Split or Swallow

CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN

Tem knew Caspen would never agree to meet with Leo. Their last meeting had gone so poorly she wasn’t at all optimistic about how things would go if he saw the prince again. But even if Tem wanted to ask Caspen for a meeting, she wouldn’t be able to anyway—their mental connection was so weak she couldn’t even feel for the doorway into his mind anymore.

They would simply have to show up and hope for the best.

Tem could feel the minutes slipping by as they dressed. She was still fighting a timeline—still praying she would be able to fix what she’d broken before it was too late.

When they were finally ready, Tem took Leo’s hand.

They walked to the stables together, and this time Tem knew nobody would stop them from leaving. The staff catered to Leo’s presence immediately, bowing their heads and preparing a carriage for them.

The ride was silent. Leo simply held her hand in his, stroking the pad of his thumb gently over her skin. Occasionally he would raise her fingers to his lips and kiss them. Tem leaned her head against his shoulder, trying not to think of what was to come. She didn’t have a plan beyond getting the two princes to speak reasonably to one another about the future of their people. Surely, two grown men could accomplish such a thing for the greater good.

Surely, this wouldn’t be an utter disaster.

The carriage dropped them off at the edge of the forest. They walked together into the woods and onto the trail that lead to the caves. When they passed through the wall, Leo raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment. Tem didn’t feel like explaining how the basilisks were only vulnerable to mirrors when they wore their true forms. It wasn’t anything the prince needed to know right now.

Finally, they reached the base of the mountain.

“Leo,” Tem said quietly, stopping when they reached the entrance of Caspen’s cave. “Can I ask you a favor?”

He stopped too, looking at her in the darkness. Before she could speak, he said:

“You would prefer that he didn’t know we slept together.”

Tem pursed her lips.

“Yes.”

“I will not reveal it.”

She gave him a dubious look.

He stepped closer.

“I want you all to myself. Why would I tell him?”

“Because it would hurt him.”

Leo shook his head.

“It would also hurt you. And I have no interest in doing that.”

“This is already hurting me, Leo.”

The words just slipped out—Tem didn’t even know if she meant them. But agony flashed across Leo’s face, and he whispered:

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

Tem sighed.

“It’s not you, exactly. It’s…”

He finished for her:

“Us.”

She sighed again, looking up at him.

“Yes.”

“Tem, I…” Leo started but didn’t finish. He looked deeply unhappy, and Tem didn’t know how to fix it. They both knew what she’d said couldn’t be unsaid. But Tem needed him to hear it—needed him to know how painful it was for her to be caught between two parts of herself. It was slowly tearing her in half.

Leo looked at her sadly.

“I know you have always doubted my intentions,” he said. “And I don’t blame you, considering my past. But know this: I will never do anything to hurt you.”

He leaned in.

“Know this also: I want you. And I know that’s not what you want to hear. And I know you don’t want me back—at least, not enough to justify betrayingwhatever connection you have with him. But I cannot live without you. Even if it means I only have some part of you—that is far preferable to no part of you at all.”

“Vera is the better match,” Tem whispered. “You should just choose her.”

“I’d rather have half of you than all of Vera. Even if it means sharing you for the rest of my life.”

Tem stared at him. Had Leo just… proposed?

Before she could process this, he spoke again:

“I know you belong to him, Tem. And I know I want you anyway.”

“Leo…” she whispered, but she had no idea what to say.

What was the appropriate response here? What could be said to such a vulnerable admission? Leo had always been candid with her about his feelings—always crystal clear with his declarations of favor. But this one was different. This one was permanent.

“Can we just…get through tonight?” she asked. “For now?”

A resigned smile twisted Leo’s lips.

“Of course we can, Tem.”

She knew they were limited by time and circumstance. She knew he wanted more.

But it was beyond her control.

“Thank you,” Tem whispered.

Leo bowed his head. Then she dropped his hand and they entered the cave.

Tem watched Leo as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, taking in the fireplace and the mat in front of it. It was strange seeing him here in this place where Tem had taken so many first steps—where Caspen had taught her everything she’d always wanted to know. Tem no longer recognized the girl who had come to this cave all those weeks ago. That girl was gone.

