Page 81 of Entranced By the Basilisks

“You won’t get into trouble if you cancel?”

There’s a flicker of something that passes over his face before I catch it. “If you succeed in becoming un-Chosen, we’ll just say it was a fluke. The Goddess gave a gift and then took it away.”

Becoming un-Chosen. That’s still the goal, isn’t it? Ari had said that there was no going back when I asked about what would happen to our relationship, but surely he’d prefer that I stay Chosen.

Am I going to have to give this triad up if I want to have everything go back to normal?What is normal?An insidious voice in my brain asks.Do you want to go back to being powerless?I shake away that disturbing thought.

“We’ll see when we get closer to the day,” I mumble, not wanting to contemplate anything more than the lunch on my plate and the memories of last night.

“How are you doing, my ember?” Ari asks as if reading my mind. “You were pretty quiet this morning.”

I blink and look away. “I just needed time to process.”

Ari nods. “I thought so.”

“You two were also quiet,” I point out.

“I think you scared Jasper a bit,” Ari confesses.

“What?”

“The way you were so in your head, I think he fears that you have regrets about our night together. You both needed some time, but I worry that he’s going to have to be convinced that this isn’t a terrible idea,” Ari says, making a hand gesture that’s reminiscent of a triangle. That symbol for our relationship makes sense.

My cheeks burn. “Then I guess I need to prove to him it’s not. I didn’t mean to make him doubt.”

“You just needed a moment and Jasper’s state of being is doubting. He’s skeptical of all things and especially things that would make him happy. None of us have been in this situation before, but to be clear, you don’t regret last night?”

Ah, Jasper isn’t the only one worried and I could kick myself for already throwing a wrench in the works with my little freak-out.

“I don’t regret last night,” I say. “In fact, I have no idea how I’m going to focus enough to train with all the memories in my head.”

“I’m glad.” Ari’s smile makes me want to inch away. “And no worries about focusing. I have some ideas on that front.”

My playfulness dries up in apprehension. “Like what?”

* * *

“Is that all you’ve got?”Ari taunts me. “You think that’s going to stop a fly, let alone a serpent kin? You can do better.”

His words invade my mind and my pride bucks. “You’re a jerk.”

“Ouch, trying to hurt me with your words rather than your gaze.” Ari’s words are flat even as his eyes are alight with mirth. “With your eloquence, you have a better chance using your gaze.”

I want to hit him. We’ve been doing this for the better part of an hour, Ari insulting me and me trying to lash out at him with my eyes. My patience is shot. Instead of punching him in his stupid grinning mouth, I glare and the fire in my eyes builds to a sharp crescendo before dissipating.

“Better,” Ari says cheerfully. “I felt it that time. I think you’d be able to stun a weaker serpent kin.”

“I still don’t see why I have to weaponize my gaze.”

Ari lifts a brow. “It’s not weaponizing if it’s already a weapon. I won’t have you helpless even among my own kind.”

There’s the hint again that this meeting of the Circle is more treacherous than Ari is letting on. Or maybe it’s because of bad characters like Jasper’s tormentor, Sigmund.

“I thought we were focusing on shifting,” I say instead, trying to mentally catch my breath. There’s a strange overdrawn sensation in my chest and I wonder if it’s from using more power than I have to give.

“Shifting is not your top priority right now, but if you think you can manage to shift, go right ahead,” he volleys back.

If I think I canmanage. God, I really want to hit him.

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