Selene's POV
I wasn't asleep.
The rest of the palace might have been lulled into silence, the fires dimmed, the corridors still, but my body was restless, alive. And it wasn't because of fear.
It was because of Kael.
Damien's most loyal guard, the man who was sworn to protect my brother, was in my bed, his body pressed against mine as if the world outside did not exist. His skin was hot, his breath ragged as he thrust into me, each movement sending sharp sparks of pleasure racing through my body.
I had muffled my moans against his neck, my hands clutching at his shoulders to keep myself from crying out too loudly. The walls of the palace had ears, and if anyone knew what we were doing…
I arched against him anyway, my resolve melting with every deep stroke. His mouth found mine, hungry, urgent, as though he too knew this was wrong but couldn't stop.
Neither of us could. His lips trailed down my throat, his fingers digging into my hips as he whispered my name like a curse and a prayer.
And then...
The scream shattered everything.
It echoed through the night, sharp, panicked, followed by another, and then the deep, resonant toll of the bell. The bell that was only rung in the direst of emergencies.
An attack.
Kael froze inside me, his entire body going rigid as the reality struck us both. He pulled back with a curse, his hands trembling as he reached for his clothes. "Stay here," he hissed, already pulling on his tunic and strapping his sword. "Hide. Lock the door. I'll go find his highness."
"Kael..." My protest caught in my throat, my chest heaving with more than just the remnants of passion.
"Selene!" His eyes, usually calm, burned with authority. "Please. Don't leave this room. I'll come back."
He didn't wait for my answer. With one last glance, he was gone, the door closing behind him, leaving me naked, breathless, and trembling in the dark.
But I wasn't one to stand still.
The moment he left, I dressed quickly, pulling on my leather trousers and tunic, strapping the small quiver of arrows across my back. My father had taught me well before he died, taught me the art of the bow, how to strike from a distance with deadly accuracy. "Never miss your target, Selene", he used to say, his hands steadying mine as I pulled back the string. And I hadn't, not once.
Pocket knives were hidden in my boots and belt, blades balanced and ready. My father had trained me in combat too, telling me a princess had to know more than etiquette if she wanted to survive in this cruel world.
Every step I took now was in his honor.
I slipped out of my chamber.
The hallways were chaos. Shadows moved fast, bodies collided, the metallic clash of steel against steel filled the air along with the stench of blood. Vampires, dozens of them rushed through the palace like a storm.
One lunged at me the moment I rounded the corner, fangs bared, eyes glowing red. My bow was in my hand before he even touched me. The arrow pierced his chest cleanly, and he collapsed with a strangled cry.
Another came from the left. This time, I dropped the bow, drawing my knives instead. The blade met his throat in a swift arc, spraying crimson across the marble floor. My movements were fluid, instinctual, every strike precise. My father's training was carved into my bones.
But there were too many. Each hallway brought another fight, more blood, more fear clawing at my lungs. Still, I didn't stop. I needed to fight too
By the time I reached Damien's chamber, my arms were streaked with blood, some theirs, some mine and my lungs burned from the effort.
And then I saw him.
He was on the floor, his body sprawled unnaturally, blood soaking into his clothes, his skin pale, lips trembling as if struggling for air. My heart stopped, and then it shattered all over again.
"Damien!" I screamed, dropping my weapons as I rushed to his side. My knees hit the floor hard, but I didn't care. I pressed my hands against his wound, desperate, frantic, trying to stop the bleeding. "Help! Somebody help!"
The corridor echoed with my voice, but no one came. My tears blurred my vision as I pressed harder, my palms slick with blood.
Then Kael arrived.
My head snapped up, my chest blazing with fury. "You said you were going to protect him! Where were you?!" My voice cracked with grief, rage spilling from me like poison.
His face was pale, streaked with blood that wasn't his. "I was ambushed. I had to fight my way here. Selene, I swear..."
"Don't swear!" I cut him off, my voice breaking. "Look at him! He's dying!"
I turned back to Damien, my hands trembling as I pressed harder on the wound. The blood wouldn't stop. It just kept coming, warm and endless, seeping between my fingers no matter how tightly I pressed.
"Stay with me, brother," I whispered desperately. "Don't you dare leave me." His breath was shallow, uneven, and his eyes fluttered as if he couldn't keep them open.
I ripped a piece of fabric from my tunic, pressing it down hard, tying it as tightly as I could. My hands shook violently, my tears falling onto his face. "Please, Damien. Please."
I staggered to the window, searching for hope. Outside, the battle was slowing. The vampires were retreating, their silhouettes vanishing into the shadows. Relief and despair twisted in me all at once.
"Kael, get help!" I screamed. "Now!"
He hesitated just for a moment, torn between staying and leaving. But one look at me told him there was no choice. He turned and ran.
I was left alone, cradling my brother's bloodied body in my arms. His chest rose shallowly, each breath weaker than the last.
"Stay with me," I whispered again and again, rocking him gently like I had when we were children, when storms frightened him. "You'll be fine, Damien. You're strong. You'll make it. You have to."
Minutes later, the royal physician arrived, rushing in with guards who lifted Damien onto the bed. The physician's hands moved fast, examining the wound, his face growing paler with every second.
And then he froze. His eyes widened. "This… this is the Venorix poison."
The words meant nothing to me, but his horror did.
"What does that mean?" I demanded, my voice sharp, frantic.
"It's rare," he said, his voice trembling. "It spreads slowly through the bloodstream, causing unbearable pain as it destroys the body. I have never treated it before, it's said to be incurable."
Silence filled the room. My heart slammed against my ribs.
"If he dies," I hissed, stepping closer until my eyes bore into his, "I will kill you myself. Do you understand me? You will save my brother, or you will not live to see another sunrise."
His throat bobbed as he swallowed, nodding quickly. "There… there is one method. But it will be dangerous. Painful. And it may not work."
"Whatever it is, do it and it has to work." I snapped.
He hesitated. "The poison is travels slowly. It hasn't reached his heart yet. That is fortunate. But the only method is to drain it from his body over several days, drawn out slowly through bloodletting and herbs that bind the toxin. It will be agonizing. His strength will also drain with it, and I cannot promise he will survive."
Tears welled in my eyes again, but I held my voice steady. "Do it. Whatever it takes. As long as he lives."
The physician nodded, pulling a small vial from his satchel. "This pill will slow the spread for now, keep him alive until I return with the equipment." He slipped it into Damien's mouth, coaxing him to swallow.
"Then go!" I shouted, fury and fear mingling.
"I'll go with him," Kael said, his voice firm. "To make sure everything is prepared."
I didn't look at him. I couldn't. "Fine. But hurry."
The guards, the physician, Kael, all of them left. The doors closed behind them, and silence returned.
I turned back to Damien, collapsing onto the bed beside him, taking his cold hand in mine. My tears fell freely, wetting his skin.
"Please don't leave me, brother," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You're all I have. Everything will be okay. You'll see. You'll survive. You have to."
He was unconscious, his breaths faint, but I held on as if my voice alone could keep him tethered to this world.
And I prayed, for the first time in years, that someone, anyone was listening.