CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Caspen wasted no time.
His hands grasped her hips, angling her body toward his.
The second his cock touched her, Tem’s mind went blank. She could no longer think. All she could do was feel. She felt the heat of the air and the sweat on her skin. She felt Caspen’s unrelenting gaze as he began to enter her, sliding only an inch of himself inside before sliding right back out. Even that was too much for Tem—she could barely take what he was giving her. He slid in again, going an inch further this time.
Tem watched the point of their connection in utter awe. She couldn’t believe how good they looked together—like her body was his sanctuary, and he was finally coming home.
They both wanted this. They both needed this.
Caspen’s breathing was ragged. He was concentrating hard; Tem saw once more the staggering strength it took for him to hold back. She knew he wanted nothing more than to ram himself inside of her. But she also knew she couldn’t handle that, and Caspen surely knew it too. It was his duty to take care of Tem—to set the pace and make sure she felt safe. She trusted him to take that duty seriously.
They were halfway there.
“Kiss me,” Tem whispered, desperate for more of him.
Caspen kissed her.
Tem spread her legs as much as she could, straining to take him—doing everything in her power to let him all the way in—to feel him as deeply as he wished to feel her.
At last, it was time.
Their minds were so entwined that Tem didn’t know whether it was her voice or his that spoke just a single word as he sank all the way inside her:
Finally.
It was the completion of a circle that had started the night she’d first dreamed of him. They were always meant to end up here. All roads led to this.
Slowly, with the utmost care, Caspen pulled out.
Then he pushed back in.
Tem gasped as he established a rhythm, teaching her this one final act, legitimizing their bond with each steady thrust. She received him willingly, drinking in every inch of him. She stared up into his eyes—eyes that were blacker than the bottom of the sea. Those eyes had seen centuries of life.
Now they were seeing her.
“Do I feel good?” Tem whispered.
It was the only thing she’d wanted to know since the moment she met him. From the way he gripped her, she knew his answer. But instead of saying it out loud, Caspen sent an overwhelming surge of affirmation into Tem’s mind. He was penetrating her in more ways than one, his consciousness curled around hers like vines on a tree.
Tem. Tem. Tem.
Just her name. Over and over.
He said it as if he could never say it enough—as if he were grounding himself in this moment, right here, with her. Tem had never been adored like this before. Caspen’s joy vibrated from his body to hers in an endless current. She couldn’t believe she was the source of such rapture. He wanted nothing but to please her.
All the times he’d been teaching her how to seduce the prince, he’d also been learning how to seduce her. He knew everything about her body; he knew how and where she liked to be touched, and how long to do it for.
And she knew the same.
Weeks of lessons had made Tem fluent in the language Caspen taught her to speak. She knew if she arched her neck, his nostrils would flair as he inhaled her scent. She knew if she squeezed his throat, he’d squeeze hers in return.
Caspen. Caspen. Caspen.
She chanted his name back, showing him his joy was reciprocated—showing him they were unbreakable. Caspen kissed her as he fucked her, his tongue moving as if it were made to dance with hers. He had been holding out on her, she realized. He was so good at sex. Impossibly good. Centuries of training had turned him into some kind of intuitive beast—a beast that knew exactly how to touch her.
He guided her into different positions, showing her all the ways they could be with each other. First he sat back on his knees, lifting her hips so he could watch her take his cock. Then he returned to her, pulling her legs over his shoulders so they were interlocked like puzzle pieces. It was intimate beyond belief; they were so close that Tem could see her reflection in his pupils. She moaned as he slid in and out of her, his cock unbelievably hard, his pace as steady as the tides.
Tem lost all track of time. There were no windows in Caspen’s chambers, and it was impossible to tell whether hours or minutes were passing. Tem couldn’t believe her body was capable of such feats. Just when she thought she couldn’t go on, Caspen sent her an insistent wave of his own desire, which was ten times the caliber of her own. She couldn’t believe she was having this effect on him. She’d always known it was difficult for him to resist her, but now that she was in his mind, she saw exactly what it was like for him to be with her in this way.
Every sound she made sent him into a furor. He sought pleasure from her pleasure. He had waited so long for this, and now she was finally here, wrapped around his cock, his for the taking. He never wanted to let her go.
