Page 198 of Between Two Kings

The basilisk before her bit her lip.

One.

It was time.

They all came together, free of inhibitions, free of constraints. Tem knew she’d done everything right—obeyed every order Caspen had given her—done as she was told. His power was undeniable; she felt it even though they weren’t touching. She would have felt it from a hundred miles away. The basilisks set her gently on the ground, pressing kisses to her body as they did it. When her feet touched the stone, Tem looked at Caspen. One look at him was all it took; he already knew what she wanted.

“Enough,” Caspen said aloud.

The basilisks obeyed immediately, extracting themselves from Tem before bowing deeply to her. “Thank you,” they both murmured. Tem heard the awe in their voices, as if what just happened was of paramount importance. Perhaps it was.

“Thank you,” she murmured in return.

The basilisks walked away hand in hand. Tem was left bereft—utterly and completely empty. She turned to Caspen, who smiled down at her.

“You were so beautiful, Tem.”

“So were you.”

His smile widened. Then he said, “You should go to sleep. Once the tournament begins, there will be no breaks until it is over.”

Tem thought about the structure of the tournament—the three tiers, the endless physical exertion. Sleep sounded nice. “Will you come with me?”

Caspen shook his head. “We are not to see each other over the next few hours.”

Anxiety squeezed her chest. “Why not?”

“It is tradition. Think of it as how humans do not see the bride before the wedding.”

“Oh,” Tem said. “Right.”

She supposed that made sense, in a roundabout sort of way. But she needed Caspen right now. The last thing she wanted was to be alone. She couldn’t even kiss him good night.

Caspen raised his hand to her chest. But instead of trying to touch her skin, he touched the golden claw hanging from her neck. He moved it with his finger, first up her sternum, then over the tops of her breasts. Tem closed her eyes. It was incredible to feel what he was doing to her—to see his body create a motion and experience it with hers. It was the closest thing to touching that they had done in what felt like so, so long.

I wish I could kiss you.

Soon.

Tem’s stomach clenched. But what if—Tem cut herself off, because she didn’t want to finish the thought. To her surprise, Caspen smiled.

What if I do not win?

Tem nodded. She couldn’t answer.

Then we will take that as it comes, Tem.

She pursed her lips, holding back tears. How could he be so calm about this? How could he be bound to her by blood and not worry about the outcome of this tournament? The thought of being unable to touch Caspen killed her, plain and simple. It made her want to die. But he was not the only man in her life, and he never would be. It had always been this way; it had always been a struggle for her to choose. What if now, in front of hundreds of basilisks, she was forced to reveal something she couldn’t even admit to herself? The thought was terrifying.

Caspen looked her deep in the eyes. I would rather the brutal truth than the sweetest lie.

Tem barely believed that. Couldn’t believe that. The truth was not just brutal. It was deadly. We’re supposed to be together forever.

We will be, Tem. This is not a concern.

Well, I’m concerned.

Tem, I will not leave you. Not now. Not ever.