“Yes, I can. I’m second to the High Sage. All it takes is one report from me and you’re done. You’ll lose your magic, and you’ll never see Cygnus again.”
Marcherie’s face is a mess of tears and snot and spit. “Cas, how could you say that to me? We’re friends.”
“The girl who made us friends is dead,” Cassius snaps. His words wound Marcherie more than any blade ever could. She seems to crumple into herself, sobbing and sniveling and stammering nonsense.
“Don’t do this, Cas.”
He laughs. His voice is so cold. He almost sounds like—
No. Claudia shakes her head and leans into his warmth. Cassius isn’t like Dorian. He’s not made of winter. He’s made of heat.
“I caught you holding a knife to Claudia’s throat. You’re lucky I’m being so gentle.”
Marcherie stands, stomping like a petulant child. “What even is she to you? Why is she suddenly more important than everyone else?”
He keeps Claudia tucked behind his back, his hand tight around hers. “I owe you no explanation. Claudia is with me now. Anyone who hurts her, from here on out, will suffer severe consequences.”
The three of them stand in the harsh echo of the moment for a long time.
“Go back to Cygnus, Marcherie,” Cassius says, his voice dark as night. “Leave before I hurt you the way I truly want to.”
She sucks her lower lip into her mouth and whimpers. Quiet enough that it could just be the wind, Marcherie looks at Claudia and says, “I’m sorry.”
Then she turns and runs away, leaving Cassius and Claudia with nothing but the warmth of each other.
Their breathing is fast and heavy. It’s clear that neither of them knows what to say, so eventually, Claudia shrugs her shoulders and laughs incredulously, deliriously. “What the fuck?” she says through a big, shaky exhale. “This isn’t real, is it? I’m in a nightmare.”
“What?”
“I’m asleep. I’m in my bed and I’m having a terrible nightmare. Right?”
Cassius cups her face in his hands. He looks over every inch of her face with concern. “You’re scaring me. Did you hit your head?”
She blinks, running her hand along the wound at her shoulder. She looks back in the direction Marcherie ran. “Was that real? Did she really try to kill me?”
Cassius gives the smallest nod. “I don’t know what she was thinking.”
“And tonight. We went to the opera. We kissed. Did that really happen?”
“Yes.”
She nods, looking down at her dress. “And this? You tricked me into becoming Iphigenia. Real?”
He hangs his head. “Yes. All real.”
Claudia nervously runs her hands up and down her upper arms, stopping just before her new wound. “The game master. With the mask. Who is he?”
“I don’t know. He’s chosen by Dolericym and his identity can never be revealed. It’s part of how we keep the games fair. Our game masters are neutral, anonymous entities.”
Claudia shivers. She’d lean away from him if she could afford to lose the warmth. Cassius wraps her up in his arms until her teeth stop chattering.
“I’m so sorry, Claudia. I never should’ve let you out of my sight.”
“That’s not the only mistake you’ve made tonight.” She looks up at him. “Why didn’t you tell me about your plan? I would’ve understood. I would’ve helped.”
“If you wanted the part, Dolericym wouldn’t have chosen you. Unbidden and unplanned, you had to become Iphigenia on your own. Your story had to mirror hers. That’s how it works.”
“So you made me into a pawn, just like her.”
