Jason heard the train whistle blow. Peaking out the window, he stared at the shining, brilliant city of Seraphim, his home. The final stop from Telos. Jason grabbed his bag from the metal bars above his seat and walked down the chrome aisle off the train. Waiting for him on the platform was his father. Jason greeted him with a warm hug.

“Have you talked to Mom?” he asked his father, leading the way out of the terminal. He looked back at his dad, just a few steps behind him. His mouth was set in a grim frown, his bright blue wings folded.

“She wants to hear what you say. By the way, Miranda and her parents are at our home.” Jason nearly fell down the stairs as he approached them

“How am I supposed to end things now?” he asked, his voice rising to a higher pitch.

“Son, I haven’t the slightest idea. You should have ended things the moment you started to have feelings for Selene. But, just so you know, Miranda’s mother is against this. The moment she saw the picture of you, she has been trying to talk to Miranda.”

“She knew Pietro?”

“It just so happens Miranda’s mother is one of my Lieutenants. She was a comrade of Selene and even wanted to speak at her hearing. Selene made many friends at the Royal Court, especially with the Royal Guards.”

“How does she feel about Miranda looking like Katherine?”

His father bit his bit thoughtfully, looking for the right words to say. “Uneasy, but that does not diminish her love for her daughter. Besides, I love you and you’re nothing like Pietro. Hopefully, Miranda is nothing like Katherine.”

“I wouldn’t be too hopeful,” he said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. “Cecilia did some research; they’re more alike than I care to admit.” Jason stared down at the shining tile floor, pressing the elevator button. “Does Miranda’s mom know about Selene’s existence?”

“I couldn’t exactly keep it from her; it is important.”

Jason entered the sphere-shaped crystal elevator, followed closely by his father. “This should be fun.”

***

“Jason!” exclaimed his mother, wrapping him in a warm, almost suffocating hug. Her voice, while being high-pitched, was perfect for her singing career and soothing. However, it had lost some of its touch at being the perfect voice to calm him, no matter how tense his nerves got. “It’s so good to have you home.”

“Yeah, Mom, it is.” Dropping his bag to hug her back, he looked over her shoulder, past her golden brown hair, and stared at Miranda, who stared back. Miranda wore a turtleneck and jeans, looking very much like she belonged in his house. Staring at him, she smiled, one of those sweet smiles that used to make Jason want to kiss her. He watched her smile falter, watched her eyes widen and muscles in her tighten and twitch, making her drink swish every so slightly. It was apparent what she was doing. Crap, he thought, guiltily shifting his thoughts to Selene, her smile, the way she looked when she was sleeping, and he quickly calmed down, feeling warm all over. Looking back at her, he saw her relax and smile brightly again, even widening more so. Did he really love Selene that much? Oh, what a mess his life had turned into.

When his mother finally let go of him, letting him breathe, he made his way to Miranda. Behind her stood her mother and father. Her father looked fine, but her mother looked as though she hadn’t slept in days, her eyes marred by deep, dark circles beneath them. Jason could tell that the smile on her face was fake.

“I’ve missed you!” exclaimed Miranda, throwing her arms around him, spilling some drink down his backside. Oh, this holiday was going to be a mess.

Hugging her back, even nuzzling her neck, he answered, “I missed you too,” not knowing if the dread he was feeling was due to the cold liquid falling down his back or to the situation.

***

Jason sat in his kitchen, staring at the white tile beneath him. The curtains on the kitchen window were still the same white linen with lavender flowers embroidered along the bottom. There had been a time when sitting here would warm him up and give him a sense of peace. Looking down at his tea that steadily got colder, he wished he had made some excuse to not come home. But there was nothing he could have said other than “Mom, I am in love with a Vampyre, you know, the one my ancestor Pietro fell in love with.” Dropping his head, he imagined all the disastrous ways that would go. Why had the Gods done this? It wasn’t fair to Selene, Miranda, or himself.

“I simply wanted to give Selene another chance at love.”

Jason jumped back, knocking over his hair, leaving his tea further untouched. Jason quickly thought of some defensive and aggressive spells, but the longer he stared at the woman in white sitting at the table, the more he began to calm down.

“Who are you?”

“She of the Light, as most refer to me. I find it silly that I have yet to be given a name. I do have one, you know.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Answering your questions. If I were you, I’d ask as much as you want before Laura wakes up.”

“What?”

The Goddess rolled her eyes and let out a tired sigh. “Ask a question.”

“Um,” began Jason, picking up his chair and sitting back down, “why was I Reborn?”

“To give Selene happiness.”

“Miranda? Katherine? Why not give Selene happiness with Pietro?”

