Filed To Story: Spit or Swallow: Kiss Of The Basilisk
But Tem only shook her head, struggling to grasp her new reality-a reality in which she couldn’t trust Caspen.
“I don’t know anything anymore.”
They stared at each other in the flickering firelight, the only sound the crackle of the flames. Something had broken between them-something vital. Tem didn’t know where they stood after this. She didn’t know how to navigate a world where Caspen lied to her.
“This plan has been in place for centuries, Tem,” Caspen said quietly. “My father knew that eventually the training would result in a pregnancy. Even if it took years, he was willing to wait for it.”
Cold, slick doubt coated her throat.
“Is this why your father gave me his blessing? So I could perform the crest?”
To her surprise, Caspen shook his head. “No. The ritual is sacred-it is sanctioned by Kora. He cannot wield his blessing as a weapon in our war.”
Tem didn’t know what to believe anymore.
Caspen seemed to sense this because he continued. “It was not in his best interest to approve of you, Tem. The closer you are to me, the harder it is for him to manipulate you. He honored the outcome of the ritual. You earned his blessing, I promise you.”
His words didn’t make Tem feel any better. She didn’t know if she believed him or if she even cared. Perhaps it didn’t matter whether she’d truly earned the king’s blessing or not. All that mattered was what she’d just learned-that Bastian had plans for her, that she was meant to help the basilisks regain power.
“Do you want me to crest the royals?” she whispered.
“No,” Caspen said sharply. “I do not.”
“Why not?” Tem said accusingly. “Don’t you want your people to take over?”
He paused. “I do wish for that.” The second pause lingered a moment too long. “But it is dangerous for you to crest so many people at once.”
“I thought you said the crest was a way to gain power.”
“It is. But you have no experience wielding such power. There is no telling how it would affect you.”
Anger, betrayal, and anguish rippled through her. She was done talking about this.
“I’m going home.”
“Tem,” he said carefully. “We should-“
“I’m going home, Caspen.”
Tem couldn’t stand to be in his chambers another moment. She brushed past him without another word, ignoring the way he called her name after her, closing the barrier between their minds as she sprinted down the dark passageway. The cold morning air snapped in Tem’s lungs as she emerged from the cave and ran through the woods, not stopping until she reached her front door.
“Mother,” she cried as she barged into the kitchen.
Her mother looked up from her sewing in surprise.
“What is it, dear?”
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?”
For a moment, her mother was perfectly still. Then she set down her needle and interlaced her fingers in her lap, looking calmly up at Tem. From the look on her face, it was clear she knew the moment of reckoning had come.
“I did not want you to feel different from anyone else,” her mother conceded.
Tem scoffed. “It is far too late for that, Mother.”
Her mother didn’t want her to feel different from anyone else; Caspen didn’t want to frighten her. These were mere excuses, nothing more.
“It would have been dangerous if you knew,” her mother continued just as calmly, as if she’d been rehearsing her response for years. “The villagers would not have been kind.”
“They were not kind anyway,” Tem cried.
“Please, my dear. Try to understand.”
But Tem only shook her head. She held out her hands accusingly, brandishing her freckled palms. “I deserved to know.”
Her mother didn’t respond.
Tem paced back and forth in the kitchen, trying to control her anger. It was unforgivable that she had been treated with such disrespect. This was her identity-her very being. To have so many people know her most intimate secret while not knowing it herself was nothing short of a violation. If she could not trust her own mother, who could she turn to?
She stopped pacing. “I am going to Gabriel’s.”
Her mother’s eyebrows shot upward. “You cannot tell that boy, Tem. Nobody can know.”
“Gabriel is trustworthy,” Tem said sharply, although she didn’t know whether anyone was trustworthy anymore. “And he is my friend.”
“Tem-you-“
But Tem was already out the door. Contrary to what she’d just said, she was not going to Gabriel’s. It was early; he was probably still asleep. Instead, she would go to the place where she knew she would find the one person who was unequivocally on her side.
I…still come here most mornings. Just in case.
The church wasn’t far. By the time she reached it, the sun was rising in earnest, and Tem feared she would be too late. But when she started on the path through the graveyard, she saw a lone figure sitting on the bench on the hill.
Leo looked up in surprise as she approached.
“Tem?” His brows furrowed in concern as he stood. “What are you doing here?”
It was then that Tem realized she had no plan whatsoever. She couldn’t tell Leo she was a hybreed. She couldn’t tell him about the ritual, about the Serpent King’s plan for the royal wedding, about the basilisks who were being tortured for their blood deep beneath the castle. There wasn’t a single thing she could say to him other than the truth.
“I wanted to see you.”
A curious expression came over Leo’s face. When he didn’t reply, Tem became suddenly aware that she had barged in on the prince’s private moment, that the only reason he was here was because he was hoping a different girl would show up.
Tem took a step backward. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I shouldn’t have-“
“Yes.” He grabbed her hand. “You should have.”
Tem stared at his hand, his long fingers interlacing with her freckled ones. “Spend the day with me,” Leo said.
Tem let out an incredulous laugh. “Don’t you have duties to attend to?”
“My duties can wait.”
She was still standing two steps away, their hands clasped between them. “Leo…”
He stepped closer, pulling her against him.
She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of his cologne. For the first time in a long time, she felt peace. Tentatively, she rested her head against his chest.
“Tem,” Leo whispered. “What’s wrong?”