Chapter One

When she opened the door I didn't realize that that would be the end of my life, the last time I saw my two brothers.

"Hello" she said in her honey sweet voice that made me realize something was wrong right off the bat. She was holding a tray of drinks. Three, one for me and one for each of my two brothers, Aison and Abaddōn. Aison was named for our father's father. He was firstborn, so he got that right. Abaddōn's name means destruction, ruination. It was the truth.

"I brought your drinks" she said. Something was definitely wrong. She scarcely ever visited us. My mother set the drinks down.

"Well," she said, "I must be going now." She was gone in a flash. My two brothers grabbed their glasses and drank. The boys drink before the girls. No ladies first here. But I didn't know that that stupid rule I always hated would save my life. Then, they started gasping for air and fell to the floor with a crash. The goblets broke spilled out onto the floor, the remaining drink splashing everywhere, even getting on my dress. But I didn't care. I ran up to them lying on the floor, motionless. I felt each of their hearts. Nothing. My own heart plunged further.

"Aison," I yelled, "Abaddōn! No!" I yelled and cried. My father ran in the room. I told him everything that had happened. He listened. He said he was going to kill her. Literally. He also told me that she had poisoned his bride and she was dead. Then, my mother rode away on a chariot pulled by dragons. He cursed my mother as she flew away into the night sky and I swore someday, somehow, I would get revenge.