Page 183 of Split or Swallow

Her mother turned Tem’s hands over in hers, tracing the freckles on her palms.

“You hold the stars in your hands,” she whispered. “Just like your father.”

She’d said it a thousand times before. But this time she said it sadly, as if it were not a good thing.

“Mother,” Tem said quietly. “How do you know if someone loves you?”

Her mother met her eye.

“When they would sacrifice their happiness for yours.”

Tem processed her words, wondering whether Caspen or Leo would sacrifice their happiness for hers. More importantly, would she sacrifice her happiness for theirs? Caspen was already asking her to choose a side. It was only a matter of time before Leo did too. But why should Tem be the one to make such a sacrifice? Why shouldn’t they be forced to choose her?

Her mother spoke again:

“We should finish our work.”

“Of course.”

They spent the rest of the day in amiable silence, and Tem used the time to think about their conversation. It was a wonder her mother had told her anything at all. But Tem was glad to learn what little detail she’d divulged, and every time she looked at her hands, she thought about her father. Did he miss her mother? Did he miss Tem? Clearly he hadn’t been willing to sacrifice his happiness for theirs. Perhaps all men were built that way. Perhaps it was women who bore the burden of sacrifice.

At last, it was evening.

Tem collapsed onto her bed, foregoing dinner. She briefly considered inserting the claw before remembering that it was gone. Instead she trailed her fingers between her legs, touching herself the way she had her entire life, doing what she’d done long before she met Caspen. There was something special about doing it this way: with no one else to direct her. Her eyes closed as she moaned softly, her fingers slipping into her wetness. She thought of Caspen—of the way he’d penetrated her just last night. She thought of Leo—of the way he’d pinched her clitoris until she’d cried out.

Then she thought of them both.

Was it really so wrong to picture them all together? Perhaps her mind was her last true sanctuary—the only place where she would never pick a side. She didn’t want to choose, and here she didn’t have to. It wasn’t something she’d ever fantasized about before: the three of them intertwining like silken strands of a braid. But once she began, she found she couldn’t stop.

Tem imagined herself kissing Caspen. Then Leo. Then both.

She lost herself in a vision of lips and hands and need, picturing the ways they could move with one another. It seemed a natural thing to her: to give herself to the men who loved her. Why shouldn’t they seek pleasure together? Why shouldn’t she be worshipped by the two people who wanted nothing more than to claim her as their own? She wanted to sit on one cock, then the other. She wanted to taste them both.

Her fingers worked desperately against her clitoris, rubbing until she couldn’t hold back any longer. She saw Leo before her, Caspen behind her. Their movements coalesced in a heated blur until blonde became black, gray became gold. They were all one—all the same.

Tem cried Kora’s name when she came.

As she drifted off to sleep, she imagined the princes on either side of her, cradling her body between theirs.

The next day dawned cold and joyless.

Tem completed her farm chores on autopilot, forcing herself to stay busy until dusk. When the sun was finally setting, she joined her mother on the path to the village.

The town square was packed with restless people, and Tem scanned the crowd for Gabriel, but he was nowhere to be found. She wandered the square alone, taking in the elaborate decorations. There was gold leaf everywhere: plastered on the shutters of the cottages facing the square, lining the wooden stage, even flecked across the cobblestones. Tem shuddered at the sight.

The Passing of the Crown always occurred at this point in the competition: when the prince was nearly ready to choose a wife. It was a way for the current king to express faith in his son’s choice—to show that the next generation was ready to rule. If the Passing of the Crown went well, the villagers could expect the king to cede power to the prince on his wedding day.

Someone pressed a glass of mead into Tem’s hands. She sipped it slowly, losing herself in the bustle of the square. It wasn’t until a hush fell over the crowd that she looked up to see Leo ascending the stage.

He walked straight to the edge, facing the villagers. Behind him stood Lilly, radiant in a green cloak that made her blonde hair even brighter. Next to her was Maximus, whose face was drawn in tight apprehension. Tem could only imagine what he was thinking.

“Thank you all for being here tonight,” Leo said, his voice carrying over the square. “You honor me with your presence.”

To Tem’s surprise, this announcement was not met with applause. Instead, a murmur swept through the crowd—one tinged unmistakably with disapproval. Before Tem could worry about this, Maximus stepped forward too.

“As you all know, the Passing of the Crown is a momentous occasion,” the king began. “It is a tradition that has gone on for centuries, and will go on for many more.”

His speech was long, and Tem found her mind wandering. She thought about Caspen, and how the basilisk traditions were so very different than the human ones. If only all it took for her to be accepted by his people was a simple ceremony like the one she was about to watch.