Filed To Story: Between Two Kings: A Split or Swallow Book PDF Free
“Rowe will not win,” Caspen cut her off.
Adelaide pursed her lips with annoyance. “I said if, Caspenon.
If he wins, Temperance will have to marry him. We must all prepare for that possibility.”
Tem crossed her arms. She would do no such thing. The thought of marrying Rowe was abhorrent. She’d kill herself before she let that happen.
Caspen must have read her thoughts because he shook his head and said, “Put that out of your mind, Tem. It is not an option.”
“And why not?”
A small smile tipped his lips. “I would rather not die just yet.”
Immediately, Tem understood. The blood bond tied them together. If she killed herself, it would kill Caspen too. She shook her head. “This is ridiculous. If I’m so powerful, why can’t I call off the tournament? Why can’t I make us touch again?”
“It is like Caspenon said: this is a magic greater than you. We believe the tournament is sanctioned by Kora herself.”
“It is meant to test our love, Tem,” Caspen added.
Tem couldn’t think of anything worse to test right now. She was already struggling with her feelings for Leo-feelings that were likely to get her killed. It was not an ideal time to put a strain on their relationship. The last thing she needed was for everything to be out in the open.
“Basilisks take their traditions seriously,” Adelaide continued gently. “You must adhere to the results of the tournament. We all must.”
Tem wasn’t in the mood to adhere to the results of anything. She abhorred the idea of someone else deciding her partner for her. Of all the basilisk traditions, this was the most ridiculous. Why would she ever accept any other outcome than Caspen?
Tem needed more information. She was dying to know what the tournament entailed, how exactly they would compete for her hand. If Caspen was going to beat Rowe, they needed to be prepared. She turned to Adelaide. “You said you’ve seen this before. What happened?”
“My grandmother was a Drakon, my grandfather a Seneca. The Drakons contested their marriage, and my grandfather had to fight for their love.”
“Fight?”
“Yes.”
Tem turned to Caspen. “I don’t want you fighting anyone. If there’s a chance you could get hurt, I don’t want you doing this.”
“You have already made it abundantly clear that I am not allowed to die.”
Tem almost smiled at that.
“But I am afraid it is not up to you,” he sighed. “The tournament is binding. I must participate. To do otherwise would be an insult to both our quivers and most of all an insult to you. If I do not compete, I surrender you to the Senecas.”
He sounded resolute, as if he had accepted this a long time ago. And perhaps he had. Caspen had seen the warnings-the angry group of Seneca man, the writing on the wall. This was not a surprise to him, even if it was to Tem.
“The goal of the tournament is not bloodshed, Temperance,” Adelaide explained.
Tem didn’t know whether to feel relieved at that statement or not. If it wasn’t about bloodshed, it was probably about something else-something worse. “Then what is the goal?”
“Your pleasure.”
Tem snorted. She couldn’t imagine anything centering her pleasure less.
“It is true, Temperance. By competing for your hand, the contenders honor you.”
“I don’t need Rowe or his stupid brother honoring me.”
“They…will not be the only contenders,” Adelaide said.
“Excuse me?”
She shifted, glancing at Caspen. “Rowe and his brother will not be the only ones competing for your hand in marriage.”
Tem stared at her. “What do you mean? Who else is competing?”
“We do not know yet.”
“When will we know?”
“When you choose them.”
“What?”
“The tournament is for your hand, Tem. It is you who must choose who has the privilege of competing. You will select the rest of the contenders.”
“The rest?”
“Yes.”
Dread piled up in her like snow. “How many exactly?”
Adelaide’s eyes slid to Caspen’s, who gave a stilted shrug that clearly said:
Just tell her.
“There will be twelve contenders total.”
“Twelve?”
“Yes. It is a sacred number to us.”
“Sacred how?”
“It is a symbolic number, representative of Kora’s lovers.”
“I didn’t know she had twelve lovers.”
Adelaide raised an eyebrow. “Did they not teach you the legends in your human schools?”
They hadn’t taught her much of anything in school, except what to expect from the training process. And even that, nothing could have prepared her for. Tem shook her head.
Adelaide elaborated. “It is said that when Kora decided she wanted a mate, she took twelve lovers and had a child by each. Those twelve children were the first of the basilisks.”
Tem blinked. She knew the basilisks worshipped Kora, knew they shared the same gods as the humans. But she’d never known that they believed they were descended from Kora herself, that they considered themselves offspring of the gods. Tem thought about her freckles, how there were exactly twelve on each palm. She was beginning to feel lightheaded.
“It’s like the ritual all over again,” Tem whispered.
To her surprise, Adelaide shook her head.
“No, Temperance. The ritual required you to prove yourself to us. Now it is the opposite. The contenders will be vying for your hand. They will view it as an honor to be chosen by you.”
Tem turned to Caspen. “I’m going to choose you.”