Tem turned to Leo.

“I should talk to him first,” she said.

He nodded. “Very well.”

“Just…wait here.”

Leo nodded again. He seemed determined, like no matter what happened he was resolved to his fate. Tem admired his bravery. It was no small feat to come face to face with a basilisk. To Leo, he was coming face to face with his enemy—the creature his family had villainized his entire life. It couldn’t be easy for him to unravel that prejudice in real time.

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before dipping into the passageway. Her quiet knock on Caspen’s door was answered immediately.

“Tem,” Caspen said, and even now, her heart flipped at the sound of him saying her name. “What is it?”

She knew he hadn’t been expecting her. The last time they’d communicated had been when she’d spoken to Adelaide. Tem still didn’t know whether Adelaide had told him the contents of that conversation. She had no idea if he knew that the basilisk side of her was slowly dying—that his own fate was in question.

Tem looked up at him. He didn’t look well. There were shadows under his eyes that had never been there before. Was he simply not sleeping? Or was this a symptom of the joined effect of the crest? She wanted to reach for him, but didn’t. Instead, she said:

“I…need you to talk to someone.”

Caspen raised an eyebrow.

“Who?”

There was nothing for it.

“Leo.”

At the sound of his name, Caspen stiffened. His nostrils flared, and Tem knew he could smell the human prince on her.

“Why?”

“I told him you would be willing to see him.”

“You brought him? Have you lost your mind , Tem? He cannot be here.”

“Well. He is. And he wants to speak with you.”

If Caspen was shocked before, he was floored now.

“ Why? ” he hissed.

“He wants to discuss the future of the kingdom. He wants to end the bloodletting.”

Caspen’s eyes were dark with fury.

“There is nothing to discuss. There will be no peace as long as the royals are in power. You have seen what they are capable of.”

“Leo isn’t like the rest of the royals.”

“He is exactly like the rest of the royals. He considers himself better than the basilisks.”

She shook her head.

“No. He doesn’t. Not anymore.”

“Of course he does, Tem. He is no different than his father. He will never show us mercy. He would have us all killed.”

“Leo is not his father.”

Caspen stepped closer. Tem resisted stepping back.

“You are a fool if you believe that.”

Anger coiled within her.

“You don’t know him, Caspen.”

Caspen shook his head, leaning in. The shadows under his eyes hadn’t been her imagination. He was gaunt—his features drawn as if he hadn’t eaten in a long while. Tem hated seeing him like this. She had to fix it.

“You do not know him either, Tem. You cannot trust anything he says.”

“I trusted you, didn’t I?”

Caspen’s eyes narrowed.

“What does that mean?”

“I had no reason to trust you, but I did. Now look at us.”

Caspen bristled.

“Are you comparing me to him? Because I consider that an insult.”

“I’m not comparing you—I’m just saying that—”

“You are saying that because you trusted me, I should trust him. But one has nothing to do with the other.”

“That’s not fair. You can’t judge him without knowing him.”

“I can do whatever I wish, Tem.”

She knew he was angry. But she was angry too.

Critical analysis came second nature to Caspen. But for Leo, questioning his circumstances was a learned behavior—one he couldn’t possibly master in the short time since Tem had told him who she was. She was willing to give him allowances that Caspen wasn’t. She understood that he was still growing into the person she knew he could be—the person she knew he wanted to be.There was nothing black and white about Leo—he was not good or bad, cowardly or brave. He was many things at once. And Tem loved him for it.

She crossed her arms, standing her ground.

“You’re better than that, Caspen.”

He laughed bitterly.

“Am I? Why should I hold myself to a higher standard when you consider me equal to the human prince?”

“I never said you were equal.”

“You may as well have.”

Caspen stepped closer, and Tem flinched.

“Imagine what he would do if he knew what you really are.”

She grit her teeth. He wasn’t going to like what came next.

“He already knows.”

Caspen went completely still. His eyes searched hers, and there was nothing but betrayal in them. Tem knew she’d violated his trust—knew she’d chosen to tell Leo she was a Hybreed without consulting him first. But it was her secret to share. Caspen didn’t have to like it.