Eventually Caspen slid his hands up her thighs, turning her onto her side. He was behind her now, nudging her legs open with his knee in order to give his fingers access to her clitoris. Tem gasped as he touched her and fucked her at the same time. It was everything she’d dreamed of and more. It was heaven, plain and simple.
They stayed that way for a long time—longer than Tem thought was possible. No doubt Caspen could tell how much she liked it. Her wetness was on his cock, on his fingers, on the sheets. She wasn’t embarrassed; she knew it was exactly what he wanted. Every few minutes, he raised his fingers to his mouth to taste her before touching her again.
Just when she felt her orgasm begin to build, Caspen turned her around. They faced each other on the mattress, and for a moment, he merely stared at her. He didn’t say a word—either out loud, or in her mind. But Tem saw everything that he was feeling as clearly as if he had told her. She saw how much this entire evening had meant to Caspen—how much pleasure it brought him to see her like this: vulnerable, naked, spread out in front of him. She was all his.
Caspen reached for her.
This time, it was quicker than before. Tem could barely breathe, but it didn’t matter. She knew what was coming; she knew they were getting close.
Caspen’s skin was scalding. The smoke had returned, threading into Tem’s hair and skimming hotly up her back. She was wet with sweat, but it didn’t matter: so was he.
There was only one thing left to ask:
Together?
Caspen’s response was the perfect mirror of hers:
Together.
The threads of their consciousness joined into a single stream, rushing toward their inevitable conclusion. They had finished together before, but not like this: not while he was inside her. If Tem hadn’t had those previous experiences with him, she might’ve been scared of what was about to happen—of exposing herself in such a way in front of him. Instead, she felt only an overwhelming wave of bliss as he took what he needed from her and she took what she needed from him. It was a basic truth: she was made for Caspen, and Caspen was made for her.
Tem.
Even in orgasm, her name was his beacon.
Caspen.
Finally, they came.
He held her face to his, their mouths consuming each other’s moans. It felt as if Tem were unleashing a lifetime of trying to fit into a box that was too small for her—two decades worth of trying and failing to find her place in a world that didn’t care who she was and didn’t expect her to be anything more. Her place was here. With Caspen.
Extraordinary.
Tem barely heard him. She felt only the most intense and searing pleasure she’d ever felt in her life as she fell apart, just for him.
In the aftermath, Tem knew peace.
One look at Caspen told her he knew the same. His face was relaxed, his expression the most carefree she had ever seen it. He was looking only at her: nothing else drew his focus. She was the most important thing in the world to him. As he was to her.
Tem ran her fingers through his hair. She’d always wanted to do that.
Caspen took her hand in his, turning it over and kissing the freckles on her palms before trailing his lips up her wrist. He kissed her inner elbow, her shoulder, her collarbone. He dipped his head to her breasts.
“Caspen,” she whispered, pulling his face back up to hers.
“Tem.”
“Do you do this with all the girls?”
To her surprise, he laughed.
“No,” he kissed her. “I do not.”
She’d only half meant the question. But she was still glad to hear his answer.
Caspen looked her in the eye, becoming suddenly still.
“Was it everything you hoped for?”
Now it was Tem’s turn to laugh. She couldn’t believe he was asking her that.
“Yes,” she said. “And more.”
He nodded. “Next time you will come twice.”
“Next time?”
“I plan on doing this many times with you, Tem. If you will allow it.”
She laughed again. “I’ll allow it.”
He kissed her.
Tem felt his cock press against her. It was already on its way to being hard again.
“Seriously?” she said.
The corner of Caspen’s mouth twitched.
“Such is the basilisk way.”
They fucked again and again.
There wasn’t a single moment Caspen wasn’t inside her. Her body was a drug, and he was an addict getting his fix. Tem was no better—she couldn’t get enough of him. They fucked so many times Tem became unbearably sore; she wasn’t used to this much sex, and her entire body began to bear the consequences of Caspen’s touch. Her back ached from arching it; her throat was raw from crying out; her lips became bruised from his bite. Despite her pain, she only wanted him more, and she had him again and again, even after it felt impossible to go on.
Finally, Tem was spent.