“Pietro was not my doing. My sister saw what I was doing, saw my plans for Selene and Eris, and then began to unravel them. Pietro was the catalyst of darkness, and although I tried to sway his destiny, I was unsuccessful. I had not realized the extent of my sister’s treachery, the calamity she turned him into.

“As for Katherine…she was a mistake my brother made that my sister twisted. Miranda…she was my sister’s doing. She seeks to repeat history for her own twisted desire and seeks to retrieve your soul.”

“What was Selene’s destiny?”

The Goddess laughed, a laughter that sounded like music in the air. “She was supposed to marry Uriel and bring peace with the Vampyres. The latter she achieved through sheer will and my strength. I would not let my sister have that satisfaction.”

“What is her fate now?”

Sadness filled the room, strongly emanating from the Goddess. “I hope it is the one I never want to happen.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, his heart racing. Selene deserved happiness, after everything the damnable Goddess of Darkness had done; Selene deserved a speck of light in her life.

“Although you are Reborn from Light, you are still her creation, which means that should any type of darkness touch you, she will reclaim you. I am trying my best to not let that happen because there’s always room for error. And should it happen, great sorrow will fill her life, and to truly cleanse you, a heavy price must be paid.”

The words carried a heavy weight with them as they hung in the air. Above his head, he heard a door open and looked at the Goddess. “Should I marry Miranda?”

“If you want to save Selene from sorrow, then yes. However, if you want to be with Selene, then no, don’t marry her. I know I said sorrow will befall her, but in the end, her life will be filled with great light.” She twinkled out of existence. Leaving him alone for only a moment when a door opened. Miranda’s mom walked in, flicking the kitchen light on as she did. Jason smiled at her as best he could as she stood in the doorway, her eyes wide.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said.

“Ah, well, neither could I.” She stared at him a moment longer before stepping into the kitchen. He watched as she paused at the fridge door to look back at him, studying him with her light brown eyes. “I’m glad you’re awake, though. We didn’t get a chance to talk earlier.”

“Yeah, I think that was Miranda’s intention.” Jason took a sip from his tea. It was still warm, but he could feel it cooling down.

Laura poured herself a regular tall glass of water and closed the fridge. She leaned against the counter, fixing him with a steady stare. Jason felt that she was trying to keep her distance from him.

“Yes, she’s far too much like her, I must grudgingly admit that.”

“I’m sorry.”

She waved away his apology with a delicate hand. “Don’t be, you have nothing to be sorry for. You didn’t ask to be reborn any more than she did.” She sighed. “I’m grateful that the only qualities you share with him are your looks and gift.”

“I don’t think that changes much.” He paused, preparing what he had to say. “I love Selene, but—”

“If you love Selene, don’t marry my daughter.” Her voice was sharp, but her tone held a gentleness to it. “If you do marry her, please treat her fairly.”

“I haven’t decided what I’m going to do. I…the Goddess, She of the Light, she was just here and… I’ll bring nothing but sadness to Selene’s life. Marrying Miranda could prevent that.”

“So you would marry my daughter to prevent sadness onto an already darkened life? I can respect that, but I cannot condone it.”

“I figured.” He looked away from her and back at his tea, seeing his teal eyes and face, he wanted to curse himself. “I wish I knew what to do,” he began more to himself than to her, “I wish I had ended things long ago.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I still loved her then.”

“Was Selene the reason you stopped?”

Jason shook his head. “No, she was just the…the cherry on top for lack of a better phrase. Miranda… she’s always abusing her gift, never leaving people with their thoughts or secrets. She always so—”

“Selfish?” A thin smile pressed itself onto her delicate features. “Yes, I know. It’s a trait of the blood.”

“But—I don’t understand. Selene saved her ancestors. You are her mother. Why is she so intrusive, angry, and selfish?”

“Oh, how I wish I knew. Even her father doesn’t understand. I always chastised her for being the way she is. Her father and I both tried to teach her not to hate Vampyres. She was born with it, I think.” Jason saw a tear roll down her cheek. “She is Katherine; my daughter is that wretched girl. Those of the Dark, they did this, that much I know. Witches are not to be reborn, Jason, only one before you two have, and he was not even a Witch to begin with. You are fortunate, She of the Light gave you life this second time.”

“I don’t feel very fortunate.”

“Understandable.” Laura finished off her water, placing the empty crystal cup in the sink. “Do whatever you feel is right, Jason. Whatever the outcome, I will not hold you responsible. Miranda is Katherine, I accept that.” She walked away, her golden hair glowing even in the fluorescent lighting of the kitchen. Jason got up to flick off the light, taking up his seat in the dark where he drank his cold tea, watching the two moons fade behind the winter clouds.