Page 207 of Eternal Ruin
She definitely wanted to.
And she would have if Uxlay wasn’t lurking in the back of her mind. The house. GK. Her final class of Mastering a House Law. Sighing, she removed herself from his lap and gave him her phone.
Susenyos squinted at the official announcement of the Luroz vote. The haze cleared from his face quickly. “Umil is left, then. Everyone else has voted.”
After Umil House, it would be her turn to vote.
Kidan nodded slowly. “I’m going to use Resurption when I go back. I have to understand what my mother wanted, inherit her culture any way I can. If Yusef votes against me, we’ll lose Adane House along with the mask. We’re running out of time.”
A dark frown broke his ease from earlier. She already missed the little peace they’d managed to get. “We’ll go now.”
He slid the crown necklace off his head and tied it around her neck. His gentle fingertips sent goose bumps along her throat. “You know, in another time and world, you would have made a formidable empress.”
Her eyes simmered, touching the cool metal. “Empress. Poetry. I’m usually called much worse things.”
His smile was a delicious curve. “By who? Tell me their names. I’ll gently correct their error.”
“Gently?”
He nodded. “You can gently remove a tongue.”
Kidan was laughing deeply, and his eyes were shining when a knock on the door interrupted them.
“Yos, it’s urgent.”
He breathed in and turned. “Come in.”
Iniko came inside, studied them on the bed for a moment before her eyes hardened. “It’s Samson. He’s escaped.”
While Susenyos and his friends searched for Samson, Kidan went to visit GK again, with the hope he’d accompany her to Uxlay. Every time she thought of Samson free, her skin boiled. But he’d be caught. Or, hopefully, killed with the majority of the Nefrasi furious with him.
“Yusef and Slen will want to see you,” Kidan said carefully, back in the concrete cell. “To apologize.”
Though GK didn’t look at her with disgust, he still kept himself in a corner of the dark room.
Silent.
“Is talking to Warde helping?” she asked after a moment.
“I’m not sure. He doesn’t talk. Only nods or shakes his head.” The dry rasp to his voice had eased a little. “We’ve always been taught a Mot Zebeya followed all the rules of the Last Sage. Warde… is leading his own life. But no. I won’t go to Uxlay.”
Kidan nodded, playing with her mother’s finger bones. “I’ll come back, then. As soon as things settle down.”
GK said nothing, but when she turned, he spoke. “Be careful.”
She smiled a little. It was barely anything, but it was a glimmer of the old GK, a reminder they could overcome this as long as she didn’t give up on him. And she wouldn’t.
Outside, June swung on the garden chair, waiting for Kidan.
Her sister smiled right at her. The expression was equally familiar and jarring.
“I’m coming with you to Uxlay,” June said with a hint of excitement.
“Why?” Kidan’s brows drew together in suspicion. “Are you still trying to get the mask?”
June shook her head quickly. “No, no. I’ll help you get it. Whatever you need, I’ll help.”
Kidan stepped back, searching her face. Something wasn’t right. “You want to help me? All of a sudden?”
