Between Two Kings (Split or Swallow, #2)

by Lindsay Straube

Tem would’ve let Caspen fuck her with a crowd present.

Been there done that

You never have to go without sex, Tem. He was still inside her. What do you mean? I mean you are free to sleep with other basilisks if that is what you wish.

Had Caspen really agreed to share her? They’d never had to contend with their arrangement since Tem had ordered Leo to find Evelyn. If she hadn’t sent him away, the three of them would be in a very different circumstance right now. “Tem?” Her father interrupted her thoughts. “What is it?” “I don’t know,” she whispered. “Talk to me, child.” There were a thousand things she could say. But for some reason, only one gnawed at her heart. “I think I made a mistake,” she whispered.

Tem did know this. “Any other duties I should be aware of?” Caspen’s mouth twitched. “Nothing comes to mind.”

LIAR.

“We do not consider meaningless sex to be cheating. But my mother was in love with the basilisk she slept with.”

setting up the betrayal- I just know Leo and Tem are gonna bang.

Finally, Apollo whispered, “Do not come to me for comfort, Temperance. Come to me when you want me to fuck you the way my brother will not.”

ayyyyyyyyyyy

“You should know better than to endanger yourself when you are the queen.”

Ew

Tem knew he liked it when she acted like a basilisk, when she made an effort to reach what he considered to be her full potential.

"acted" like a basilisk? She is so groomed.

Evelyn couldn’t possibly satisfy Leo. She looked like she’d never had sex in her life, much less be willing to suck his cock in a carriage simply to torture him. Leo required challenge and strength and power. Evelyn possessed none of those.

You chose this, girl. You don't get to be jealous that you TOLD HIM; compelled him to go to her.

Nothing about this was normal.

No shit.

Something had broken between them—something vital. The truth, as it so often did, had forced its way to the surface at last. Caspen expected her to make a choice—to fall in line. It did not matter that she was half-human, half-basilisk. He would force her to choose the same way she’d just forced Leo.

His voice was deathly quiet. “I thought it would have faded by now.” “Thought what would have faded by now?” “Your infatuation with him.”

Caspen hadn’t believed that she might actually love Leo. That her heart would forever be swayed in his direction. That it was real. “It won’t fade,” Tem whispered. “It never will.” Her words washed over him slowly. Tem watched, in real time, as Caspen understood what she was saying. His eyebrows shot up in surprise before his face turned into a mask of disgust. “Do as you wish, Tem. You always do.”

This is borderline abuse, dude. Don't you dare speak to your wife like that.

A tiny grin tilted his lips as a shadow of Gabriel’s usual spark returned. “Temperance Verus,” he said conspiratorially, “are you inviting me to a sex party?”

Damon looked at Gabriel, who looked at him. Gabriel gave him a dazzling smile, which Damon returned. He is like sunlight.

“It is an ancient magic, Tem. When you crested Leo, you bound him to you. You must complete that bond. Your ability to transition will continue to deteriorate until you do so.”

“Why haven’t I heard about this?”

uhh maybe because you're a dumbass who doesn't go to this little thing called a library. You ask no questions unless it's in the heat of the moment and then you're indignant when you realize no one just OFFERED the information to you. YOU SUCK.

If she consummated the crest, she signed her own death sentence. But if she didn’t, she signed Leo’s.

She leaned closed, ignoring her body’s scream of desire. “You chose this, Leo. Now you have to live with the consequences.”

But he didn't... She chose for him.

“I don’t understand.” “You should. You are just as smart as she is.”

Caspen didn’t reply. Instead, his eyes traced down her naked body and a chill slipped down Tem’s spine as his gaze landed between her legs. His nostrils flared. An eternity passed. Then he said, “Tell me, Tem. Why is my brother’s cum in your pussy?”

OPE

“I am thinking that I have never met someone so incapable of following instructions as you.”

I'm sorry, is this not known to you? Come on.

Then Caspen whispered, “What will your little prince think of what you did?”

You motherfucking fuckface

Caspen brushed past her, heading for the door. “Caspen,” Tem cried after him. “Don’t leave me. Please.” Caspen’s jaw tightened. His voice was deathly quiet as he said, “And why should I stay? I have no doubt you can find company if you desire it.” “The only company I desire is yours.” “I find that difficult to believe.”

“When you married Caspenon, you wed outside your quiver. The Senecas take offense to this. By contesting your marriage, they are invoking an ancient process to challenge your union. You and Caspenon cannot touch each other until it is resolved.”

“There will be a tournament in your honor. The victor will win your hand in marriage.” The ground seemed to fall out from beneath her. “Excuse me?” “Temperance,” Adelaide said steadily. “There is no need to be alarmed.” “No need to be alarmed?” Alarm was all she felt. “It is an honor to have one’s marriage contested.”

“The blood bond is significant. But all it means is that your lives are tied to one another.”

Leo ran a reckless hand through his hair. “It’s bad enough you’re with him, Tem. But it would be even worse if you were with someone else. At least I know he loves you.” His words shocked her. They were extremely candid—almost accidentally so. She doubted he’d meant to reveal so much to her. But now that she’d heard it, she had to know: “Do…you love me?” His jaw clenched. “If you have to ask that, you don’t know me at all.”

She had to know. Come the fuck on.

Kneel. Caspen gave no name, but Tem knew the command was for her. To her surprise, every part of her wanted to follow it. Why shouldn’t she kneel before Apollo the way she’d knelt for Caspen? Why shouldn’t she bestow the same gifts upon his brother? It was only fair.

Orders... more orders. And she obeys them without thinking. The crest he did on her worked.

Caspenon never taught you? No. He didn’t.

Why are we shocked

“You may belong to my brother, but I will protect you as if you are mine.” Tem was floored by his words. Her response slipped out before she could stop it: “Part of me belongs to you.”

#teamapollo

How nice it must be to leave everything up to fate, to believe that your destiny was decided for you. But that was not the way Tem did things. She was too driven by desire to accept that her decisions did not matter. The basilisk way was not her way. It never would be.

CHAOTIC NEUTRAL ENERGY AND I HATE IT SO VERY MUCH

Apollo regarded for a moment before speaking. “I cannot pretend to understand your love for the human king. From what I have seen of him, he looks rather frail.”

Yeah cause she's letting him die by not consummating the crest.

Caspen’s jaw tightened. “Do not lie to me.” “I never have.” “You are lying right now.” “No,” Tem said firmly. “I’m not.”

Oh my god get a grip

“I don’t love Apollo,” she said quietly but firmly, every inch of her spine pricked with anticipation as she gathered the courage to say what she knew Caspen needed to hear: “I love Leo.” A deadly silence fell.

OPE

“You should have told me how you felt about him,” Caspen said roughly. “I did tell you,” Tem whispered. “I would never have let you crest him if I had known—” “I told you that I—” Caspen turned and hurled the empty goblet down the passageway with such force, it struck a gash in the stone wall.

So toxic. So gross.

All this destruction from an animal smaller than a cat. Tem couldn’t believe that something as formidable as the basilisks could be brought down by something so minuscule.

“Your infatuation with the human prince has gone on far too long. You should have learned your place long ago. It is right here, by my side. If you do not understand that by now, I doubt you ever will.”

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.

“I was your first love, Tem,” Caspen whispered. “He will be your last.”

It was strange to continue her life without the basilisks, to have something taken away that never felt like hers to begin with. But in a way, becoming fully human felt like returning home—like finding something she’d never truly lost.

She’s so wishy washy. Like make up your mind.