Eris sat there, staring at him. As always, he didn’t look happy. His eyes were red, symbolizing his unrelenting unhappiness. Eris watched Lilith drape one of her arms over his shoulder. His body stiffened.

“Listen to Eris, darling.”

“Don’t call me darling, you vile bitch.”

“Behave,” she said, tracing one of her thorny nails across his neck.

“Lilith, leave us,” sighed Eris.

Her head shot in his direction, shocked. “Are you sure?”

“Go.” Eris glared at her and watched her walk away, leaving them alone in his bedchamber. He continued to watch Eris hatefully.

“I should kill you,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“Do I really need to call Lilith back?”

His jaw tightened. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Then behave.” He gave a stiff nod, appeasing Eris. “Good. Now, do you know what tomorrow is?”

“Yes.” His voice lost its stiffness, becoming sadder, barely above a whisper.

“Good. Now I need to explain the rules just one more time. You can’t say anything until Lilith says so, and you cannot leave until I leave. Is that understood?” Eris watched him nod again. “Good.”

“You didn’t have to wait this long.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve been sending people after her for three hundred years. She keeps killing them.”

“Do you hate her for killing Nivette?”

Eris stared at him for a moment. “No. I want to, but she’s my sister, I can’t hate her, even if she hates me. And I don’t blame her for hating me. But I love her, and I miss her. All I’ve ever wanted was for her to be safe.”

“Safe doesn’t mean happy. You should have done things differently.”

“Maybe, but what’s done is done.”

***

Eris waited for Jeanette and Blake to finish up the teleportation spell. He hated this after his last two experiences. Selene had been stabbed, in some way poisoned, dying, and he had stabbed her again to save her. Then there was the time she used it herself, and they had died. The sight of his sister’s dimming skin accompanied both memories. Shutting his eyes, he tried to push away those memories of her blood on his hands.

“The spell is ready,” said Jeanette. Eris opened his eyes to look at her, expecting her to glare at him. Instead, Jeanette looked sad, and Eris knew what she was worried about.

“Where will we be?” he asked, looking away towards Blake.

“Does it matter?” spat back Blake.

“Humor me.”

“Screw you.”

“Just outside Nephilium,” muttered Jeanette, putting a gentle hand on Blake. “We should get going.”

“Very well then, after you,” he said, waving the others ahead of him. Jeanette stayed behind, staring ahead at the portal.

“We should let her be Eris.”

“We can’t.”

“Please!” exclaimed Jeanette, clutching his arm frantically. “Eris, please, if she sees the darkness, it will break her.”

“She of the Light spoke to me, Jeanette,” said Eris, holding her hand. “She told me that I couldn’t save Selene because she didn’t need saving. We all forget just how tenacious Selene is. She said everything that is simply is, and that Selene is the only one who can save us all.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Eris tightened his hold on her hand, lacing his fingers in between hers. “I know. I don’t like it either. Now come on, we need to go.” Jeanette nodded and allowed herself to be pulled along by Eris. In the forest on the outskirts of Nephilium, they watched the moons align.