Jeanette walked the streets of Nephilium alongside Ettore, who kept her scent hidden. He knew the urgency of the matter better than most.

“Why haven’t you told her?” she whispered, keeping her voice as low as possible.

“Because it would destroy her. It’s why you won’t tell her, isn’t it?”

Jeanette nodded, her long blond bangs falling over her blue eyes. “She just can’t come back; she can never see what he has become.”

“She’s not running again; she’s made up her mind. She wants Eris to come; she wants to kill him.”

“She can’t. No matter how strong she is, she will never be stronger than him on the night of the Eclipse. His rune is all-powerful; it makes him even more powerful. Even if they do fight, which we both know he won’t, her chance of success is slim. And at that point, she might see, really see him and what he has become. It will break her heart.”

Nodding in agreement, Ettore reached for her hand and held it warmly. “I know.” They kept silent for a while, holding each other’s hands in quiet sadness, knowing what would happen to Selene, to their friend who had suffered so much already.

The heat and humidity of the summer night weighed on Jeanette, making her feel sluggish and weary. The light breeze made the trees and leaves dance in the night, while the mesmerizing sight couldn’t remove the sadness within her that brought back her darkest memories. Memories of when Eris had choked her, had locked her up in the Hunters’ Chambers before running off. The memory of betrayal. She had pitied him then, had pitied Selene more so. They were brother and sister, always there for each other, and in an instant, it was as though their bond had snapped. The bond she had never fully understood or liked. Their hearts had been connected then—might still be—but She of the Dark had done horrible things to undo the light wrapped around them. And she was doing it again. Once again, Jeanette found herself asking, ‘Why them?’ Why hurt them, torture them, break them? Why Selene? Why Eris?

And now, so close to the summer solstice, history wanted to repeat itself, not just further break their bond, but break them.

Her blond hair blew around her, and a chill crawled up her spine. Her senses heightened, allowing her to smell the freshness of the grass, hear the heartbeats of the Witches across the way, carefree. Oh, how Jeanette wished those four heartbeats belonged to Selene, Eris, Blake, and herself. Once upon a time, they were like that, laughing, smiling, bathing in the sunlight. Then, Senid, Nivette, and all the other dark creatures entered their realities, tearing them apart, sending each into different directions of darkness. There was so much joy in the air, joy Jeanette wished she had herself.

“We’re here,” said Ettore, letting go of her hand, opening the door for her to the apartments above. “You’ll have to use the elevator. Nuri’s shadow is sticking out of the wall, so I can’t enter. Probably for the best if we announce ourselves anyway. She’s on the third floor, apartment 3C. Pray that she doesn’t kill you.”

“She won’t,” muttered Jeanette doubtfully, entering the tall building that glistened in the moonlight. Making her way to the elevator, she noticed that this building still used the older versions. It was as beautiful inside as it was outside, with smooth tile and windows all around, each mirror lined with various runes, and gold fixtures all around, just to make it look even nicer to show that this was where the wealthy lived. Selene was indeed living a life of luxury.

Pressing the third-floor button, she stood alone in the steel-and-wood elevator that shook as it rose. At the same time, instrumental music filled the air, lightening the mood even slightly, causing her to tap her foot to the beat. It was an old tune, once famous but now deemed “elevator music”.

Lurching to a stop, the elevator bobbed before the silver doors slid apart. The thing may be beautiful to look at, but it was still an uneasy invention, and she was grateful to be out of it.

Looking at the sign across the elevator, she went right to the apartments 3A to 3J. Her feet echoed on the ivory marble flooring, which was so brightly lit that her reflection stared up at her. Taking a deep breath, she prayed Selene would not kill her the moment she saw her and knocked twice. A female voice called out. It was sweet, human, devoid of pain. Opening the door, Jeanette stared at a petite, slight girl with brown hair and gray eyes, who smiled brightly at her.

“Hi! Can I help you?”

“I need to see Selene.” In an instant, the girls’ faces darkened, and their eyes clouded over, turning stormy. Her hands went up, flaming at the tips, growing, brightening, turning blue. Selene taught the girl well.

“Silentium,” muttered Jeanette, grabbing her arms, spinning her around in time to pin the arms back. Pushing the girl inside, she kicked the door shut behind her.

“Lily? Lily!” Jeanette stood there, holding the struggling girl easily, waiting for Selene to show her face. A part of her felt bad for using the girl named Lily as a shield, but she hoped it would keep Selene at bay and keep herself alive.

It was weird to see Selene after all this time. She looked so normal, like any other Witch wearing jeans and a light green tank top. For a moment, Jeanette thought she was staring into the past. Still, the unmistakable pain in her purple eyes and the way her irises darkened let her know otherwise.

“So he sent you, huh. The coward couldn’t even come himself.”

“The coward did not send me. I came here to warn you.”

There was a shift in her eyes, something suspicious. “Let Lily go.”

“Promise not to kill me?”

“Yes.” There was a pause, however slight; it was there.

