Split or Swallow

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

Adelaide didn’t linger. There was nothing else to say, anyway. She left Tem by the fire, and a moment later Caspen returned, worry evident on his face.

“Tem,” he murmured, his arms already around her. “Talk to me. Please.”

Tem closed her eyes. What could she tell him? That a part of her was dying? That he was dying too? There was no way to say it. And besides, Adelaide was right. He would find out eventually.

When Tem didn’t answer, Caspen spoke again:

“Tem,” he said quietly, “I know I have not been…what you need of late. But I cannot bear it when you shut me out.”

Realization hit her.

Caspen thought Tem was the reason their connection had been weak the past few days. He thought she was angry about his engagement to Adelaide—that she was pushing him away on purpose, to punish him. It couldn’t be further from the truth.

Tem looked up at him, losing herself in the golden pools of his eyes.

She thought of all the decisions Caspen had made for her—decisions that involved her body. He’d proposed without telling her, he’d given her his venom, he’d bound their lives together by blood. He’d done those things to protect her. She understood that now, more than she ever had before.

They had been through so much together— survived so much together. The training, their engagement, the ritual—even Rowe. Caspen was her anchor. She would not allow anything to happen to him. She would do what was necessary to save him—to save herself.

Now it was Tem’s turn to protect him.

Her path was clear. She would marry Leo. She would crest the royals. She would heal the basilisk side of her before Caspen found out that he was dying. It was time for him to trust her as she had once trusted him. Tem was the one keeping secrets now. And she would not apologize for it.

“I do not mean to shut you out,” she whispered against his chest.

Caspen’s fingers brushed gently through her hair. His want was evident; she could feel the hardness of his body, the way he drew her in. His lips were on her neck. Tem let him kiss her for one moment—just a single, infinite moment, before pulling away.

“Caspen,” she whispered. “I have to get back.”

His grip only tightened.

“Tem,” he said, his voice low. “You need to transition.”

He was right. She needed practice. But she couldn’t linger here.

“I can’t stay, Caspen,” she said again, softly this time.

His grip still didn’t loosen.

“We must prepare you, Tem.”

But there was no time to prepare. Not now—not when it was nearly morning. If Leo discovered she’d gone to see Caspen, there would be no wedding at which to perform the crest anyway.

“I’ll come again as soon as I can,” she said. “I promise.”

Caspen wasn’t pleased. She could sense it in the way he kissed her at the head of the trail, holding her too tightly. He missed her. And she missed him. But there were bigger things than just their relationship to consider. Caspen’s life now hung in the balance.

It had rained while she was in the caves, and Tem fought to keep up her pace on the muddy trail. By the time she was back at the castle, the sun was about to rise. The trellis was slippery; she nearly fell twice. But she managed to haul herself into her bedroom in one piece, running her fingers through her tangled curls and shaking the water from her hair.

There was a sudden knock on her door.

Tem froze. There was no time to take a bath—no time to clean herself off. All she could do was kick her muddy shoes under the bed, tear her dress from her body, and throw a robe over her shoulders before opening the door.

Leo stood before her.

“Tem,” he said breathlessly, “Good, you’re awake. I came to tell you that I—”

But he cut off as he took in her wet hair. He frowned, and Tem’s heart slammed in her chest.

“I took a bath,” she said preemptively.

But the frown on Leo’s face remained in place. He stood perfectly still as his gaze went behind her, where her dress was crumpled on the floor. His eyes travelled from the dress to the muddy footprints that lead to the windowsill.

“Where were you?” he asked slowly.

Tem didn’t answer. Something about the way he asked it filled her with dread. Leo stepped closer.

“Were you with him?”

Tem tried to change the subject:

“What were you going to tell me?”

His eyes finally met hers. They narrowed.

“I was going to tell you that I just eliminated Cassandra, and I was on my way to do the same to Vera. But perhaps I acted too soon.”

“Leo—”

“Perhaps,” he raised his voice, overpowering hers, “—I have been living in a fantasy wherein you possess the same caliber of affection for me that I feel for you.”

“I—”

“ Perhaps ,” he was nearly yelling now, “—I have been a fool. So I shall ask you only once more, Temperance,” he leaned in, and she flinched. “And I would prefer it if you didn’t lie to me. Where the fuck were you?”

