Page 135 of Between Two Kings

“Tem,” he said slowly. “Has he ever hurt you?”

She thought of the time when Caspen nearly bit through her lip. It was one of many incidents. But Leo wasn’t privy to that information. She didn’t owe him any details of her experience with Caspen. “If he has, it’s none of your business.”

Devastation darkened Leo’s face. “You’re my fucking business, Tem.”

“No. I’m not. Not anymore.”

Leo stepped closer. “When did he hurt you?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it does.”

“No it doesn’t, Leo. It’s different for us.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we—” But she cut herself off.

“What does that mean, Tem?”

Tem didn’t want to answer. But she did so anyway. “It means he can heal me.”

“He can heal you,” Leo repeated blankly.

“Yes. So it’s different for us.” Tem had healed Leo once, on their wedding day. He’d called it extraordinary.

“So…he hurts you because he can heal you?”

By the way he asked it, Tem suspected he already knew. Still, she whispered, “Yes.”

Leo’s face went completely white.

Tem let the silence sit, waiting for him to speak.

“That’s despicable,” he said finally.

“On whose part?”

Leo’s eyes flashed. “His.”

“Are you sure?” Tem was pushing him, and she knew it.

“It is despicable on his part, and his alone.”

But Leo was missing the point. Tem was half-basilisk. She wanted it just as much as Caspen did. She liked it when he smacked her ass too hard, leaving a welt. She liked it when his teeth left bruises on her neck. All basilisks did. She thought of when she’d slapped Apollo, and he’d opted not to heal the mark. I’d rather have a reminder of you.

“Even if I’m fine with it? Even if it was my idea?”

“If it was your idea, he planted it in your brain.”

“His power doesn’t work like that.”

“Doesn’t it? You told me yourself that he can infiltrate minds.”

“Infiltrate them. Not influence them.”

“Is there a difference? Because I don’t see one.”