Page 271 of Between Two Kings

Apollo shook his head. “You cannot stay.”

“I can, and I will.”

“You are not safe here. You must go.”

“You can’t tell me what to—”

“YOU MUST GO.”

Tem froze. Apollo had never yelled at her before. Basilisks favored negotiation—logic and reason always trumped outbursts. But Apollo was beyond reason. He was an inch away, his eyes boring into hers. At the look of surprise on her face, he softened his tone, but just barely.

“I will not let you anywhere near Rowe.”

“Who are you to tell me what to do?”

“I am someone who loves you, Temperance. And I will not watch you die tonight.”

“Excuse me?” Leo interjected.

Tem held up her hand. “He doesn’t mean it like that, Leo. He just means—”

“I mean it,” Apollo said firmly, enunciating each word. “In the way I have earned the right to mean it.”

Basilisks were always being vague. But somehow this made sense to Tem. She understood how Apollo loved her: not like Leo did and certainly not like Caspen. Love can take many forms, just as Adelaide had said. He loved her the way she loved him—without expectation or judgment. Freely.

“You must go, Temperance,” Apollo said. “Please.”

“But I—”

“I know you wish to fight.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, steadying her. “But I cannot protect you from my brother and Rowe at the same time.”

Tem opened her mouth again, but Apollo shook his head.

“You will not stay here. You will take your human prince”—he jerked his head at Leo, who was watching their interaction with barely contained bewilderment—“and you will get to safety.”

Tem stared at him. She thought about their history together, how he had gone from her pursuer to her protector. She hadn’t always felt safe with Apollo. But she felt safe now.

“Please,” Apollo whispered. “I beg of you. Go.”

When just a moment ago he’d been yelling, now she could barely hear him. The words were strained, as if it took great effort to say them. Tem could hear the cries of battle just outside the door.

“I can’t just let people die when there’s something I could do to stop it.”

Apollo’s expression softened. “Their choices are their own. Basilisks believe in fate.”

Tem shook her head. This was wrong. Wrong.

“I—” she began, but before she could finish, Apollo’s lips were on hers. He kissed her softly, with more tenderness than he had ever shown her before. Tem heard Leo make a disgruntled sound, but she ignored it, kissing him back as screams echoed down the passageway. The sound of her name pulled them apart.

“Tem?” It was Gabriel. He was accompanied by Damon, who immediately addressed Apollo.

“They must leave. All of them.”

“I am well aware,” Apollo said. “But they are rather difficult to convince.”

“Rowe has infiltrated the caves. He seeks Tem.”

“I am well aware,” Apollo said again. Before he could say anything else, Caspen’s voice entered both their minds at the same time.