Spit or Swallow: Kiss Of The Basilisk

It was progress. “Caspen told me I was a hybreed.” “A hybreed?” “Half human, half basilisk.” “How did he know?” Tem raised her hands, showing Leo the freckles on her palms. “These,” she said as he looked at them. “My father has the same ones. He passed them on to me.” Leo pressed his lips…

Realization hit her. Caspen thought Tem was the reason their connection had been weak the past few days. He thought she was angry about his engagement to Adelaide, that she was pushing him away on purpose, to punish him. It couldn’t be further from the truth. Tem looked up at him, losing herself in the…

“End things with him, Tem. Or I’m marrying Vera.” He was gone before she could even blink. Tem didn’t know what to do with herself. She couldn’t end things with Caspen. It wasn’t an option. But she couldn’t get eliminated either. She had to marry Leo. Needed to marry Leo. One question remained. Why had…

Tem nodded. Something else occurred to her. “You can’t tell him I’m showing you this.” Now Leo hesitated. The curiosity she’d sensed earlier reared its head again. She knew he understood that she was asking him to choose between her and his own father. Leo made his choice: “I will not tell him. You have…

At the sound of his name, Kronos opened his eyes, and Leo took a step backward. Tem retained her grip on his hand, forcing him to remain next to her. “My mother went through the same training I did. She fell in love, just like I did.” Leo shook his head slowly, his eyes locked…

Tem could sense Leo’s anticipation; she could feel the way his body was drawn to hers. She was drawn to him too. There was no denying it, no pretending that what they had wasn’t real. This game of theirs had gone on long enough. Tem had revealed her cards, and Leo had too. There was…

“I suppose you had.” With that, Tem crossed to the door and left him. The moment Tem was back in her room, she bolted for the window. She had no idea how long she’d been with Leo. Too long. It was late-or perhaps early-and she needed to get to the caves and back before anyone…

“Again.” She placed her hand over his, angling her hips so his fingers went all the way inside her. “It’s all for you, Leo. Just for you.” Tem took control, sliding herself up and down. Leo watched her, enraptured, as if he had never seen anything like her before. His other hand wandered, touching her…

“Tem,” Caspen said. “Are you angry?” She shook her head. “No. But…it seems like such a risk.” He nodded. “It is a risk. Many basilisks choose not to bind their engagements in blood for that very reason.” “But you chose to bind ours.” “Yes,” he said quietly. “I did.” “Why?” Caspen looked at her for…

Leo paused, then said simply, “Unpleasantness.” From the way Maximus was looking at her like she was a bug on the bottom of his shoe, Tem could guess what kind of unpleasantness might be imminent. Then again, it couldn’t be anything worse than what she’d already been subjected to her entire life. Maximus may be…