Selene sat alone in the fading autumn sunlight. She soon saw the moon, Aurora, rising far in the horizon. It would be another four hours until the second moon, Cynthos, would rise above the horizon. Selene closed her eyes and found her mind two thousand years ago.

Her home was in shambles, and all she wanted was to see her mother again, but why torture her. She was already a wreck with two husbands dead and her only children presumed dead. Selene left her alone but always left a tulip on her father’s grave, hoping to give her mother a sign that she was alive. Then, one day, she found a book on her father’s grave. It was her mother’s book about Vampyres. The very book Selene had perused so many months ago. Inside the leather cover bad been a message:

To my children,

I will love you for as long as you live.

Selene opened her eyes and stared up at the stars that began to light the darkening sky. She missed her mother, angry with herself for denying that one memory, for denying herself anything other than thoughts of hunger and death. Selene snorted at her stupidity. What a pitiful life to live, forcing herself to feel nothing, allowing death and hunger to be her motivation to continue living. As Jeanette put it, she had severed herself from her humanity. However, Jason was bringing it back, repairing her without even knowing it. Something about Jason was making her feel…what? Love? Pain? Anger?

Confused, she didn’t know how she felt about him, about anything concerning him. She knew she cared for him, but did she care about him for the right reason? Was she attracted to him because he looked like Pietro? No. Pietro wasn’t a factor anymore. She knew she would always love Pietro, but Jason’s persona differed utterly. He was humble, whereas Pietro had been arrogant and respectful, unlike the intrusive PIetro. When she looked at Jason, she no longer thought about Pietro and no longer saw him in Jason’s teal eyes. All she saw was Jason, a very different person.

Selene didn’t know if her own personal changes bothered her. She had been content with her life. What truly bothered her was the sudden changes in her brother. Never had he been so cold to her, so cruel and distant.

Once upon a time, Selene had been the center of his world. He cared, or had cared, about her more than anything, yet he would always stand by her side and respect her wishes, even when it was something she disapproved of. This sudden change troubled her.

Selene sat up, only to find Vega leaning against a tree, staring down at her with great sympathy.

“Really? Can you not sneak up on me?”

Cocking her head to the side, Vega offered her a gentle smile. “You’re a Vampyre. You’re not using your senses.”

“All you Shadowlings, you all just love to sneak up on us beings of Earth and Heaven.”

“It makes us good killers,” she muttered sadly.

“You could choose not to kill.”

“If only it were that simple. Besides, I’m content with my fate, unlike you.”

Selene looked away. “Do you know what’s wrong with Eris?”

“What makes you think there’s anything wrong with him?”

“You’re avoiding the question, Vega.”

“Have you seen Nuri’s Shadow? Have you felt how cold it’s gotten?” She nodded towards Selene’s thigh, where a dagger sheathed. Looking down at the dagger, Selene took a breath, lacing her fingers around it. With a gasp, she felt the cold on the silver handle. It was too cold, even for a Vampyre. Selene used her fire rune to warm her fingers as she pulled the dagger out of its sheath. It was darker; the shadows were growing, and the blade was licking from the inside as though a black fire were burning from inside.

She dropped it to the ground and stared at Vega angrily. “What does that mean? Vega, what is going on?”

“You’re brother and that are connected. He’s beginning to succumb to the darkness.”

“What does that mean?”

“That your life is in danger.” Vega vanished, her body fading into the shadows, licking the ground. Selene snatched up the blade, sheathing it quickly before her fingers froze again.

***

Selene stood at the clock tower, her eyes scanning the ground beneath her, trying to catch anything off. She saw Witches, smelling of fear, stroll by alone. Most traveled in packs of three or more. Nothing would be different this night, even for an exceptional Vampyre Hunter like the one she was hunting.

Something isn’t right…

The thought kept tearing through her mind, leaving her distracted while her encounter with Vega had left her anxious. She touched the blade’s hilt that was buckled to her. It still felt colder than death, and she was the undead. She was a creature of the Gray, a Vampyre.

But still, she stared at the dagger, bothered. Vampyres were dead; the cold couldn’t and shouldn’t affect them. Even tricking the mind into thinking it was still alive, while it weakened them, still couldn’t allow something as simple as the cold to affect them.

Then there was the Vampyre she was hunting, and Selene was thinking about his diet. Vampyres who fed strictly on blood could not digest mortal food. Meanwhile, Vampyres that fed only on thoughts and memories were left weakened.

Tricking the body too much made everything impossible to digest. The body knew it was dead and would force the host to face it, too. You needed the diet of all three to feel even remotely human. One or the other destroyed the mind and body. The body made a person succumb to the Blood Hunger while the mind just drove them plain mad. There was no question about it; something was very wrong with the Vampyre she was hunting.

Taking a life was punishable by death. Using Fairy Dust recklessly was, too. It made a Vampyre delusional and hid their scent. There would be no trial, only capture, and then he would die. Most likely by her hand.

Selene found it a bit hypocritical. She had taken six lives, and yet, here she stood centuries later. Who was she to pass judgment? She was the Executioner. Sometimes, she wondered if living with her crimes was a worse punishment than death.

“Selene?”

Selene jerked, lost in the mass of thoughts that threatened to drown her. Turning her head, she stared up at a concerned Blake. “Did you find anything?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary. No Vampyre is in my district other than myself.”

Selene sighed. “Whoever it is, I don’t think they will attack tonight.”

“Why?”

“Whoever they are, they’re too smart.”

“Selene, I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be.”

“Selene, whoever this Vampyre is, they are smart and clever, and I…I don’t think we’ll be able to stop the call to the King’s Garrison.”

Selene let out a bitter laugh. She had been thinking the same thing. “That certainly wouldn’t be good.”

“Only if they think you’ve got something to hide, which you do. Did you successfully Mind Sweep your dealer?”

Selene nodded. “That stuff should be banned or, at the very least, monitored. Too many people abuse that vile stuff.”

“They can’t, though; it has too many magical uses, and for those that suffer Demde, they need it; it’s the only thing that keeps them sane.”

“I know, Blake, I still think they should regulate it.”

She heard Blake sigh. “Maybe, not in this century, but soon.” They stood there momentarily in silence, and Selene looked at him fearfully.

“Blake, can I ask you a question?”

“Of course.”

“Do you think Eris would kill me?” It was a question that had bothered her since the night she saw Negal. Blake didn’t answer her. Instead, he took her up in his arms, hugged her, and kissed her tenderly, gently on the forehead. Her heart constricted while the tears welled up in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Selene,” he mumbled, holding her close.