Split or Swallow

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Tem had thought that Caspen was formidable.

All the hard lines on him were even harder on his father. They had the same proud posture, the same rigid musculature in their torsos. But where Caspen’s face had an ethereal quality to it, his father’s beauty was intimidating and harsh. His eyes were fully black, with none of the gold of Caspen’s. They roamed over the auditorium, taking in first the crowd, then his son, then, finally, Tem. She flinched as his gaze met hers. Beside her, Caspen’s entire body went rigid. He was holding her so tightly she could barely breathe, yet she wished he would hold her even tighter.He whispered in her ear:

“He will not harm you. He knows I will never forgive him if he does.”

Tem could only nod.

“If at any point you change your mind and you wish to stop, you need only look at me and I will put an end to this.”

“And how will you put an end to it?”

His answer was a single word:

“Quickly.”

“I’d really rather you didn’t kill your own father because of me.”

The king began to walk toward them. Something flared within Tem—a familiar sensation—something she’d felt many times before, with Caspen. Perhaps it was the king’s resemblance to his son that made her feel warm. Or perhaps it was something independent of Caspen entirely. The king was naked, just like everyone else, and Tem couldn’t help but flush at the sight of his cock. It was the same perfect shape as Caspen’s, only slightly thicker at the base. He was already hard, which was no surprise.

At this point, Tem was no stranger to rigid cocks.

The basilisks knelt as the king made his way through the crowd. Time slowed with every step he took, and by the time he was right in front of them, it had stopped altogether.

For an endless moment, father and son stared at each other. Tem could only imagine what they were thinking. Then the king held out his hand. With a jolt, Tem realized she was meant to take it. Caspen’s lips dipped to her ear.

“You do not have to do this.”

Tem didn’t reply.

Instead she took the king’s hand. It was enormous; his palm swallowed her fingers as he led her up the steps of the statue. A hiss rippled through the crowd as they ascended, and Tem resisted the urge to cover her ears against the deafening noise. When they were standing right in front of Kora’s hands, the king turned to face her.

The soothing wave of calm slowly dissipated. But Tem didn’t look at Caspen. Instead, she looked at the king, seeing everything she was about to touch. She knew she shouldn’t be turned on. She shouldn’t be.

But she was.

Tem couldn’t help it. The warmth she’d felt when the king first walked in had only increased the longer he was naked in front of her. She would understand if it was merely a physical sensation—she was looking at a beautiful body, after all. But Tem felt an odd, magnetic pull toward him that she couldn’t explain. The king was tilting his head just as Caspen always did, considering her in that familiar, reptilian way. His expression was inscrutable. But Tem recognized a flair of heat in his eyes, identical to the fire that burned perpetually within Caspen’s. Something else stirred within her: a familiar stubbornness that was welded into her bones. She wanted to do this. And she wanted to do it well.

“What is your name?”

The king’s voice was rough, like gravel. Tem heard echoes of Caspen’s voice in it—they shared the same deep cadence and cavernous tone.

“Temperance.”

The parallels to her first night in the cave were undeniable. She’d stood before Caspen in the same way, and introduced herself just as she was doing now.

“Temperance,” the king said slowly, testing it out. His black eyes bore into hers, and Tem had the distinct impression he was looking straight into her mind.

She squared her shoulders, tilting her chin upward.

“And yours?”

The king’s eyebrows rose a quarter of an inch. Then he said smoothly:

“I am Bastian.”

Now that they knew each other’s names, Tem felt oddly calm. The king was no longer some nebulous, unknown force. Bastian was just a man like any other, and Tem was a woman who had been trained to seduce him.

“Do you understand your purpose here?” Bastian asked.

Purpose . Somehow, the question felt bigger than the ritual.

Did Tem understand her purpose?

“Yes.”

The king didn’t ask anything else. It would seem the time for talking had passed.

Without another word, he turned and climbed into Kora’s hands, reclining on his back so that her palms cradled his shoulders. It was clear Bastian wasn’t going to initiate anything; it was up to Tem to begin the ritual. And that was just fine with her. It gave her control in a situation that felt entirely out of her command, and she used the brief moment alone to close her eyes, preparing herself for what was about to happen.

