Page 281 of Between Two Kings

Tem had always known Damon wouldn’t stand in her way. His love was blossoming for Gabriel, and they were both going to the sea. It saddened Tem to know she wouldn’t see her best friend every day, but if anyone could handle basilisk society, it was Gabriel. Tem touched Damon’s mind with hers, sending him a memory of the first night Gabriel came under the mountain. She showed him how their limbs intertwined, how their hands cradled each other’s faces. She showed him how it felt to watch Gabriel be with someone who adored him from the moment he met him and how stunningly beautiful they looked together. She left him with one last directive, one she knew he would obey: Keep him safe.

Damon bowed his head. I will.

An astonishing lightness passed through Tem. Her last worry was resolved. There was nothing left to do.

“Very well,” Adelaide said. She turned to Tem. “You are free to go, Temperance.”

Adelaide walked her to the cave before embracing her. Goodbye, Temperance.

Somehow Tem knew it was the last time she would touch her mind, and the thought made her want to cry. It was a sad thing to leave Adelaide. Their friendship had been an unexpected thing—something that had grown into a bond she truly treasured. Eventually, her presence faded, and Tem stood alone in the cave for the last time.

She looked at the mat in front of the fireplace. So many befores and afters had occurred on that mat. Before she’d been kissed and after, before she’d shared herself with a man, and after, before Caspen and after.

She remembered how she’d felt when she first entered this cave. Nervous. But also ready. Tem had been aching to experience all there was to be experienced, and Caspen had been the one to show her the way. He’d shown her so much. Not just sex—that was merely the beginning. He’d shown her what it meant to stand in her power, to demand more from herself and others, to live a full and joyful life. He’d shown her how to harness her power—how to transition, how to crest. He’d shown her everything.

How long have you loved me?

Far longer than you have loved me.

Her mother had once told her that true love meant sacrificing your happiness for theirs. Caspen had taken it one step further; he’d performed the ultimate sacrifice—the final gesture. He’d done the one thing he could never take back. Tem wondered if she was worthy of such a gesture. Perhaps there was no way to be truly worthy of this.

Tem remembered the first night of the training—how she’d been young, inexperienced, a virgin. She remembered what she’d asked her mother while she spread ylang-ylang and sandalwood oils on her thighs:

What will it be like?

It will be…transformative. You will take the first step to becoming a woman.

I thought I was one already.

Not nearly, my dear. You have barely begun to live. You cannot possibly fathom the journey you are about to embark on.

Tem could not possibly have fathomed the journey she was about to embark on. She could hardly fathom it now that it was over. It was true that back then, she had barely begun to live. Yet somehow, that also felt true now. Somehow, standing here in the cave, Tem felt as if things were just beginning for her. She had an entire life to live with Leo. It would not be nearly the length of the life she would have had as a Hybreed with Caspen. But it would be a good life. It would mean something. Life was something to be cherished. It was better, Tem figured, to do your best with the little time you were given, rather than to do nothing at all with eternity. She would endeavor to live a life she would be proud of—that Caspen would be proud of.

At last, Tem left the mountain.

The night sky was clear above her, the Alpha Serpentis shining brighter than normal. Tem stared up at it, allowing her tears to fall. She walked slowly down the path, one step at a time. Past the makeshift grave where she’d buried the weasel. Past the wall. Past her childhood cottage. She walked all the way to the castle, as slow as she liked, letting herself experience every second of the journey. The village was beautiful at night. All the windows were lit, and Tem could picture how it would look in the coming months when snow arrived.

By the time she reached the castle, it was well into the night. She didn’t bother knocking on the door. This was her home now, and she would come and go as she pleased. Instead, she entered the foyer, which was notably empty. Every gold picture frame was gone. The sparkling grout had been scraped from between the tiles. She climbed the stairs to Leo’s bedroom, knowing he would probably be asleep. When she reached it, she found that she was right. Leo was in bed, his white-blond hair splayed on his pillow. He looked so peaceful like this. Angelic.

Tem sat next to him.

He woke immediately. “Tem,” he breathed.

“Hi,” she said quietly.

He touched the very end of her curls, pulling them gently before letting them go. “Can I get you anything?” he whispered. “Are you hungry?”

Tem shook her head. She took off her clothes slowly, letting them fall to the floor. Leo lifted the blanket, and she crawled in beside him. He brushed his fingers gently over the scar on her chest. Then he kissed her.

And thus began their life together.

They remarried in the garden at Tem’s parents’ cottage, with Lilly officiating. Leo gave her no ring; she had never stopped wearing the one he’d given her the first time. Gabriel came, and so did Damon, who regaled her with tales from the sea. Tem invited Adelaide, who politely declined but sent an elaborate selection of shells. Tem set them on her mother’s mantel, where they looked right at home next to the spray bottle of salt water.

Apollo sent his own gift—an enormous bouquet of deep purple and red flowers. The color of a bruise. Complex. And beautiful. Just like you.

It was strange to continue her life without the basilisks, to have something taken away that never felt like hers to begin with. But in a way, becoming fully human felt like returning home—like finding something she’d never truly lost. There was no doubt that Tem mourned the loss of her basilisk side. But every time she looked at Leo, she was reminded of what she’d gained.

He was always by her side. Especially in the beginning, he was never more than a few feet away. Tem wondered if he did it consciously, or if it was more for his benefit than for hers. Either way, she appreciated it. Whenever she reached out her hand, he was there. Whenever she needed him, he was there. He would always be there.