Page 21 of Split or Swallow
He was waiting under the clock tower, leaning jauntily against the bricks. He straightened when he saw her.
“Finally. Thought you’d forgotten about me.”
“Never,” Tem said as Gabriel took the basket from her arms. “You’re unforgettable.”
“Of course I am. Now give me details.”
Tem told him everything that had happened in the caves, including how she had touched herself in front of Caspen, and he had done the same. The only thing she left out was the claw. Caspen had said not to tell anyone, and she had no desire to disobey him. Besides, it felt nice to have a secret, even if it was a small one. Tem’s life had been so uneventful for so long that the prospect of keeping something from Gabriel was oddly thrilling. He’d had plenty of nights that she knew nothing about; now she had one of her own.
“Caspen sounds delicious.”
“He’s a basilisk, Gabriel. He’s terrifying.”
“Terrifyingly delicious.”
If he wasn’t carrying her basket for her, she would’ve shoved him.
“He’s the Serpent King. His girls are always chosen. You don’t understand the pressure I’m under.”
“Tem. It’s good that you’re with the Serpent King. Imagine if you’d gotten a basilisk with no talent whatsoever.”
“I wouldn’t care.”
“Oh, yes you would. I know you. You’d be whining about how you’re with a boring old basilisk instead of one that knows what he’s doing. Admit it. It’s better this way.”
Tem scowled. Gabriel was right, and they both knew it. Regardless of her mother’s ambitions for her, Tem was participating in the training for her own selfish reasons, and those included getting as good at sex as possible just to prove to herself that she could do it. Like it or not, Caspen was the easiest route to that goal.
At the thought of sex, the claw pulsed.
Tem froze. They were in the middle of the road, in broad daylight. There was nowhere to hide if Caspen decided to send her anything else.
Gabriel stopped, looking back at her. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Nothing,” Tem said. “Cramps.”
“Ah,” Gabriel nodded knowingly, “Woman troubles.”
“Something like that.”
She stood still for just a moment longer, but to her relief, another pulse didn’t come.
The rooster delivery was uneventful, and Tem was thankful Gabriel was there. People in the village liked him; they tolerated her. Gabriel had always protected Tem to the best of his abilities, but he was a year older than her, and hadn’t always been around when they were in school. He hadn’t been able to stop the schoolyard bullies from chanting “Chicken shit girl”, but he had always been there to wipe her tears on the way home.
By the time they reached the bakery, Tem wished he could do that delivery as well. But she knew Gabriel’s shift was about to start, and he kissed her on the cheek with a flourish before heading up the hill to the castle. Gabriel worked as a dishwasher in the castle kitchens, a job that gave him unending access to the stable boys. Which was just the way he liked it.
With a heavy sigh, Tem turned toward the bakery.
“So,” Vera said shrilly. “How was it?”
Once again, Vera was leaning conspiratorially over the counter. Only this time, everything was different. This time, Tem was no longer the girl who had never seen a naked man. Between her experience in the cave and the presence of the claw inside her, the last twenty-four hours had been life-changing, plain and simple. But she couldn’t say that out loud. Vera was such an insufferable blabbermouth that the entire village would know every detail by the time the sun had set. Tem settled on her usual strategy, which was to ask her something in return:
“How was it for you?”
“It was thrilling,” Vera gushed, leaning forward. “My basilisk wants me. I can tell.”
“What makes you think that?”
“The way he looked at me.”