Her mind was blank, Caspen’s presence noticeably absent. She missed him, but she didn’t wish he was with her. The next few minutes were not about him. They were about Tem, and they were about Bastian, and they were about showing everyone in this room what she was capable of. For some reason, she was perfectly calm. Some part of her liked this—the thrill of a challenge. She’d never felt particularly capable her entire life in the village—never excelled at much of anything. But she would excel at this.

Tem opened her eyes.

It was time.

She stepped forward, pressing her hands against the warm, smooth stone. Then she climbed onto Kora’s palms, placing her knees on either side of Bastian. The second she opened her legs, the king’s nostrils flared, and she knew he must smell the sandalwood and ylang ylang on her thighs. Tem didn’t ride him yet—didn’t even touch him. She merely looked down at him, noticing all the things about his body that reminded her of Caspen’s. His skin held the same smooth, flawless luster. His jaw was the same angular shape. The two men were undeniable predators—Bastian was eyeing her like he wanted to devour her right then and there. It was a look she’d grown used to getting from Caspen, and it was a look she’d always liked.

Tem also noticed the ways in which they differed.

Bastian’s hair was streaked silver at his temples. He had a scar on his shoulder in the shape of a jagged lightning bolt. Perhaps an old battle wound. Whereas Caspen’s chest was bare, Bastian’s was covered in dark hair that tapered in a trail toward his cock. Tem wanted to run her fingers through it. Instead she slowly leaned down, extended her hand, and cupped his balls in her palm. She had no idea if this was allowed. But she wanted to feel this part of him—the vulnerable part—to remind the king that she was in charge. Caspen was right: Tem was stubborn. And she was ready to begin.

Bastian didn’t protest. He simply watched her, his cunning eyes narrowed in focus. Tem wondered what he was thinking—whether he had already formed an impression of her. Did he believe she could bring him to climax? Or was he merely waiting for her to fail? It didn’t matter what he believed. Tem knew she could do this.

Her hand moved from his balls to his cock, her fingers wrapping around the impossibly thick base. She didn’t bother stroking it. Instead she centered herself above Bastian, lowering herself until his cock was almost touching her. Her eyes flicked once more to his. The king looked up at her as if to say: Do it. I dare you.

Tem was not afraid.

She slid herself slowly down the first few inches of his cock. She already knew what to expect; Caspen had taught her how to take a cock like this inside her. The feeling of expanding—of stretching —was one she knew well. Still, it was difficult to get all the way to the bottom, and despite her efforts, she couldn’t make all of him fit. But it didn’t matter. As soon as Bastian was inside her, Tem’s trepidation fell away and her instincts took over.

She moved her hips slowly, testing his cock, learning how it felt to ride him. The heat she had seen in the king’s eyes was unmistakable—Tem knew what it looked like when a man was aroused, and it was exactly how Bastian was looking at her now. She used it to her advantage, building into a steady pace, establishing a rhythm. She knew she had to make him finish quickly, but she also knew the power of the buildup. Caspen’s words played in her head: He values confidence . So Tem looked down at the king with haughty assurance, as if he were lucky to be here with her. She pretended Bastian was the one that needed her approval, not the other way around, and fucked him exactly the way she thought he should be fucked.

She dug her fingernails into his torso, using the hard planes of his abs to steady herself as she slid up and down, working herself back and forth the same way Caspen taught her. Tem pictured Caspen’s hands on her hips, guiding her, training her to understand a man’s body. She leaned forward even more, pushing her breasts together, daring the king to look at them. But he didn’t. He held her gaze with practiced detachment, the only sign that he was enjoying himself the endless black pools of his pupils, which were trained on her in uninterrupted rapture.

Up until now, Tem had been avoiding the base of his cock. Bastian was bigger than his son, and it was only when she let herself take him fully that her body began to protest. The moment he filled her completely, Tem couldn’t help but wince.

As soon as she did so, Bastian grunted.

