I smirked.
Stupid idea and so much fucking work.
There was no point fighting the inevitable.
“What are you doing?” Jaz asked, wheeling closer, the swish of her chair softened by thick carpet.
Grabbing my sigil-engraved lighter, I flicked it open and held the Sacramental Pledge over the naked flame. The thick parchment crackled as I teased it with flickering heat.
“None of your business.” I brought the fire closer.
Jaz slapped my desk, jerking my eyes to hers. “We need to talk. I’m worried about you.”
I laughed softly as the fire suddenly caught hold, licking up the parchment. I became hypnotised as flames rapidly devoured the last of my madness.
Jaz eyed up the pledge. “What is that?”
The orange glow danced in my retinas. “Nothing.”
I tensed, expecting to feel some sort of regret at destroying the one piece of assurance I had over Nila’s soul. The night she’d signed this, she’d agreed to give me all rights over her—to belong to me. But there was never any chance of a happy ending.
Not for us.
Not for me.
Fire blazed, gathering strength the more paper it devoured. The black ink cindered to ash, falling like black petals onto the desktop.
“Stop burning it,” Jasmine demanded, trying to knock my hand and dislodge my hold.
The paper continued to hiss and vanish.
I didn’t look at her. I didn’t argue.
I felt nothing.
Jasmine puffed out her cheeks, trying to blow out the fire, but it was too eager, too fast.
“Give it up, sister. Some things you cannot change.” In a matter of moments, the contract between Nila and me was no more. My stupid planning and ideas that I could win against my father no longer infected my brain.
It was so liberating.
Wiping the charred remains into the rubbish bin, I finally looked at my sibling. Her cherub cheeks and sultry lips were wasted on her broken body. She was a stunning woman, yet she would forever remain a spinster ensconced in this house under Bonnie’s control. “What do you want?”
Her eyes flickered in pain. Shouts and curses painted her skin, but her bluster faded before she even opened her mouth. Sighing sadly, she shook her head. “Why won’t you tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
“What he did to you.”
The air became stale. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I don’t have time for this.”
“You have plenty of time, Jethro. Answer me.” Her face flushed red. “What’s happened to you? Why don’t you seek me out anymore? Why are you so remote?” She reached for my hands, but I shifted quickly, scooting backward in my chair.
Anguish weighed heavily on her shoulders, but I felt no guilt. Jasmine had a rough start in life. She continued to deal with her own demons, but they were her demons. Not mine. I’d finally found a way to be free and I wished to remain free.
“Is that all you want?” Cocking my head at the paperwork of the latest machinery upgrades needed for our warehouses, I pursed my lips. “I really am busy—”
“Kite, you listen to me and you listen good.” Waggling her finger in my face, she glared. “The day she left, I was so sure he would kill you. I suffered a panic attack thinking the one woman you loved—the one girl who could give you a place to hide—left you to die. But then I heard from Kes that you were alive. I waited for you. I waited three days for you to come to me—to ask for a fixing session or just to talk.” Dropping her head, her midnight bob hid her eyes. “But you never came. Ten days and you still haven’t come.”
I remained silent.
Jaz looked up, her eyes wet with tears. “You’re scaring me, Jethro. I miss my brother. I want him back. Tell me what happened, so I know how to find him again.”
Poor deluded sister.
Standing, I bent and kissed the top of her head. “Nothing happened. And I don’t want to be found. If you love me like you say you do, then be happy for me. I’ve finally found something that works and will never go back.”
Tapping my pocket, the gentle rattle of my pills said hello. I relaxed knowing if life ever got too much, if the tears of another drove me to breaking point, all I had to do was swallow a tiny friend and I would be fine.
“Goodbye, Jaz.”
Without waiting for her reply, I strode out the door and left my sister behind.
My phone vibrated its way across my bedside table at three in the morning.
I didn’t jump or tense.
In a way, I’d been expecting this to happen for days.
Picking up the device, I swiped the screen and read the blinking message.
I’d wondered how long she would stay away. She’d lasted longer than I anticipated, but I had no doubt that was down to the circus of stories and endless hounding by reporters—not to mention, her brother would’ve done everything in his power to keep her from contacting me.
But just like my father had said, Nila had reached out.
Unknowingly, she’d just begun the next stage and walked right into a perfect trap.
Needle&Thread: I’ve been staring at this phone for over a week, wondering what to say. I still can’t find the words, so I’ll stick with simple ones. Kite, I love you. I miss you. I’m here for you. I’ve become a prisoner in my own family. They watch me, guard me. I’ve traded one captivity for another. I need you to come claim me. If we work together, this can all be over. Please…I need you to fight for me like I’ve fought for you. I need to know you’re alive and uninjured. Jethro, I want you to take me from this place. Let’s leave. Let’s runaway where no one will find us.