Selene hugged Lily, then Luke, the only family she had had in years, and promised to visit as often as she was able, even if it meant doing it behind her brother’s back. They were her family and always would be, and now they could live their lives and stop running alongside her.

Jason stood behind them, watching them carefully, a small loving smile on his face. Selene couldn’t decide if it was because he was happy to see remnants of his old friends or if it was because they were the descendants of his old friends as a pair.

“You’d better visit, or so help me I will charge down to Telos, stomp into the Coven, and demand to see you. Damn what your brother says.” Lily’s eyes were wide, and her lips formed a pout. Taking her seriously was hard.

“I’ll visit! Just make sure you never break a mirror.”

“As long as she stops looking at them, they won’t break,” joked Luke. Jason laughed as Lily glared at her twin brother. Selene would really miss them.

“Hekate will be coming by later to move in. I told her that I was leaving and that she could have my room if she was interested. She jumped at the chance.”

“Good! I hate thinking of her living in the Darkling District when she can do so much better,” Lily said as she reached into the fridge to pull out the last jug of blood. “Here, you might as well finish it; no one else here is going to drink it, and it’s a bit of a trip.”

“We’re taking the train back,” said Jason. “It’s going to be a long ride, though, but faster than it was three hundred years ago.”

“Thank goodness for that,” said Selene, grabbing her bag. “With my luggage, I would hate to travel on foot or through a spell.”

“You’d better come back,” said Luke, opening the door, “Or I’ll storm down to Telos myself and demand more than just to see you.”

“I know, that’s why I will be visiting.” Selene hugged them each one last time, tightly. “I’ll be back.” She waved goodbye, walking off, leaving the twins standing at the door watching her. Looking back, Selene held back the urge to cry. She shed enough tears over the centuries and was done with it. Jason’s warm and steady arm wrapped around her, pulling her close to comfort.

“You’ll see them again, I promise.”

Eyes wide, she looked up at him. “Can you promise that, Jason?”

“Yes.” Jason pulled away to cup her face as they waited for the elevator, kissing her softly on the lips. Selene loved how tender and loving he was; she could tell how much he missed her, as much as she had missed him. She just loved him. Loved the way his dirty blond hair fell over his teal eyes, missed how he held her. Two hundred and twenty-six years wasted, all because of her brother. Eris…

“I’m only going back to be with you.”

“I know.” Jason grabbed one of her bags in his hand and stepped into the elevator, leading her in while she dragged her other bag. Together, hand in hand, they made their way to the park with the second moon high in the sky.

***

Selene sat on a bench next to Jason, braiding her long hair as she waited for her brother. Looping her hair together, she thought of her brother, hoping he came alone and not with his new lackey. Selene already wanted to kill the vile bitch when she least suspected it.

She would do away with all the dark ones under her poisonous command.

Selene stared up into the sky and watched the second moonrise higher and higher into the heavens. Every sound that filled the air, every beating heart, every click of a shoe on gravel, she imagined it belonged to her brother. He was taking longer than expected, leading Selene to believe that he was giving her a moment to relax.

As she had done more than once over the years, she thought about killing him, wondering if she really could, but it would only create more problems than it would solve. The single thought that prevented her from killing him was the fact that he kept Jason alive. But why? As happy as she was, something still unsettled her.

“I love you, Jason,” Selene said suddenly, without reason. It was a thought that just popped into her head that she said without thinking. The wind blew around them, bringing with it the faint sound of boots on cobblestones, crunching loose gravel beneath them.

Jason tenderly touched her chin, grazing his thumb back and forth on her delicate skin. “And I love you, Selene.” His teal eyes flicked up then down, and he reached for her hand, pulling her up beside him. She followed his gaze down the walkway and watched a figure approach him. It was an arrogant walk she was well acquainted with. The hands were tucked into his front pockets, and his back was straight, his chin held high. Forever the Touched Born priss, she thought, rolling her eyes.

The closer he got, the more Selene willed him to look at her, to see the burning hatred she had for him. Not once did he look down at her.

“Well?”

“She’s right here, Eris. Why don’t you talk to her?”

“I’d rather not. I can feel the animosity, and I’ve no desire to face it. At least you can keep your hatred for me under control. Now, Selene, do stop glaring, it’s unflattering.”

“I agreed to come back, you arrogant bastard, so you’ll have to face me eventually.”

“See what I mean, she can’t keep her anger in check. And as for facing you, I can travel through the Shadow realm. I never have to see you if I don’t want to.”

“Then why drag me back?” she exclaimed.

“Because he’s not allowed to leave.” Eris continued to stare at Jason, who stood calmly under the scrutinizing gaze.

“Why?” she asked, looking back and forth between the pair of men.

“Selene, now is not the time. Either return or I kill you, plain and simple.”

“Eris!” exclaimed Jason, his teal eyes turned red, his heart racing with adrenaline, while his fist clenched tightly together.

“I’m your sister, would you really kill me?”

A cold, hard laugh filled the air. “What a little hypocrite you are. You’ve already tried to kill me twice!” Now he was looking at her, his eyes a jade green. “And now you dare to ask whether or not I would actually kill you? You amuse me, little sister, dear.”

“Unlike you, I never killed innocents.”

“Oh, really? I seem to remember an innocent Vampyre you killed. Not to mention the lives you took in revenge, more than morality. You have killed, doesn’t matter if they were good or bad, you still took lives and liked it.”

Selene let out a deep growl, baring her fangs at him.

“Don’t antagonize her. Selene is returning, we’re catching the train and coming back Eris. I give you my word.”

“Good.” Eris pulled his gaze away from Selene and stared at Jason. “See you soon then. Take care, Selene,” he continued with his back to her, “I believe your seats have missed you.”

He left, vanishing into the darkness. Selene knew her brother, and as much as she wanted to hate him, she was worried about him. Something wasn’t right. Eris always had a defensive side, and Selene could always tell what it was; he would act too cold, too arrogant, to keep people from bothering him.

Something was wrong.

“Selene?”

“Huh, oh yes,” she said, shaking the feeling away.

“We should head to the train station, don’t you think?”

Nodding, she grabbed her bag. “Yes, of course. I mean, I don’t really have a choice, do I?” Letting out a little laugh, she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “No, but it doesn’t matter, we’re finally going to be together, and we have all eternity to make up for the past hundred years.” Throwing her arms around his neck, she pressed his lips tightly against his. Eternity sounded perfect.