Caspen’s words came to her suddenly:

We are predisposed to destroy you—to take pleasure in your pain. When we are together, I walk a line between pleasing you and…hurting you. My human form craves the former. My true form craves the latter.

Bastian was no different than Caspen in this way—he also craved her pain. If she wanted to make him finish—and finish fast—it would cost her something to do so.

Tem rolled her hips quickly, riding through the pain, concentrating instead on the effect she was having on Bastian. His jaw was locked, and with each shallow breath he took, his body only tensed more. She slammed herself down on his cock, harder and harder, allowing yelp after yelp to escape her lips. Pain merged with pleasure. They were one and the same.

Suddenly Bastian was fucking her back, moving his hips to meet hers. She had no idea if that was standard, but if the goal was to make him finish, it had to be a good thing. Tem glanced at his hands, which thankfully weren’t straying. But there could be no doubt that the king was participating in the ritual, which meant that Caspen was watching his father fuck her. Tem tried not to think about that. Instead, she let herself go, arching her back and moaning whenever the base of his cock put pressure on her clitoris.

The king was close. She could see the muscles in his neck straining with each thrust—he was half-sitting up now, his eyes boring into hers, delicate tendrils of smoke seeping from his skin. It was the point when he should climax—Tem knew it from her sessions with Caspen, and she knew it instinctively as a woman. Yet the king was not finishing. Before Tem could begin to panic, she felt a sudden presence overtake her mind. For a moment, she thought it might be Caspen. Then she realized it was Bastian.

Up until now, Caspen was the only basilisk who had ever entered her mind. His voice was as familiar as her own. But his father had a different presence—older, ancient— vaster than the sea. He spoke just two words before retreating:

You first.

It was the same thing Caspen had said to her, their first night together in the caves. Like father, like son. But this wasn’t supposed to be part of the ritual—Caspen hadn’t said anything about her finishing—only his father and himself. What if this was the only way that Bastian would finish? What if his approval was contingent on her climax?

Whatever the case may be, Tem wanted to finish. And not just because he’d told her to. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t turned on by the ritual. She imagined the king was Caspen, and in a way, he was Caspen. The two men weren’t really so different. Both were intimidating. Both were powerful. Tem was attracted to that power: she always had been. She focused on the way his cock felt inside her, allowing herself to feel real pleasure, just for a moment. The moment she felt it, she pushed it in Bastian’s direction as hard as she could—as if she could reverse his infiltration into her mind, and infiltrate his instead. Bastian’s nostrils flared, his eyes narrowing to slits. In that moment, she knew she had him.

With a single, final thrust, Tem came.

The second it happened, the king grabbed her waist, lifting her off his cock with undeniable finality. Tem gasped at the sudden emptiness, watching in stunned shock as the king finished on her thighs. She stared at his cum on her skin—blending with the ylang yang and sandalwood oils—just as thick and shimmery as Caspen’s. It occurred to her distantly that Caspen only existed because of that exact substance.

Bastian set her on Kora’s stone fingers before stepping down from the altar. He slid his hand over Tem’s thighs and raised his palm high above his head. Tem realized he was showing his cum to the audience—offering irrefutable proof that she had succeeded.A deafening hiss rose from the crowd, and Tem felt immediate?l?y as if she might faint. Before she could fall, a pair of hands grabbed her, their grip familiar and strong. The second Caspen’s skin touched hers, peace spread through her. It reverberated down her spine in a soothing wave, and she knew he was keeping his promise to make her calm. He lifted her off the altar, pulling her tightly against his chest.

His lips were on her ear.

“You were perfect , Tem.”

“Perfect?”

“Utterly.”

She leaned against his shoulder.

Bastian lowered his hand, and the hiss quieted. He turned to Caspen, and although he said nothing aloud, Tem knew they were speaking to each other using their minds.

Without warning, her calm faltered.

Caspen was supposed to be controlling her emotions—she shouldn’t be able to feel the anxiety that suddenly erupted in her chest as her heartbeat quickened into a frantic canter. Tem couldn’t tell whether the feelings were hers or Caspen’s. Anxiety turned to fear—the same fear she’d felt when she’d visited Caspen’s mind just last night. Without warning, Tem heard a single sentence of their exchange:

I will not allow it.

