Page 47 of Divine Oaths

For a long moment, Kasem was silent. And then, in barely a whisper, he spoke.

“My curse,” he said. “I need your help to break it.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

All ways do lie open

KASEM LED US FROM THE courtyard to two buildings over, where the School of Business was located. Covered in wood dust and recovering from a near-death encounter, the two of us were a sore sight.

He stayed close, leading us through the crowded halls, holding my wrist at times when we nearly separated in the shuffle between classes.

Some of his peers in the Graduate Department greeted us as we made our way down the hallway of the fourth floor. They looked happy to see him, stopping him to ask about the stabbing and how he’d recovered. One of them was a girl named Lena, captain of the fencing club, and she was accompanied by her tennis player boyfriend, Chauncey. From what I could pick up, he was a future stockbroker, and Lena a likely candidate to join an energy efficiency NGO.

“We thought we’d lost you, Saint James,” she said, kissing Kasem on the cheek and hugging him. “Where were you all summer? In the hospital?”

Kasem laughed, gently moving her off him and shooting a regretful smile to Chauncey.

“I was at our summerhouse, recovering there. I wasn’t sure if I’d come back this semester. But we only have a few months left until graduation, and I can’t let you guys walk without me.”

“Good to have you back, man,” Chauncey said. He gave Kasem and me a once-over. “But maybe slow down on those art electives? I thought they retired woodshop after what happened last year.”

I raised an eyebrow, but Kasem brushed away the comment.

“Yeah, I only have a few electives left this year.”

Kasem briefly introduced me and we parted ways, but not before stopping at a vending machine.

When finally we arrived at a terrace that was otherwise empty except for a few students chatting over their class break, Kasem pulled out a chair for me, placing the three bags of chips and two water bottles he’d bought at the center of our table.

“So, who’s Lena?”

“An ex,” Kasem said.

“You broke up with her, I’m guessing?”

“She cheated on me with Chauncey.”

I laughed. I guess I’d been wrong in assuming he and Honey had been a thing. “So she’s the one you wanted to buy my dress for?”

“My heartbreak persists and yet you mock it,” he said, deadpan. “And no, it wasn’t for her. I was buying time to keep you from throwing me out.”

I fidgeted with my hair, tucking a stray curl behind my ear.

“I was pretty hostile,” I admitted. “But I’m here now. We both are. So, where do we start?”

The mood shifted as both of us grew pensive, the moments in the woodshop fresh on our minds.

“What are your theories about your curse and how to break it? Has it always been like this, or were things getting worse? Is that why you came to find me at Gus’s?”

“The accidents have always been here at Westfield,” he said. “But, these past few months, as my twenty-first birthday has gotten closer, the situation has been deteriorating. That’s why the stabbing off campus was—unexpected.”

“But you were with a bodyguard that day,” I said.

“It was suggested that I start traveling with one. But Liam was hired by the board of trustees, not me. So even if I wanted to get information from him about that night, I doubt it would be of much help, especially if it’s as you claim, and Alaster orchestrated the attack.” Kasem paused, picking up a bag of chips and squinting at the ingredients list. “The amount of salt in this is outrageous.”

“It’s vending machine food,” I said, laughing. “What do you expect? There will probably be three chips in there, a handful of crumbs, and nitrogen gas.”

Kasem opened the bag.