Filed to story: Spit or Swallow: Kiss Of The Basilisk
He cocked his head. “I beg your pardon?”
Rather than explain herself, Tem turned back to the skull. “Seems like a morbid thing to keep around, doesn’t it?”
“It’s a family heirloom,” the prince explained. “My father considers it his most-prized possession.”
Tem felt a bristle of anger. “What kind of family keeps a skull as an heirloom?”
“Mine, I suppose.”
Tem shook her head. It was despicable.
The prince seemed to read her mind because he said, “We’re not all bad, you know.”
She had a hard time believing that. The visions Caspen just sent her flashed through her mind again-pain and bloodshed and suffering. All at the hands of his family. Maybe the prince didn’t fight in the war, but he was descended from people who did. And he clearly supported their actions.
Just when the silence became precarious, the prince extended his hand. On his wrist was a shiny gold cuff, etched with a snake that matched the one on his lapel.
“Thelonius. Although I prefer Leo.”
Tem took his hand. It was warm and completely enveloped hers. “Temperance. Although I prefer Tem.”
He held her hand a moment too long. “Temperance,” he said the syllables slowly. “It certainly is a pleasure to meet you.”
“Thanks,” she said, because she didn’t know what else to say. It wasn’t exactly a pleasure to meet him.
A slight smile twisted his lips, as if he knew she was being evasive. “Are you enjoying the party?” he asked.
“It’s…impressive.”
“That wasn’t a yes.”
“Oh.” Tem blinked, surprised again by his bluntness. “I just mean…I’m not used to these types of events. Parties, I mean. I…haven’t been to many.”
At her reply, he smiled fully, and Tem saw that his lateral incisors were sheathed in gold and tapered to points.
“I suppose it is a little stiff, as these things generally are.”
Tem shrugged. “It’s better than being at home.”
“Is it?” He arched an eyebrow. “I can’t imagine being in your position.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I would be furious if I were you, paraded in here like a lamb to the slaughter.”
Tem frowned. She may be speaking with the prince, but that didn’t give him the right to insult her. “I am no lamb,” she said quietly.
He raised an eyebrow. “No.” His eyes went to her dress again. “You certainly aren’t.”
There was silence, and in it, Tem felt his heat. She understood suddenly that although he was a prince, she was the one who held the power here. She wondered what it would feel like to wield it.
Leo broke the silence. “Can I offer you a drink?”
Tem nodded, if only to get a break from his probing stare. Leo turned to the liquor shelf, tapping his fingers lightly along the selection of crystal tumblers before resting on one that contained amber liquid. His nails were perfectly manicured.
“Do you like whiskey?” he asked, his back still turned.
“I…don’t know.”
He looked over his shoulder at her. “You’ve never had it?”
“Once,” she said. It was the truth: she and Gabriel had tried it at the Horseman after several rounds of beer. She genuinely couldn’t remember if she’d liked it.
Leo grinned. “Whiskey it is then.”
He selected two faceted glasses and poured an inch of liquid into each. When he handed Tem hers, their fingers brushed. His skin was warm. She stared down at the amber liquid. The harsh smell definitely rang a bell.
“Shall we do it together?” Leo asked.
She was surprised to hear herself answer “Sure.”
“Very well. To Kora,” Leo said, clinking his glass to hers.
“To Kora,” Tem said back. Then she raised the glass to her mouth and took a delicate sip of the whiskey. It burned fiercely on the way down her throat, and she pursed her lips in surprise.
Leo downed the contents of his glass in one gulp. “Well?” he asked once she’d swallowed. “What do you think?”
“It tastes like fire,” she said.
“That it does.”
Tem was still trying not to cough. “How can you drink it so easily?”
Leo laughed, and the sound was like teacups clinking. “Lots and lots of practice.”
The prince poured himself another glass and drank it slowly, as if he had all the time in the world to stand there with her. His behavior had the easy entitlement of privilege. Tem got the impression that nothing bothered him, and even if something did, he could make it go away with a snap of his slender fingers. He watched Tem with sharp intelligence, his eyes holding hers for longer than what she would consider socially acceptable. Vera had been wrong, she realized. His eyes weren’t green. They were something closer to gray.
“So. How’s it going so far?” Leo asked.
“How’s what going so far?”
“You know, the training, or whatever it is they’re calling it.”
A blush rose on her cheeks. Was he really asking her about her sessions with Caspen? The process was hardly a secret-everyone in the village knew this was the proper way for a prince to choose a wife. But it was a sensitive subject for Tem. She was already embarrassed by her inexperience-she had no desire to discuss it with the very person she might be sleeping with in a matter of weeks.
“I don’t believe that’s any of your concern,” she said quietly.
His mouth twitched. “On the contrary, I believe I’m the only person it concerns.”
Her blush deepened, and she hated it. Tem didn’t like the way the prince was making her feel. It was as if he enjoyed her discomfort, and she felt the power shifting back to him as he said, “Sex is best with someone who knows what they’re doing. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Tem didn’t answer. She hadn’t had sex yet, with someone who knew what they were doing or otherwise.
At her silence, Leo’s smirk widened. “Then again, experiencing something for the first time can be…rewarding. If that’s your situation.”
Tem felt the whiskey burning in her stomach and, with it, her anger. She hated the way Leo was speaking to her. But even more, she hated the way Caspen had abandoned her. The claw was cold, his presence entirely absent from her mind. She was on her own. So she took a deep breath and said, “You don’t know my situation.”
Leo leaned in. “I’d like to.”
He was far too close for comfort.