The words were spoken by Caspen, and when he said them, Bastian’s brow furrowed.

Tem froze in place as a flash of anger passed over the king’s face. His reply was swift:

You will do as I say.

Just as uncertainty began to twist her stomach, the king turned to her.He held out his hand, and the moment he did so, the wave of calm returned.

Tem looked at Caspen. He nodded. As if on autopilot, she raised her hand and placed her palm gently on the king’s, directly over his cum. His fingers wrapped around hers, lifting her arm high into the air. The second he did so, the hiss of the crowd returned.

Caspen’s face split into a proud smile. Not a word had been spoken, but she understood that she had done the impossible.

Tem had earned the king’s blessing.

Bastian dropped her hand before retreating into the audience. The hissing grew louder—it was all Tem could hear, reverberating through her like a tidal wave. She looked at Caspen, and when his eyes met hers she saw a wild mix of concern, desire, and fierce pride. She knew he was worried for her, but she also knew how meaningful this moment was for him—for them.

“It is our turn now,” he said, his voice low. “Can you go on?”

She nodded again. The ritual had barely begun; the king’s blessing was only half the battle. Tem knew she was ultimately seeking the approval of Caspen’s quiver, and that they would make their decision based on everything that would happen after she slept with the king.

“You are in charge, Tem. I will follow your lead. What do you wish for me to do?”

Tem had only one answer:

“Just kiss me.”

Caspen kissed her, and the moment he did so, Tem felt herself unwind. There was no ritual, no audience, no king. There was only Caspen, who she trusted unequivocally with her body and with her heart. They kissed as if they were the only two people in the room, and they may as well have been. His hands dipped to the back of her thighs, lifting her onto the edge of the altar. He remained standing as his cock slid inside her.

Tem.

Caspen.

He felt so good. He felt so right. He felt like home.

Tem knew she could make Caspen finish—she’d done it a hundred times before. But this time they needed to be quick. So she sent him vision after vision of her touching herself—alone in her room, where he had never been—sometimes using the claw, sometimes using her fingers, showing him what she did when they were apart. She replayed her moments of climax again and again, knowing they would overwhelm him—knowing they would push him straight to the brink.

It pushed her there too.

“Caspen,” she moaned. Just his name—nothing more.

Caspen pulled out of her immediately, his shoulders hunching forward as he finished into his palm with an urgent groan. Before Tem had time to breathe, he slapped his hand hard against her hip, sliding it all the way down her thigh and leaving a wet, slick streak for everyone to see.

There was no mistaking the approval of the audience. Their collective hiss had become deafening. Tem finally tore her gaze away from Caspen and looked out into the crowd.

Her mouth fell open in shock.

“Caspen,” she gasped. “What’s happening?”

Caspen followed her gaze.

The basilisks were all having sex.

Some with each other, some with themselves. In pairs, in groups, in sweaty, roiling piles of limbs. Men with women, men with men, women with women. There was no order to it whatsoever—Tem had never seen anything like it. It was already enough of a shock to see hundreds of naked people at once, but to watch them all fuck each other was far beyond anything Tem could comprehend. She watched as three women tore into each other with an intensity that bordered on violence. One man was on his knees as another man thrust his cock into his mouth. Another man kissed one woman while a different woman sat on his cock. It was complete and utter chaos. The hiss reverberated off of them in a continuous wave, throbbing with their collective movements. It seemed to be growing, somehow, into something that wasn’t just a sound. Tem felt the pressure of the air begin to change. She recognized the smell of smoke.

“Caspen?” Tem whispered, her voice small.

Caspen grabbed her face. To her surprise, his eyes were dark with fear.

“You need to leave,” he said. “Right now.”

“What? No—I’m not leaving you.”

He was trying to pull away from her. She wrapped her legs around him tightly, holding him closer. He was already hard again.

“Tem, please,” he said desperately. “You need to leave.”

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“They are about to transition.”

“ All of them? ”

“There is no time to explain. You must close your eyes. And do not open them until I tell you.”