Every thrust was agony; her entire body ached. She could no longer pretend she wasn’t in pain, and she was afraid if they went on, she might start to bleed.
“We should stop,” Caspen whispered. His lips were against her ear, his cock still inside her. “I am hurting you.”
Tem couldn’t deny it. He was in her mind, and she knew he could feel her body’s protests. He pulled out of her slowly, removing his length one inch at a time.
“Aren’t you tired?” she asked when she was empty.
He chuckled. “No. Not in the least.”
She pulled him back toward her.
“Then I can try—”
“Tem,” he clasped his hand around her wrist. “No.”
“I don’t want to disappoint you.”
Caspen laughed again, pressing a kiss to her neck.
“You could never.”
“Don’t lie.”
He shook his head, his lips brushing along her jaw.
“I cannot. Remember?”
She did remember, but she didn’t believe it. Her insecurities ran far too deep for mere legend to soothe them. She knew he wanted more, and she hated her body for withholding it. Tem reached for him again, intending to pleasure him with her hand. He pushed her wrist down onto the mattress.
“Tem,” he said sharply. “Stop.”
Tem was on the verge of tears.
“Just take the pain away,” she insisted. “Then we can go on.”
Caspen shook his head. “That cannot become a habit. It would be wrong to use you that way.”
“Then how am I supposed to satisfy you?”
He smiled.
“You have already satisfied me several times tonight, Tem. Surely you noticed.”
She knew he was purposefully keeping things light. But Tem wouldn’t be persuaded.
“I’m not enough for you,” she whispered.
At her words, Caspen sighed. There was silence, and in it, they looked at each other, breathing in sync.
“You are human, Tem,” he said finally. “I do not expect anything beyond what a human can achieve.”
“And if I wasn’t human?”
Caspen frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Would a basilisk be able to match your stamina?”
He tilted his head. The motion was so distinctly reptilian that Tem only felt more justified in her question.
“It would depend on the basilisk,” he said slowly. “We are not all identical. But yes. Sex in my true form is…”
He didn’t finish his sentence. Tem found she didn’t want him to. She didn’t need to know all the ways she was inferior—she didn’t need to hear confirmation that a female basilisk would be a far better match for him than she ever would. She already knew it.
At the look on her face, Caspen leaned in.
“I chose you to be in my bed, Tem. Do you think I make my choices lightly?”
Tem knew he didn’t. But she also knew he had chosen others in the past, and he’d all but confirmed that he’d enjoyed them better.
“I think even you can make mistakes,” she whispered.
Caspen sighed.
“If my words do not comfort you, what will?”
Tem had no answer. She couldn’t fathom that Caspen was satisfied with her, regardless of what he said. So instead of saying anything, she kissed him. Soon Tem felt the familiar stirrings within her that wanted more. She pulled Caspen’s hand between her legs.
“Tem,” he murmured against her lips. “I cannot keep saying no to you.”
“Then don’t,” she murmured back, guiding him deeper. “Say yes.”
“Tem,” Caspen said again. But he didn’t stop touching her.
He explored her gently, sliding his first two fingers in and out with slow, soft strokes. When he brushed over her clitoris, it was so tender that she winced. His fingers retreated immediately.
She tried to pull him back, but he placed his palm on her chest, right between her breasts. He pressed down, and Tem felt a coolness pulse through her. When he removed his palm, she was no longer warm. The pain between her legs remained, but she felt suddenly indifferent, as if she no longer wanted to have sex. The sudden change left her breathless.
“What did you just do?” she gasped.
“I took away your desire so you will not crave me any more.”
Tem stared up at him in horror. It was true; the fiery thirst that had consumed her a second ago was gone.
“Put it back,” she said immediately.
“Tem,” Caspen sighed in exasperation. “If I put it back, you will just keep wanting to—”
“I said, put it back.”
He frowned. She had never used that tone with him before, and it was a surprise to them both.
“I do not understand,” he said slowly. “You told me to take away your pain—”
“That’s different,” Tem cut him off sharply. “Pain is a physical sensation. Desire is an emotion. Emotions are a part of who I am. You can’t manipulate my feelings. It’s an abuse of your power and a betrayal to me. It’s worse than what Jonathan did.”
