Cassius looked down at me with storms brewing in his slate gray eyes. “Live like what?” he demanded, his tone forbidding. “This is the future of the kingdom we’re talking about.”

“I know that,” I snarled, his tone grating on my nerves. “But I never agreed to have my life mapped out by my roommate.”

Cassius gave a callous laugh, devoid of any humor. “I’m more than that to you, Liliana. You made sure of it last night with your oath.” He stepped closer and leaned down so his nose was nearly touching mine. “We are bound together, you and I. The sooner you realize that you need to work with me, the better. If you don’t like my plans”—he gave me a cruel smile—“then do something about it.”

And with that he turned to stalk off, dismissing me entirely. It was a clear, mocking challenge. He didn’t think I could do anything against him, the oh-so-powerful prince. And technically, in the grand scheme of things, he was right. Even though we were outside under a bright blue sky, I felt the proverbial walls closing in on me. I couldn’t live the next four years under his thumb, and trying would make me lash out until I did something I regretted.

The ground started to rumble under our feet before I had even decided what to do. But since my power had an idea, we’d go with that. Time to remind the prince exactly who I was.

With a clench of my fist, the ground beneath him buckled and pitched, sending Cassius sprawling to the ground. I kept up the tremors as he tried to scrabble to his feet, keeping him in the dirt as I went to stand over him.

“I will take either Music of Evil Sirens or Archery Assassination,” I said, calm as the ground under my feet—while the ground under him pitched and rolled. “You can choose which, but I get one fun freaking class before you suck all the joy out of my life. Is that fine by you, oh mighty one?”

Even I knew Cassius would never give in on his knees, so I let the tremors stop so he could stand. The expression on his face was unreadable—but I formed a dagger of ice in my hand just in case this was the moment his bolo knife found its way in my chest—but when he got to his feet, he actually smirked at me.

“You can have Archey,” he said, brushing dirt off his pants as casually as could be, as if he’d planned to get knocked in the dirt. “Siren song only works if you’re of the sea, which you’re not. At least archery is useful if your powers are weakened.”

I didn’t care about his reasoning, I was just glad he’d agreed. I beamed at him. “Thank you. That’s all I wanted.” He just stared at me with another unreadable look, like my smile was a foreign thing to him before shaking his head and moving on. I fell into step beside him. “So how come we never met growing up?”

My mother had been dragging me to the palace for years on her meetings with the king. I didn’t go in the meetings—they usually stuck me in a garden or sitting room to play—but I was around enough that it was odd we’d never met.

“My duties and education kept me traveling all over the kingdom,” he explained. “It’s imperative I learn how to maintain my rule and the kingdom, especially with the war.”

I cast him a dubious look. “You mean the war that ended before we were born?”

“I mean the war that ravaged our country,” he shot back. “It’s not like ruling ends with the war. There’s the aftermath no one talks about. The scars. The ravaged battlefields, the lack of able-bodied workers, the towns razed to the ground…” Cassius shook himself, blinking back the faraway look in his eyes. “I had more important things to worry about than playdates.”

“That sounds lonely,” I mused.

He gave me a look from the corner of his eye. “I wasn’t lonely,” he said, frowning at the thought. “I always have people around me. The only reason I don’t have guards or my valet here at school is because I insisted.”

I scoffed. That was not what I meant. “But still, didn’t it feel odd?” I pressed, though I was unsure why. “I mean, you were surrounded by adults and you always had so much to do, so many heavy things to deal with…”

Cassius shook his head. “No, it wasn’t odd. At least not to me. This feels strange though,” he said, nodding to the dorms ahead. “Surrounded by children with only lessons to occupy my time.” He sneered, but then shook it away, folding the expression back beneath one of granite. “But Obsidian Academy is a necessity. I’m going to rest before the gathering.”

He started to speed off, lengthening his stride, but I jogged to catch up, confused. “The gathering?”

Rolling his eyes, he slowed. “Did you even read the orientation ravens you were sent?” he asked. “The Sorcerer’s Circle is having an orientation party by their clubhouse. It’s a good event to go to and see what potential allies we may have.”

Gross, he made a party sound like work. “But we’ll get to have fun, right?” I asked pointedly.

“Perhaps,” he said, eyeing me. “If there’s time.”

If he thought he was ruining this for me, he had another thing coming. “I want at least one dance before we leave,” I said, then sent a rumble through the ground as he frowned at me. “It’s my first college party and I want it to be memorable.”

***

Hours later I stared at myself in front of the mirror. I was in another dress of my mother’s choosing, a plain black sheath with long slits going up each side. Every time I moved, my thighs, hardened and toned from years of training, flashed to the world around me, which I wouldn’t have minded in any other color. But in black…I looked like I was going to a sexy funeral.

As tempted as I was to change, Mother had packed this dress specifically for this occasion. When I’d protested, she reminded me that this was a riff off the main ceremonial garb of the Key Sorceress. I’d seen her in her version of it often enough that I didn’t need the reminder, but arguing, as usual, was pointless. She had her eyes at the school, so she’d know if I wore something else.

I still grumbled about it as I tossed the short scarlet cloak over my shoulders to complete the look. At the last minute, I added a braided silver belt and the hoop earrings my mother hated. Screw it. If her spies tattled, they tattled. And I’d find and gut them.

Feeling a little more like myself, I left my room with my shoulders squared. The guys were all gathered, each dressed up to a certain degree as well.

Alceste wore all black, a striking contrast to his pale skin and emerald eyes. And the smile he flashed me, complete with fangs, said he knew it. Numair stood beside him in the mirror, checking out his purple, spikey hair and yellow eyes. They matched the pattern on his tie.

With a laugh I asked, “Is that even close to your real look?” in a teasing voice, fully expecting some flirtatious response, but to my surprise, he looked away without answering. Hm. Maybe a touchy subject for shapeshifters.

Angelo was putting on his loafers with his jeans and cashmere sweater, elegant but laid back, which was very him. He offered me a quick smile, which I returned. Cassius was waiting by the door in a different, but just as expertly tailored suit, and to my disappointment—which I’d never admit out loud—Valrun was nowhere to be seen. Shame. I bet he cleans up nice.

Cassius’s gaze landed sharply on me, and I squared my shoulders. I knew I looked ridiculous in this dress, but I didn’t waste time thinking about it as I marched up to where he stood. I felt his gaze like a physical thing as he raked his eyes over my body. They lingered on my exposed thighs, and I felt heat climb up my cheeks, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of ruffling my feathers.

“I’m going to the Sorcerer’s Circle,” I announced, practically daring him to try to make me walk in behind him like his dog. “See you there.”

I stalked past him and out the door. Power walked, really, eager to escape and figure out how to get comfortable in my skin again before the party. I was surprised Cassius actually let me walk out. I was fully expecting—

Whoosh! Wind rushed up around me, scooping up my cape and blinding me, then I screamed as my feet left the ground. I grabbed onto the warm, solid thing suddenly surrounding me as my stomach flew into my chest.

Valrun’s throaty laugh rumbled in my ear. “I figured you might need a lift to the party,” he said over the rush of wind and booming flap of his wings.

I felt my eyes widen as he dipped, and I clutched him tighter. “Don’t let me fall!”

Valrun’s dark laugh echoed in the night. It was all the warning I got before he dove down straight down to the ground.