Page 274 of Between Two Kings

Tem frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means that I gave a warning, and you did not heed it.”

She stared at him, trying to understand. What warning had Rowe given? Then she understood. “You were responsible for the weasel?”

An evil smile split Rowe’s face. “Surely, you did not believe that some idiot human girl could have thought of it.”

Tem had thought that the weasel attack was orchestrated by Vera—but it was far too clever of a plot for her. She may be cruel, but she never could have thought of something so deadly. Gabriel had overheard her saying she was “taking orders.” Orders from Rowe.

“You can’t just use people like that.”

“I can. And when I am done using them, I can dispose of them.”

Tem felt a sudden strike of fear for Vera.

“But you knew what the weasel would do. How—how could you—how could you do that to your own people?”

Rowe shook his head. “I am a Seneca, Temperance. The Drakons are not my people.”

“But there were Senecas under the mountain too. Senecas who died.”

“They chose their side long ago. They remained after you wed Caspenon. They are traitors.”

“They were innocent,” Tem cried.

“And what do you know of such matters? You do not know what it means to sacrifice, to make choices for the greater good.”

“I know I would never betray my own kind.”

“You have no kind,” Rowe sneered. “You are half-human. A blunt. You do not understand what it means to be a basilisk. You never will.”

Tem hated how much his words hurt her. It was exactly what she’d said to herself her entire life—the type of jab that nothing could truly heal because it was true.

“You are a waste, Temperance,” Rowe continued, his voice low as he drew ever nearer. “Think of what you could have been. Think of what we could have done together.” He swung his arms wide. “We could have been unstoppable.”

Tem shook her head. She would never be like Rowe. She hated people like Rowe. She would never do what he had done—would never choose bloodshed over peace. Men like Rowe allowed injustice to occur as long as they could benefit from it. Men like Rowe were evil.

Tem was nearly blind with rage. Nothing existed within her but anger—pure fury threatening to split her apart at the seams. Her entire body vibrated with power; she’d never felt this whole before, as if all the facets of herself were drawing into a single, sharp pinnacle. It was electrifying.

Rowe’s eyes locked on hers. “So how does this end, Temperance? What are you going to do?”

They were nearly upon each other now.

“I’m going to stop you.”

“Stop me from doing what? From creating a better world—one where power is taken instead of given? A world with one quiver, the superior quiver?”

Tem shook her head. Mass death was not the solution. Wiping out one quiver was not going to solve any problems, only delay them. Tem couldn’t predict the future, could not know what the world would be like tomorrow morning. But it would be a world without Rowe.

Without further ado, she lunged.

By the time she reached him, Tem had transitioned. It came easily to her now; there was no more barrier, no obstruction. Now it was as simple as taking a breath of air. Rowe transitioned too, gold spreading from his cock to sheath the rest of his body in gleaming metal scales. Tem barely managed to dodge his gaping mouth as he surged at her with terrifying swiftness. She had very little experience in her true form, and Rowe had had centuries. But Tem was also a Hybreed. And she was not so easily deterred.

Tem lunged at him again, this time from the side. She threw her mouth open, scraping her fangs along his golden scales. Immediately, her skull rattled. The metal was hard and fortified with magic. She could not penetrate it.

Now, now, Temperance. You did not think it would be so easy, did you?

Tem ignored him.