Page 75 of Eternal Ruin

The professor’s gaze lingered long enough to make her shift slightly on the spot.

“Fractured pillars,” he said instead. “The downfall of a civilized society.”

Kidan wondered what her mother’s pillar of need was. But most of all, she was starting to realize her own, and it could never be just one thing. Kidan wanted to protect and be loved and rule. She wanted everything, which meant she’d be like Susenyos, cursed to remain stagnant, unless she chose one pillar and focused all her attention on it.

Maybe she should follow her sister’s footsteps and abandon family for true, unbridled power. Maybe then Kidan too would feel “safe.”

UXLAY’SHOUSE VOTE

QAROS HOUSE

98 DRANAICS

QAROS HOUSE HAS DELIBERATED AND DECIDED BORDER HOUSES SHOULD BE OFFERED THE POSITION OF DEAN. THEY SUPPORT THE IMMEDIATE REMOVAL OF ADANE HOUSE FROM THE MIDDLE POSITION.

Declared at the Mot Zebeya Courts on Thursday the 29th.

29.

KIDAN

Kidan trembled, staring at the alert on her phone.

Qaros House—no,Slen—had voted against her.

Yusef, who’d been sitting across from her on the grass and sketching, had frozen too. Every nerve in Kidan’s body turned inside out. Blood rushed to her ears, drowning everything out. She must be in her house still, lost in her visions because Slen wouldn’t betray her like this.

Shecouldn’t.

Not like June.

It was Yusef’s slow exhale that helped Kidan understand this was no nightmare.

“Did you know?” She could barely speak.

Yusef lifted his chin in surprise. His eyes were dark and hurt. “No, of course not.”

Slen emerged from the direction of the Mot Zebeya Courts a few minutes later. Her braids curled at her jaw, thick and neat. Her jacket, ever a shield of black around her frame, now pinned with a startling silver pin. Her dress always the same, down to the combat boots, all chosen deliberately. A perfect image of control. The only thing uneven about her was the glove missing from her right hand because she’d given it to Yusef.

Kidan shot to her feet, her eyes burning.

“Gently,” Yusef said in warning, his voice carrying on the wind.

Slen approached them. She shoved her hands into her pockets and angled her chin up. Kidan had to admire Slen’s courage. Not an ounce of shame clung to her.

“It’s not personal. I’m just testing my influence,” Slen said as if they were meant to know what that meant.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kidan snapped, trying to keep her voice low and failing.

“I didn’t write my father’s name.” Slen’s eyes remained dark and straight. “For the power exercise yesterday. I wrote you two. I’m influenced by you two the most.”

Yusef looked up in surprise.

“And?” Kidan snapped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you two are the most dangerous people to me.”

Kidan’s blood pumped so loud she could barely hear her own breathing. She lunged forward, itching to knock some sense into Slen when her path was blocked by Yusef.