Macy POV
The sound of Selene's laughter continues to fill my mind. It is high pitched and deranged. Desperate to block out the noise, I press my hands to my ears and close my eyes.
'Pull yourself together,' my Gray Creature hisses at me.
At her command, my eyes pop open, and I find myself staring at the Moon Goddess herself. Her laughter stops as she studies me. "Did you think I would let you bring forces into my realm?"
I glance around. The lycans that pushed me through the portal are gone. I could have sworn that they entered the Human Realm just moments before I did. Where are they?
"Looking for someone?" She says as she circles me. "Lycan warriors, Perhaps?"
As she speaks, werewolves come out of the trees. I don't need to smell them to know they are rogues. Their matted hair and unkempt appearance tells me all that I need to know.
"The problem with hopping between realms is how time moves. You can't guarantee everyone comes through at the same time."
The smile on Selene's face is cruel. Time is not something I considered when I made the plan. How could I make such a stupid mistake? Obviously, Selene knew I would make it. She was waiting for me.
"Oh dear," Selene smiles. "Did I foil your plans for war? If only someone could have alerted you. Cassian, perhaps."
"No," I finally speak. "Cassian is on my side."
"You stupid child," Selene laughs. "He may not have been able to lie to you, but he still played you for a fool. He wanted you out of the Immortal Realm. You were a threat to the throne."
I shake my head. I refuse to believe that Cassian would send me to my death. Selene snaps her fingers and two of the rogues lunge forward. They dig their claws into my skin and pull me away from the portal entrance. With another snap of her fingers, the portal blazes to life. "Find the Princess, burn the rest to the ground."
Rogues begin to file through the portal. I struggle against the two holding me, but they only hold me tighter. I feel weak without my wings, and I am exhausted from the lack of sleep.
'Can I come out yet?' My Gray Creature asks as if she is bored.
She doesn't wait for me to give her permission. I blink my eyes, and shades of gray fill my vision. The sound of my captors heartbeats drown out all other sounds, and my Gray Creature licks her lips hungrily.
One of the rogues looks at me and drops my arm. His eyes are fearful.
"Surprise," my Gray Creature taunts him.
She laughs as the other rogue lets me go. Both scramble away from me as fast as they can, but she has no intention of letting them get away.
One falls to the ground, and she wastes no time descending onto him. Her thin fingers plunge into his skin and wrap around his heart. She squeezes, and gray veins sprout all over his skin. He gasps for air and closes his eyes. When they reopen, they blaze red.
"Welcome to the party," My Gray Creature sings.
I stare at him in disbelief. Slowly, his skin turns gray, and he waits at my Gray Creature's feet like an obedient dog.
'What did you do?' I whimper.
'I am leveling the playfield,' she responds.
"Kill the Moon Goddess," she commands the man at her feet.
The rogue gets to his feet and flings himself at Selene. He strikes her in the back, knocking her off her feet. The portal closes, and Selene screams. "Kill them!"
The remaining rogues look at their comrade. I can see the fear in their eyes. They don't want to become a Gray Creature. They back away from Selene, unwilling to do her bidding.
Selene tosses aside the man trying to attack her. He hits a tree but bounces back quickly. My Gray Creature holds up her hand, stopping him from attacking again.
"Selene," she addresses the Moon Goddess. "You Look surprised to see me."
"Astoria," Selene replies through gritted teeth. "I thought you were dead."
"Funny thing," my Gray Creature replies. "When you denied me entry into the afterlife for stealing your lover, I floated around until I found a host."
"This look does suit you," Selene scoffs. "Now your outside matches the evil within."
"Luckily for you," my Gray Creature snarls, "I only plan to stay here long enough to kill you."
I swear I see Selene pale. I have no idea what is going on, but I am enjoying watching Selene squirm.
Howls in the distance cause Selene to jump. She spins in the direction of the sound before disappearing. My vision flickers back to color, and my Gray Creature is gone.
'Do you want to explain any of that to me?' I ask.
'Maybe later,' she replies. 'For now, I am tired.'
I look at the Gray Creature still waiting for orders. 'What do we do with him?'
'Kill him,' she yawns. 'He severed his purpose.'
'I will not,' I gasp.
'Suit yourself,' she says before retreating into the depths of mind.
I look around and sigh. The rest of the rogues have disappeared without a trace. I don't know if they retreated before Selene or if she took them with her.
"This was a failure."
"I do not think so, my Queen," the man says.
I look at the man with disgust. The last thing I want is a man puppy following me around. I feel responsible for his life; I created him after all.
"Come on," I grumble. "Let's find shelter."
He jumps to his feet and stands beside me. "Yes, my Queen."
"Don't call me that," I snap at him. "Call me Macy."
"Of course, my Queen," he replies.
I stomp my foot at his response, but he does not seem to recognize my frustration. "What is your name?"
"Douglas," he whispers.
"Do you know the area?" I ask him.
He shakes his head.
"If we are going to do this together, there have to be some rules," I tell him. "Don't call me the Queen. I don't want to draw attention to myself. And no killing. I will not leave a trail of bodies across the Human Realm."
"Yes, Your Highness," he bows deeply.
"Oh, for fuck's sake," I grumble as I traipse through the forest.