“Why are you here? You never liked my sister,” I snap at Enzo, hearing him step next to me as I look at the white-painted, wooden box in the ground. I won’t admit that some small part of me is happy that someone other than me is also at her funeral, no one should be buried alone. I wish she was alive, so I could shout at her and demand to know what happened. I don’t want to believe Mackenzie killed her, she wouldn’t do that to me.

“That’s not true, I liked her when I was a kid. She brought chocolate cupcakes over to my house,” Enzo says quietly, reminding me how he must have met her a few times when we were growing up. He was always following me around, a scared little boy with bruises on his arms, and parents that weren’t worth the time of day. I remember the day I walked out from my house, seeing him sitting on the steps, dripping with anger in his dark eyes, but silent. I invited him to my local self-defence class, and then helped him train, helped him learn how to fight back. It wasn’t long until I had to go the academy and soon after, my parents were killed. Then Enzo came to the academy and proved to everyone that it doesn’t matter what your parents are, you choose your own fate. No one thought that the child of two drunks, with hardly any marks between them, would have eleven marks and be one of the most powerful marked in years.

“I didn’t know she did that,” I say quietly. Enzo doesn’t say anything as I step closer, kneeling down and grabbing a handful of dirt. Why couldn’t Verity be more like Enzo? Why did she have to be like she fucking was?

“I failed you, Verity. I failed you because as your older brother, I should have protected you. I didn’t know about our dad, not until it was too late and the damage he did to you was done. I wish I knew, I wish I hadn’t gone to marked academy and left you at home. Maybe if I didn’t leave you, you wouldn’t have been recruited, then our other parents wouldn’t have died saving you,” I say, dropping the dirt into the hole. Using my air mark, I swirl the dirt around above the coffin aimlessly.

“You never failed her, you know that right?” Enzo comments, sitting next to me and looking down at her coffin.

“I did. She was so sweet when she was little. How did I not realise what had been done to her?”

“She was, but she changed after she got the pain mark, even at that young age. You just didn’t see it, but I did,” he explains.

“What?” I ask, dropping the dirt on the coffin and looking at Enzo, wondering what the hell he is going on about.

“I worshipped you growing up, but you know that, and so did Verity. She used to use her pain mark on me, telling me that I couldn’t say anything as no one would believe me,” he says, making me freeze as I just stare at him. He wouldn’t lie to me, I know Enzo well enough to know he wouldn’t. My sister did that, my sister who most likely pretended to be sweet and innocent in front of me, and she was doing this the whole time.

“I—”

“Don’t say a word to anyone about it or even mention it again. As your friend, I’m just telling you what actually happened. I was a weak, frightened boy whose parents preferred to drink their problems away rather than look after me. I only had you to look up to, and I did anything Verity wanted so I could follow you around,” he admits, and I know it’s taking a fucking lot for him to admit this to me.

“I didn’t have a fucking clue,” I admit in shock.

“You lost your sister then, not now,” he says, putting a hand on my shoulder.

“I’m starting to think you’re right,” I reply with a sigh, looking down at the coffin once more.

“But you still have family, hell I’ve always wanted you as a brother. It’s sods law that we would fall for the same girl,” he chuckles, almost making me want to smile.

“Mackenzie is hard not to fall for, she’s a whirlwind, that girl,” I say, almost smiling until I remember what Alaric said to me.

“She killed Verity,” I whisper.

“You don’t know that, you’ve only heard it from Alaric, and no one should trust a word he says,” he tells me firmly, and stands up, looking down at the coffin which I can’t seem to look away from.

“It’s time to say goodbye and then time for you to go and get the answers from our girl,” Enzo says, holding a hand out for me. I grab his hand to stand up, and then quickly let go.

“Goodbye, Verity,” is all I can say, before calling my air mark and pushing dirt into the hole and watching it fall on Verity’s coffin with Enzo’s help.

“Are you going to see Kenzie? You’re the only one that can,” Enzo says once the hole is filled.

“I couldn’t stay away, even if I wanted to,” I tell him.

“That’s Mackenzie for you, I’ve been the same since I met her,” he says, chuckling and walking away. I pull out a small white daisy from my pocket, leaning down and putting it on top of the dirt. I call my earth mark, making the daisy grow into dozens and cover the whole grave. Even if her heart wasn’t beautiful before she died, hopefully she can have some peace now. Or that’s what I have to make myself believe to walk away.