A Court of Hope and Moonlight

Chapter 2

Selene casually strolled into the meeting room where her cousin waited. Contessa pointedly glanced at the oak clock standing guard beside her desk causing the huntress to shrug in response. "I made a few wrong turns".

It went unsaid that Selene had roamed these halls for over 500 years, and had not received a large enough head injury on her recent excursion to warrant the amnesia.

Contessa released a long-suffering sigh. "Sit, Selene".

"If you're going to address me as you would a hound, dear cousin, please extend me the courtesy of a bowl of water or table scraps at the very least. I'm famished from my ordeal" Selene drawled as she lowered herself into the chair bathed in sunlight from the large window above their heads.

Contessa quirked her lips, but quickly smothered the beginning of a smile before folding her hands on the desk in front of her. She did not acknowledge her younger cousin's words, but Selene knew fully well that anyone not of her blood would never dare to show such disrespect to their Chieftain. Selene was a special case, who easily managed give her cousin grey hairs or melt the cold mask Contessa's position required of her. It was a talent the Orion leader believed none other than the female sitting before her possessed.

Selene herself was a true juxtaposition, beyond the contrast of her grey eyes and dark curls. Selene walked with a cool calm that belied the raging strength and power beneath her skin. The smile she often wore could quickly transform to reflect raging passion or lethal determination should the occasion require it.

"I am glad you and your wit survived your skirmish with the Illyrians, I fear what would befall our people should we lose your sunny disposition, cousin."

Selene glanced down at her hands and used her thumb to pick at dirt beneath her long nails. "Never fear, I had everything under control" she drawled and put her hands beneath the table, seemingly free of the imaginary grime.

"The blood you're getting on my carpet says otherwise"

Selene rolled her eyes and leaned back in the chair, before receiving a sharp reminder that her right wing had not escaped the hands of her temporary captors. "Tessy, I had no other choice. The camp we targeted was too large, they had too many patrols already on alert that night, we all knew that going in. We never would have gotten away without a distraction-"

"Not only did they realize that the disappearance of their females was no accident, you demonstrated power Selene. Before, the camps never would have shared the news of their females vanishing in the night, but now word will have surely spread from Ironcrest that there is a powerful threat stealing away their females" Contessa cut in.

Selene straightened "I am not at fault for the third female waking that night and sounding an alarm, and the power I demonstrated was a glorified light show. They may fear the unknown variable, but I am not concerned about them gleaning our power. If they thought we had something stronger, we would have used it before letting them get so close. Let them think my little fireworks display was our last resort"

"I understand that you could have not prevented their notice, I have informed all of the huntryas that the next time we make contact we will recommend a stronger dose of breudwydorn draught. However, that does not change the fact that we will have an infinitely more difficult time sneaking a spy into camp, using our light travel or not. They will not leave their females unguarded now."

Selene was about to protest, but her cousin pressed on "And, there still remains the fact that they could have gravely hurt you, Selene. You are beyond Night-graced that the warrior boy left you alone so you could escape. You would have shown your hand if they did worse than bloody your face and back, Selene. Would you have sat by if they had touched your wings?"