Selene woke up in her dimly lit room, where rays of sunlight tried to penetrate her thick black curtains. All the ethereal dust from the day before had rubbed off on her pillow and sheets. Some remnants, however, remained in her hair and on her body in patches.

Sitting up, she stared blankly, staring at her calendar pinned against the wall. She only had a few days before her brother caught up to her. The thought of him made her stomach turn, and her heart ache. She would be lying if she said she didn’t care about him and hated him. Sadly, she missed her brother, but deep down, she knew that he was gone, the one she used to kick, the one she used to best, the one who would carry her, take care of her, make her smile. That brother was gone, had died alongside Jason. Whatever bond they once had was broken, turning her life into a mess of running and hiding.

It doesn’t have to be, echoed a gentle voice in her head.

What do you mean, asked Selene. The Goddess’s voice in her head was something she had grown accustomed to, something she loved that warmed her heart.

Go to church tonight, Selene.

Why? Those women know nothing—

They know what I have let them know, Selene, she scolded. Now stop pouting, stop moping, and get ready for work before you’re late.

Just like that, her voice was gone, leaving Selene’s thoughts hollow. Picking herself up, Selene made her way to her shower, washing off all the Fairy Dust that remained from the previous day before replacing it with fresh dust to begin her day.

Lily and Luke were both gone, leaving breakfast on the table for her, some hearty bacon and eggs. Wonderful Lily, she always knew just what Selene was in the mood for. A hot cup of coffee sat waiting for her on the sparkling clean counter. Lily was so much like her grandmother, Cecilia. Taking a bite of the crispy bacon, she slipped on her purple heels before grabbing her blazer, finishing what was left on her plate, and grabbing the lunch Lily had left in the fridge before heading out of the apartment, coffee and briefcase in hand.

Stepping onto the crowded sunny sidewalk, Selene put on her large oval-shaped eyeglasses. She made her way through the crowd, taking tentative sips of her coffee. It was another crowded day, but during the summer time, it tended to be.

Hardly anyone ever opted to ride their cars on beautiful days like today, and the fear that filled most Reborns, well, those days vanished along with the barriers. Looking around, taking another sip, she bumped into someone, nearly spilling her coffee over her white blouse. Selene caught her breath as she faced the golden-eyed Reborn she had bumped into. A Reborn with a smile, Selene found all too familiar.

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, no harm.” The Reborn walked away, leaving Selene staring dumbfounded and dazed after her. Could it really be her? Here in Nephilium? Shaking her head, Selene continued on her way, sparing glances behind her, moving through the throng of people that melded together, becoming blurs, fragments. Azelia, was that really you? Has my brother found you? Her last thought shook her, made her heart pound. Can you fix my brother?

Her watch beeped, drawing her back to reality, putting together the fragments her mind had shattered. She had to get to work; she had to go now, Azelia, her brother, those thoughts would have to wait.

Picking up her pace, moving between people who filtered the sidewalk, she continued on. Try as she might, she had to pretend to be human, that going to work was a hassle, that the normality and routine were mind-numbing. But to Selene, it made her feel human. Ironically, having a dull life made her feel alive again.

Catching sight of her comrade Hekate’s little newsstand, she stepped up to it. She was already late; a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt. The Witching was bathing in the sunlight, a coffee machine behind her, newspapers stacked around her as she lay languidly on her cushioned lawn chair.

“Hello Selene,” said Hekate, her eyes shut beneath her sunglasses, using her real name despite her protests.

“Do I smell that strongly?”

“Strongly of Gardenia, Fairy Dust, magic, and blood. It all adds up to a pleasant enough scent, though.” Hekate lowered her sunglasses and stared above the rim with her cat-like green eyes. “Want a cup of coffee or today’s paper?”

“No thanks.”

“Well, that’s certainly not good for business! Buy or get lost.” If it weren’t for the smile that crept up on her lips, Selene would have thought she was completely serious instead of only partially. Either way, she tossed her a blue Felician 15¢ frank. In return, Hekate threw her a newspaper.

“Always a pleasure, Selene.”

“You’re an extortionist.”

“And yet, people still adore me.”

“You make a good cup of coffee.”

“Oh, psh! It’s the best in the District! Perhaps even in the city. Word travels.” Hekate grinned at her, revealing her exceptionally long and sharp feline canines.

“Sure.”