She grabbed his hand, holding it to her chest.
“So put it back. Right now.”
Tem saw many thoughts swirling behind Caspen’s eyes. But finally she watched as comprehension, then regret, rose slowly to the surface.
“I did not think of it that way,” he said quietly.
He pressed gently against her chest.
Tem felt the pulse again, and with it, her desire returned, as hot and desperate as before. But this time she didn’t act on it. Instead, she threw Caspen’s hand off of her and glared at him, waiting for him to speak. Finally, he did:
“I only meant to help.”
“I know what you meant to do,” she snapped. “And in doing so, you diminished me. You can’t suppress my feelings when they’re an inconvenience to you. I’ll never trust you if you control me like that again.”
He listened to her in silence.
“Promise me,” Tem said, still looking him straight in the eye.
“I promise.”
“Be specific.”
Now she was the one making demands.
Caspen took a deep breath, his chest rising steadily.
“I promise never to alter your feelings again. You have my word.”
They stared at each other.
“I’m so angry at you,” Tem said finally.
To her surprise, the corner of Caspen’s mouth twitched.
“Yes. I can tell.”
“It’s not funny.”
“Of course not,” he arranged his expression into one of purposeful seriousness. “It is just that I have never seen you this angry before. You set your jaw—” he touched her chin gently, “—it makes you look strong.”
“I’m strong whether I look it or not.”
Caspen’s finger traced down her neck. He smiled once again.
“That I know.”
They laid in silence for a long time, the only sound the soft crackling of the fire. Tem thought about what had just happened. Could Caspen control anyone’s emotions, or just hers? If his power was truly so limitless, it meant that the basilisks were even stronger than anyone knew. And considering they could bypass the mirrored wall, there was no telling what they could do.
But these were worries for another day.
For now, Tem was here, in Caspen’s chambers. And she didn’t want to waste time thinking about anything other than that.
Eventually, they found their way to each other again.
Tem traced his skin with her fingers, exploring the peaks and valleys of his torso. His body was so unfathomably hard. She could almost picture the scales right beneath the surface of his skin, and wondered if she’d ever see them again.
When she touched his cock, he let out a soft hiss.
Tem ran a single finger gently down his shaft, starting at the base and following a vein all the way to the end. He was completely hard by the time she got to the head.
She shifted closer to him, pulling only the tip of his cock inside her.
“Do you want me again?” she whispered.
“Do not ask me that.”
“Why not?”
“Because what I want and what you need are two very different things.”
“I just need you.”
“Tem,” he shook his head. But he didn’t push her away.
Instead Caspen rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Tem understood she was meant to take the lead—that he wanted her to do only what she could bear, since if he had his way, he would only fuck her harder. So she rolled her hips slowly back and forth, straddling him with her palms splayed flat on his torso, sliding herself up and down his cock at a pace she could handle. She liked teasing him this way; it was satisfying to withhold something from Caspen, especially when she knew how bad he wanted her.
Tem rocked herself along his cock, tilting her body forward so that her clitoris was stimulated against the base of his shaft. She watched Caspen as he watched her, knowing how much he liked seeing her come. His eyes flicked greedily from her face, to her neck, to her breasts. His jaw was tense with restraint.
Her orgasm built quickly; she yelped as it slammed into her, leaning down to kiss him as she came.
When she did so, Caspen’s hands slid suddenly down her body, grabbing her hips and yanking them against him so he could thrust into her from below. She tried to sit up but he bit her lip, holding her to him as he thrust even faster. It was almost more than Tem could handle, but she shut her eyes and let him do it, feeling the raw desperation of his rigid body beneath hers, his teeth nearly tearing through her lip as he finished with a single, violent thrust.
When his head fell back on the mattress his eyes were wild—dark and bottomless—as if she was looking into the depths of a never-ending well. There was so much desire there—so much naked hunger and unrestrained strength, the depths of which were so unfathomable Tem felt momentarily afraid. She remembered without a shadow of a doubt that although he wore his human form, he was a monster. She saw the darkness fade, his chest rising and falling as he steadied his breathing, slowly returning to himself.
What had she gotten herself into?
