“But I must, for I am. Your life hasn’t been easy, and I made things terrible for you when you arrived.”
“You did in the beginning. But…”
“But?”
“But,” she says, looking at him through her lashes. “You’ve always made things more interesting.”
He smiles. “Let’s say you win this rivalry of ours, and you become the valedictorian. What blessing do you want?”
She lets out a heavy breath. “To talk to my mother one last time. That’s all I want. All I’ve thought about for the last decade of my life. One more moment with her.”
His eyes glisten with soft sincerity when he says, “I hope you get it.”
“What about you? To break your curse?”
“Yes. But the blessing is only the first step toward what I want.” Exhaling slowly, he says, “You know I’m a legacy student, as they say. One of my ancestors was among the very first class at Cygnus. Their major was Astrologia, funnily enough. But I think it was less of a decision of interest and more a stepping stone to revenge. For years, my family fought to get close to Sidarphion. They wanted to hurt him and take him down because of… well, everything. Killing Dracoemagyl. Destroying our family name. Cursing our entire line.”
“What really happened to Sidarphion? Did someone in your family get to him?”
He shrugs. “As far as I know, he disappeared before anyone could. I do believe that they scared him off, though. That idea brings me peace whenever I feel that stinging shame of remembering all that’s been taken from us. Perhaps seeing him run, watching his discipline fall and his magic die out, is revenge enough.”
“But you don’t believe that. You want more.”
He gives a slight nod. “Sometimes.”
“That’s what you’ve been working on with Triche. He’s trying to ascend, and eventually, you want godhood for yourself.”
He leans back, locking eyes with her. “How do you know about that?”
“Marcherie told me.”
“Marchdid?” His jaw drops. “When?”
Nodding, she says, “She came to my room and apologized. I think we’re kind of—almost—maybe—nearly friends?”
Cassius blinks slowly before throwing his head back and laughing. “Well, that’s unexpected.”
Claudia joins in the laugh. “I’m not sure how I feel about it, either, to be honest, but she was relentless. I didn’t have a choice other than letting her in.”
“Yes, well, that’s March for you. All heart and teeth.”
They’re quiet for a moment.
“So, it’s true? You plan to become a god?”
“I don’t know. I certainly believe that Dracoemagyl should exist, and it would be defiant not to pursue what so many of my ancestors dreamed of.”
“Isn’t the blessing supposed to be limitless? Why can’t you ask for godhood, then?”
He laughs. “If only it were so simple. Ascension is the one thing the blessing cannot grant. It technically brings you further away from godhood.”
“How?”
“To become a god, you must strengthen your soul, but to receive the blessing, you have to give a piece of it away.”
“Gods take a part of your soul?”
He nods. “A small bite. They take a taste of your greatest desire, and use it to manifest your desire into reality. This is why a human should have only one blessing in their lifetime. There’s only so much of your soul you can give before you become owned by something else.”