Hekate studied her briefly over the rim of her glasses before putting them back on her nose. “Spill Selene. Standing idly by is bad for business, and I already know you want to tell me something. My cat senses are tingling.”

“You’re not going to charge me?”

“Not a certified therapist, Selene, just a friend with an ear.”

“Thank heavens for that, I can only imagine your prices.”

“They’d be fair enough, but enough banter, out with it.” Selene made her way around to her side, leaning against the wall while Hekate fixed up another pot of coffee on her little burner, charged with a lighting-infused stone.

“Eris is coming.”

“Your cowardly brother is finally going to face the music. Interesting.”

“He’s still a coward. He’s coming on the night of the Eclipse.”

“Of course he would, talk about unfair advantages. What a shame, you have such a pretty face.” Selene couldn’t help but laugh. Hekate knew just what to say to lift the weight off her shoulders.

“Well, I don’t plan on dying, not yet anyway.”

“Who said anything about dying? I was commenting on how disfigured you would become from the fight.”

“Charming.”

Hekate snickered before turning serious. “So you plan on killing him?”

Selene nodded. “All the running taught me something. I have some tricks up my sleeve. I can tap into the darkness and the light. I’ve done it before, countless times for practice.” Selene looked away, down at her hands that wrapped around the handle of her briefcase tightly. “I think I always could.”

“Why have a gift if you’re not going to use it?” chided Hekate, handing a cup of coffee from the previous pot to a paying customer.

“I guess.”

“Selene, don’t hate me for what I am about to say.”

“All right.”

“Your brother had good intentions.”

“He had selfish intentions.”

“Let me finish.” Hekate took a deep breath, staring at her coolly. “You told me She of the Dark gave you an offer to choose one. She cannot corrupt those of the light unless they were bred from the darkness. Pietro was born in darkness. She of the Light gave Jason to you. While Jason may have been of the light, his soul still began in darkness.

“The crimes your brother committed are unforgivable, but I think he was willing to risk death if only to protect you. She of the Dark wants what’s hers and hates you because you cannot be tainted. You are pure.”

“How do you know all this?”

Hekate shrugged. “I go to church.”

Selene still shook her head, wondering if the Goddess had somehow imparted this wisdom and knowledge onto her friend. But still, that didn’t change anything. “I won’t forgive him. I can’t.”

“I’m not saying you should. I’m saying that you need to look at all the facts, not just the ones you want to. You didn’t choose, so She did. Remember that. Be mindful that She had a part to play in your brother’s actions.”

Selene stood there silently as the noises of passersby and cars filled the air. Hekate was right, she hated to admit, but after three hundred years of hating, it was hard to shut it off. She needed time to think, time to talk with She of the Light.

“I have to go to work.”

“Just think about it, Selene. Pietro was born from darkness; even you need to acknowledge that.”

Standing there for just a moment as phones rang, cars blared music and horns, and the smells of breakfast sausage and eggs filled the air, she pulled herself away from the wall, leaving Hekate’s side. Walking away, she briefly looked back, watching her attend to yet another customer. Selene didn’t know why she had spilled her entire life story to Hekate, the night she met her on a late-night walk. But Selene couldn’t listen to her, didn’t want to, so she lifted up her head and made her way to work, pretending like it was just another normal day.

***

At night, Selene didn’t have to worry about wearing her sunglasses to cover up any redness that would appear in her otherwise purple eyes. Not many people would be able to see the true nature of her being this late at night.

Out on the dark street, the wind blew fervently, cooling the otherwise sticky, humid air. The buzzing from the streetlights above filled the silent night as she walked down the sidewalk down Silmarine Avenue towards the church. Selene hoped that she would be alone and that no bothersome priestesses would bother her, trying to spread the word of the Goddess of Light. If they did, Selene would have to scare them away by any means possible.

Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she approached the white church with Gothic spirals reaching up around it. A design from her young mortal days rather than the current times. It should stand out in the city, yet the way nature blossomed around it, with high trees and silver and gold glass-stained windows, it overshadowed the steel and glass buildings around it. The tall glass in the front depicted both He and She of the Light, the husband and wife, and true Immortal King and Queen. It was as beautiful as the stone statue of the two embraced inside, the one she would see the moment she forced herself to enter the big wooden doors.