“Leo,” she said, reaching for him. “Please try to understand. There’s so much you don’t know—”

“I know you ,” he said coldly, yanking his arm from her grasp. “And I know you are ruled by your heart instead of your mind.”

“I’m not—”

But Leo would not be stopped.

“I know everything we did last night you learned from him .”

“You can’t hold my training against me,” Tem said desperately. “Every girl was taught the same way.”

“The other girls didn’t fall in love with their teachers .”

Tears pricked Tem’s eyes.

“You know better than anyone that you can’t help who you love.”

His face went white.

“How dare you say that to me? You cannot compare your infatuation with a snake to what I had with Evelyn.”

“I’m not comparing. I’m just—”

“You have brought me nothing but pain since the day we met. I never should have let myself fall for you.”

Tem recoiled.

“Are you saying you regret choosing me?”she whispered.

Leo’s face was the picture of fury.

“I’m saying you are not at all what I expected, Tem.”

Tem stood her ground.

“You’re not exactly what I expected either, Leo.”

“Please. You’ve always gotten the better end of this deal. You get to be queen. Isn’t that every little girl’s dream?”

“Not mine.”

“Well, it should be. And what do I get? A wife who loves someone else. Lucky me.”

His voice was bitter.

“I’m not your wife yet,” she said quietly but firmly. “And if we can’t get through this, I never will be.”

Leo let out a dull, humorless laugh.

“There’s nothing to get through , Tem. You need to get over him .”

“I can’t.”

“ Why? ” he stopped closer. “What is it about that filthy snake that has you so entranced? What lies has he spun to seduce you?”

But Tem couldn’t answer him. She couldn’t explain her bond with Caspen—couldn’t tell Leo what she really was.

Or could she?

What if, when faced with the truth, Leo chose a different path than his father had? If Leo knew that Tem was a Hybreed, he would be forced to view the basilisks differently—not as the enemy, but as a part of her.

Before she could follow that train of thought, Leo spoke again:

“All the other girls let me up their skirts on the first date. Vera can’t get enough of my cock. She’s begged me to fuck her more times than I can count. But not you. Never you .”

Tem knew his patience had run out—knew she had withheld herself for too long. Still, his next words sent a chill down her spine:

“End things with him, Tem. Or I’m marrying Vera.”

He was gone before she could even blink.

Tem didn’t know what to do with herself. She couldn’t end things with Caspen. It wasn’t an option. But she couldn’t get eliminated either. She had to marry Leo. Needed to marry Leo.

One question remained.

Why had she waited so long to sleep with him?

She was attracted to Leo. She had feelings for him. And yet, she couldn’t pull the trigger—couldn’t let him all the way in. To sleep with him would be to lie to him. If Leo knew who she really was—if he knew she was a Hybreed—he wouldn’t want her anymore. He would be repulsed by her; Tem was sure of it.

Or was she?

Tem never gave Leo the benefit of the doubt. She always assumed the worst of him, even when he’d only given her reason to assume the opposite. Did she truly have so little faith in him? Perhaps of the two of them, Tem was the unworthy one. Perhaps it had always been that way.

Leo would never get the chance to truly know her unless she gave him one. He loved only a version of her—the version she’d allowed him to see. It was time to show him all of her.

Leo deserved the truth.

But first she had to find him. He wasn’t in his room, and he wasn’t in Vera’s. Tem searched the entire floor, throwing open door after door until she’d searched every room. All empty. She took the stairs two at a time, hesitating only a moment before poking her head into the parlor, bracing herself to potentially see Maximus. He wasn’t there. Neither was Leo.

Tem stood in the foyer, breathing hard. Where could he be?

Then she remembered it was morning. There was somewhere Leo liked to go in the mornings—somewhere she’d found him before.

Tem waved down the nearest servant.

“I need a carriage,” she said.

The servant frowned. “You’re not supposed to leave, miss.”

“It’s important.”

The servant shook his head. “The girls are meant to stay in the castle.”

“Is this a prison? ”

“I am simply following orders, miss.”

“Fine.”

Tem pushed past him, heading for the kitchen.

It took no time at all to locate Gabriel. He was washing dishes, laughing with the other kitchen staff as they prepared the morning meal.

“Gabriel,” she cried. He turned, his eyebrows rising in surprise.

