Tem’s recognition and embrace of her hybreed identity forces her to face traits that are human society would consider morally dubious. The novel shows that she reaches a fuller sense of self once she brings her feral and predatory instincts into her identity instead of hiding them. Tem’s hyper-sexuality, aggression, and lethal potential appear in the book as an awakening that strengthens her humanity rather than eroding it. When she accepts these morally ambiguous traits, she steps outside narrow definitions of correct behavior and finds a new source of power.

Almost as soon as Tem begins to experiment with her basilisk powers, she becomes curious about the practice of petrification (killing humans by turning them into stone). While they don’t use it lightly, the power of petrification is part of the basilisk birthright. Their history of being persecuted by humans makes it all the more legitimate that they would want the ability to defend themselves. When Apollo eventually shows Tem the remains of all the victims of petrification, he is quick to point out that these deaths counterbalance the numerous basilisks who have been imprisoned and tortured via bloodletting. Tem also has significant personal reasons for wanting the ability to defend herself: She faces threats from both humans and other basilisks, and she has been sexually assaulted in the past. After the latter incident, Caspen petrified her attackers and Tem views it as reasonable to want this power for herself.

However, er push to learn petrification marks the boldest step in her transformation. Caspen refuses to teach her and says, “I would not have you become a monster” (25), revealing his own regret and a limited idea of morality. Tem sees the ability differently. To her, the power to kill is part of her nature, and Caspen’s refusal keeps her from understanding herself. She turns to Apollo to learn the skill and shows her commitment to every part of her basilisk heritage, including its lethal side. That choice breaks from passive ideals of womanhood and lets her claim her predatory nature as part of her strength. When she and Apollo choose a target for her petrification lesson, they choose an elderly man who is approaching death. This decision reflects the moral ambiguity of their act but shows that neither of them is callous about taking life.

While Tem does not end up needing to use her newly learned skill of petrification, this lesson is an important step toward embracing her basilisk instincts and their pull towards violence. When she watches Caspen and Rowe fight during the tournament, she is astonished to realize that she finds the violence arousing. When she finally has sex with Leo, she can barely control the intense instincts that are aroused by the bond of the crest and her basilisk impulse to hurt him. In fact, Tem has to resort to asking Caspen for help, telepathically pleading “how do I stop myself from hurting him?” (452). The intertwined nature of sex and violence (Tem is also left sexually voracious after she petrifies for the first time) reflects two modes of behavior where Tem must reconcile herself to moral ambiguity. After her awakening, she finds herself “constantly, untenably, desperate for more” (17) and initially sees this state as “completely feral, like a wild animal” (17). Life in basilisk society reframes this drive. Public orgies reinforce the community’s cohesion, and sexual skill shapes one’s rank. Caspen urges her to explore these urges and even permits her to sleep with other basilisks. His stance recasts her heightened libido as a cultural norm and an expression of her authority as a basilisk queen.

Tem’s feminine identity adds an extra layer of complexity to the need for her to accept and embrace her inner lust and violence. In her human society, these qualities are viewed with suspicion but sometimes tolerated in men. When Gabriel, for example, first encounters the licentious basilisk society, he has no qualms about joining in. Tem has to gradually accept her immense sexual appetite and her capacity to kill. She shows the successful completion of this arc when she saves the basilisks from Rowe’s attempted take-over by having sex with Leo to augment her powers and then killing Rowe. Tem steps into the full force of her power only when she ceases to feel shame about morally ambiguous actions. The story shows her moving toward command of the powerful creature she is turning into rather than searching for the person she once was.