“What? Why—?”

“When they come, they will transition. I will transition.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I cannot stop it, Tem. I am one with them. Just close your eyes.”

“What do you mean you’re one with—”

“ Close your eyes, Tem! ”

It was an order. Tem closed her eyes.

The hiss grew to an unspeakable volume, filling her from the inside out, drilling into her skull with such intensity she could barely stand it. Her legs were still wrapped around Caspen, but a moment later, they were being pushed apart. Whereas one moment ago she had been pressed against his warm, damp skin, now she felt hard scales scraping against her thighs. He was embodying his true form—right now—right in front of her. But she couldn’t see him. She could only feel the shape of his body change from distinctly human to distinctly…not. His natural temperature was already higher than hers, but now it felt like she was touching a tin roof in the peak of summer. Tem’s skin began to burn. She lurched backwards, curling into herself, trying not to touch any part of him. All she heard was the earsplitting hiss of the crowd, ripping her eardrums to shreds.

Tem had no idea how long it lasted. The hiss reached a thundering crescendo, and she knew they must be climaxing. She covered her ears, shutting out the screeches, shutting out everything that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up in anticipatory fear.

Eventually, the hissing stopped.

“Tem.”

Her name.

“You can open your eyes now, Tem.”

She didn’t move.

“Open your eyes for me.”

Tem opened her eyes.

At first, she saw nothing but smoke.

Then she saw Caspen—the human version—looking down at her. Tem raised her head. She was curled up on the altar, cradled in Kora’s hands. The room was emptying—all the basilisks were once again wearing their human forms. Bastian was nowhere to be found.

She sat up straight, placing her hands on Caspen’s chest. His skin was hot.

“Are you hurt?” she asked him.

He let out a dull laugh. “You are the one I am worried about.”

“I’m fine.”

His gaze fell to her thighs, where fresh, pink burns were forming. He pressed his palms to her skin, healing the burns with a cooling pulse.

“I am sorry,” he whispered.

“I’m fine,” she said again.

He just shook his head.

“What now?” she asked. “Do we still…?”

“Yes,” Caspen nodded. “The ritual must continue. That is, if you…?”

“I can do it.”

Caspen pursed his lips. But instead of protesting, he gathered her gently in his arms, lifting her off the altar and setting her on the ground. His fingers touched her waist as he led them through the tunnels, and Tem knew they were headed to the suite where they would sleep together until midnight. Tem wanted to ask a hundred questions, but she also wanted to preserve her energy. So she spoke to Caspen using her mind:

I still don’t understand what happened.Why did they all transition?

The ritual collectively turned them on. When that happens, it has a hive effect. We all become one, and if one of us comes, we all do.

Tem processed this. It was a terrifying concept.

But why did it happen?

Because of you.

Tem couldn’t believe what he was saying.

That’s…good, isn’t it?

Yes. But it is also dangerous, especially for you. If you had opened your eyes—

But I didn’t. I’m fine, Caspen.

He pressed a kiss to her temple before changing the subject:

Are you ready for what comes next?

Tem knew what came next would not be easy for her. She thought of all the nights she’d spent with Caspen up until now—how he’d always accommodated her when she needed a break from having sex. He wouldn’t be able to do that this time. They were meant to sleep together repeatedly, without stopping, until the ritual was complete. She didn’t know if her body would be able to withstand it.

I think so.

It was the best she could give him. His grip tightened on her waist.

I will keep you safe, Tem.

She knew he would try. But she also knew what she had just seen: Caspen was bound to his quiver—bound to his true form. He would not be able to suppress his instincts forever.

Tem wanted to ask Caspen about the moment between him and his father—about the fear that had seeped from his mind into hers. But this didn’t seem like the time to broach the subject.

Besides, they had arrived at the suite.

A large room opened up before them with the same stone walls as the rest of the caves. There was no ceiling; Tem could see the night sky. Caspen followed her gaze.

It is how we will know when to stop. When the stars show that it is midnight, the ritual is over.

In the center of the room was a large, low bed. There were no blankets or pillows—only a fitted, black silk sheet.