“Tem? What are you doing down here?”

“I need a favor.”

He twirled a soapy spoon dramatically.

“Anything for you, dearest.”

“Can you get me a carriage?”

He winked.

“You’re lucky I know a stable boy.”

Gabriel disappeared, returning a few minutes later with Henry. Or maybe it was Peter. Tem was finding it hard to focus on anything but getting to Leo as quickly as possible. She barely felt the kiss Gabriel pressed to her cheek before she followed Henry—or Peter—out to the stables. They secured a carriage, taking extra care to avoid discovery by the gardeners who were performing their duties on the grounds.

Tem sat with her hands clasped in her lap as the carriage took her into the village. The journey was rough, the streets still wet from the rain the night before. By the time they arrived at the graveyard, Tem’s stomach felt like it was eating itself. She had never been so nervous for anything in her life—not even for her first night in the caves. Back then, she hadn’t known what she was getting into. Back then, her biggest worry was having her first kiss. Now she understood the gravity of what she was about to do, and she simply had to do it anyway.

Leo was there, sitting on the bench beneath the willow tree, just like she hoped he’d be.

He looked up as she approached. Only this time, he didn’t seem pleased to see her.

“Tem,” he said as he stood. “Unless you’ve come to tell me that you—”

“I can’t end things with him,” she said.

Leo snorted. He turned to leave.

“But you deserve to know why,” Tem grabbed his arm, and Leo paused, looking back at her with clear contempt in his eyes.

“You love him,” he snapped. “That’s why.”

“I do love him,” Tem stepped closer. “But that’s not the reason I can’t end things. At least…not the only reason.”

Leo turned to face her. He didn’t say anything. But she could sense his curiosi?t?y, and now that Tem had his attention, her heart beat even faster.

She knew what came next would determine not only their future but the future of the entire kingdom. The fates of everyone she loved depended on how Leo would react to what she was about to tell him.

So she asked:

“Do you trust me?”

He blinked.

“I do.”

“I’m not asking if you like me. Or if you want to fuck me. I’m asking if you trust me.”

A shadow of a smile lightened his face.

“Just because I like you and want to fuck you doesn’t mean I don’t trust you, Tem.”

“Leo. This is important.”

He sighed, running a hand through his thick blonde hair.

“Very well. I trust you.”

She looked into his eyes, seeing his sincerity. He trusted her. She could feel it.

“Then you should know the truth.”

But Tem paused. It felt as if the sky were falling down. Leo was staring at her, his expression unreadable. He leaned in.

“The truth about what, Tem?”

Me.

But she couldn’t say it. She just couldn’t. Instead, she borrowed Caspen’s line:

“It would be easier to show you.”

There was a hairline pause. Then Leo dipped his head.

“Lead the way,” he said simply.

Neither of them spoke the entire way back to the castle. Tem couldn’t help but think about the last time they were in a carriage together—how Leo had called her wicked—how she’d licked his cum right out of his palm. She wondered if he was thinking about it too.

When they arrived at the castle, they paused in the foyer.

“Is your father occupied?” she asked.

Leo shrugged. “Why?”

“I don’t want him to see us.”

The prince nodded slowly.

“He usually meets with his advisors in the mornings,” Leo said. “He will not disturb us.”

Tem nodded. Something else occurred to her.

“You can’t tell him I’m showing you this.”

Now Leo hesitated. The curiosity she’d sensed earlier reared its head again. She knew he understood that she was asking him to choose between her and his own father.

Leo made his choice:

“I will not tell him. You have my word.”

It was enough for Tem.

They navigated the halls of the castle together, winding down staircase after staircase until Tem was once more standing before the door to the dungeon. She paused, turning to Leo. This was an unprecedented moment for them. A moment of truth.

At her hesitation, Leo asked:

“Shall I do the honors?”

He raised his slender fingers to the door handle.

Tem could only nod.

Leo waited just a moment longer before turning the handle and stepping through the door. Tem followed, her throat tightening as the cloying smell of decay invaded her nostrils. The cells were just as she remembered them, row after row disappearing into the darkness.

Leo took a few steps forward, then stopped. His head turned to the side, and Tem watched as his gray eyes fell on the occupant of the first cell.

“Tem…” he whispered. “What is this?”

