Author: admin

After a moment, Leo whispered, “She never loved me. Not like you did.” Tem looked straight at him. “Do,” she whispered. He looked straight back at her. “What?” “She never loved you like I do.” It was an important distinction. And it was important that Leo knew it. Tem shouldn’t be saying this, shouldn’t be…

A pause followed, and it took Tem only a moment to reach for Caspen with her mind. Leo has agreed to apologize in person. When should he come? Caspen took a long time to answer. But Tem was used to this; she knew how to wait him out. Finally, he responded. There is a council…

“Caspen.” She touched his shoulder. “If Leo comes here, he could get hurt. Please think about this.” “I do not care to think of anything, Tem. I have already made my decision.” “Think of me.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. Would it be enough? Adelaide had once told her that she held more sway…

Caspen brushed his fingers gently up her spine. It was the right thing to do. I don’t even know if they ended up getting married. Leo…told me to leave. His fingers stopped. Tem expected him to say something, but he didn’t. Maximus paid Evelyn to leave Leo. I thought he deserved to know the truth….

Can I do anything for you? He shook his head. Are you sure? There is nothing to be done, Temperance. By you or anyone. His words gutted her. All Tem wanted to do was fix this-to go back in time and make it so that the last few days hadn’t happened. Adelaide appeared on her…

“I fucking knew it,” Leo hissed. The same scent from earlier washed over her. An earthiness she couldn’t place. “What is it, Tem? What did you do to us?” That question was too vast to answer. What had Tem done to them? She’d ruined them. She’d made it so that Leo’s life was at stake-so…

Tem drank the last dregs of her whiskeys. It was all she could do. The celebration resumed, and Gabriel disappeared to the kitchens. Tem and Caspen found themselves near a group of royals whom Tem recognized from her own wedding. They were talking to Evelyn and Leo. “We’re so excited to start a family,” Evelyn…

Evelyn turned to Leo. “We must show solidarity with our people.” “Your people caused this,” Tem snapped. “My people died.” “Your people are not people at all. They are snakes.” All the rage she’d suppressed toward Evelyn was threatening to spill out at the seams now. Tem wanted to lunge at her, to rip her…

“I trust I have your confidence,” Evelyn said quietly. She had nothing of the sort. Tem would not be silenced-she would not allow the sacrifice she’d made to be for nothing. To keep Evelyn’s secret would be to lie to Leo. It would mean betraying his trust-trust that Tem had only recently earned and barely…

The truth was she didn’t want to leave Caspen unaccompanied. Tem had no idea what he would do here in the castle, alone and angry, without her by his side. Will you be here when I’m done? I will. Still, Tem hesitated. She was waiting for something-waiting for him to say- Go. At his command,…