Page 120 of Divine Oaths

It was the same as with Pete, that unnamed force looming over Westfield. Jojo knew, and all this time, he’d kept it a secret.

“Who is he, Jojo? Tell me,” I shouted, but Jojo didn’t seem to hear me.

He cupped my face, drew me so close that our noses touched, so that our lips were inches apart. It was jarring, seeing him this way, and knowing that something sinister was to befall Westfield.

And yet, this was what I’d longed for, for the moment where I could tell him I loved him. Never could I have imagined that he might love me too.

He leaned toward me, closing the distance between our lips. But I turned away, his mouth brushing the corner of mine, pressing a soft kiss on my cheek. I could feel him stiffen, could see the realization slowly fall over him.

“Do you love him?” he asked.

I wanted to shake him out of his stupor. Of all of the times to confess, he’d chosen now. But my heart was its own captain, and seeing Jojo like this, so vulnerable, broke something in me.

He’d asked the same question Kasem had posed to me months ago. But this time, the answer was there, a song written in my heart. Because despite how I’d denied my feelings, despite what I’d learned of Kasem and everything that had happened at Westfield, I couldn’t lie to Jojo. Not about this.

“I do,” I said simply. “I love him. I’m sorry.”

For a long moment, Jojo didn’t move. I thought he was going to try to kiss me again. And secretly, a small part of me wished he would, just so I could ensure that this wasn’t a dream and I wasn’t giving up a love that I’d built up in my head for so long.

But he pulled away, his expression grief-torn.

“Everything I love, he takes. Everything that’s meant for me, he steals.”

“You’re wrong, Jojo. Kasem never wanted Westfield.”

“I know,” he said. “That’s what makes it worse.” When he looked at me now, his gaze was fiery, wicked amusement curving across his lips. “He doesn’t care about this university or anyone in it,” Jojo said. “So what makes you think you’re any different?”

I pushed past him. “You’re just upset.”

“I’m telling you the truth, Sianna. I’m warning you. I know my brother better than anyone. He’s destructive, selfish, more selfish than anyone I know. The moment our mother was trapped in her mind because of the ritual, guess who threw her in the mental ward?”

“It was the board of trustees and the conservatorship.”

“And I tried to stop them. He just disappeared into drinking and partying—remorseless over what he’d done. He didn’t care about any of the bystander casualties the ritual caused, not even your parents.”

“You’re wrong,” I said. “I saw his past. He showed me it willingly, something you never would until now. He attended every funeral. Every single one. He donated his allowances to our families. He’s the reason I even have a scholarship here at Westfield.”

I’d seen all of it, all of the pain Kasem had felt, everything he’d ever done trying to atone for that day and how he’d never felt it was enough.

“You’re making excuses for him. You know he caused the fire—”

“I know!” I said, shouting again. “I know, all right? And I hate him for it. A part of me does. But I love him too. I know it’s horrible of me to feel this way. But I spent years blaming myself for what happened that night, so trust me, I know what he’s going through. Because if it wasn’t for me, my parents wouldn’t have been at Westfield that day. Maybe none of those people would have died and my powers wouldn’t have manifested. But if you hadn’t traded fates with Kasem, then you would be gone too, Jojo, which means none of this was ever meant to be fair.”

Jojo was defiant. “The disinheritance ritual is a destiny swap, Sianna. Don’t you understand? You and I are supposed to be together. All he does is take, and take, and take. And whatever he’s told you since you’ve come here, whichever of his lies has convinced you that you could possibly love him, it’s not real. Nothing in this place is. And when he’s used you to break the curse, he’ll throw you away. Just like he does everyone else.”

I was walking now, away from Jojo, unable to take how cruel and twisted his words were. Despite how I tried to cover my ears and dismiss them, those words were sinking into my thoughts, seeding questions and doubts.

Jojo pursued me, and we ended up at a door just outside the conservatory.

“I’m only telling you this because I love you, Sianna. I don’t want you to get hurt because of him.”

I spun, facing Jojo, my heart racing, my mind unraveling.

“I don’t care if it’s a lie or if he’s using me to break the curse and get back at you,” I said. “I can’t let him die. I can’t. And you’re his brother. Kasem said you hated him, but I didn’t believe it. Until now. You resent him, Jojo. Even when you were younger, as much as you loved him as a brother, a part of you hated how he didn’t have to bear the responsibilities you did. How he could make mistakes, mess up, and still be loved by everyone.”

I saw it in my vision when I’d looked into Kasem’s past, and I saw it now, as Jojo drew me into his arms, desperate and pleading. My gloved hands rested against his back, his shirt riding up and exposing his bare skin. I channeled into his past while keeping one part of my mind in the present.

“I won’t come between the two of you,” I said. “I told him that I can’t be with him. And I can tell him that I don’t love him. Whatever you want, I’ll tell him. But you have to save him. Angelica and Vivian are waiting in her office. Help us perform the binding ritual. Help us keep him alive so we can break the curse. Promise me you’ll save him. Even if it means he’ll live to inherit the Westfield estate. Even if it means you’ll never be able to walk these grounds again. Promise me.”