Page 51 of Eternal Ruin

You have your life, Kidan. And I have mine.

“Enough studying.” Kidan shut her laptop with a snap and placed it in her bag. “Let’s have a little fun.”

Yusef stood as well, smirking. “Words I never get sick of.”

Slen sighed, wanting to argue, before following Kidan’s gaze. The pain in her eyes must have been obvious because Slen nodded slowly, then shut her book. Kidan strolled across the courtyard with them, her gaze incredibly focused.

She walked right through June’s little circle without apology and perched on the bench. A small sound of protest emitted from June when Kidan’s boot knocked over her coffee cup. June quickly righted it, appearing terrified.

Dark satisfaction spread in Kidan’s veins.

“Hi.” Kidan smiled wide. Slen and Yusef joined her on either side. “I’m Kidan. Recent graduate of Dranacti. This is Slen and Yusef. Who wants to ask us questions?”

21.

KIDAN

A bully—Noel Andrew—used to terrorize June every chance he could get, slamming books on her desk to wake her violently, calling her a drug addict, a zombie, in need of her next hit, and once, he had tried to kiss June while she slept at his party.

Kidan had hauled him into his bedroom and beat him to a pulp to the cheers of other students. Then, when they realized she wasn’t stopping, those cheers had melted into distressed calls, shouting at her to stop.

The bottom of Kidan’s stomach had drifted into the abyss. Then she’d waited for the rest of her to fade too. Yet Kidan remained in a nightmare glass, time tilted to the side where the fear meant for the foul things in the world was now directed at her.

When June awoke, she didn’t know what Noel had done. Only that he stopped bothering her.

All those instances of saving June, protecting June… all of it had meant nothing in the end.

The circle Kidan had interrupted watched her with wide eyes. They were polite enough not to ask her to move and some even inched forward. Kidan recognized a few students from the previous semester, trying their luck at Dranacti again, hardened with failure. Their hungry gazes trailed the silver pin fixed on her sleeve.

Jealousy was a horrible motivator.

“How did you do it?” a girl asked after a moment. A bronze Rojit House pin,a fern, was fixed to her white sweater. “Professor Andreyas says only one student graduates.”

A tense exchange of looks flickered between the students, the brewing stages of rivalry and competition. All part of Dranacti. Kidan’s mouth twisted. Fostering distrust and encouraging them to murder, and none of them had a fucking clue.

Her instinct, shamefully so, was to get June away from this place.

June wasn’t a killer. She could barely stomach seeing Mama Anoet sick. What would she say when she found out Kidan had murdered her? June would judge her, hate her even more. Her protective instinct was drowning in stirring rage, building to a fever the longer Kidan ignored it. It would only make her sick if she didn’t let it out.

Yusef hesitated for a moment, something dark moving across his face before his casual smile returned. “I failed twice. My best strategy? Find the smartest girl in the room and follow her around.”

Slen narrowed her eyes at him, before turning to the Rojit girl. “Find your purpose. The reason why you want to graduate must outweigh your fears and shortcomings.”

The Rojit girl nodded urgently. “That must be why we got partnered up based on our answers.”

Of course the first task the professor assigned in Dranacti was the Scales of Sovane. And Kidan had paid the price with Ramyn Ajtaf.

June sat close to a girl with golden glasses and soft round cheeks.

Kidan pointed with her chin. “Is she your partner?”

Though her sister straightened in surprise, she didn’t answer.

The girl did, defiance lingering in her upturned chin. “Yes, I’m Qara Umil.”

This must be Yusef’s cousin.

Kidan fought the image of Ramyn from taking her place. The smell of sweet peaches from Ramyn’s scarf tickled her nose. Would June have it in her to betray Qara?