CHAPTER SEVEN
The prince would base his decision on a kiss.
Tem didn’t know how or when the kiss would happen, but it was traditional for each girl to kiss the prince on the night of the first elimination. Then again, the first elimination had already occurred, so the process clearly wasn’t following the conventional norms. What if she didn’t get the chance to kiss him at all? What if Leo simply eliminated girl after girl, without ever touching them?
Her worries followed her to the cave that night.
The dark room was just as she remembered it, the curved stone walls enveloping her in suffocating warmth. The only light was the fireplace, which glowed behind Caspen, illuminating his outline like a ghost.
The elimination hung over them like a shadow. They both knew what would happen tomorrow, but neither of them spoke of it. Instead, Caspen brought her straight to the mat, undressing her as he kissed her, pressing his mouth against hers as if he could claim it as his own. Tem accepted his tongue willingly, showing him without a question what she wanted.
Eventually, his lips moved to her neck. Then they moved even lower. Caspen kissed slowly down her stomach, pushing her legs apart as he did so. His hands went to her thighs, opening them and pulling them around his shoulders. A sudden wave of panic hit Tem as she realized what Caspen was about to do.
“Stop,” she cried sharply.
He stopped, looking up at her in surprise.
Tem was overreacting—she could tell by the look of confusion on Caspen’s face. She shouldn’t be telling him to stop—it went against their understanding of their roles. But they were past the point of student and teacher. Now they were lovers, and Tem wanted an equal say. And she had never had a man’s mouth between her legs before, and she knew she wasn’t ready to experience the thing that Vera had bragged so cruelly about.
Caspen’s hands tightened on her thighs.
“What is the matter, Tem?”
She shrugged, unwilling to put it into words.
Caspen sat up slowly, considering her. The firelight flickered on his face, and she saw he was genuinely concerned.
“It will not hurt,” he said. “Quite the opposite.”
“I know,” she whispered. “But it’s the first time for me.”
He tilted his head.
“Everything we have done together has been the first time for you. Why is this any different?”
Again, Tem could not put it into words. There was silence as she tried to formulate her thoughts, and Caspen waited patiently for her. Finally, she murmured:
“Yes to one thing isn’t yes to the rest.”
“That is true,” he paused, tilting his head in the other direction, clearly trying to understand her outburst. She was still trying to understand it herself. “But have I not earned your trust?”
Tem considered the question. “You have.”
“Then why not let me do this?”
Tem’s chest felt like it was full of rocks.
Who would want a girl who tastes like chicken shit?
“I’m afraid,” she finally admitted.
“Of what?”
She shrugged, refusing to say anything else. How could she explain it to him? He was a basilisk—the Serpent King—he wasn’t afraid of anything. Sex meant next to nothing to Caspen. But it meant everything to Tem. He had no idea what it was like to be her—to be fragile and human and vulnerable. This wasn’t something he could understand.
Caspen pushed her knees together gently, as if to undo what just happened.
“We can wait until you are ready, if that is what you wish.”
When she still didn’t speak, he crawled so he was lying next to her.
They were silent for a while, and she knew Caspen was letting her determine what happened next. She wasn’t ready to confide her true fears. Instead, she whispered:
“Do you like doing it?”
Caspen’s breath was on her cheek.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m just curious.”
He looked at her for a long moment before answering:
“Yes. I like doing it.”
“Why?”
He shrugged, the muscles rolling in his shoulders.
“Instinct, I suppose.”
“But what do you like about it specifically?”
She could tell this was the first time anyone had ever asked him that. Surely, he found this line of questioning bizarre. But he indulged her anyway, saying:
“It is a way to bestow pleasure on someone. It is a way to understand them, and to taste them.”
At his words, Tem realized she would not be able to avoid her fears. She would have to face them, no matter the consequences. So she asked the question that was gnawing at the edge of her throat:
“What if you don’t like the way I taste?”
To her surprise, Caspen smiled. “That is impossible.”
“Why?”
“Because,” he propped himself up on his elbow. “This part of you tastes like heaven,” he brushed his lips up her neck, whispering the rest of his sentence right into her ear: “I have no doubt the rest of you tastes the same.”
A shiver went down her spine.
When Caspen pulled away they looked at each other in the firelight, and Tem realized she’d never felt so vulnerable in her life. This was scarier, somehow, than when she had disrobed in front of him for the first time. This was the culmination of everything she had ever dared to fantasize about—that a man would want to taste her—and she felt like she was falling headfirst off a cliff into an roiling ocean of unknown.
Caspen seemed to sense her distress because he pulled her closer.