“You told him? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?”

“He deserves to know.”

“What else did you tell him? Does he know about the crest? ”

Tem hesitated. Leo didn’t know about the crest —about how there was a plan for Maximus and the rest of the royals.

“No,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “And he doesn’t need to know.”

“And why should he not know? It concerns his family, does it not?”

“His family will be spared,” Tem insisted.

“Not all of them. Only himself and his sister. You made that very clear.”

His voice was dangerously quiet. A flicker of doubt passed through Tem. Leo hated Maximus. He’d said so himself. But did he hate him enough to condemn him to the crest?

“Shall I tell him?” Caspen taunted, his eyes flashing like flint in the darkness. “Or would you like to do the honor of informing him of what will happen to his father?”

The doubt intensified. The last thing Tem wanted was for Caspen to tell Leo about the crest . If he reacted badly—if for some reason his hatred for Maximus did?n’t run as deeply as she thought—things between them could fall apart.

“You can’t do that,” Tem said.

“And why not?” Caspen asked.

Tem didn’t like his tone. He was threatening her.

“Because it could ruin everything, and you know it.”

“Everything? Or your relationship with him?”

“Nothing could ruin my relationship with him.”

Caspen’s eyes widened, then narrowed. Tem knew he understood what she was saying: that her connection with Leo had been solidified through sex. That it was permanent.

“I did not realize,” he whispered, his voice deadly, “that you could be so easily seduced.”

Rowe’s words came back to her suddenly:

The plaything has fallen in love with her playmate.

It was a foreign thing to see Caspen so jealous—to see him petty. But it was coming through now, and it was cruel. Tem wondered if it was an effect of the crest —if his usual stoicism was weakening along with the rest of him. He had always been steady. But no longer.

“I have to marry him, Caspen. That’s always been the plan.”

Little did Caspen know that his own life depended on that plan.

He scoffed. Tem continued:

“Leo is on our side. I promise you.”

Caspen arched his head to the ceiling, the cords of his neck standing out beneath his skin.

“ Kora . You always do what you want, Tem. You never think. ”

This was going nowhere. Tem had to get them back on track.

“Just talk to him. Please. Do it for me.”

Tem knew perfectly well that it was the last thing Caspen wanted to do. But he also owed her this—for all the things he’d kept from her. He couldn’t be angry that she’d done something without asking him, and he knew it as well as she did.

After an endless pause, he said:

“There is nothing I would not do for you.”

Without another word, Tem turned.

Caspen followed at a distance, staying two steps behind her. Just before they reached the cave, Tem saw that his hands were balled into fists.

“Caspen.”

He looked down at her. She touched his arm gently.

“Please,” Tem whispered.

For a long moment, he didn’t react. Then he uncurled his fingers, letting his hands hang loose at his sides. They entered the cave.

Leo was leaning against the wall, but straightened when he saw them. He immediately glanced at Tem before looking at Caspen.

A long moment passed, and Tem held her breath. Leo said nothing—he seemed resolved to let Caspen take the lead. It wasn’t until Caspen dipped his head in Leo’s direction in the barest form of acknowledgement that Tem finally let out her breath. It was good enough for her.

Tem stepped between them, spreading her hands in what she hoped was a neutral gesture.

“Both of you have been told that the other is the enemy,” she said quietly. “But that is a lie.”

The two princes stared at each other, neither of them speaking.

“I’m living proof that you can coexist,” Tem continued. “If you want peace, you need to break the cycle.”

Caspen tilted his head, and Tem thought he might say something. Instead Leo was the first to speak:

“I understand you may have…reservations about me,” Leo said, addressing Caspen directly. “But I can assure you we are on the same side.”

Caspen let out a dry, incredulous noise.

“Tem has informed me of my father’s actions,” Leo went on as if Caspen had?n’t made a sound. “They are appalling, and they should not go unpunished. I’d like to help with that, if I can.”

Caspen still hadn’t spoken, and Tem was starting to wonder if he was ever going to.

