Page 102 of This Blood That Breaks Us

There were hushed whispers in the atrium. It was unheard of.

“This is something to be celebrated. The bond has evolved further than we could have ever hoped. Isn’t that the true sign of The Divine? That these two will usher in the strongest bond our family has ever seen.”

Words of praise filled the room in hushed whispers.

Her attention turned to us, and I wondered if this could be the same person. The one who killed Sarah. Because this felt different. My world was knit together like the stars overhead when She was near. She aligned the cosmos in place and hung the moon in the sky, and more importantly, She came for us when we needed Her.

“Let me see,” She muttered, and ran Her fingers through Zach’s hair.

I waited for his normal protest, but his tough outer shell had fallen. He let Her take his arm.

“You came.”

“You were calling to me. I can help with the pain. Would you like that?”

He looked at me, and I nodded.

She bit into Her wrist and blood flowed from Her porcelain skin like ink. I turned my head, willing myself not to breathe in the scent of Her blood. I had to be strong for my brother. I should have been worried, but She wouldn’t hurt him. She wouldn’t hurt us. The past was the past. This queen, my queen, was perfect and magnificent. She’d do nothing but care for us.

“Drink a little, Darling.”

He didn’t hesitate. The euphoria of it hit as if I had tasted Her blood with my own lips. It healed his wounds, and every ounce of pain we’d been plagued with was instantly gone. I marveled in the peace. The sense of safety and love pulled me under with it. She was worthy of all my praise and devotion.

“Ascension is near. On the next new moon, in five days, this pain will be a thing of the past. Until then, you both will not be kept apart. Your wait is almost over. You’re both ready.”

Dear Luke and Zach,

It’s my birthday today, and everyone remembered. I didn’t want them to. I’ve tried really hard to be happy for them. But how am I supposed to do that when you’re not here to make my cake or to sing me “Happy Birthday” in that weird chorus you guys do? I’ve stopped expecting you to come through the door. But today, I kinda hoped for a second or two when I was blowing out the candles.

I’m really sad. My chest hurts and I had the weirdest pain in my hand today. Can you feel it too?

Love you forever,

Presley

Thirty-One

Zach

I opened and closed my hand. It had been a few days since Sirius took a knife to my fingernails. He’d forced me down with a crazed look in his eye, mumbling about the prophecy and The Divine, when I was too weak to push him off me. I’d sinceavoided him. Ezra said I should forgive him and that families fight, but I would have never done that to my brothers. At least it was easy to hide the faint scars with my suit coat.

It confirmed what I knew about this place and left a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even if we complied with what they wanted, we’d still get hurt. I was glad it was me and not Luke, or I might have tried to kill Sirius, and that would have ended badly.

I shook off the thought. She was right. Fate was aligning, and Ascension was days away. My brother and I had a set path, and we needed to walk it.

“Sir, are you coming to the bonfire tonight? Everyone would appreciate your presence.” Connell was practically jumping up and down at the thought as he scrubbed the deck of the ferry.

I was partially hiding from Sirius and avoiding going to the old church to pray. If Sirius didn’t make me go—because he was an ass and got himself in trouble—I would not volunteer.

“I’m so not in the mood for that shit.”

After what happened with Sirius, the last thing I wanted to do was mingle with those assholes.

“That’s why you should come. We want to spend time with you before you ascend. We’re going to make an altar by the cliffside, drink, and tell stories.”

More cult shit. Nothing surprised me anymore. I didn’t want to burn off the last of my brain cells by participating in some weird ritual.

“Sounds like it could be a good distraction.” Luke appeared beside me, oddly chipper for such a gloomy day.