The bed was completely exposed—there was no barrier around it whatsoever. But unlike the altar, which had been the focal point for the audience, this was like a fishbowl, where anyone could walk by them at any time. Basilisks were already roaming around the suite, some of them leaning against the walls, some of them seated in groups on the floor.

Are they going to watch the whole time?

They will come and go as they please.

Some of the basilisks were mere feet away from the bed.

They’re so close .

Caspen pulled her face to his.

Just look at me, Tem.

He brushed his thumbs over her cheeks.

Look only at me.

She nodded. If she looked only at him, she could pretend they were in his chambers, like they had been so many times before. He was still inside her mind, keeping her calm as they approached the bed together. Tem climbed onto it first, falling onto her back and looking up at Caspen, his face framed by stars. He leaned down, pressing his lips first to her stomach before kissing a path up her body. The second he touched her she felt safe.

I love you.

His words caressed her mind like a whisper. She sighed beneath him, spreading her legs and letting him in like she always did. Tem was sore already. But she was also wet, and she took his cock easily. Caspen slid in and out with unhurried thrusts.

I love you too.

They moved together slowly, ignoring everything around them, focusing only on each other. Tem noticed that Caspen kept her beneath him, as if he were shielding her.

When she tried to get on top, he held her down.

Caspen, what are you doing?

I am trying to preserve your privacy.

Well, cut it out.

She felt him smile against her cheek.

You are human, Tem. I know you are not used to being watched like this.

I don’t need you to protect me, Caspen.

I only meant to help.

This is going to be a very long night if we only fuck in one position.

He smiled again, and this time, he allowed her to roll so she was on top. A hiss echoed throughout the suite and Tem felt a sudden stab of anxiety as she remembered what had just happened in the auditorium.

Will they transition again?

Tem didn’t like the idea of being trapped in such a small room with this many basilisks wearing their true forms.

It is unlikely. The hive orgasm is extremely rare. Two in one day would be unheard of.

How rare?

The last one was before my lifetime.

That was a surprise to her, especially considering how sexual the basilisks were. She figured they were having hive orgasms frequently.

Caspen sat up, pressing his lips to hers.

Do not be afraid.

Tem pushed him back down.

I’m not afraid.

She splayed her hands flat on his chest so she could center herself as she rode him. The hissing was steady but didn’t grow louder, and Tem allowed herself to relax. They were here for her, after all. Why shouldn’t they see what she could do?

Her first orgasm built gradually. Tem didn’t mind taking her time when she knew there would be many more to come. She paced herself deliberately, savoring the way Caspen felt inside of her. His eyes were black with lust, and Tem wondered fleetingly whether watching her fuck Bastian had triggered his possessive side, turning him on even more. Nothing would surprise her at this point; it had done something similar to Tem.

Just when she was close, Caspen grabbed her waist, lifting her and turning her so she was riding his cock facing the opposite direction. Tem gasped at the sudden change. A moment later his hands went to her hair, pulling it back over her shoulders and exposing her breasts. Tem understood he wanted to display her—to show her off to the basilisks surrounding the bed. She watched them as they watched her, enjoying the way their eyes traced over her body.

One of the basilisks stepped forward. He extended his hand, reaching for her face.

Caspen? What’s happening?

He wants to touch you.

Should I let him?

That is up to you. Say the word and I will tell him not to.

Her answer came easily:

No. Let him.

Tem watched the basilisk as he brushed his fingers gently along her jaw. When he stepped back, another took his place. Basilisk after basilisk approached her, touching her briefly—never lingering—almost as if they wanted nothing more than to confirm that she was real. They touched her face, her hair, her lips. The men were strong and assured, the women soft and tender. Occasionally a hand would dip to her breasts, but every time that happened, Caspen let out a low growl, and the basilisk would retreat.

Tem was close to finishing. The mere thought of doing so in front of all these people only made her want to more. She wanted to show them how good she was at this—how well Caspen had taught her.

The basilisks were still touching her, one after the other. With a jolt, Tem recognized the next basilisk in line.

Rowe.