Filed To Story: Between Two Kings: A Split or Swallow Book PDF Free
Tem sighed. Unlike the other customs basilisks adhered to, this one wasn’t sexual at all. It was serious, and it was dangerous. And it put a target on her back. From the way the basilisks in the courtyard had just looked at Tem, Caspen had every reason to be scared for her. She could feel it in the way his hands were gripping her waist a little too tight, as if he feared she might disappear.
“Caspen,” she said. “Nobody’s going to kill me. They’d be idiots if they tried.”
His grip didn’t lessen. “And why is that?”
“Because then you’d kill them.”
Caspen let out a soft laugh. “I suppose that is true.”
It was certainly true. Tem might be a tempting source of power, but Caspen was a terrifying source of wrath. She couldn’t imagine that anyone under this mountain would dare to touch her. He was already the Serpent King-there was no one more powerful.
No one except for her.
Sunday came quicker than Tem would have liked.
The castle was decorated for winter; great boughs of holly were strung along the arch of the entryway, and more still hung in the foyer. White candles had been traded for red ones, and the great drips of wax looked like blood. Tem couldn’t stop staring at them.
“It was Evelyn’s doing,” said Leo stiffly.
Tem frowned at the tension in his voice. Then it made sense.
The decorations were expensive. And unnecessary. Evelyn had spent money on something that had no purpose-something strictly superficial. It was an abhorrent thing to do in a time of financial crisis. Tem couldn’t believe where the woman’s priorities lay. Who cared about decorations when the villagers were starving? Evelyn, apparently.
As if on cue, Evelyn appeared at the head of the stairs. “Doesn’t the castle look beautiful?” she purred.
Neither Caspen nor Tem answered. They were both incapable of lying, and it would have been impossible to say they found this beautiful. Instead Tem took Caspen’s hand in hers and squeezed.
This is going to be a long night.
He squeezed back.
Of that I am quite sure.
Leo seemed to know it too, because he didn’t say anything either. The three of them stood awkwardly as Evelyn flounced down the stairs. By the time they were seated in the dining room, Tem was already reaching for her wineglass. If she was in for a long night, she at least wanted to be drunk for it.
“Wedding preparations are going splendidly,” Evelyn said, although no one had asked.
Tem downed her wine.
“We’ve ordered sixty white swans for the occasion. They’ll look beautiful in the pond.”
Again, no one spoke. Tem couldn’t imagine how much sixty white swans had cost them or where they would even import them from. She’d never seen a single swan in the village, much less sixty of them. It was absurd.
“Of course, we’re also looking into getting white roses. But those are proving difficult to track down. Isn’t that right, darling?” She looked expectantly at Leo, who was staring into his whiskey glass.
“Quite difficult,” he said dully.
Mercifully, dinner was served.
The silence continued as the butlers served them roast beef, but at least now there was food to concentrate on. To Tem’s surprise, it was Caspen who spoke next.
“Have there been any more protests?”
Tem frowned. Why was he asking? He didn’t care about the villagers.
“Yes,” sighed Evelyn. “There have been.”
Two words flashed through Tem’s mind:
Feed us.
“That is a shame,” Caspen said.
“It is.” She glanced at Leo, who was still trying to drown himself in his whiskey. “We are exploring…solutions.”
Caspen raised an eyebrow. “Such as?”
Ah. That’s why he was asking-it wasn’t to gauge the situation with the villagers. It was to see what plans the royals had for the future of their kingdom. Those plans would directly affect the basilisks.
Evelyn was still looking at Leo, who was looking anywhere but at her.
“We…haven’t decided yet. But we are looking into our options. Things cannot go on as they have been. It’s important to leave a legacy for our children.”
Tem nearly choked on her wine. “Children?”
Evelyn touched Leo’s arm. “We want two, don’t we, darling? A boy and a girl.”
Tem suppressed the urge to vomit.
Tem. Caspen’s voice boomed in her mind.
She knew he could hear her thoughts. It wasn’t possible to hide them at this point. Tem’s displeasure was so loud, she was surprised Evelyn couldn’t hear them too.
I’m trying.
You must try harder. You cannot afford to lose your temper.
Tem knew he was right. They had to do this, for the greater good. But he was asking the impossible. Evelyn was right there. Her big doe eyes stared at Tem with calculating curiosity, as if she were sizing her up. And how dare she? Evelyn was the one who’d left Leo in the first place.
But was Tem really any better? She’d left Leo too.
The thought only made her angrier. She’d left him so he could be happy. And his happiness, for reasons Tem could not and would not fathom, hinged on the unremarkable person before her. Evelyn couldn’t possibly satisfy Leo. She looked like she’d never had sex in her life, much less be willing to suck his cock in a carriage simply to torture him. Leo required challenge and strength and power. Evelyn possessed none of those.
Tem. Caspen’s voice came to her again.
What?
Control yourself.
It wasn’t an order. It was a warning.
Tem could feel heat rising in her core, the monster within her no longer lying dormant. Her basilisk side felt as if it were clawing for release, climbing steadily up the walls of her insides. Fury was imminent. She’d transitioned only once since the wedding. Yet she felt as if she were about to now, the urge rapidly consuming her like a forest fire.
Tem closed her eyes, trying to take a deep, calming breath. But nothing helped. She was too far gone-too close to the edge.
You are beginning to transition, Tem. I can feel it.
It was true. Tem’s skin was crawling-pricks of electricity tingled up her spine, threatening to engulf her. She tried to control her breathing, but she couldn’t. The familiar fire burned within her chest, threatening to explode. She couldn’t transition here. She had to keep everyone safe-had to keep Leo safe. But at the thought of Leo, Tem only became warmer.
Focus on something else, Tem.