.”

“Don’t mind him,” said Selene, smacking his arm with her napkin. “Ettore is just an idiot.”

“Oh, Anita dear! I take that to heart.” He laughed. “Anyway, why don’t you show them your other runes?” Jason caught her flinch, biceps flexing.

“You have more than one rune?” asked Cecilia.

“That’s insane,” remarked Miranda suspiciously, her voice low. Something in her eyes seemed to zero in on Selene, studying her.

“But wicked,” said Nicholas. Ettore raised his glass to him, and they clinked, clearly getting along. Jason smiled despite himself.

“And against the rules!” scolded Miranda. “I should report you.”

Selene’s eyes darkened, and Jason saw the vampyre behind the mask for a second. “Go ahead, all eight were sanctioned by the Queen herself.”

Miranda’s eyes narrowed. “That’s a lie.”

“Hardly,” Selene smirked maliciously.

“Oh, Anita! Brilliant idea! Show them the other runes!”

“Ettore—”

“No, I want to see,” demanded Miranda. Jason saw the slightest hint of fear in Selene’s purple eyes as she unclasped her gold wristband. What he saw made his eyes widen.

“Oh my heavens!” exclaimed Cecilia.

“S–Anita,” began Jason, fearful, “why is it moving?”

“It’s not moving,” began Selene, replacing the gold band over it.

“The power is,” finished Ettore. “Anita used a Shadowling blade, and shadows are like poison to us normal beings, but we were able to temper it with the help of the goddess so it wouldn’t poison her. As you saw, the dark power still moves, and shadows are always flickering.” Jason looked back and forth between them, willing Selene to look at him. When she finally did, she smiled. His face warmed, as did his blood. Suddenly, an earth-shattering scream pulled their gazes apart.

“Vampyre!” Jason watched Selene jump up soon, followed by Ettore, and both ran out for the restaurant. Jason quickly placed a bunch of Felucian coins and bills on the table. He followed them out of the restaurant towards the gathering crowd. Jason didn’t have to look back to see his friends follow. He shoved his way through the crowd and stopped next to Selene.

“Selene?” Jason studied her appearance and watched her subtly sniff the air, her eyes dilating.

“I need to leave.”

“Why do you look scared?”

Selene turned to him and, in hushed tones, said, “There is no scent, as though whoever was here wasn’t. We all have scents.” Her worried expression grew cold, and her muscles tensed. Her back became straighter, and her head was held higher. To Jason, she looked almost regal.

“You’ll have to excuse us. Considering the recent tragedy, there are important matters that I must discuss with the Coven. It was a pleasure to meet you, Cecilia, and Nicholas. Goodbye, Miranda and Jason, I’ll see you soon. I still have matters to discuss with you regarding your father.” Jason watched her walk away, her head held high, her black hair flowing behind her gracefully.

“Let’s do this again sometime,” grinned Ettore, tipping his head in a playful salute.

“Ettore!” Ettore smiled and ran off after Selene. Jason followed them both with his eyes until they were out of sight, swallowed by darkness.

“I like her,” said Cecilia as they made their way out of the crowd. “She looks familiar, though.”

“I like her too,” said Nicholas. “She’s hot and knows how to show you up, Miranda. No offense.”

“Oh, shut up,” said Miranda, shoving people out of the way. “I don’t like her, her brother, or those pet Vampyres she calls comrades. The whole lot of them should be exterminated. Besides, there’s something off about her and her brother; too much darkness in their auras. Black means death.”

“Oh blah, blah, blah,” said Nicholas, waving his fingers in front of his car and unlocking it. “All you ever pay attention to is auras. Where’s Anita to shut you up?”

“You are such a jerk,” screeched Miranda childishly, fist clenched.

“Nicholas, shut up. Miranda lets go,” he said, gently touching her shoulder. Miranda shoved him away.

“Don’t touch me,” she practically screamed, yanking her body away from him, looking at him disgusted, wagging her finger at him. “I saw your aura, too. I’m walking home. Alone!” Miranda took off her shoes and ran off down the cobblestone street.

“Miranda, be reasonable,” called out Cecilia. Nicholas got into the driver’s side of his car. He stuck his electric runed key into the ignition, instantly starting it up. Jason felt the electricity in the air as he stared off after his girlfriend in her burgundy dress running down the sidewalk. A part of him wanted to run after her, but another part…

“Oh, let her go. If she wants to pout, let her. She always reads too much into things. In any case, I like Anita more; you should try getting with her.” Nicholas winked at Jason and drove off the moment Cecilia got in. Jason just stared at his car before looking up at the moons, exhausted,

“Why,” he asked out loud, “why me?” Jason went to his silver car, exhausted and unaware of the two women hidden by darkness watching him. One stood in a white robe with glistening silver-like hair and gray eyes while the other leaned against a building, a sneer on her too-pale skin made paler by her black hair and coal-like eyes. Her robe cast a shadow over her face.

“He damned her once,” said the woman in black.

“He was yours then, and I won him over before the end,” countered the woman in white. The woman in black let out a cold, harsh laugh.

“Oh dear, sweet, naive sister, this is a new battle. He’ll be mine again and foul up whatever fate you have for them.”

The woman in white stared at her sadly. “I will protect them.”

“Well, you’re doing a lousy job.” She vanished in a swirl of smoke, leaving the woman in white alone to look at Jason again. Selene had suffered enough for no fault of her own, and as her righteous mother, the Goddess of Light would win over his soul again.