All forty-two steps.
But with each step I took, the more solid my resolve became.
It was time to move on.
I could stay in denial no longer.
It had become clear to me by now that Aviva had not only betrayed me by staying in the South, seemingly not against her will, butshe’dalso already replaced me. And withwhoI could only assume was our half-sister, no less!
The nameMateahad been scribbled on the back of the portrait I’d found with Mother’s things—though it seemed my guess had likely been correct, anyway.
By the time I reached the top of the stairs, I practically burst through the heavy metal door, only to find my guardspassedout on the ground before me.
As I had been moments earlier.
Reaching down, I ripped off theHeartshirefamily crest pin both males woreover their heart. I pocketed the pins, takingnoteto dismiss each and every guard thathadfailed to stop my twin and her companions.
I tried to ignore the way the sun was already creeping over the horizon, meaningI’dbeen out since last night.
It would only serve to anger me further.
Doing my best to ignore the power surging within me, I left the two males there and simply startedwalking.
I was so stuck inside my own spiraling thoughts of abandonment and grief that Ididn’trealize where my feet were taking me untilI’darrived.
Right in the middle of Aviva’s chambers.
The air had grown stale inside, but it still held the sweetness of the floral soaps she used to cleanse her hair with. The smell should have been a comfort, but instead it only stoked the embers I felt heating inside my chest.
Aviva had always been my better half. The one that could feel so strongly, even for those shedidn’tknow personally. The one that had the freespirit, andenjoyed doing things just for the fun of it. The one who was always trying to better herself, whether it be through knowledge or experiences.
She had just been…better.
Somewhere along the way, it seemed she had lost all of that.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of myself in Aviva’s vanity mirror. Unable to help myself, I turned to face my reflection.
I nearly cringed away from what I saw.
My hair was grimy, myclothing wrinkled. I had heavy bags under my eyes, and various layers of dirt and ash on me from the fight and the night on the dungeon floor.
But under that, I could almostseemy twin looking back at me. The twin I had known, the version of herself she was before she left.
Almost.
It was still too close for comfort.
Fury striking hard andfast,I swiped everything off the vanity in one swift motion. I watched as the mirror fell and broke, the shards reflecting pieces of me back to myself as it shattered on impact.
With that act motivating me, I marched over to the wardrobe next, yanking out the priceless dresses Father had bought her and tossing them onto the floor, ripping some as I went.
Next, I stomped over to the bookshelf. Her books and tomes had meant so much to her—some more priceless than all her gowns combined.
Icouldn’thave cared less as I grabbed them all, starting one by one and working my way up to armfuls of them, and throwing themall acrossthe room. I tore pages out as Iwent, orripped the covers and bindings apart.
Itwasn’tuntil I was panting heavily from the energy exerted that I realized my hands had been aflame that entire time.
And I had set fire to everything I had touched.
