After a tense moment, he whirled on his feet, tossed the silk curtains aside, and vanished into the palace.
“That’s it, then,” my mother said sadly. “We must split up.”
I jerked my head toward her. “What?”
“Something has made him uneasy. He won’t risk the full sunlight himself, but he might send other guards to patrol the streets, or send word to those at the wall. We must split up. You return on the path we took here. I’ll meet you back at the ruins.”
She started to turn away, but I grabbed her arm, my heartbeat as thunderous as a lion’s roar. “Mother, no. We’re in an enemy city. Wehaveto stay together.”
“You agreed to this,” she said sharply. “You agreed when I told you that no matter what happens in this godforsaken place that you will do as I say. And I’m telling you to return the way we came.”
Her voice was full of fury. Swallowing, I took a step away from her. I’d never seen her like this.
“Good.” She gave me a curt nod. “Now go. And Selene…you’ve made me proud today.”
Shaking my head, I went against my every instinct and left her there beside the statue. By the time I’d vanished around the corner, she hadn’t moved. Something was wrong. Ares shouldn’t be here, judging by my mother’s reaction, and she wouldn’t ask us to split up unless she really thought it necessary.
But what did that mean? What could possibly be happening?
With unease churning in my gut, I retraced my steps through the city, passing the human farm, then the wealthier vampire districts, and then the abandoned section where we’d entered. I reached the wall without incident. Ducking beside it, I shielded my eyes against the sun sliding closer to the horizon. Two guards still stood at the archway, and there were no others patrolling the streets that I could see. No alarms. No shouts. Nothing seemed amiss at all.
That had to be a good sign. I couldn’t bear to believe anything else.
I made it across the wall and to the ruins just as night returned in all its shadowed glory. A full moon glimmered overhead, its brilliant silver light swallowing up the stars. It was enough to illuminate the ruins, and I found the stretch of wall where we were to meet. My raven perched on the stone, waiting for me.
But my mother wasn’t there.
A thickness filled my throat as I knelt and waited. Hector came to sit on my shoulder, keeping me company. I found her absence didn’t surprise me. Deep down, I’d expected it. She’d seemedoffthe moment she’d spotted Ares. Something was wrong.
“Don’t move,” came a voice from the shadows behind me. The rough edge of a wooden blade pressed against the back of my neck, pinning me in place.
3
SELENE
“Go,” I whispered to Hector. My raven clutched my shoulder tighter, clearly agitated by my command. But he always listened, even when he hated my orders. So only a moment passed before he pushed off my shoulder and vanished into the clouds.
An evening wind rustled my cloak, but the rest of me remained frozen, my legs burning from where I crouched beside the ruined stone wall. Whoever stood behind me had a rough, deep voice, and he smelled of blood. Clearly, he was a vampire. And he had no idea who I was, else he’d know no weapon, not even a wooden stake, was a threat to me.
No need to give that away just yet.
I wet my lips, grasping for an excuse as to why someone would be out here. “Apologies if I’ve caused any alarm. I was curious about these ruins, and I—”
“Don’t bother. I know who you are, Princess Selene ofTroy.” He spit my kingdom’s name like it was a curse, and he pressed the blade harder against my neck.
Fuck.
If he knew who I was, then he must have encountered my mother. Closing my eyes, I steadied myself, calming my breathing and the whirlwind of thoughts tearing through my mind. I called upon that side of me we’d trained since birth—the noble who would never be cowed by a threat. But most importantly, she would revealanyemotion to an enemy.
Cold, aloof, blank-faced. Like a shard of impenetrable ice.
I cracked open my eyes, embracing the Selene I’d forced myself to become. “If you know my name, then you’re a fool for thinking your feeble weapon can intimidate me.”
He huffed what sounded like a laugh. The wood scraped against my neck, but then it vanished. “Very well. Stand and face me. But I’d warn you against trying to run. I’ve come bearing a gift from Zeus, and you won’t want to leave it behind.”
His words shot a spike of fear through my heart, but I kept my face blank. Rising from my crouch, I turned toward him. The vampire I’d seen on the palace steps stood before me now, his heavy cloak rippling around his legs. He’d removed the hood, revealing a tousled head of curly silver hair and eyes the color of blood. He gave me a measured look and lowered a wooden sword with a tip so sharp it could penetrate a vampire’s heart.
“You’re Selene,” Ares said. “The secret daughter of the High Queen of Troy. You are…older than what I expected. How long has she been hiding you away?”
