“Yes.”
“And why am I supposed to believe them?”
“Because that’s why all this is happening. I was digging into why our parents worked with the Order at all. I never felt like it made sense. Our parents weren’t... like us, with the criminal activities and all,” I said, forcing a sad grin. “They didn’t like that, and when they brought me here, he told me why. Our parents wanted another kid, but couldn’t have one themselves after you. They adopted me, but it was illegal and our parents couldn’t do it alone. The Order agreed to help them in exchange for their servitude and then...” I took a deep breath, hating each word. “Then they wanted my servitude.”
Rook’s head dropped, his shoulders shaking. I should have expected it, but I was still surprised to realize he was laughing.
“This is funny to you?”
“Them thinking you’re going to be ofservitudeto anyone? Yeah, it’s fucking hilarious. I’ve fought tooth and nail to keep you helping us and even then, it still includes bribes. This cult thinks they can walk in and tell you what to do? That you would fall for it? Please, I would love to see it.”
“Rook, this isn’t funny. They think I owe them something.”
“Do you think you owe them something?”
“Not at all.”
“Then what’s the problem? They can’t take anything from us. And we both know you’re not helping them. I mean, let’s not tell them we plan to kill them off and not help them before we get Aiden back, but it’s not an issue, Evie. As soon as we know Aiden’s okay, we will take care of them. Just like we take care of everything.”
I stopped again. “But I told you I’m not your sister, Rook, and you seem to be glossing right over that part.”
“Because you are my sister, and I don’t give a damn what they told you,” he said, the words not even a thought, only his truth.
“No. I’m not. We are not blood related.”
He stopped, too, turning to face me, anger etched in his furrowed eyebrows. “That doesn’t matter to me. You’re my family. I don’t care how you came to be my family.”
“Are you not seeing the big issue here? You shouldn’t have saved me, Rook. You could have had your parents, but you saved me. Your family is gone because of me and all this time I haven’t even been your sister.”
My lungs felt too tight, the walls closing in like the universe itself had turned against me.
I’m not Rook’s sister.
I’m not who I thought I was.
The memories hit like a landslide—my mom brushing my hair, my dad calling me “kiddo,” Rook throwing an arm over my shoulder in high school, telling some asshole, “Don’t even think about looking at my sister—”
Sister.
And all of it was a lie.
I stumbled, my fingers clutching at the doorframe to steady myself.
“It doesn’t matter,” he said, as if we weren’t talking about the fact that we weren’t actually related.
“Yes, it does. You’re not listening—I’m not your sister.”
“Stop!” he yelled, somewhere between anger and exhaustion. “You are. In every way that matters, you are. And even if I had known this information ten years ago, I would have done the same thing. You are my sister, Evie. You are my family. You always will be. Our parents didn’t want us to think any other way. I made the right choice saving you, and they would agree. All our parents ever drilled into me is that I protect you, keep you close, keep you safe. Since the day you came home, I’ve been told I’m your big brother. Does one sentence erase twenty-two years of that? I didn’t know why they told me that, but I guess we do now. It would have been nice to know someone was truly going to be coming to collect one day.”
Tears dripped down my face, but I didn’t wipe them away, the blood coating my hands making me think twice.
“But your family...” I said, the words drowned by more tears.
“Ourfamily. Evie, you cannot spiral into this. They were our parents, and we both lost them that day. I didn’t lose any more than you did. They protected you because you are their daughter. We do not question blood and we never have. Aiden is my family—ourfamily—we would die for each other. That’s all family is, and that’s what our parents did for you. No—for us.”
I took another ragged breath, letting him help me to my feet.
“Are you going to throw this in their face or mine?” he asked. “Are you going to tell them they can say what they want, but we’re a team? Or are you going to agree and help them?”