“This should not be a concern, Tem. You have nothing to fear.”
She nodded. But her doubt must have shown on her face, because Caspen sighed, and said:
“Shall I prove it?”
“Prove what?”
“That you taste good.”
She frowned. “How?”
Caspen paused. Then he took Tem’s hand and moved it slowly down her body until it was between her legs. He guided her first two fingers inside her gently, keeping eye contact the entire time. When Tem didn’t protest, he pushed her fingers deeper, only stopping when she let out a soft moan. Then he pulled them back out, holding her hand between them. Her wetness glistened in the firelight.
He paused, and in that moment every one of Tem’s fears erupted inside her.
Then he smiled, and she knew what he was going to do. Still, it was an out of body experience to actually watch Caspen raise her hand, part his lips, and place her first two fingers gently in his mouth. She felt his tongue move between them, showing her exactly what he would do between her legs. When he was done, he kissed her fingertips.
Then he smiled.
“Like I said. Heaven.”
Tem had never felt anything close to the way she felt right now. Caspen had always made her feel safe, but this time was different. This gesture was deeper—more nuanced and profound than all the other times he’d touched her.
Caspen was looking at her with such calm patience she could cry.
“How do you always know?” she whispered.
“Know what, Tem?”
“How to make me feel better.”
He chuckled softly.
“I never know. I just try something and hope for the best.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. At her response, Caspen laughed too, and for a moment, Tem was perfectly happy.
He pulled her against his chest and they laid there together, bodies intertwined.
“Is there anything else you wish to discuss?” he asked quietly.
She considered the question. When she first met Caspen, she never would have imagined they’d have a conversation like the one they were having now. She never thought she’d be telling him her fears and secrets—never thought he’d be asking her to tell him more.
There was really only one other thing she wanted, and it had been on her mind for a while now. But to actually say it seemed insurmountable, like climbing the tallest mountain with nothing but her bare feet to carry her. And yet, she knew if she said nothing, she would regret it.
“I wish that you would let me in.”
He was silent for a moment before replying:
“In what way?”
Tem considered how much she wanted to say. She wanted to ask about their mental connection, specifically why he could speak to her, but she couldn’t speak back to him. It was just another way that their power was imbalanced, and she wondered if he could control it—if he was somehow blocking her from accessing him. Rather than say what she was thinking, she raised her finger, tapping it gently against his temple. He caught her wrist with his hand, pressing her palm against his cheek.
“I cannot control that, Tem.”
“It seems like you can.”
He shook his head. “It is beyond the boundaries of my power.”
“Then why does it feel like there’s a wall between us? Why does it feel like you’re shutting me out?”
He shook his head again.
“I do not know.”
Tem was silent. She believed him, because she knew he couldn’t lie. And yet, it felt like he was keeping something from her—like he knew more than he was revealing.
She decided to change the subject.
“There’s an elimination tomorrow.”
Caspen’s eyes fell to her lips.
“Yes. There is.”
“Well?” she insisted. “Shouldn’t you give me some advice or something?”
A muscle tensed in his jaw.
“I have no advice to give.”
“Seriously?”
She was pushing him, and they both knew it. She wanted him to validate their bond—to acknowledge the fact that there was something between them. But Caspen only dipped his head, resting his lips on her throat as he said:
“I do not wish to discuss this, Tem.”
A twinge of anger twisted her gut.
“You don’t wish to discuss the exact thing you’re training me to do?”
His teeth grazed her jaw.
“No.”
“Even if it means I’ll be unprepared tomorrow?”
He lifted his head.
“Even then.”
From the look on his face, it was clear that he was done with this conversation. But Tem wasn’t.
“You can’t have it both ways, Caspen.”
His eyes narrowed.
“And which ways are those?”
“You can’t prepare me for the prince without actually doing so.”
“I have prepared you enough. You will only be required to kiss him tomorrow.”
“And if I’m required to do more?”
“You will not be.”
“You don’t know that. There’s already been an elimination. That wasn’t supposed to happen either.”
Caspen frowned, and Tem knew she had an opening.
“What if we’re required to stay at the castle after tomorrow night?”
Traditionally, the final three girls moved into the castle for the last week of the elimination process. It was meant to increase their proximity to the prince, to ensure he had as much time as possible with each girl. Given the way this process was going, Tem wouldn’t be surprised if they moved the girls in far earlier than that.
“You will not be,” Caspen said again. “It is too early.”
Tem shrugged. “That’s what you think. But the royals make their own rules. You told me that yourself.”
Caspen’s frown deepened.
“I would have been informed if that were the case.”
“Are you sure? Doesn’t seem like the royals care about keeping you informed.”
