Page 38 of Eternal Ruin
“Is there a way to undo it?” he asked urgently, voice tight.
Iniko frowned. “Nothing on that.”
Taj swore softly. No trace of humor this time.
Susenyos released a disbelieving breath. How could he have been so careless?
Thishad to be why he couldn’t stand being near her. Why the thought of touching Kidan both terrified and excited him. He already couldn’t stop thinking about the soft outline of her lips, or her curves against his palms, their encounter at Cossia Day visiting him at the most inappropriate of times.
Hunger gnawed at him in violent spurts, but he ignored it.
You will ignore it. You can’t have her rule you any more than she already does.
In a tone stripped of all light, he ordered, “Not a word of this to anyone.”
“Of course,” they both said.
Susenyos rubbed his jaw, nodding. “Taj, I need you to get close to the sister. She must know where the Nefrasi hideout is. That must be where Samson hid the blade artifact—”
Taj held up his hands, cutting him off. “No, not again.”
“What?”
“You tell me to get close to Kidan. I do. Then you tell me I can’t give her my clothes at the Acti Gala—”
Susenyos narrowed his eyes. “You wanted to give her your shirt.”
“It’s my best move. And it would have worked.”
He studied his friend for a second, hearing the hidden notes of disappointment, and raised a brow. “Is this because Kidan didn’t pick you as her companion?”
Taj turned his head and blew out a breath. “I don’t care about that. This is about you changing your mind.”
Clearly, it was about that.
Taj rarely cared about who picked him as their companion. He was the only vampire in Uxlay that had served in all twelve houses without any conflict. It was rare for him to commit to one house for long. Rarer for him to request companionship in a specific house.
“Listen to me. I don’t care what happens to June Adane. You do whatever you have to and get her to trust you. I won’t change my mind.”
Taj regarded him for a while, checking for any hesitance, then smiled broadly. “Perfect.”
Susenyos exhaled deeply, returning to his troubling discovery. If he was cursed to feed only on Kidan’s blood, what the hell was he going to do?
Arin burying him had been nothing. This was his true punishment.
15.
KIDAN
The dean hosted Kidan and her friends in her tea-drinking room.
Dressed in her sharp green blazer, Dean Faris poured a steady stream of tea—lemongrass.
They each took a cup. Kidan and Slen didn’t sip. Yusef enjoyed his drink while reaching for the small pastries filled with chopped nuts. The dean’s lips appeared to curve behind her own cup.
She began with an apology. “I always prefer to be the first person that delivers information on Lusidio. You will receive access after this conversation.”
Lusidio… an alert must have gone out to the Sicions when Kidan looked him up. Kidan exchanged a glance with Slen. Both of them were curious but the mystery and sudden invitation had them on edge.
