Page 15 of Between Two Kings

At the look of surprise on her father’s face, she elaborated.

“Caspen had just broken the truce, and the villagers were revolting. I thought if I was accepted in basilisk society, I would have some power to keep Leo safe.”

Another silence. Tem knew her father was processing her answer.

“Do you not find it odd?” he asked carefully.

“Find what odd?”

“That the man you did the ritual for was not the man you are now married to?”

Tem had never thought about it that way. She shrugged. “I would do anything for Leo.”

“And for Caspenon?”

“For him too.”

“Are you certain?”

His question stopped her cold.

Tem couldn’t ignore what her father had just pointed out: that on a basic level, Caspen’s request hadn’t been enough of a reason for her to do the ritual. It had taken Leo’s life being in danger for her to finally decide to do it. It wasn’t something Tem had considered until now. The thought made her bristle. “Why would you ask me that?”

Kronos raised a gentle hand in surrender. “I am merely wondering.”

But now, Tem’s brain was turning. She wondered if perhaps that was the point of his question. It felt like he was warning her. “Why would you ask me that?” Tem said again, firmly this time.

A pause. Then: “The heart is a curious thing, Temperance,” Kronos said carefully. “It cannot be reasoned with.”

“What do you mean?”

“We cannot choose who we love. Our hearts choose for us.”

“I love Caspen.”

“I know you do. But you also love Leo.”

Tem closed her eyes.

“Temperance. You must be careful. Basilisks are free with their bodies but not with their hearts. It is a dangerous thing to love two people. You need to prepare yourself.”

Tem didn’t want to hear how it was wrong to love two people. It was her reality, and it wasn’t going to change anytime soon. They’d agreed to share her. Was that a lie? Had Caspen merely said that to get Leo to stop the bloodletting? Leo had seemed genuine in his promise, but was Caspen? Supposedly he couldn’t lie, but he could certainly bend the truth to suit his needs. She’d seen him do it many times before.

A sliver of doubt pierced her chest.

Had Caspen really agreed to share her? They’d never had to contend with their arrangement since Tem had ordered Leo to find Evelyn. If she hadn’t sent him away, the three of them would be in a very different circumstance right now.

“Tem?” Her father interrupted her thoughts. “What is it?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered.

“Talk to me, child.”

There were a thousand things she could say. But for some reason, only one gnawed at her heart. “I think I made a mistake,” she whispered.

She couldn’t say any more. Not when she wasn’t even able to face it herself.

Kronos placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It does not matter what you did wrong, Temperance. It is how you choose to fix it that defines who you are.”