Page 38 of Kneel Before Me

Unlike the altar room, where they worshipped Kora and performed the ritual, the vial room was devoid of seating and contained no decoration. The focus was simply the twelve glass vials embedded into the stone wall. Each vial contained its owner’s blood, which rose or fell based on their sexual activity. It was a magical process for which there was no logical explanation.

His father’s words ran through his mind: Apollo has been rising in rank. I am surprised you are letting him. It was true; Apollo’s vial was nearly full. Not as full as Caspen’s, but fuller than it should be—all because of Harmony. Caspen sighed, taking a step back.

Twelve vials. Twelve basilisks.

Bastian’s vial was filled to the brim. It was always that way, given his status as the Serpent King. Caspen’s was the next fullest, followed by Apollo. After Apollo was Solomon, the highest-ranked Seneca and the father of Rowe and Eros. Caspen’s own father had competed with Solomon for kingship but eventually secured the position of Serpent King when he became blood bonded to Caspen’s mother, Deltene. Nothing could compete with a blood bond; it was the ultimate show of power. To bind one’s life to another’s signified a depth of commitment and strength of will that could not be replicated or surpassed. Caspen knew what his parents had done was rare. Most basilisks would not risk binding their lives to another. But Bastian had always been willing to do anything for power.

Caspen’s gaze fell to the name under Solomon. Kronos.

Caspen had never interacted with Kronos for longer than a simple conversation. The Seneca was a mysterious figure under the mountain. There had always been rumors about him, mostly regarding the strange arrangement of freckles on his palms. Some said that the Senecas held Kora’s favor—that their quiver was blessed with power the Drakons could not comprehend. Such legends were ludicrous. If they were true, the Drakons would not have been in power for so long. But Bastian believed them, and it only fueled his paranoia.

Caspen watched as the blood in Apollo’s vial rose. His chest tightened.

His brother was surely fucking Harmony again right this moment. In Caspen’s bed. Caspen tried not to picture them together but found it was impossible. He clenched his fists, drawing blood from his palms. He could not stay here all night, yet he also could not seem to move.

A voice broke him from his trance: “What troubles you, my son?”

Caspen turned to see his mother. Deltene was tall—nearly as tall as him—with long silver hair that fell over her shoulders in an unbroken curtain.

“Why do you assume something troubles me?”

His mother gestured elegantly at the vials. “You never come here. Are you worried about your rank?”

She was right; normally he would not be caught dead monitoring his progress so closely. Such insecurity was for basilisks of much lower rank, who fought for a spot in the middle. Caspen was consistently in the top three of the twelve ranked positions; he had been for decades.

“Apollo is with Harmony,” Caspen said simply.

“I see.” Deltene nodded.

There was no need to explain further; everyone under the mountain knew the situation between the Drakon brothers.

“You must guard your heart, Caspenon,” his mother said.

Caspen did not bother answering. It was far too late for that.

“Harmony knows neither of you will ever walk away,” she continued. “It gives her power.”

“I am aware of that, Mother.”

“You may be aware of it, but you should fear it.”

Caspen did fear it. He often thought about the hold Harmony had over him and Apollo. They were both indebted to her. It was dangerous; she had the power to break them. He dearly hoped she would not choose to wield it.

Deltene turned to him. “It is not a good time for the Drakons to be divided. We cannot allow the Senecas to ascend. Your father must defend the throne.”

Caspen rolled his shoulders. First his father, now his mother. Was there no end to the political lectures in this family? “If you think I do not understand what is at stake, you are wrong.”

His mother pursed her lips with worry. “Love can be dangerous, Caspenon.”

Caspen did not know if what he felt for Harmony was even love. There had been no one before her to compare to, and he doubted there would be anyone after. All he knew was that he would kill for her. If that was love, perhaps it was dangerous.

“Love corrupts the same way power does,” Deltene continued. “You must be careful.”

Something about her tone made him turn to her. “What do you mean?”

“You are young,” Deltene said. “You have not lived as I have. You have not seen what people will do for love. Often it is worse than what they will do for power.”

Caspen heard the sincerity in her voice, and it concerned him. He thought about how his father had been neglecting her lately, how Bastian was careless with his lovers. Caspen’s parents were bound together by blood, and their union was rare. It was something to be respected.