Page 19 of Between Two Kings

The words were so quick, she almost wondered if he heard her. Tem closed her eyes as she said them, bracing for impact. A long pause followed.

“Why would he want us to do that?” Caspen sounded calm. But just barely.

“He wants us to try to get along. It will give us a chance to figure out how to run our kingdoms together.”

Silence. Tem opened her eyes.

Caspen was staring purposefully into the fire, the flickering flames reflected in his pupils. “He is naive.”

The words were sharp. Tem touched the tips of her fingers gently to Caspen’s chin, pulling his face back to hers. “Maybe so. But he’s also hopeful. And so am I.”

His expression was unreadable. He seemed to be holding back.

Tem soldiered on anyway. “He abolished the bloodletting, Caspen. And he wants to include the basilisks in discussions moving forward. That’s more than Maximus was willing to do.”

Caspen held her eye contact for a long moment. He blinked, slow and reptilian. Then he said, “It is still not enough.”

Tem knew it wasn’t enough. At a minimum, reparations should be made for the pain the humans had caused the basilisks over the centuries. Dinners did nothing to fix the problem on a granular level. A weekly meal was the bare minimum Leo could offer them. But he was offering nonetheless.

“He’s trying, Caspen,” Tem whispered. She was keenly aware of the thoughts she was harboring in the back of her mind—of the wedding ring still on her finger.

Caspen’s reply was short: “I will decide later.”

Tem sighed. It wasn’t the answer she’d hoped for. But there was no arguing with him when he took that tone; he was as immovable as the mountain itself. She had no other choice but to wait until he was ready.

“Come,” Caspen said, cutting off any other thoughts. “It is time for mating season.”

Tem had completely forgotten about the event today. She still had no idea what it was, and she was still too afraid to ask. But she followed Caspen out into the passageway, joining the stream of basilisks to the courtyard. By the time they arrived, the courtyard was already full. The large circular room was packed; it was the most basilisks Tem had ever seen in one place. The last time she’d seen such a crowd was during the ritual, and that had only been the Drakon quiver.

Tem was still getting used to the presence of so many nude bodies. Not to mention being constantly naked herself. More than once, she found herself instinctually reaching for her sleeves or her collar, only to remember there was nothing there.

She stayed by Caspen’s side as they entered the crowd, dodging throngs of basilisks engaged in conversation and…other activities. The clamor of overlapping voices reminded her that basilisks lived in constant community. Even Tem’s mind was no longer a refuge. There was no privacy here, no isolation. No matter where she turned, Caspen was in her head.

I do not have to be.

She smiled, knowing he had heard her. I like having you in my head.

That is nice to hear. But should you ever need solitude, you need only ask for it.

Caspen’s voice was not the only one in Tem’s head. Snippets of other basilisks’ conversations flashed through her mind as they crossed the courtyard—arguments, declarations of love, words conveyed in the heat of pleasure. The latter occurred more times than Tem could count. She was just about to close her eyes to get a reprieve when suddenly, a male basilisk approached them.

He looked vaguely familiar, but before Tem had a chance to place him, he leaned in to kiss her. She yelped audibly, lurching backward in surprise. The basilisk halted immediately, looking questioningly up at Caspen.

“She is not used to our customs yet,” he said. “She means no harm. Let her adjust.”

The man bowed and walked away.

“What was that all about?” Tem asked, staring after him.

“There is no cause for alarm. He was merely greeting you.”

“Greeting me?”

“A kiss on the lips is the proper way to greet the queen. It is a way to honor your position.”

Tem frowned. “If that’s the case, then why hasn’t anyone else tried to kiss me?”

Caspen laughed. “It is only when a fellow member of the council wishes to address you directly. It is like a handshake to us.”