In reply, Tem took his hand, guiding him closer to the cell.

Leo stiffened as they approached the bars. He stared at the basilisk slumped against the cell wall, taking in the tangle of golden wires fused to her fingertips.

“What’s happening to it?”

It.

The basilisk was clearly a woman, yet Leo referred to her as an object. Tem tried not to take this as a bad sign.

“Basilisk blood has magical properties,” Tem began, realizing she had no idea how to explain the bloodletting.

Leo stared at the wires. Tem had never seen him stand so still.

“What kind of properties?”

Tem took a deep breath.

“It can be alchemized into gold.”

“Gold,” he murmured.

“Yes,” said Tem. “Gold.”

For a moment, Leo simply stood there. Then he turned to face her, and Tem raised her hand.

“These,” she whispered, brushing her finger over his lips, right where his incisors were. Her fingers fell to the golden cuff on his wrist. “This.”

Leo shook his head.

“No,” he said.

“Yes.”

His gaze returned to the cell.

“This is barbaric .”

The same thing she’d said about the ritual.

“Says the son of the man who allows it.”

Leo opened his mouth, then closed it.Disbelief flashed across his face, followed quickly by deep shame. He looked utterly devastated; Tem might as well have plunged a knife into his chest. Yet underneath his pain she saw reluctant comprehension dawning in his eyes. He might find it hard to believe what was happening in the dungeon, but it certainly wasn’t hard to believe that his father would allow it.

“I am not my father, Tem,” Leo whispered.

She wanted to comfort him. Instead she forged onward:

“Then prove it. Put a stop to this.”

“How?”

“Do what you’ve always wanted to do. Wield your power.”

Leo closed his eyes as if he could block out her words. Tem stepped closer, clenching his hand even tighter in hers.

“If you want things to change, you have to be the one to change them, Leo.”

His eyes were still closed. Tem barreled onward:

“Is this what you want your legacy to be? Greed? Torture? ”

Leo opened his eyes.

“Of course not,” he whispered.

“Do you think it’s right?”

He was silent.

She couldn’t tell whether she was getting through to him—whether he was coming over to her side.

“Tem…” Leo said slowly. “This is…”

“Wrong,” she insisted. “It’s wrong , Leo.”

He took a deep breath.

“But they’re… snakes , Tem. They aren’t…we don’t consider them to be…”

“People?”

He pursed his lips.

Tem knew it would be nearly impossible to unravel twenty years of prejudice in one fell swoop. There was only one thing she could do that might fully convince Leo of the atrocities that were happening here: one single thing that might sway him.

“What if it were me in that cell?”

Leo frowned.

“It wouldn’t be.”

“If your father had his way, it would.”

“I don’t understand.”

Rather than respond, Tem led him down the long row of cells, her heart growing heavier with each step. When they reached the very end, Tem steeled herself for what was to come.

Her father was in the same position as before: slumped over, gaunt and weak. But even in the darkness, Tem could see he had worsened. His eyes were closed, his breathing ragged. More wires had been fused to his fingers—his hands looked like they were bleeding gold. Tem didn’t bother trying to speak to him using her mind. Even if she were still able to do it, she very much doubted he would answer.

Tem turned to Leo. There was simply no other way to say it.

“Meet my father.”

Leo blinked.

“His name is Kronos.”

At the sound of his name, Kronos opened his eyes, and Leo took a step backward. Tem retained her grip on his hand, forcing him to remain next to her.

“My mother went through the same training I did. She fell in love, just like I did.”

Leo shook his head, slowly, his eyes locked on Kronos. Tem filled the silence, trying to give him as much information as possible before he inevitably bolted.

“The royals have been capturing basilisks ever since the war. This is what they do to them. It’s called bloodletting—” she pointed at the wires, “—and it’s the reason your family is so wealthy.”

Leo gripped her hand to the point of pain. Kronos closed his eyes.

“It’s cruel, Leo. It’s inhumane.”

Her choice of words was not an accident. She desperately needed to humanize her father—to show Leo that his life mattered—and by extension, Tem’s life too.

“It’s been happening for centuries. And it will continue to happen until someone breaks the cycle. That person should be you.”

Leo’s jaw was clenched. He didn’t look at her.

