IN ANOTHER LIFE , josie saltzman ✔️

56. Know Thy Enemy

I looked up to him and exhaled a deep sigh.
„What's it like being a tribrid?" he asked with real interest.
„You know, Cassius, I'm answering you that question when I finally am the tribrid. When I feel like one."
„Because all you feel like is a revilas."
There was a long silence and I fiddled with my thumbs.
„I didn't choose this." I whispered. „I didn't choose to just summon ground magic, I didn't choose to let myself get involved with all this. I just wanted answers."
„And look where it's lead you, what it cost you."
The plane we were on was still the same but my body felt miles away. The gate was still glowing beautifully with a dark promise and the courtyard was still doused in daylight and warm air.
„You know," he said and raised his arm to look at it confusedly, „I know that Sophia, twice as smart as she is beautiful, is probably already crystal clear on what to do."
„And that is?"
„Kill me. And you perhaps." He shrugged and stared into the distance.
„She wouldn't kill me. Besides..." I said and stood up, beginning to pace. „I'm her goddaughter and I'm practically a god, she can't kill me."
Cassius let out a melodic laugh and shook his head.
„Nothing is truly immortal. You should know that better than anyone else. Well, besides Hope."
„Two." I warned him and he was quick to raise his arms defensively before dropping them again.
„Come on, Amaya. This is Sophia. If she finds a way and it is only a matter of time, she'll try to get you out first."
My eyes landed on the gate again. God, I so hoped he was wrong.
„You know I'm not." He sighed again. He seemed to be doing a lot and it was driving me insane. His whole theatrical thing was getting on my last nerve.
„You're no sunshine either." He told me and I glared at him.
„At least, I am a good person."
He laughed again. „Are you?"
„Because as much as you claim to be a hero and to be right and to be a good person, you have so often thought about going dark to fix a problem, because you thinking rationally and pulling through is a fantasy. You can't do what it takes to save your life. Or your loved ones."
I sped in front of him and bared my teeth for the first time in over a year.
He almost smiled. „You can just as well leave, because one or way or another, you will leave with a whole lot more questions than answers. You will not win. Not against me. Not against your sister or your mother. Your refusal to embrace everything you are hinders you from becoming the girl in the prophecy and what's worse, you know that."
„What prophecy?" I asked and he rolled his eyes.
„Do your loved ones tell you anything?" He sounded exhausted and I stepped back from him, my fangs disappearing back into my gums.
„There is the prophecy of the Phoenix. To be fair, I believe it is either you, or Raven or Rose."
After a confused look had now settled permanently on my face, I asked him again, „What prophecy?"
„The Phoenix is supposed to usher in a new of age of light after the darkness has permanently dispersed from the world. Darkness being me."
„Duh." I rolled my eyes.
„But seeing as you have visions of a raven losing its feathers whenever you access that which is deep within, I lean more towards Raven. Nice choice, by the way. Took me less than a second to bring those facts together."
The permanent confused face of mine made him shake his head in disbelief, letting out a mocking laugh. „Wow, I mean, truly, irrevocably, wow. I am amazed by the fact that you are setting and deepening stone events left and right but fail to recognize those. You fail at the easiest things, Amaya, and I mean that in no bad way."
    „No, of course not." I shook my head and rolled my eyes before I summoned a memory that made itself come forward in a ball of light.
    „Being a revilas," I heard myself whisper to a baby Hope while she slept in her crib, „It's one of the most beautiful things in my entire life. I can do things no one else can. I can be able to protect you like no other. Right now, in this mess of a life, with enhanced vampires and scorned lovers running around, I wish I could make it all just stop, all this stupid, pointless fighting. But there is a risk, there will always be risks." My younger self looked down at her arms as black veins snaked themselves up. „I'll find a way to live. I just," I paused and sighed, „have to be strong enough to let go."
    The memory dissolved in my hand but I remembered as though it was yesterday.
    „I was infected with a hex by Ruby and for it not to kill me, I had to split up my soul, put it in a vessel and send it to my mother for purification." I whispered and looked up to Cassius as he paced.
    „I have a question," I told him almost sheepishly. „I tried to make my revilas magic, my whole revilas being disappear, but, um, it never worked." Cassius looked at me for a long time before he summoned a light sphere from my chest and examined it.
    „You want to do it again, this time permanently." He almost smiled at me and nodded.
    „Finally!" He released the magic back into my chest and clapped.
    „Took you a very long time, but you did it."
    He paused and began to think, began to pace again.
    „Now," He whispered. „Now, that you fully access all you are, soul or not, sure, there's nothing to stop you from putting it into a vessel, this time permanently."
    „Why do you want my magic?" I asked him and he sat down beside me, stared at the gate.
    „Not your magic, per se. I want your ability to pull and perform ground magic, as I want Rose's magic to withstand it in the first place."
    „You can't?" I asked as I furrowed my brows, „Withstand the magic?"
    „Not exactly. It takes a toll on me the same way when you use too much for too long."
    Just as I was about to answer, he stood up and took off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves of his shirt.
    His arms, a mix of the veins rushing his blood through his body and black, slithering veins of dark magic.
    „Oh my god." My voice was a mere whisper and I stood up to examine them.
    „You're already dying," I looked up to him and couldn't help a smile, a feeling like I won, „Aren't you?"