It was warm, and Selene felt at peace and safe as she closed the door silently behind her. Ahead of her was the marble statue of the Highest of the Light in their lovers’ embrace, wings out and wide behind them, blending into the wall. Selene had never seen He of the Light, but looking at the face of She of the Light, despite its beauty, it looked cold, lacking the warmth that made the goddess beautiful. The moonlight that fell on it through the stained glass windows and lit candles around made it glow, but it was still artificial, a work of man, the only way they could view such beauty. But it was beautiful and truly a work of art.

Suddenly, footsteps filled the air, and Selene breathed an irritated sigh. For a moment, she almost thought the gentle smile on the statue was teasing her.

“Have you come to pay homage to Those of the Light?” asked a Priestess in a calm and gentle voice.

“In a way,” answered Selene quietly.

“It’s always a pleasure to have a visitor. Did you know that it was She of the Light who created the Reborns? Of course, even though her brother, He of the Grey, created us Witches, he used a bit of her to spin out our being.”

“He used a bit of each sister. As the Reborns walk the path of light and Shadowlings the path of darkness, Witches see the gray to keep the balance in the world. Witches see both pathways and choose their own destiny.” Suddenly, she remembered Larkin and Kyra, the Witches who had decided to see the darker side of life.

“How unfortunately correct you are.”

Selene laughed at the girl’s naive blindness. “It’s not unfortunate, it’s realistic. You cannot have the light without the dark. For each candle you light, a new shadow is born.”

“If you light enough candles, the Shadows vanish.”

“And when the light goes out, the shadows return stronger. No light is eternal, even the sun sets. Even the moons sleep.”

“Very profound.”

“I should hope so. After living for three thousand years, I certainly hope I found some wisdom.” Turning to smile at the girl, Selene noticed the fear in her eyes as she began to stumble away. Apparently, she was not a fan of Vampyres.

“Must you frighten my Priestesses?” came a voice from her left. Exiting a dark corridor, her silver-white hair was braided over her shoulder, and she looked the same, as always, dressed in the robes of a Priestess.

“It amuses me.”

“The years have made you far too cynical. I can’t decide if that’s a bad thing or a good thing.”

“View it as both.”

She sighed, taking a seat on one of the benches. “Selene, Hekate was right.”

“So you do speak to her.”

“Every so often since you met her.”

“Don’t agree with her.”

“Don’t begin to presume to tell a Goddess what to do. I can smite you should it please me.”

“Forgive me then,” said Selene, taking a seat next to her, smiling.

“It really is a beautiful statue, isn’t it?”

“One of the best.”

“I think so too.” She paused, letting the silence hang between them for a moment as the candles around them flickered.

“Selene, you have to let go of the anger you have towards your brother.”

“Do I?”

“He’s going to need you, and you are going to need him. When my brother stole you from my sister, I made a bond between you two, one of light to go against the darkness, a bonding of the souls. I fear I made it stronger than I had intended, but it needed to eclipse the darkness.”

“I don’t like that.”

“Selene, it’s why you’re so full of light. It’s why you can’t be tainted by darkness. But make no mistake, just because you cannot be tainted does not mean you cannot be tricked.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean, Selene,” she said, leaning back onto the seat. “You were supposed to marry Uriel; that’s what I had intended to save all of you, but sadly, I did not bind your souls strongly enough, and what I did to eclipse the darkness between you and your brother, my sister did. She duplicated the bond between you and Uriel and made a stronger one between you and Pietro, but of darkness. You should have listened to Eris when he told you to stay away from him. Pietro was a catalyst of true darkness that I have been trying to undo.”

“Then why give me Jason?”

“Because of your love, because of the bond, the connection. His death, that darkness made it stronger. Only death could undo it, and I cannot let an innocent continue to be used by her. Unfortunately, Hekate was right; the darkness had too strong a pull on him, and I needed your love to pull him away.”

“Could not.”

“What?”

“You said ‘cannot’, but Jason is dead, so the proper tense is could not.”

“Oh, silly me, I misspoke.”

“Goddess, why does your sister want Eris so severely?”

“She used to want him, not anymore. She has her eyes set on someone else.”

“That poor soul.”

“Indeed.” Silence filled the air between them once again. “Selene, try not to kill Eris. His actions were unforgivable, but there is still a chance to save him. His soul cannot be handed over to darkness, not again.”

“Why not?”

“Because Selene, it would mean damnation for everyone.” She vanished, like a star going out, the dread in her gray eyes haunting, leaving Selene with her own sense of dread.