The skull in the study flashed through her mind, and she wondered if it flashed through Caspen’s. He sat up.
“Enough, Tem.”
She sat up too. But instead of retaliating with another dig, Tem placed her hand on his cheek, cupping the carved edge of his jaw in her palm. He was right; it was enough. Tem recognized that she was lashing out for reasons that had nothing to do with him. She was nervous for tomorrow, she was frustrated with herself, she was feeling desperate and unsteady and utterly out of control. She was consumed with need.
Tem wanted more. She’d wanted more since the very first night she’d come into this cave. But she knew she couldn’t rush Caspen. He was immovable—an ancient basilisk who wouldn’t be swayed by her or anyone else. As much as she wanted more from him, she wouldn’t get it until he was ready to give it. So for once, she stood down.
“I’m sorry,” Tem said quietly.
Caspen’s eyes met hers. He gave a small smile.
“You have nothing to be sorry for.”
They spent the rest of the evening doing nothing more than kissing. Whenever Tem tried to take things further, Caspen stopped her. Every time her hand went below his waist, he pulled it back up. Every time her knees opened, he closed them. When he walked her to the head of the trail, his gold eyes lingered on hers before he kissed her, gently, on the forehead. Then he was gone.
A dress arrived for her, just like last time.
This one was deep maroon, with gold embroidery at the waist. It was low cut; Leo would love it. Tem pulled it on slowly, wondering once again what it meant that Caspen was dressing her in something that would make her attractive to another man. She put the necklace on too, centering the gold claw on her chest. The other claw was still inside her. Unlike last time, Caspen didn’t send her any pulses. Instead, he was completely absent from her mind the entire afternoon, and even when the carriage arrived to take her to the castle, there was nothing but a gaping emptiness where his presence used to be.
The castle was just as she remembered it. Tem once again gave her name at the door before being ushered into the same ballroom as before, the impossibly high ceilings making her head spin. The crowd was rowdier than the last time she’d been here. It seemed that the royals had no shortage of alcohol. There were bottles of whiskey and tankards of mead lining the tables scattered throughout the room. Tem looked around for Gabriel but didn’t see him anywhere.
Leo was sitting at a table, his arm draped around the blonde girl he’d ranked first during last week’s elimination. She was practically in his lap, laughing at his every word. When Tem passed them, Leo arched an eyebrow and raised his whiskey in her direction. She ignored him.
Instead, she poured a whiskey of her own, downing the fiery liquid in a single gulp. It burned on the way down, just like it did the last time she had it. But it also steadied her nerves, and Tem basked in the brief moment of peace as the alcohol numbed her senses. That was when she heard it:
Help.
The word was barely audible at first—nothing more than a whisper in the corner of her mind. Tem froze at the sound, and for a single, panicked second, she thought it might be Caspen. But when the voice came again, she knew it wasn’t his.
Help me. Please.
This voice was desperate and strained. It sounded weak—like whoever was speaking was on the brink of passing out. Tem closed her eyes to block out the party, concentrating with all her might. But the voice didn’t come again. All that remained was a heavy rock of dread in her stomach. Whoever the voice belonged to was in pain. Tem’s heart hurt for them, and she didn’t even know them. The dread deepened.
She wanted to get out of the castle. There was something dark going on here—something wrong. It grated against her energy in a way she didn’t understand, and all she wanted to do was leave.
Tem wove through the crowd, heading toward the enormous double doors at the end of the ballroom. She pushed past everyone in her way, clawing toward the green hedges of the garden. The freezing night air hit her the second she was outside, lifting goosebumps on her arms and chilling her straight to the bone. There was a birdbath just a few yards away. Tem clung to it, gripping it with both hands, staring down into the still water. It took several minutes before she had the strength to look up again, and when she did, she realized it wasn’t just a hedge she had seen. It was a maze.
The walls of the maze stretched on in an endless structure of sculpted corners. Tem couldn’t see past the first passageway, but she knew it must go on for miles. A hedge maze was exactly the kind of useless thing the royals would spend money on.
Behind her, footsteps approached. Leo’s reflection appeared in the water.
“Perfect,” Tem muttered in greeting.
“Good evening to you, too,” Leo said with an amused smile.
She heaved a huge sigh, turning to face him.
“Good evening, Leo.”
His smile widened.
“You’ve abandoned your date,” Tem said tartly.
Leo shrugged.
“She won’t mind.”
“I think she might.”
“What I meant was, I won’t mind. She’s not much of a conversationalist.”
“Then why spend time with her?”
He smirked. “She’s talented in other areas.”
