Change

The moon was waning, and while Asteria preferred it full as it had been on the night she’d come back, as long as it’s twisted light rained down, tugging and pulling and wreaking havoc on those who came out long after the sun was set, she was pleased to be alive—or as close to it as she had been in a thousand years.

The fortress was nearly complete. It was amazing what could be accomplished in a few weeks’ time if one put the right minions in place. They’d come from near and far, across the oceans, from the deserts like the one where she’d first appeared from the highest snow covered peaks, and they would keep coming, those she beckoned anyway. The others had their calling cards as well, and once everything was in place, she would unleash her banshees in waves across the earth, sure to cause utter chaos wherever they tread.

“What are you thinking about, love?” Perses asked, reaching across the bed and gently stroking her p