Tem touched her finger to her lip, and it came away bloody. At the sight, Caspen sat up.
“Tem,” he said, rough traces of hunger still clinging to his voice like tar. “Forgive me.”
Tem didn’t know what to say. Of course she forgave him. Part of her liked that she was so irresistible to him that he couldn’t stop. But he had hurt her—there was no denying it.
Part of her liked that too.
“I’m fine,” she said. The same thing she said after Jonathan.
Caspen raised his hand, tentatively, to her lips. When he touched them, the firelight dimmed, and she knew he had healed her. But the memory of his bite would likely never fade, and they both knew it.
“I…lost myself,” Caspen said quietly. “It will never happen again.”
Tem met his eye.
“Yes it will.”
She didn’t know how, but she knew it to be true. She was a human and he was a basilisk and they were tempting fate every time they were together. It would happen again, and she would let it. There were no greater truths in the world.
“I am…not used to this yet,” Caspen said, clearly choosing his words carefully.
“This?”
“You.”
Tem nodded. She understood that this was hard for him. There was nothing more painful than trying to suppress your true feelings. For a basilisk, those feelings were surely stronger than a human’s. It must be agony to resist them.
“What can I do?” Tem whispered.
Caspen laughed softly, shaking his head.
“Nothing. You can only make it worse.”
She recoiled.
“Tem,” he said, pulling her against him. “You know what I mean. The closer we get…the harder it is for me.”
She nodded, tears forming in her eyes.
“Do not cry,” he whispered. “I cannot bear to see it.”
Tem shrugged, trying to hold it in.
“You have every effect on me,” Caspen said quietly. “But I cannot give in. Otherwise…”
He trailed off, his fingers whispering over her jaw. She leaned into his touch, savoring the warmth of his skin on hers. Tem couldn’t help it. She didn’t care about the danger. She needed him.
“Why does it happen?” she asked.
“Why does what happen?”
“The transition. Why does it happen every time we’re…together?”
Caspen sighed, tilting his head up to the ceiling.
“It is complicated, Tem.”
“So explain it.”
He sighed again and looked her in the eye.
“Basilisks and humans are not meant to be together. We are your enemy. We are your predators. We are predisposed to destroy you—to take pleasure in your pain. When we are together, I walk a line between pleasing you and…hurting you. My human form craves the former. My true form craves the latter.”
Tem processed his words slowly. Just as she realized their meaning, Caspen spoke it out loud:
“It means that some part of me enjoys hurting you.”
His words were thick with shame, and Tem knew it had cost him dearly to say them. But she found it wasn’t a surprise. She thought about how he’d bit her lip, drawing blood. How he’d thrusted into her even after she’d tried to pull away. She remembered the untethered darkness in his eyes when he’d finished. His hunger.
Hunger for her.
Caspen had told her that her body should only know pleasure—never pain. But what if his pleasure could only come from her pain? And what if Tem liked that?
She reached for him again. Caspen caught her wrist and gently rolled her off of him.
“Tem,” he said. “Enough.”
Tem wanted to protest. But she knew she had no more to give. Caspen knew it too; his mind was inside hers, and she couldn’t hide her pain from him. She looked him in the eyes, and saw there was no anger or impatience there. Perhaps it was easier to stop; perhaps he didn’t trust himself around her anymore.
Tem nodded, accepting his final command.
Caspen pressed his lips to hers, and all they did was kiss. When Tem couldn’t kiss any longer they simply laid there, and Caspen brushed his fingertips up and down her body.
“Sleep, Tem,” the basilisk murmured in her ear.
She did so.
When she woke, Caspen’s arms were still around her.
Tem watched him as he slept, realizing it was the first time she’d ever seen him do that. He breathed impossibly slowly. Tem tried to hold her breath in between each rise and fall of his shoulders, but found she couldn’t make it a single time. There was something inherently peaceful about his expression—it was completely devoid of his usual intensity and seriousness. He looked younger, whatever that meant in the grand scheme of his long basilisk life. There was a tiny fleck of blood on his temple. No doubt from when he’d bit her lip.
His cock was pressed against her thighs, already hard.
Does that thing ever take a day off? she wondered.
It does not.