“I cannot break it off with Caspen. We have a bond that goes beyond love. We are…connected. I’m bound to him, Leo,” she finished soft?ly. “I will always be bound to him.”

Leo pulled his hand from hers. Tem fell silent.

All the parts of her were finally unfolded before him—all the secrets she’d kept for so long. He’d asked her not to lie to him, and she had. She’d lied so much . But she’d lied to protect him. She’d lied because she cared. Was it really such a sin to lie to protect the ones you love?

Leo turned to her.

“You’re one of… them? ”

“Yes,” Tem whispered. “I am.”

His expression was unreadable. There was no telling which direction he was leaning in—which path he would choose.

Tem had only one card left to play—one last secret that could tip him in her direction:

“Your father sent Evelyn away.”

Deep pain passed over Leo’s face.

“How do you know that?” he whispered.

“He admitted it to me.”

At the flash of shock in Leo’s eyes, Tem almost reached for him. Instead she drove her point home:

“He said if you choose me, he will do it again.”

Leo went still.

Tem could do nothing but wait to see where the cards fell. Leo would either reject her or choose to protect her. She was relying on nothing but instinct to hope he made the right choice. Perhaps his love for her was not enough.

Perhaps it was.

“Leo,” she whispered. “Please say something.”

Leo didn’t say anything.

He simply took her face in his hands and kissed her.

The moment his lips touched hers, something bloomed within Tem—a combination of safety and tenderness and love —something she didn’t know she could feel for two people at once. When the kiss ended, Leo didn’t pull away. Instead he looked Tem deep in the eyes and said:

“I never really had you, did I?”

Tem stared back at him, noticing the traces of green in his irises. She thought of Evelyn.

“I never really had you either.”

A sad smile twisted his lips.

“We both know you did.”

There was a pause, and Tem didn’t know how to fill it.

Leo’s next words were a whisper:

“I’ve been in love with you ever since I saw you in that green dress, Tem.”

The dress Caspen had given her.

Tem thought back to that night—how they had agreed not to lie to each other—how she’d forced Leo to admit that he wanted her. How far they had come.

Before she could reply, Leo dropped his hands. A shadow of his former self returned as he asked:

“What can be done?”

At his words, Tem felt immense relief. If Leo was asking that, it meant he wanted to help. It meant he was on their side.

“We need to try to make peace,” Tem said. “We must change the future of your kingdom.”

“How?”

Tem didn’t know the answer to that question. But she knew who would.

“I’m…not the person to ask.”

“Then who is?”

Now she avoided his eyes.

Leo sighed.

“Ah. Of course. Him.”

Tem didn’t reply.

They stood in silence, and she prayed she hadn’t just made a grave mistake.Then Leo said:

“Can you…arrange a meeting?”

He spoke slowly, his tone cautious and controlled. Tem knew this was the last thing he wanted to do, and it would be the last thing Caspen wanted to do too. But with Leo on their side, the future between the royals and the basilisks could be different than the one Bastian had planned. There was hope. And as long as there was hope, they had a chance.

“Yes,” Tem said. “I can.”

Neither of them spoke on the way back from the dungeon.

When they reached the top of the stairs, the prince turned to his room.

“Leo, wait,” Tem said.

He paused, his hand on the door. An eternity passed.

“Tem?” he prompted.

Her heart slammed in her throat. It took all her courage to say:

“Can I stay?”

Leo’s eyebrows rose an almost imperceptible amount.

He’d asked her to stay so many times. But now Tem was the one asking— begging —to stay. She wasn’t just asking about the competition. She was asking whether she could stay in his heart—in the place he’d saved for her since the moment he saw her in that green dress.

Leo didn’t answer.

Instead he opened his bedroom door, swinging it wide to reveal his four poster bed.

Tem could sense Leo’s anticipation; she could feel the way his body was drawn to hers. She was drawn to him too. There was no denying it—no pretending that what they had wasn’t real. This game of theirs had gone on long enough. Tem had revealed her cards, and Leo had too. There was no reason to resist anymore. She was done fighting the inevitable.

His lips were on hers before the door slammed shut.

There was perfect, complete rhythm to their movement: both of them touched the other as if they had always known this was the way it was supposed to be—as if they were destined to do this since the moment they met. She pulled off her dress.

“Tem,” Leo said. “Get in my bed.”