Leo continued doggedly:

“You may not trust me, but Tem does. And I know you value her opinion.”

Caspen blinked.

Then he looked at Tem.

They held eye contact for an endless moment, and Tem felt the gaping void where their connection used to be. Caspen finally broke his silence:

“The only opinion I value is my own,” he growled.

The two men stared at each other. Caspen’s hands were slowly balling back into fists, and Tem rushed to break the moment before things got worse:

“You both want the same thing,” Tem said. “Can we at least agree on that?”

They looked at her.

She realized she had inadvertently spoken too much of the truth, and scrambled to move things along:

“When Leo becomes king, he will cease the bloodletting immediately.”

Caspen looked back at Leo.

“Your father might mind.”

“He won’t be king anymore. He won’t have a say.”

Caspen’s jaw tightened.

“The bloodletting is the reason you have so much gold. If you cease it, you forsake your wealth.”

Leo licked his lips, and Tem wondered if he was thinking about the golden fangs in his mouth.

“Wealth obtained in such a way is of no value to me. There are far greater treasures than gold.”

Tem didn’t miss the way his eyes flicked to hers. Caspen stepped toward Leo, who immediately stiffened. For a single, terrifying moment, Tem thought he might tell him about the crest . But then Caspen said:

“Why?”

Leo blinked.

“Why what?”

Caspen stepped even closer. To Leo’s credit, he didn’t step back.

“Why are you willing to go against your own father?”

Despite how close Caspen was standing, Leo looked over at Tem for a long moment before answering:

“I know how it feels to lose something you love,” he said. His eyes slid back to Caspen’s, and he finished quietly. “My father loves power above all else. I’d like to see him lose it.”

Caspen didn’t know Leo’s story—didn’t know he was referring to Evelyn. But Tem knew Leo’s motivations better than anyone. The bloodletting wasn’t just a misdeed that needed to be corrected—it was a way for Leo to heal from his past.

Caspen raised his eyebrows, and Tem swore she saw a modicum of respect pass over his face. Then he stifled it.

“No royal is so altruistic. What do you expect in return?”

“He doesn’t want anything,” Tem said.

“But I do,” Leo said quietly. He turned to Tem, and her heart stopped. “I do want something in return.”

A beat of silence passed.

Now Tem understood. Leo was willing to do this, but only on one condition.

Her.

Caspen let out a dry snicker. Leo held up his hand.

“I do not expect you to stop seeing each other. I am not so naive to think that your bond could be ignored. Love demands to be felt.”

There was a pause, and Tem’s heart nearly broke. Leo was always doing this—saying deeply impactful things in a matter-of-fact manner. He was skilled with his words, even now.

Leo continued:

“I understand that basilisks live very long lives. You will have nearly an eterni?t?y together.”

His gaze moved to Tem, and his next words were a whisper:

“I just…want you while I can have you.”

It was, as Bastian might say, an elegant solution.

Why shouldn’t they share her? Tem was in love with them both. She was equal parts human and basilisk. Tem already knew that Caspen didn’t consider the human prince to be his equal. As such, he also shouldn’t consider him a threat. Caspen looked down on Leo in the same way the royals looked down on the basilisks. Leo was not important to Caspen—he never had been. But he was important to Tem.

She looked at Caspen, and he looked back at her.

In his gaze, she saw how deeply her absence had affected him. He missed her—she could see it in his eyes, in the way they drank in hers. And she missed him. She needed their mental connection back—needed that essential part of her. And in order to restore it, she needed to marry Leo.

Caspen spoke first:

“It is up to Tem.”

Leo nodded.

“Of course,” he looked at her. “It’s up to you.”

Tem opened her mouth, then closed it again. It was extraordinary—there was no other word for it. She couldn’t believe she was standing here in this cave, between these two men, deciding the fate of a kingdom. It wasn’t anything she ever expected for herself.

And yet, it was everything she was meant to do.

There was no future for her on the chicken farm—no possibility of ever going back to the way things were. It was time to step into who she was always meant to be.

Tem was ready to speak her truth.

“I love you both.”

There was a distinct change in the air when she said it, as if the universe had tilted on its axis. For some reason, she felt powerful. It was incredibly freeing to finally say it—to lay herself bare before both of them at the same time. They were all on the same page now. There was nothing left to hide—nothing to fight over. She loved Caspen, and she loved Leo, and she wasn’t about to stop anytime soon. They would move forward together; they would forge their own path.

Tem wasn’t sure what would happen next. There didn’t seem to be much else to say after what had just been said. She found herself looking to Caspen, as she always had, for guidance.

He turned to Leo.

“I still do not trust you.”

Leo sighed.

“Then allow me the chance to prove myself,” he said calmly. “I will be crowned king at my wedding, at which time I will announce that we are entering a new era—one in which there will be no more bloodletting. If I don’t keep my word, you are welcome to kill me then. That will be my fate if things continue as they have been anyway. Am I wrong?”

Leo was smart. He knew that the timing of this meeting was not accidental—that surely, the basilisks were planning to take down the royals. He didn’t know about the crest —he had no clue that his father’s free will was being used as a bargaining chip. But there was no need for him to know. Those were just details—scraps of information that would tangle a plan that needed to be perfect.

Finally, Caspen replied:

“You are not wrong.”

Leo nodded. And that was the end of it.

With one last lingering glance at Tem, Caspen turned and disappeared back into the passageway. Tem didn’t go after him. There was no point. She would simply have to wait to see what the ripple effect of this conversation would be moving forward. She would have to hope for the best.

Leo broke the silence:

“That went well.”

Tem suppressed a bizarre urge to laugh.

“You’re still alive. So yes, it did.”

Leo chuckled quietly. “Have you so little faith in his self restraint?”

“I have faith in his self restraint,” Tem said. “But not in his temper. And if you knew him better, you’d feel the same.”

Leo’s smile faded.

“I very much doubt he’ll give me the opportunity.”

“It doesn’t matter, Leo,” Tem said tiredly. “We just have to move forward.”

Leo seemed to sense her exhaustion because his hand touched her waist tentatively, pulling her against him. It remained there as they made their way back to the carriage, moving to encircle her shoulders on the ride back to the castle. They exited the carriage together, and when they reached the landing before Leo’s room, they turned to each other.

Tem opened her mouth to speak.

But she was interrupted by the arrival of Vera, who flounced up the stairs with insistent glee.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she purred at Leo.

That much was apparent. It was nearly dawn—Vera had probably been roaming the castle all night in an attempt to bed him.

“Vera,” Leo said dully. “Hello.”

Her smile faltered at his tone.

“You wanted to see me?” she said.

Leo raised an eyebrow, as if he’d just remembered something.

“Ah,” he nodded. “Yes, I did.”

Vera flourished once more.

“ Wonderful . Because I was thinking we could—”

“I’m afraid we will not be continuing with our courtship.”

Vera’s mouth fell open. So did Tem’s.

“ Excuse me?” she scoffed, her hateful gaze flashing to Tem. “Are you telling me you’re choosing her? ”

“Yes,” Leo said. “I am.”

Tem sensed something new in his energy—something calm. He seemed to have discovered some sort of inner peace in the last day—an assuredness that sustained him from deep within. Nothing seemed to bother Leo anymore. He was a man with purpose now. It looked good on him.

But Vera wasn’t done.

“I hope you like the taste of chicken shit,” she spat. “Because that’s all you’ll get with her.”

Leo straightened.

“I would ask that you not disparage my future wife in front of me. As of now you are no longer a guest in my home. If you are unable to see yourself out, I shall find someone to escort you.”

Vera’s face went tight with shock. For all the times she’d publicly humiliated Tem, this was not how either of them expected their rivalry to pan out. Vera stepped forward, and for a moment, Tem thought she might smack her. Instead she burst into violent, gulping tears before turning without another word and running sobbing down the stairs.

“Sorry darling,” Leo murmured, almost as an afterthought.

Tem was frozen in place, shocked by what she’d just seen. She barely noticed as Leo steered her back into his room, only snapping back to the present when he crossed to his nightstand, pulled out a small velvet box, and returned to her.

Leo knelt.