Page 236 of Eternal Ruin

Dean Faris nodded at the Sicions who retrieved the artifact and exited. “Uxlay thanks you for your sacrifice.”

It was that last word that jolted Kidan from her thought.

“Sacrifice.”

June.

82.

KIDAN

June. June. June.

The hallway seemed to stretch forever as Kidan bolted to the door, preparing to see her sister on the ground, face drained of blood. She skidded to a stop by the porch when a pair of light arms and a wildflower-smelling body slammed into her.

The impact rang her forehead painfully, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.

June was… in her arms.

Alive.

Hugging her.

Kidan clutched her sister tight, tears bubbling in the corners of her eyes. She pulled back and checked her body urgently, making June giggle at the ticklish manner.

Human. Alive.

“You’re okay,” Kidan whispered in wonder.

June beamed at her. Kidan hugged her again, checking everyone else past her shoulder.

They were all alive.

Taj. Iniko. Yos.

Unharmed. Kidan could have wept with relief.

Dean Faris emerged, poised as ever, and addressed the crowd.

“Kidan Adane has relinquished the mask artifact. She will be expelled from our society within the hour. Please, all of you return to your classes and homes.”

The crowd cleared slowly, but several still lingered, shooting disapproving glares toward the sisters. Kidan held the middle finger up to them, making their pupils flare.

“Kidan,” June chided her, and restrained her arm, taking her inside the house.

Susenyos and the others followed them inside, standing around the study.

“Why… what happened?” Kidan asked after a beat.

Taj spoke first, his previous worried look replaced with a shining face. “Perhaps the law thinks you giving up the artifact is enough punishment.”

“No, the law is specific,” Iniko said, leaning by the wall, a troubled expression on her face. “It says ofequalvalue to the person. Kidan values the artifact less than June, so the value isn’t equal.”

Kidan melted onto the couch. A sinking feeling weighed them all down. It was the horrible sensation of knowing they’d missed something, something important, but Kidan didn’t know what it was.

While the others moved to the living room, Kidan crushed her sister in another hug, ignoring her protests. How cruel it would have been to lose June because of the house law.

June laughed and gave in, going limp. “I’m fine.”