Page 266 of Split or Swallow

“Wait,” Tem said. “What else do you know about Hybreeds?”

Adelaide hesitated. Her eyes flicked to Caspen, who nodded.

“Humans with basilisk blood are rare,” she said slowly. “Extremely so. Your existence is…an anomaly.”

“What does that mean?”

“The two halves of you are paradoxical,” Adelaide explained. “Your basilisk side is a predator, while your human side is prey.”

Tem frowned. “I don’t understand. Are you saying my body is trying to kill itself?”

Adelaide shook her head.

“The opposite. You carry the balance of nature within you. It is an extremely powerful thing.”

Tem was reeling from this information. She had to know more.

“How powerful?”

Adelaide paused, tilting her head in the same way Caspen did when he was considering something. There was a moment of silence as her eyes traveled over Tem.

“I do not know the extent of it,” she said finally.

Another pause. The only sound was the crackling of the fire.

Adelaide broke the silence:

“I do know this: the two of you need to be careful. What happened with Rowe cannot happen again.”

Tem blinked.

“Why not?”

Adelaide nodded at Caspen.

“Unlike my engagement to Caspenon, yours is bound by blood. You must keep each other safe. If anything happens to either of you, it could be centuries before we see another Hybreed.”

Tem’s lungs contracted so tightly she could barely breathe. Nothing Adelaide just said made any sense to her. She focused on the one thing she unequivocally understood:

“Your engagement?”

Adelaide raised an elegant eyebrow. She glanced at Caspen, whose entire body had gone rigid.

“You had not told her we were once engaged,” Adelaide said.

It was a statement, not a question.

“No,” whispered Caspen. “I had not.”

Adelaide glanced at Tem before bowing her head.

“Then it would seem you two have much to discuss. I shall take my leave.”

Tem didn’t stop her this time.

The moment the door closed, she turned to Caspen, who was already opening his mouth. Tem beat him to it:

“You said it didn’t mean anything—”