Tem nearly jumped out of her skin as Caspen opened his eyes.
“You could warn a girl before doing that,” she managed to say.
In reply, he kissed her.
“Caspen,” she murmured as he worked his way down her neck. “We can’t. I need to get home.”
He rubbed his entire palm between her legs. “Do you?”
“The farm—I—”
But it was useless. She was already wet and she couldn’t pretend to give a shit about the chickens right now.
He slid the head of his cock inside her, then stopped, his eyes flicking to hers.
“Keep going,” Tem said preemptively. She was so sore she had no idea whether she could even take him. But she wanted to, and that would have to be enough.
Caspen considered her, his head tilted to the side. Whatever inner dilemma he was experiencing was clearly weighing on him. But Tem knew if she waited him out, he would give in. After a moment of watching her, Caspen’s eyes flicked down her body. His pupils dilated. Then he rolled her so they were facing each other on the bed, her legs around his waist. His cock slid a little further inside her before stopping.
Relax, Tem. Let me in.
But she couldn’t relax. Nothing about this was relaxing. Tem felt feral and agitated, like she needed to be fucked right now, as quickly as possible before Caspen gave up on her. But one glance at him told her he wasn’t giving up anytime soon. He looked perfectly calm, his arms locked around her. He held her in place as he slid his cock in a half inch at a time. But even that was too much for Tem.
I can’t relax.
Yes you can. Open yourself up for me.
I’m too sore. And you’re too big.
The issue is mental. You need to relax.
I can’t.
Tem. I am not going to force myself inside you. You need to let me in. Show me you can take me.
She groaned. His gaze was infuriatingly steady.
You’re soaking wet, Tem. Let me feel how wet you are.
Can’t you just feel it from out there?
He pulled her closer. Another half-inch went in. She squirmed, but his arms only tightened.
Take my cock, Tem. I know you can do it.
She liked it when he talked to her. It made her even wetter.
Say more things like that.
Caspen’s hand grabbed her throat, forcing her head up so she had to look him in the eyes.
I know you want my cock, Tem. You woke up wanting it, and you want it even more now. I know exactly how wet you are for me. Your pussy is mine. So give it to me.
She closed her eyes, but he didn’t stop talking.
Give me what is mine, Tem. I know you want to. I know you want my cock all the way inside you.
An inch went in.
Let me in so I can make you come. And as soon as you come, I’ll lick you clean, and then I’ll make you come again. Let me in, Tem.
Another inch.
Let.
Me.
In.
Her eyes flew open.
There you are.
They both moaned as the last few inches slid inside her, filling her completely. For a moment, neither of them moved, both of them drunk on the way the other felt. Then Caspen pulled all the way out and slammed back into her, rolling her onto her back at the same time so she was spread open beneath him. Tem yelped in equal parts pain and pleasure, her fingernails sinking into his shoulders as he thrust again and again, the steady smack smack smack of his cock syncing perfectly with her moans.
Her first orgasm came out of nowhere, rearing its head so suddenly that Tem gasped in surprise as much as pleasure. She arched her hips only to be met with the hard relentlessness of his cock. True to his word, the second she came, Caspen pulled out, dipping his mouth between her legs and licking her until he had swallowed every last drop of her wetness. Then he yanked her hips against his and slid once more inside her. She was becoming one with him, their bodies conforming to each other like waves against sand.
Tem wanted more.
“Faster,” she begged.
Caspen drew away, and for a moment, she was afraid he was displeased.
Then his hands grabbed her, lifting her and turning her so she was on her knees facing the mattress. Tem cried out as his cock entered her again. Caspen groaned, and she knew he was beyond the point of stopping. He thrust harder and harder, his hips slapping against her ass so quickly she could barely stand it. But she didn’t dare ask him to go slow—she knew he couldn’t have if he tried. Just when she was about to finish, Caspen leaned down, grabbed the base of her neck, and yanked her upright so her back was pressed against his chest.
The sudden change in position left her breathless.
“Caspen,” she gasped. “I was close.”
“I know you were,” his grip moved to her throat, turning her head to his. He spread her legs with his knees, his other hand working her clitoris rhythmically between his fingers. “I want to see your face when you come.”
