Page 185 of Eternal Ruin

Slowly, she did.

His brown face was even more striking now, clearer than ever with immortality. Beauty came easily with vampire transformation but so did the all-consuming wrath clouding him.

“You ordered me to sit still.” GK’s voice had morphed, evened out to a hard pitch instead of the quiet, uncertain way he used to speak. “You ordered me to sit still in that crypt, and I did. Even when they drove a knife into my stomach, I remained still.”

Kidan blinked, her breath hitching with the words. “I—I don’t understand.”

GK cocked his head, eyes hard. “Are you lying? Is this some trick?”

“What?No.”

“Then tell me why I couldn’t move.” He didn’t raise his voice, but she flinched at the bite in it. “Tell me why I could feel you clawing inside my mind for months in this room.”

She gasped. “You felt me?”

Had she been right, then? Could GK speak into her mind?

His brow furrowed and a muscle ticked in his jaw. “I can’t tell if you’re lying.”

“I’m not!” she burst out. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. All I know is I could dream of your cell, feel your hunger whenever I was in Adane House. And your voice warning me away from death. I thought it was an illusion but…” She shook her head, biting her lip. “This makes no sense. Why you?”

He stared at her without blinking. “My question exactly. Why you, Kidan? Why do I feel this inexplicable connection to you?”

The accusation in his words made it sound like she’d chained him to her on purpose.

“This hunger I feel, this hatred, it’s worse than death,” he continued after a moment. “You need to end it.”

“I’ll fix it.” Kidan rubbed the heel of her palm into her cheek. “I’ll fix all of this, GK.”

“Yes.” A resigned look settled across his face. “You must kill me before I take a life. I can’t do it myself. The Last Sage prohibits us, but you can do it.”

Air left her lungs at once. Kidan scrambled to her feet, tilting her head up to meet his crimson eyes.

“What? No. Come back to Uxlay with me. To Adane House—”

“I can never return to my monastery!” His roar scared her, the flash of spinning red in his eyes. “A death transformation is a desecration. I’m not just hungry, Kidan. I’mravenous. Every second of every day. You’ve cursed me with a fate worse than death. I can never have a companion because I cannot feed without killing them. I’m an abomination to everything I believe.”

Silence swept over them, his hollow words washing Kidan in hopelessness. God, how could she fix this?

“You should have let me die back then,” he said with true pain. “All you’ve done is prolong my death.”

Impossible. She wouldn’t lose anyone she cared about.

“You’ll be my companion,” Kidan said, heart thundering. She repeated it and grabbed his hand, over the bone chains.

Her eyes widened at how hot his skin was. Burning as if he was running a fever. Her own hands were cold against his and she pressed her palm into his, hoping to cool him, make him see the path ahead.

He stared at their joined hands with nothing but fear.

Then his fangs emerged, black as pure coal. Kidan gasped as his dark eyesappeared and disappeared, struggling to form before they became ringed with red, glowing like an ember.

Black fangs… just like the Lusidios’. A sign of vampires who’d been turned after death.

“GK?” Kidan moved to step back, but he tightened his grip. Vise tight. He was metal hardened around her hand.

Kidan’s pathetic heart seized. She tugged. “Let go, GK.”

When he didn’t, she struggled harder. The black fangs drew close to her cheek. Her heart ran away from her, and she was preparing to call for help when he yanked hard enough to jolt her.