“Very well then.” Jeanette let the girl go and stayed where she was, staring at her old friend unwaveringly.

“Is she a friend?” she heard the girl Lily ask, rubbing her arms and staring at her warily.

“I don’t know, are you Jeanette?”

“You need to run Selene,” she began, ignoring her. “I know you don’t want to, I know you want to see him and kill him, but you can’t. Trust me, keep running, please. I don’t have much time, and I can’t tell you much, but you can’t stay here.”

“I can’t keep running, Jeanette.”

“Selene, for the love of all things light, please hide, please run far away.”

“Why?”

“Just trust me, you trusted me once, trust me again.”

“Tell me why,” said Selene, her tone unyielding.

Jeanette thought hard, noticing how Selene’s fingers began to twitch, flexing, prepared to fight. Looking at her now, she wanted so badly to tell her the truth, but the words wouldn’t come, and a little voice in her head told her it would only cause more harm than good.

“Darkness has taken over the coven, and if you come back, your heart will break.”

Selene relaxed her lip, twitching into the sad little makings of a smile. “He’s coming for me, isn’t he?” I was a statement, not a question. Hanging her head down, she nodded.

“He’s coming for you in a week, on the night of the Eclipse. You won’t stand a chance, you’ll die if you fight him.”

“I don’t know, I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.” Jeanette couldn’t believe Selene was smiling.

“Oh, Selene,” she said, shaking her head, “nothing you have will prepare you for what he has. Please, just run, hide, live.”

“Running and hiding is no way to live, Jeanette.” Selene’s smirk vanished, and Jeanette’s watch beeped. She had to go.

Defeated, she took one last look at her old friend, tried to imprint this in her memory before a broken heart destroyed her.

“Goodbye, Selene.”

“Jeanette, I can handle anything he throws at me.”

“Not this.” Leaving the house, Jeanette ran out to Ettore, taking the stairs, letting her blond hair whip back and forth in her speed.

Oh, Selene…

***

Entering Blake’s room, Jeanette slumped against the doors, defeated. He looked up from his book, not surprised.

“So she’s not gonna run, huh.”

“No. “ I tried, Blake,” she said, making her way to the bed and collapsing onto the fluffy comforter. “I tried to make the words come out, but, looking at her, I couldn’t.” She looked so happy but broken. It was a lost cause, but I had to try.”

“It’s probably better you hadn’t told her. She would have rushed here and killed anyone who stood in her path, friend or foe. It would have done more harm, and she would have killed Eris. You know why she can’t.”

“I know, but at least she would have caught them off guard.”

“But at what cost? You know she needs to come back, she’s the cure for the darkness in the coven.” Pushing herself up on her elbows, they stared at each other until the doors sprang open, jerking them both to their feet. Lilith walked in, waving the doors shut behind her. Her yellow-green eyes stared at both of them, amused, her red leather jacket and boots, which matched, glistened as though bathed in fresh blood.

“How was your trip?”

Jeanette’s blood turned cold. “What are you talking about?”

Tilting her head to her side, Lilith’s glee turned to annoyance. “Oh, you know exactly what I am talking about.”

“Enlighten me.” Faster than a snake, she struck, only a foot away from Jeanette, her hand wrapped around her throat, nails tentatively piercing her skin. Blake took a step forward, but Jeanette held out her hand to stop him.

Lilith smiled. “I will use my nails, and you remember how they feel, don’t you, Jeanette?”

“Yes.”

“Good, I’m glad, I would hate to have to remind you.” She laughed, letting go only to backhand her, sending Jeanette to the ground. The sickly, metallic, and salty taste filled her mouth. Spitting up on the ground, she looked at the now kneeling Lilith, who lifted her chin with the tips of her nails that glistened sharply.

“Now tell me, dearie, how was your visit to Selene? What are their names again? Lily? Luke?”

“I told them to run, and that Eris was coming.”

“And?”

“And nothing else.”

“Really? Why not?” Lilith asked, genuinely shocked.

“Because it will destroy her, and I couldn’t do that to her.”

“So she doesn’t know? Wonderful!”

“Go die in a ditch, Lilith,” said Blake, unable to contain himself any longer. Jeanette saw Lilith look at him, her eyes flickering with rage.

“You should be a little nicer to me, Blake.”

“Why? The moment Selene returns, you are done. She’ll kill you, and Eris will let her. You mean nothing to him, while she means everything to him.”

“Even so,” she said, unperturbed, “it would be an interesting fight, wouldn’t it?”

“Toxic bitch,” he snarled. Jeanette wanted to tell him to shut up just to get Lilith away from her, but with the poisonous nail pressed sharply against her chin, she was afraid to move her mouth.

“Oh, I know.” She stood up, patting Jeanette on the cheek lightly, leaving her to breathe freely. “Behave, you two.” Making her way out the doors, she snapped them open, leaving them to shut on their own. Blake ran to her side, lifting Jeanette from the ground.

“Did you at least warn Selene about her?”

“The thought slipped my mind.”