Page 197 of Split or Swallow

“Her hands,” Caspen said, even though Tem already knew.

“And you expect me to—”

“I do not expect you to do anything.”

“You know that’s not what I mean. This is…”

But there were no words.

Caspen walked her all the way down to the altar, his arm still around her waist. They stood in front of the statue, looking up at Kora’s peaceful face.

“She’s beautiful,” Tem said, almost despite herself.

“Like you.”

Just then, the double doors opened, and people began to file in. Caspen pulled her closer.

“I love you,” he murmured in her ear. “You do not have to do this.”

“Please stop saying that.”

Caspen didn’t reply. He only held her tighter as the auditorium filled. Tem had expected a crowd full of snakes, but all the basilisks wore their human forms.

It is so that no one accidentally kills you.

Tem supposed that made sense. Still, it was unnerving to see so many naked people at once—it wasn’t something Tem was used to. And they were so beautiful. The women all had soft curves and the men were all tall, imposing presences. It was hard not to feel woefully inferior when she was surrounded by so many stunning bodies.

Tem looked up at Caspen. His eyes were narrowed; she had never seen him so tense. She had no idea what to do when he was like this. Usually he was the calm one—it was always Tem who was spiraling about something. Now he was holding onto her like she was the last person alive, his fingers twisting into her skin so tightly that she winced. He couldn’t continue like this. The last thing she needed was for him to snap at his father when his energy was so unpredictable.

“Caspen,” she said softly, pressing her lips to his chest, then his collarbone, then his jaw. “Calm me down.”

He leaned into her touch, relaxing his grip ever so slightly. “As you wish.”

A soothing wave flowed from his mind to hers, slowing her scattered heart rate. Somewhere along the way, their lips touched. They kissed slowly, and Tem knew everyone would be watching.

“I love you,” Caspen whispered when Tem finally pulled away. “You do not have to do this.”

The problem was she loved him too. And in order to be with him, she had to do this.

A sudden hush fell over the crowd. Tem followed their gaze to the double doors, where a tall figure was standing.

The Serpent King had arrived.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Tem had thought that Caspen was formidable.

All the hard lines on him were even harder on his father. They had the same proud posture, the same rigid musculature in their torsos. But where Caspen’s face had an ethereal quality to it, his father’s beauty was intimidating and harsh. His eyes were fully black, with none of the gold of Caspen’s. They roamed over the auditorium, taking in first the crowd, then his son, then, finally, Tem. She flinched as his gaze met hers. Beside her, Caspen’s entire body went rigid. He was holding her so tightly she could barely breathe, yet she wished he would hold her even tighter. He whispered in her ear:

“He will not harm you. He knows I will never forgive him if he does.”

Tem could only nod.

“If at any point you change your mind and you wish to stop, you need only look at me and I will put an end to this.”

“And how will you put an end to it?”

His answer was a single word: