Chapter Thirty-Two #2
Tem’s eyes shifted to the basilisk beside Rowe.
Eros was taller than his brother and just as formidable.
He stared down at Tem with burnished gold eyes that felt like they were looking straight into her soul.
She barely came up to his collarbone; his shoulders were so broad, she couldn’t see anything behind him.
Rowe suddenly entered Tem’s mind.
She gasped in surprise, throwing up walls to block the assault. But she couldn’t shut him out—his power was indescribable; it pushed against her like an indomitable force, crushing her like a spider against glass.
You will yield to me, Temperance. And so will Caspenon.
It took everything Tem had to look him straight in the eye and say, “Never.”
Rowe’s mouth twisted into a dark, amused sneer.
“It is a shame,” he murmured. “You are as stubborn as ever.”
Tem lifted her chin. “And you are just as cruel.”
His sneer deepened. “Cruelty is a necessity in the world we live in, Temperance. Your husband knows that better than anyone.”
Tem had no way to refute that. What Caspen had done to Rowe was undeniably cruel. But Rowe had deserved it. And now, with their fight imminent, Tem hoped Caspen would be cruel once more.
Rowe directed his final jab straight at Caspen. “May the best man win.”
Then he walked off without another word.
Tem turned immediately to Caspen. He was staring after Rowe with his fists clenched, a vein pulsing in his temple. Tem wanted nothing more than to reach for him, to feel his warm skin against hers, to find comfort in each other. But it was the one thing she could not do.
Adelaide appeared at her side. “Tem,” she said gently. “All eligible basilisks have now arrived. It is time to make your selections.”
Tem looked at Caspen. He looked at her.
“Will you stay with me?” she whispered.
“Always.”
They followed Adelaide to the end of the banquet hall, where a stage had been assembled.
On it was a group of twenty or so basilisks, all handsome, all fully erect.
Tem remembered what Adelaide had said—how she was supposed to make her decision based on their cocks.
She glanced up at Caspen, who gave her a reassuring nod before stepping to the side to join Rowe, Eros, and Apollo.
When Tem’s eyes met Apollo’s, he nodded too.
You can do this, Temperance.
She barely believed him. It was difficult to imagine that any of these men could be her prospective husband. None of them compared to Caspen.
Tem was frozen in place, acutely aware of the crowd behind her, watching her every move. It was too much pressure; she could not perform under the weight of everyone’s expectations.
Caspen’s voice came to her: Relax, Tem. Allow your basilisk side to make the decision.
Tem closed her eyes, resolved to do as he said. She concentrated on the side of her that liked being watched, the side that was powerful and bold and brave. She suppressed the human side, pushing away her doubts and insecurities. When she opened her eyes, she was ready.
Tem recognized only one basilisk in the group of men before her.
He was tall, with slicked-back blond hair—the man Caspen had pleasured in the ouroboros.
Immediately, she was drawn to him. She didn’t even glance at his cock; it didn’t matter what it looked like.
Adelaide’s words came back to her suddenly: You will seal your choices with a kiss.
Tem knew what she had to do.
The moment she stepped forward, the crowd cheered.
She approached the blond basilisk slowly, holding eye contact until she was right in front of him.
Then she cradled his face in her hands, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed him.
She imagined it was Leo and poured every ounce of longing into their kiss, doing what she could not do with him.
When they broke apart, the basilisk smiled widely before bowing to her and moving to the sidelines to stand next to Apollo.
One down. Seven to go.
Tem made the rest of her selections by instinct alone.
She didn’t care about their cocks—they were all equally glorious anyway—she cared about how they made her feel.
Tem kissed only the basilisks whose power was compatible with hers—those who she knew, on an instinctual level, could handle her.
She let the heat between her legs guide her, choosing anyone who turned her on.
By the time she’d kissed the eighth man, she was wet.
The crowd roared as the final basilisk joined the line of contenders. Caspen smiled at her, and she knew she’d done well. Adelaide reappeared at her side.
“Now what?” Tem asked.
Adelaide leaned in. “Now there will be a ceremony.”
“What kind of ceremony?”
“You shall see.”
Everyone except for the final twelve contenders left the stage. Behind Tem, the banquet hall went silent. For some reason, she found herself holding her breath as a woman emerged from the crowd and ascended the stage. Her stomach was swollen.
Tem glanced at Adelaide. Is she pregnant?
Adelaide shook her head. No. She is a new mother who just gave birth.
Tem looked around for a baby but didn’t see one.
Then she remembered what Adelaide had told her about basilisk children, how they were raised away from the caves until they came of age and were ready to have sex.
Tem couldn’t figure out why a new mother would be here without her child. What is her purpose?
Adelaide didn’t reply. Something was happening; the contenders were kneeling.
What are they doing?
They are paying their respects.
But why?
She represents Kora.
Kora. Goddess of fertility, benevolent ruler of all.
She will touch the person she believes will be the victor of the tournament.
This was all new information to Tem, and it was completely terrifying. The victor of the tournament had to be Caspen. Needed to be Caspen. What if the woman touched someone else?
How will she make her decision?
It is believed that Kora will tell her whom to choose.
The woman walked slowly down the line of men, pausing before each one to look them in the eye, as if judging their capability. The men looked up at her with utter respect, as they would have their own mothers, kneeling before her as they would in church.
Tem held her breath as the woman stopped before Rowe.
After what felt like an eternity, she continued along, trailing her fingertips through the air as she walked.
She moved with undeniable grace, her hips swaying as she approached the end of the line.
Apollo was second to last, right before Caspen. The woman stopped before him.
Tem immediately stiffened. No. She can’t choose him.
Adelaide didn’t reply. Tem could do nothing but watch in horrified silence as the woman held out her hand, touching Apollo gently on the forehead.
Tem had never seen Apollo so proud. It was clear this was the highest honor possible, that he was receiving a gift of incalculable value.
Apollo took the woman’s hand in his, raising it and pressing her wrist to his lips.
The crowd erupted into cheers. Beside Apollo, Caspen’s face expression was unreadable. Was he angry? Jealous? Afraid? Tem reached for him with her mind, but he was closed off to her. It didn’t surprise her. If his thoughts were anything like hers, they were not safe for anyone else to hear.
It will have no bearing on the actual outcome, Temperance, Adelaide said. It is merely her opinion, nothing more.
But you said that she was guided by Kora.
That is what we believe, yes.
Have you ever known Kora to be wrong?
Adelaide didn’t answer.
You can’t possibly tell me that her picking Apollo is a good thing.
Not a good thing, necessarily. But an interesting one.
How is it interesting? It seems terrible to me. Caspen will be—
Caspenon will not be angry.
Tem found that hard to believe.
He understands the rules of the tournament, Temperance. He will take it as a challenge.
That was even worse.
It is merely her opinion. Nothing more.
But Tem just shook her head.
“Temperance,” Adelaide said gently. “I understand that this is difficult for you. But everything is proceeding exactly as it should. Now that you have chosen your contenders and Kora has chosen hers, the tournament can proceed.”
Tem closed her eyes. In her heart, she knew Adelaide was right. She respected the process. It didn’t matter if it appalled her; the tournament was happening either way. But that didn’t make it any easier.
“Apollo can’t win,” she whispered. “It’s not possible.”
“If he wins, it is because he was always supposed to win. We believe our fates are already written.”
“But that’s—”
“That,” Adelaide said firmly, placing her hand on Tem’s shoulder, “is the basilisk way.”
Tem fell silent. How nice it must be to leave everything up to fate, to believe that your destiny was decided for you. But that was not the way Tem did things. She was too driven by desire to accept that her decisions did not matter. The basilisk way was not her way. It never would be.
The woman descended the stage, disappearing back into the crowd. Tem watched her go, a horrible pit in her stomach. She barely noticed as the crowd dispersed around her and basilisks began seating themselves at the tables. It was time for the feast.
“You will eat at the head of the hall,” Adelaide said in her ear, steering her toward a table that was perpendicular to all the others.
It was not unlike a wedding table, where the bride and the groom would sit, overseeing the festivities.
Only this table had three seats, and two of them were already filled.
Adelaide guided her to the seat in the middle.
“If you need anything, I will be close by.”
Then she left her alone with the Drakon brothers.
Tem stared straight ahead, utterly unsure what to do with herself. She couldn’t touch Caspen, and she didn’t dare touch Apollo. There was absolutely nowhere to go.
Finally, she turned to Caspen. “Are you prepared?”
He blinked. “For what, my love?”
“For the fight with Rowe.”
To her surprise, he laughed. “I do not need to prepare.”
Tem crossed her arms. “If you’re going to be fighting for me, don’t you think you should prepare?”
“Tem,” he said. “there is nothing to be done. I will win.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I have more to lose.”
“Rowe has nothing to lose,” Tem said. “That makes him dangerous.”
“Tem.” Caspen looked her straight in the eye. “I am dangerous.”
Despite the warmth of the banquet hall, Tem shivered. She turned to Apollo. “And don’t get any ideas.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “And what sort of ideas might I get?”
“Just because that woman chose you, doesn’t mean I ever will.”
Apollo’s mouth twitched in amusement. “Her choice is not binding. It has no influence on yours.” The same thing Adelaide said.
“Still. Don’t—”
“Get any ideas? I would not dare, Temperance.”
“Good, because—”
Just then, Caspen spoke into her mind: Enough, Tem.
Her heart thrummed in her chest at the reprimand. She knew she was lashing out because she was nervous—because she was terrified. The fear was beginning to eat her alive. Tem closed her eyes. Somehow, what she needed to say to them was easier that way.
“You can’t let Rowe take me.”
Silence. Tem opened her eyes to see Apollo’s gaze slide to Caspen’s.
Something unspoken passed between brothers, and Tem wished she knew what it was.
Then Apollo placed his hand gently on her waist. She froze at the contact, holding perfectly still as he said, “We will both die before we let that happen, Temperance.”
The barest sense of relief flowed through her, followed immediately by horrible guilt. “I can’t lose either of you.”
Another silence.
In it, Tem felt both of them enter her mind the way they had in the grotto.
Only this time, they were not trying to seduce her.
This time she felt nothing but an unbreakable wave of reassurance pass from their minds to hers.
She understood that they were united in this, that they recognized that the situation was greater than themselves—that they were prepared to sacrifice if necessary. Tem was prepared too.
“It is our honor to fight for you, Tem,” Caspen said quietly.
Apollo’s hand was still on her waist. His fingers tightened—just barely—in a gesture of agreement. Then he released her. Caspen had retreated from her mind. But Apollo remained, murmuring just a single sentence before retreating too: You are worth fighting for, Temperance.
The same words Caspen had said to her earlier. Tem knew Apollo wouldn’t say them unless he meant them. Basilisks could not lie, after all. They could only bend the truth, and what he’d said was so straightforward, Tem could do nothing but believe him.
After that, there was nothing to do but eat and drink.
The feast was sumptuous—one of the best Tem had ever had.
The food was accompanied by what seemed like endless amounts of elixir.
It made sense, she supposed, that the two quivers would need liquid courage in order to coexist. But as a direct result, the banquet hall was rapidly descending into chaos.
Adelaide hadn’t been kidding when she told Tem she might be surprised at what she would see.
All around them, basilisks were fucking.
They did it on the benches, on the tables, on the floor.
Tem had thought that, given the nature of why they were here, the two quivers would have animosity between them.
Instead, the opposite was true. Tem saw Senecas with Senecas, Senecas with Drakons, and every combination in between.
Tem stared out at the chaos, in awe of the sheer scope of it.
Only Rowe did not partake in the festivities. He remained on the edge of the banquet hall, not eating or drinking, his arms crossed over this chest. His golden cock was fully erect, and Tem wondered if it was always like that.
“Rowe is staring at me.”
Both Caspen and Apollo looked over at him.
“So he is,” Apollo said. “Shall we tell him to stop?”
“Please don’t.”
“And why not?” Caspen said. “He is bothering you.”
“You already took his cock, Caspen. I don’t know what else you could even take.”
A dark smile twisted his face. “I would think of something.”
“You could take his head,” Apollo offered.
Tem smacked his shoulder. “Stop that.”
Both brothers laughed. Thankfully, at that moment, Adelaide appeared.
“Temperance,” she said. “There is someone here for you.”
Tem was already sitting next to the only two people who were here for her.
“Who?”
In reply, Adelaide simply pointed.
“Gabriel?”