Blush rose on Tem’s cheeks. It was standard for the girls to throw themselves at Leo during the elimination process. Most of them would try to have sex with him long before the final elimination. And Leo would surely let them. Of course he would brag about it. She wanted to slap him. Instead, she said:
“If that’s the case, why waste time talking to me?”
“I prefer your company. I want you here, remember?”
“Can’t imagine why.”
Leo ran his eyes over her greedily. “Can’t you?”
He was far too close for comfort. Tem shifted away, gripping the sides of the birdbath until her skin turned white. Leo swirled his drink, which was nearly empty.
“You don’t seem to enjoy these parties, Tem.”
“Well spotted.”
“We could go somewhere else if you prefer,” he said.
“Where?”
“My room.”
Tem rolled her eyes. “No thank you.”
“Shame,” Leo sighed dramatically. “It’s been a while since anyone’s stayed overnight. Perhaps my seduction method needs tweaking.”
“Seduction method?”
The words slipped out before she could stop them. Leo’s eyes flicked to hers.
He seemed to sense he had an opening, because he stepped closer, tilting his head so their faces were aligned.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I have a method. Would you care to hear it?”
Just say no. But she couldn’t.
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me anyway.”
“I take a girl up to my room,” Leo continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “I pour her champagne,” he paused. “Then I draw a bath.”
Tem wrinkled her nose.
“Seriously?”
“Yes,” Leo’s mouth twitched. “Girls love baths.”
Tem was getting a migraine from how often she was rolling her eyes.
At her reaction, Leo smiled, extending his hand to touch the bottom of her hair, twirling a wavy strand between his thin fingers. She should pull away. But she didn’t.
“We take a bath,” he continued. “We drink champagne,” Leo looked her in the eye. “And then we have sex.”
He was still twirling her hair gently. For some reason, it gave her chills.
“And that works?” Tem whispered.
“Every time.”
They stared at each other, just the two of them, standing at the edge of the maze.
“And you, Tem?” he asked softly. “Would it work on you?”
He was far too close. But for once, Tem wasn’t pushing him away. There was something about Leo that was drawing her in. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was, but it was concrete and strong, and she couldn’t seem to resist him the way she usually did. But she couldn't let herself give in either.
So she said:
“I’m not really a fan of baths.”
Leo smiled. The muscles in his neck strained as he arched his head to look at the stars.
“I’ll never get a straight answer from you, will I?”
“Probably not. But isn’t it more fun that way?”
“Yes,” he said. “It certainly is.”
He looked down at her, the smile still on his face.
“We could always skip the bath, you know.”
Tem shrugged. “I’m not really a fan of champagne either.”
He laughed outright at that.
“In that case, I suppose I need a new method for you.”
“Let me know when you find one.”
The second she said it, victory flared in Leo’s eyes.
“I shall,” he said quietly.
Tem rolled her eyes again but it was too late. She’d let their banter go too far, and now Leo thought he had a chance. The worst part was, he did. Tem didn’t know what it would take—certainly not a bath and champagne—but given the right circumstances, she would go to his room.
“You know,” Leo said, swirling the ice cube in his glass. “We’re meant to kiss tonight.”
Tem sighed.
“I know.”
“Any preference on where and when?”
“Are you saying I have a choice?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
Tem crossed her arms, looking incredulously up at him.
“Do you have a preference?”
“Of course. But I’d rather hear yours.”
Tem couldn’t help but wonder what his preference was.
She shrugged.
“My preference doesn’t matter.”
“I beg to differ.”
He sounded sincere. Tem eyed him warily.
“I’d prefer we didn’t kiss at all.”
She could barely get the words out. But she had to see how he would react. To her surprise, he smiled down at her, flashing his gold incisors in the moonlight.
“And I’d prefer you didn’t lie. But you knew that already.”
They held eye contact for a long moment. Then Leo swirled his glass once again before dumping the ice cube into the bird bath with a soft splash. His smile widened as he turned away.
“The night is young, Tem. Find me when you’re ready.”
Then he was gone.
Tem stayed outside until it became unbearable to do so. When she couldn’t take the cold any longer, she made a beeline for the closest table with food on it. She was just stuffing an unholy amount of cured bacon in her mouth when a familiar voice slid into her ear:
“Don’t eat too much, Tem. You might get fat.”
It was Vera, of course, looking down her nose like she always did.
“The prince prefers a curvy girl,” Tem said around a mouthful of bacon.
Vera scoffed. Then she groaned, rolling her shoulders.
“What’s wrong with you?” Tem asked despite herself.
“Nothing, it’s just—” Vera’s mouth twisted, “—my back is killing me.”
