Page 260 of Between Two Kings

Leo fell silent.

She’d meant what she said; Leo had done well. Basilisks appreciated straightforwardness, and Leo’s speech couldn’t have been more sincere. Tem knew he meant every word. She only wondered if Caspen knew it too. She addressed him with her mind. He’s being honest. Will you forgive him?

Caspen’s eyes were still on her. Will you forgive me if I do not?

Tem thought about his question. Could she, ultimately, forgive Caspen if he never forgave Leo? Tem understood how difficult this was for Caspen. So much of the basilisks’ pain stemmed from the royals—it had gone on too long, and the wounds were too deep. Tem was part basilisk, so she felt that same pain.

But she was also part human.

She had known her human side longer, and that side of her saw the good in Leo and in humans overall. If Caspen chose not to forgive him—or worse, to punish him—Tem doubted she would ever forgive him. She was still processing the fact that Caspen had demanded this of Leo at all. She couldn’t blame him, given their circumstances. But it still felt like a betrayal. There was only one answer to Caspen’s question. But before she could give it, Caspen looked at Leo and snapped, “You say you abolished the bloodletting. But then you brought it back.”

Tem didn’t know whether it was better or worse that he was addressing Leo directly now.

“I never wanted to bring it back,” Leo said. “And as soon as we did, I put a stop to it again.”

“And what will you do instead? Your people will expect a replacement. If they do not get one, my people will continue to weather attacks.”

“I will seek a loan,” Leo said. “And if I cannot acquire one, I will sell my possessions. There is no need for me to hoard wealth. Generations of my family have long collected gold. I have more of it than I could ever need.”

Tem looked cautiously around the table. To her surprise, the basilisks seemed to like that answer. They respected someone who was willing to part with their possessions because they did not have many possessions of their own. Hoarding was not something the basilisks practiced—it was a distinctly human trait to have more than you needed and still think you needed more.

But Caspen would not be so easily convinced. “And when your possessions run out? What then?”

Leo sighed. “I do not know. But I am willing to have many more discussions to come to an acceptable solution for both of us, if you are willing.”

Again, an answer they liked. A murmur of approval went around the table, even from the woman who was still looking at Leo like she wanted to jump on him right then and there.

“And you think the villagers will tolerate such a solution?”

“The villagers do not care where their gold comes from. They care only that they have food on their plates.”

As a former villager, Tem knew that was certainly true.

“Still,” Caspen said, his voice low. “They are angry. They take it out on us.”

Leo pursed his lips. He had already apologized; there was nothing more he could do. Rather than fill the space with words, he let the silence sit, letting Caspen dictate where to take this next.

Tem waited, still holding her breath.

The next basilisk to speak was a man from the Seneca side of the table. “The villagers are not the only ones who are angry,” he said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

“The outcome of the tournament was unacceptable to the Senecas.”

Caspen scoffed. “The outcome of the tournament is sanctioned by Kora. You cannot dispute it.”

“I did not say we dispute it. Only that it is dissatisfactory. She”—he pointed a finger at Tem—“belongs to us.”

Not this again. The entire point of the tournament was to settle this quiver dispute once and for all.

“You dare question my authority?” Caspen said.

“We question Drakon authority. And we are not the only ones. If the attacks continue, why should we trust you to handle them?”

Caspen looked angry. That was nothing new. But something else was clearly present on his face: restraint. He was shifting in his seat, clenching his fists as if he wanted to say something but couldn’t. Tem reached for him with her mind:

Caspen? What is it?