Chapter 8 — "The Serpent's Game"
The Serpent moved through the palace like water through cracks—silent, unseen, yet leaving a mark on everything she touched. Tonight, the palace seemed to pulse with her presence: a candle extinguished too soon, a whispered laugh carried on the wind, shadows shifting in corridors where no one should have walked.
Selene had expected to find her waiting at the west fountain again. But the Serpent was nowhere in sight. Instead, a single letter lay upon the marble sill of her room, heavy with wax and the scent of jasmine. She recognized the handwriting before even breaking the seal—looping, precise, and unmistakably her sister's.
The game begins, sister. Move wisely, or be moved for you.
Selene's fingers trembled slightly, but her eyes were cold. The Crescent Mark pulsed beneath her gown like a warning drum. Every memory she had lost, every secret she had uncovered, seemed to converge on this single moment: the Serpent was more than a messenger, more than a shadow. She was the hand pulling threads Selene had not yet seen, and perhaps the final obstacle between Selene and Eira—or worse, Kael.
The corridors were alive with distant laughter and the clatter of servants. Selene slipped the letter into her pocket and moved toward the ballroom, where whispers of a late-night gathering promised both distraction and opportunity.
From the balcony, the Serpent watched. Her black eyes glimmered under the moonlight, every gesture measured, every movement deliberate. She had anticipated Selene's arrival, anticipated her curiosity, and most importantly, anticipated her drive.
"You are quick, Lady of the Moon," the Serpent murmured to herself, trailing her hand along the balustrade. "Too quick, perhaps. But the game has only begun."
Selene entered the ballroom, every step a calculated claim of presence. The mirrors reflected her multiple times: silver-eyed, marked by the Moon, carrying both vengeance and knowledge. She could feel the Serpent's gaze even without seeing her, threading the shadows like invisible silk.
A voice interrupted the tension behind her: "The Moon's Rejected Bride, pacing the halls so late."
Kael stepped from the shadow of a curtain, his smile both dangerous and infuriatingly calm. "You move as if you are alone. But in this palace, no one is truly alone… and no one truly safe."
Selene turned to face him. "I expected you to warn me again, or perhaps to spy from the mirrors."
He chuckled softly. "I warn. I watch. I also test. And I wonder… who moves first when the Serpent plays?"
Selene's jaw tightened. "I do. I have no intention of waiting for her to strike."
Kael's gaze sharpened. "Careful, Selene. Every move you make, the Serpent anticipates. Every choice… she bends to her favor. Do you know her goal?"
Selene shook her head. "Only that she holds pieces of my sister's puzzle and my father's ruin. That, and she knows far more than I like."
Kael studied her for a long moment. "Then watch your back. And watch the reflections. Mirrors do not always tell the truth, but they reveal intent."
Before Selene could respond, the Serpent appeared at the far end of the ballroom, her entrance silent and unannounced. The silk of her gown shimmered under the chandeliers, black as a moonless night, her onyx necklace catching the light like a trap.
"Selene," the Serpent's voice slithered through the air, soft but commanding. "Kael. Always the Prince. Always curious."
Selene's hand brushed the hidden dagger beneath her gown. "What do you want?" she demanded.
The Serpent smiled faintly, a curve of shadow and silk. "Not what I want… but what must happen. Every coin you hold, every letter you find, every secret you chase—all of it leads to a choice. And tonight, Lady of the Moon, you will make one."
Kael's expression was unreadable. Selene felt the weight of the Crescent Mark against her chest, the pulse in her veins, the memory of visions stolen and regained. The Serpent's eyes glittered like a challenge.
"Choose wisely," she whispered, stepping back into the shadows, disappearing before Selene could strike or speak.
Selene's teeth clenched. "The game isn't over," she murmured. "And I will not lose."
Kael's gaze followed her as she retreated to the archives, the letter still clutched in her hand. "No," he said quietly. "But every game has a master, Selene. And some masters play more than one side."
In the moonlight, the palace listened. Secrets whispered. Reflections gleamed. And somewhere in the silk and shadow, the Serpent smiled, knowing the true test had only just begun.