Page 11 of Eternal Ruin

“Is this because I didn’t believe you when you said someone was following you?” Kidan had deleted that particular video, but it played clearly in the house some nights, reminding her of her mistake. And it haunted her now.

June did not answer, her eyes looking anywhere but at Kidan.

“I tried to make it right, June. I looked for you.”

“I didn’t want you to look for me,” she finally said.

No, none of this made sense. June was forgiving. June was kind. She wouldn’t leave without a reason.

“Tell me what I did wrong,” Kidan pleaded, knowing she should stop. “Tell me what to do to fix this. To go back to how it was. I’ll do anything.”

The desperation in her voice was genuinely pathetic. But this was her sister. The only other soul in this world who’d grieved the loss of their parents and survived Mama Anoet’s upbringing.

She had to try. Fight at least once.

As if June sensed her thoughts, she broke their contact. Stepped back. An ache built in her throat. The gesture spoke more clearly than a thousand words could. The bracelet Kidan had made her—a butterfly with a three-pointed charm—still shone on June’s wrist. Kidan wished she’d take it off. It was a reminder of their closest memories. Kidan whispering stories about the Three Binds to help ease June’s nightmares night after night, like a lullaby.

First Bind: Vampires could feed only on the eighty acti families.

Second Bind: Vampires have lost their strength and powers.

Third Bind: Vampires could turn you only if they gave up their life.

We’re safe, June. So safe. The Last Sage made sure. Go back to bed.

Clearly, it hadn’t been enough.

After a stretch of silence, June righted her chin. Hard determination filled her eyes. “Do you have the mask artifact?”

Kidan felt herself shatter. An object. The past nineteen years they had spent together, going to school, hiding from Mama Anoet, celebrating their birthdays early, reduced to a fucking object. It did not make sense. Couldn’t make sense.

“Is that what you want?” Kidan whispered. “Will the mask make you happy?”

June hesitated, fidgeting. “Yes.”

Kidan swallowed pure bile, her voice scratching. “And after you have it?”

A slight hesitation, then, “We’ll leave.”

Kidan’s hands fisted, repressed tears irritating her eyes. She was breathless with June’s cruelty. Expecting it and yet being wounded anew each time.

“You will leave again?”

Stop begging,a part of her whispered.You sound pitiful.

When June spoke, her tone was resigned, defeated. As if the bond between them was irreversibly broken. “You have your life, Kidan. And I have mine.”

June moved past her, launching Kidan’s heart into a panicked gallop. She latched on to her sister’s wrist painfully.

“If that’sallyou want, you’re not getting it.” Kidan’s voice whittled down to pure spite. “I’ll make sure you never get it, June. I swear that to you.”

Her sister froze. Kidan hoped this would wake her up. Fear would make her apologize. Come back.

But her delicate features weren’t afraid. Her words even less so. “Then I’ll get it myself.”

Kidan blinked, truly shocked before she hissed, “I’mheiress. The only way you will inherit this house and get the mask is if I die.”

Loud drums echoed with each second her sister said nothing. It made Kidan release her, the implications of that silence. June, who abhorred death, who cried at the idea of an insect being crushed, didn’t so much as blink at the mention of Kidan’s death.