Filed To Story: Between Two Kings: A Split or Swallow Book PDF Free
“If this is too hard for you,” she whispered, “you don’t have to come inside.”
“Of course I do.”
Tem flinched at his tone. At her reaction, his voice softened.
“I must come, Tem. I must protect you.”
They both knew there was nothing he could do to protect her. Tem had already made her choice. It didn’t matter what Caspen said now-the night would end with her in the dungeon, bleeding.
Tem reached for the door. Before she could open it, Caspen’s hand clasped down over hers. He leaned in. “Do not do this, Tem. It is not too late.”
She shook her head. “I have to do this.”
“You do not,” he insisted. “We will figure out another solution.”
Tem closed her eyes. If she backed out now, everything would fall apart.
“Tem,” his voice was low. “I will do anything to stop this. Anything.”
But that was exactly what she wanted to prevent. Tem knew there was no end to what Caspen would do for her-no limit to the people he would hurt. She couldn’t allow it.
“I’ve made my peace with this, Caspen. Why can’t you?”
“Because you are precious to me,” he said roughly. “When you are in pain, I am in pain too.”
“I’d rather be in pain than watch anyone else get hurt.”
“That is a beautiful quality, Tem. But you forget that
I am the one watching you get hurt. And it is unbearable.”
She didn’t know what to say to that.
Caspen’s grip tightened. “Do not do this, Tem. Please.”
He was begging her. It wasn’t a tone she heard from him often. But he used it now, his golden eyes staring deep into her soul.
“It’s my choice, Caspen,” Tem whispered. “You have to respect it.”
Then they knocked, and a butler opened the door and greeted them in the foyer before directing them to the dining room. Tem was about to sit down when Caspen caught her arm. She looked up at him in surprise.
What is it?
Before he could answer, Evelyn and Leo entered. For a moment, nobody spoke.
“Tem,” Evelyn said silkily, “I hope you’re well.”
Tem nearly snorted. She was positive Evelyn hoped nothing of the sort.
“I figured we could enjoy dinner,” Evelyn continued. “Before…”
“We are not hungry,” Caspen said, his tone nonnegotiable.
Evelyn trailed off. Tem understood suddenly why they hadn’t sat down. They would not be enjoying dinner. She was here to bleed-nothing more. There was no point in pretending that this was a regular evening.
Tem’s eyes flicked to Leo’s. “How does this work?” she asked him.
She wanted him to say it-to spell it out in front of everyone. But it was Evelyn who answered.
“You will go downstairs,” she said carefully. “And you will provide your…sample.”
So that’s what they were calling it: a sample.
Tem fought the bizarre urge to laugh. It was all so clinical. In Evelyn’s mind, Tem was merely doing them a service-giving something that her body was meant to give. But nothing could be less true.
“Will it hurt?” Tem asked pointedly, again directing the question at Leo. She already knew from her father that it would. But again, she wanted him to say it. She wanted anyone to say it, to acknowledge the inhumanity, to put a name to the cruel thing she was about to endure.
Utter and complete silence fell. A slow, sickly expression twisted Evelyn’s face. “I…do not know. Surely…it will not?” She looked at Leo.
He looked at the ground.
There was nothing more insidious than cowardice, and that was what Leo was demonstrating in this moment. He had the power to stop this. And yet he stood there silently, staring at his shoes as if they held the answer.
Beside her, Caspen rolled his shoulders. Tem did not condone violence, but right now, she wished wildly that Caspen would rip everyone in this room to shreds.
Do not tempt me, Tem. One word from you and I will kill them both.
You know I would never say that word.
In reply, Caspen closed the corridor to his mind.
Tem knew that his thoughts had likely become so furious that he chose to shield her from them, rather than subject her to them.
Finally, Evelyn broke the silence. “Well,” she said. “If we’re not going to eat…you…know where to go, I presume?”
Her voice was higher than usual. She was avoiding Caspen’s eyes. Perhaps she was afraid the Serpent King would hurt her. The thought cheered Tem enormously.
“Yes,” Tem answered. “I do.”
Without another moment’s hesitation, she stepped toward the door. The second she did, Caspen and Leo spoke simultaneously:
“I will come with you.”
“No, you won’t,” replied Tem and Evelyn at the same time.
A testy silence fell. Both men stared at Tem. Tem stared at Evelyn.
“Darling,” Evelyn said through gritted teeth, wrapping her fingers tightly around Leo’s arm. “You can’t go down there.”
“Darling,” Leo said just as tightly. “Why not?”
“Because…” She paused, clearly grasping for an appropriate end to her sentence. “You shouldn’t be around your father.”
Tem frowned. It was odd reasoning. She’d expected Evelyn to say that Leo shouldn’t be around
Tem. Leo seemed to think so too because he asked, “And why shouldn’t I be around my father?”
Another pause. For the first time since Tem met her, Evelyn looked nervous. “I…”
But the rest never came. The three of them stood in stasis, locked in place.