Filed To Story: Spit or Swallow: Kiss Of The Basilisk
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 cruel, but he had nothing on Vera.
The only other person Tem recognized was Lilly, who was sitting next to her father, watching the proceedings with a sympathetic expression. The other chairs were filled with people Tem didn’t recognize. She assumed they were Leo’s extended family, here for the wedding.
“Aren’t you going to introduce your guest to the table, Thelonius?” Maximus said coldly.
Leo smiled. “Certainly.” He stood, grabbing Tem’s hand and pulling her upright with him. “Please welcome my date, Temperance Verus.”
To Tem’s horror, everyone at the table looked right at her.
Before she could figure out whether they expected her to say something, Leo was already speaking. “She’s one of the lovely women in the running for my hand in marriage. As you can see, she’s already got a head start.” He raised his arm so everyone could see their hands clasped together.
A murmur of laughter rippled across the table. With a single line, Leo had not only explained Tem’s presence at the dinner but legitimized it. Where just moments ago, she’d been the recipient of discerning stares, now everyone was smiling at her. He’s good at that, Tem realized. Disarming people was a talent of Leo’s. He did it easily, with nothing but his words. She made a mental note to remember that about him.
As they sat back down, Maximus said, “How are you finding the castle, Temperance?”
“Oh,” Tem said, surprised he was addressing her directly. “It’s…something.”
“It must be quite different from what you’re used to in the village.”
Tem was smart enough to spot an insult when she saw one. She refused to take the bait. “It’s certainly eventful around here.”
Maximus’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t pleased that she refused to play his game. “And what does your father do, Temperance?”
The question made her blood run cold. Was Maximus aware that Tem was a hybreed? Or was he simply making dinner-party conversation? Surely, he couldn’t know that one of the basilisks deep beneath their feet was her father. Or could he?
“My mother runs a chicken farm,” Tem said pointedly.
There was a weighted silence as everyone at the table glanced at Maximus, who was glaring at Tem like he wanted to throw his wine at her.
“Chickens,” he sneered. “How charming.”
Before she could defend herself, someone else did it for her.
“Don’t speak to her like that,” Leo snapped.
It was the first time Tem had ever heard Leo raise his voice, and a chill went down her spine at the sound. He was staring at Maximus with pure, vivid loathing, his hands clenched into fists under the table. His reaction was so disproportionate to Maximus’s comment that Tem knew there was no way this was only about her.
Tem reached for him.
She touched Leo’s hand under the table, uncurling his fingers gently from a fist. Then she pulled his hand into her lap, holding it with both of hers. Leo didn’t look at her while she did it. But when Tem squeezed his hand, he squeezed hers back, and his voice was steady again when he said, “Forgive me, Father. Too much wine.”
Nervous laughter spread across the table, and a moment later, the chatter resumed. But Maximus didn’t move, staring at his son with utter contempt in his eyes.
“Leo,” Tem said, pulling his attention to her.
He turned, and the second their eyes met, his expression softened. He leaned in. “What can I do for you, Tem?”
“I’m starving,” she said, her tone purposefully light.
Leo smiled, if a little stiffly.
“Then we had better feed you.”
No sooner had he said the words than a butler appeared and began serving them from a golden tray.
The food was exquisite: tender roast beef, crispy potatoes, and herby green salad. It reminded Tem of the food she’d eaten on her very first date with Leo, where they’d sat on the patio before walking through the maze. It was strange to sit here with him now, in the same room she’d sat in before the Frisky Sixty. They had come a long way together, she and Leo. And the journey had not been all bad.
The next hour was spent making pleasantries and exchanging small talk. Tem learned that the other guests were indeed Leo’s extended family, in town for the wedding. The thought made her nervous, but she didn’t show it. Instead, she laughed and smiled and charmed herself into their good graces, pretending she was playing a part. And maybe she was.
The woman next to Tem was on her fourth glass of red wine. “I’ve never seen one before, you know,” she purred, swirling her glass.
“Seen what before?” Tem asked.
“A snake.”
“Oh,” Tem said. Then she frowned. “They look just like humans.”
“Attractive humans, I’ve heard. What’s it like to fuck one?”
Tem’s eyebrows flew upward. She glanced at Leo, who was mercifully engaged in conversation with the man on his left. She cleared her throat. “It’s…life-changing,” Tem said honestly.
“Oh, I’m sure it is,” the woman crooned, leaning even closer. “Maybe I’ll get lucky at the wedding.”
Tem blinked. “Will the basilisks be attending?”
“They should be. At least that’s what my sister says. Did I tell you about the time she-“
But Tem was no longer listening. If the basilisks were attending the wedding, that meant they would seize power the moment she performed the crest. It meant there would be no time to ensure a smooth transition from one king to the next, no time to ensure things happened in an orderly fashion. The change would be immediate. Lawless. And possibly dangerous.
When the main course was cleared, a butler served dessert.
A white ceramic dish containing a chocolate souffl? was set in front of Tem. It was covered in powdered sugar. She touched it with her fork, disturbing its pristine surface.
Leo watched as she took the first bite. “And?” he said.
“Pretty good.”
“I suppose that’s better than pretty bad.”
“Marginally.”
Leo laughed, and at the sound, Tem chose to do something she shouldn’t. She leaned closer, lowering her voice so only Leo could hear. “Do you really want to make your father angry?”
He arched an eyebrow. “Always.”
At his reply, she whispered, “Feed me.”
For a moment, Leo did nothing. Then the familiar smirk returned to his face. He took the fork, scooped up a bite of the souffl?, and held it out to her. Tem leaned even closer, taking the bite slowly, keeping her eyes on Leo’s while she did it.
Maximus watched the entire time, his expression irate.
When Tem finished the bite, she pressed her lips to Leo’s cheek, leaving a smudge of powdered sugar on his skin. She smiled at him, and he smiled back.
“And you thought I was depraved,” he whispered.
She wiped the sugar gently from his cheek. “Takes one to know one.”
Dinner was followed by cocktails in the parlor, where, thankfully, Maximus left them alone. It was only when the fire was dying down and the guests were starting to leave that Maximus shot Tem a pointed glance, which she returned.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.