“You see my face every time.”
“And it is not enough.”
He was still thrusting into her—never giving her a break—never stopping. His fingers tightened around her neck. She could barely breathe.
That’s it, Tem.
Her eyes squeezed shut as she surrendered to his grip, allowing him to push her straight into oblivion. As the pendulum of her release began to swing, Caspen’s hiss filled the cave. His thrusts only quickened as his climax joined hers, and Tem felt their combined wetness begin to drip down her thighs. They shattered together.
Eventually, his thrusts slowed, then stilled.
Caspen shifted his weight backward as he pulled out of her. His hand went between her legs, gathering their cum and holding it in his palm. Tem’s breath caught in her throat as she realized what he was doing. He placed his other palm over his hand and just like last time, the fire dimmed completely before suddenly flaring back to life. Another claw was in his hand.
This time, it was made of two luminous substances instead of one.
Tem looked at it in wonder. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Two shimmering swirls combined to make a single claw. The best parts of them, joined together in one object. When Caspen held it out to her, she shook her head.
“I want you to do it.”
His mouth twitched.
Then he pulled her onto his lap so she was straddling him. Slowly, keeping his eyes on her the entire time, he slid the thicker end of the claw inside her. She stayed steady, holding onto his shoulders as he worked it all the way in. When it was fully inserted, Caspen wrapped his arms around her, burying his head against her neck and breathing in her scent.
“Stay with me today,” he murmured into her hair.
Tem smiled against his skin.
“I can’t. I have to get back to the farm. The festival begins tonight.”
At her words, Caspen stiffened.
Too late, Tem realized what she had said. The festival was a way to commemorate the basilisks’ defeat. It was not a topic she should have brought up around him.
“I’m sorry—” she said quickly, “—I didn’t think—”
Stop.
He said the word in her mind, and Tem immediately stopped talking.
I do not hold you responsible for the sins of your ancestors.
Tem wasn’t sure how to respond. Caspen may not hold her responsible, but it was impossible to extricate her from the past. She was only here because the basilisks were meant to train the prince’s future wife. Their relationship was a product of the sins of her ancestors.
“The festival is stupid anyway,” she murmured.
Caspen pressed a kiss to her collarbone.
“That it is.”
He accompanied her to the head of the trail, as always. When he kissed her goodbye, his hands slid over her body one last time, as if he wanted to memorize it.
Then he was gone.
Tem walked the rest of the way home in a daze. She was so sore that she had to move exceedingly slowly, and by the time she reached her cottage, the sun was directly above her.
“Out again, Tem?” her mother said as soon as she walked in. “I told you that boy is bad news.”
It took Tem a good long moment to realize she was referring to Gabriel.
“I’m sorry, mother.”
There was no point in explaining where she’d really been. If her mother thought she was out drinking with Gabriel, that was indisputably better than the truth.
“You look a mess. Wash up, then I want you in the garden.”
Tem barely had the energy to nod.
She washed up. Then she spent a long, brutal afternoon in the garden. The late autumn sun beat down on her in a relentless haze, and if it weren’t for the pulses Caspen was sending her through the claw, she doubted she would’ve made it through the day. All she could think about was having sex with him. If she could’ve run back to the cave to fuck him all over again, she would’ve.
Patience, Tem.
He was amused. She was restless.
Night finally fell, and it was time for the festival.
Tem and her mother made their way toward the village, where everyone was gathered in the square, as expected. But instead of the raucous sounds of the festival, there was only silence, broken by the occasional hushed whisper. Tem frowned, turning to her mother.
“Why is everyone so quiet?”
Her mother shrugged.
Tem spotted Vera’s pink ribbon near the front of the crowd, and pushed her way toward it.
“What’s going on?” Tem asked when she reached her.
But Vera only shook her head. One hand was clamped tightly over her mouth and the other was pointing straight ahead.
Finally, Tem saw what everyone was looking at.
There, in the middle of the square, were two stone statues. They were hunched on the cobblestones, cowering with their hands above their heads, as if in an attempt to protect themselves. Flayed ribbons of dried blood splattered the ground around them. Tem’s stomach turned to ice as she immediately recognized their faces.
Jonathan and Christopher.