“Why?”
She scoffed. “All this sex, of course. You’d think we could at least do it in bed, like civilized people. Anywhere would be better than the floor of a dirty old cave. But I guess that’s all you can expect from a snake.”
Tem’s mouth fell open. Thankfully, at that exact moment, a girl in the crowd waved at Vera, and she disappeared.
Vera’s basilisk was having sex with her.
The bacon turned in her stomach. Maybe it was just Vera getting another jab in. Maybe she wasn’t actually having sex—she just wanted Tem to think she was. But Tem had to know for sure.
She spent the next hour tracking down each girl left in the competition, subtly steering the topic toward their time in the caves, the twist in her chest becoming tighter with each conversation. They were all having sex. Every single one of them. Which meant that Tem was the only girl whose basilisk wasn’t fucking her. It felt like the surprise elimination all over again—like she was the ugliest girl in the room—like she was the girl that nobody wanted.
Tem’s insecurities curled around her like vines, squeezing her stomach and compressing her lungs. How long had the other girls been having sex? Since the first night in the caves? But no—Vera had said that her basilisk didn’t even touch her that night. So at least they were equal in that. But it didn’t matter. They’d been unequal every day since, and Tem was once again the least experienced girl in the room. Suddenly she couldn’t breathe. She needed to get away from all these people, and she needed to do it now.
Or maybe that’s not what she needed at all. Maybe what she needed was one person in particular. The only person who she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, wanted to fuck her.
It took all of thirty seconds to locate Leo. He was leaning against a pillar, watching the party, his head cocked back against the stone in bored indifference. At the sight of him, Tem felt the familiar cinch of stubbornness—the refusal to give in to what she knew he wanted. But why shouldn’t she? Leo had made it clear he wanted to have sex with her. And he was obviously the only one. Why shouldn’t she kiss him? The night was not so young anymore. And more importantly, she was ready.
People parted for Tem like she was made of fire. By the time she got to Leo, a small circle had already cleared. He looked down at her calmly as she marched right up to him, grabbed his face, and kissed him.
It wasn’t right.
It wasn’t Caspen.
But it was a kiss, and she needed it, and Leo kissed her back without hesitation, pulling her against him as if he’d been expecting this from her all along. And maybe he had.
Leo was a good kisser. Frustratingly so. The rest of the party disappeared as his fingers tangled in her hair, arching her head back to meet his lips. His tongue dove into her mouth with expert rhythm, sliding against hers and coaxing a tiny moan from the back of her throat. She prayed he didn’t hear it. But from the way his grip tightened, she knew that he had.
Suddenly her back was against the pillar. Leo’s hands were moving lower. The kiss was barely appropriate anymore, and Tem had a sudden vision of Jonathan and Vera groping each other at the Horseman.
Tem pulled away. Leo let her go, but just barely. He was holding her so tightly that their lips were still touching as he whispered:
“That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”
People were staring; Tem felt as if she were in a fishbowl.
“Your Highness?” The Lord Chamberlain’s voice floated past Tem’s heartbeat, which was pounding in her ears.
“What is it?” Leo said without looking away from Tem.
“You have now kissed every girl. It is time.”
“Very well.”
Leo finally released her, taking a step back and adjusting his cufflinks. Then, to Tem’s utter surprise, he held out his hand. She took it cautiously, watching as he laced his fingers through hers. Their hands remained clasped together as they made their way toward the podiums, the entire ballroom watching them as they passed.
Leo didn’t hesitate. He walked Tem straight up to the first podium, holding onto her until she was standing facing the crowd. In a final gesture, he pressed his lips to her fingers. Then he dropped her hand and pointed at the next girl.
Leo eliminated two contestants: the blonde he’d ranked first the last time, and a girl with choppy brown bangs. Tem barely registered any of it. She simply stood on her podium—the first podium—and wondered how the hell she had gotten here. She was beginning to understand Leo’s game. It was clear that he was rewarding her for the kiss—that she’d used her body as currency to buy herself this position. Leo was straightforward in that way. He was a man of honor, as ridiculous as that felt to admit. At least with him, she understood the rules of his game.
When the elimination was over, Tem was immediately ushered back to the carriages along with the other remaining girls. She stared numbly out the window the entire way home, replaying what had happened.
“Miss? Did you hear me?”
They’d arrived at her cottage. The footman was talking to her.
“Sorry, what?”
“I said, someone will come for you tomorrow night. Be ready at eight.”
It took Tem a moment to register his words. Then she realized what he was saying. Leo had ranked her first: that honor came with a reward.
Tem had a date with the prince.