Between Two Kings (Split or Swallow, #2)

by Lindsay Straube

“What’s your favorite thing about me?” Caspen smiled, and she saw the barest trace of his fangs. “That is easy: your mouth.” She rolled her eyes. “Be serious.” He laughed. “I am always serious.” He traced her bottom lip with his finger. “Your words are sharp.” He looked her in the eye. “Your opinions even sharper.”

“I would not have you become a monster.” Tem’s grip on him tightened. “You’re not a monster.” A grim smile twisted his lips. “Perhaps not to you.”

“You’re not surprised that I’m half-basilisk?” “No.” “Or that I did the ritual?” Gabriel’s grin widened. “No. Although I’m a little jealous you got to fuck Caspen’s father.” She smacked his arm. “Be serious, Gabriel.” “I am, Tem. I can only imagine the gene pool of that family.”

“Tem, you’ve got to take me.” “To the caves?” “Yes. Immediately, if possible.” “No, Gabriel.” “Why not? If there are snake sex parties happening, I take it as a personal insult that I’m not invited.” “There are no snake sex parties,” she hissed.

there are definitely snake sex parties

An enormous tiered fountain stood before them, made of off-white marble. Snow-white liquid spouted from the top before cascading down the tiers in shimmering waves. Even from here, Tem could sense the richness of the substance as it poured from the fountain. It looked like white gold.

STOP IT IS THIS A CUM FOUNTAIN

“Yes. My brother has first rights to you.” “And what are those, exactly?” “They are an ancient basilisk custom.” Tem rolled her eyes. The last thing she needed was another ancient basilisk custom.

“Have there ever been two queens?” “Yes.” “And two kings?” “Yes, although not as often.” “Why not?” Adelaide gave her a small smile. “Men do not share.” Tem almost smiled too. That was certainly true. Women were raised to share their time, their attention, their love. Men kept everything for themselves.

She stared into his golden eyes, trying to understand the fondness in them. “How can you always think the best of me?” “Because you are the best of me,” he said simply.

“Do you like it when I beg?” Tem shot him a look of utter disdain. “Only if it’s for your life.” “You will never hear me beg for my life.” “No? And why not?” Apollo smiled, baring his fangs. “Basilisks believe in fate.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “It means we understand that our deaths are predetermined. If I ever found myself fortunate enough to be beneath your blade, I would welcome it.”

Okay hot mysterious brother

“I want you to experience basilisk culture.” 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?” Tem rolled her eyes so hard, she nearly sprained her brain. “I told you. They aren’t sex parties.” “Sure sounds like a sex party to me.”

definitely a sex party

“Why is he looking at us like that?” Gabriel asked. “Like what?” “Like he wants to fuck you, then me, then both of us at the same time?” “That’s not how he’s looking at us.” But it was. Apollo was eyeing them like they were his next meal.

A solid five heartbeats passed before Damon turned to Tem and said, “Your friend is charming. Do not let Apollo near him.” “Wasn’t planning on it.” “Plans tend to go awry, Temperance.” “Don’t I know it,” she muttered.

“It’s cum?” Tem sighed. There was no other way to explain it. Besides, it was the truth. “Yes.” “That’s wild.” She sighed again, pulling him away from the fountain. “Such is the basilisk way.” “I can’t believe you’ve been hiding all of this from me.” “I haven’t hidden anything. You’re here, aren’t you?” “You could’ve told me you were drinking from a cum fountain, Tem.”

the motherfucking CUM FOUNTAIN

“He could have gotten hurt.” “But he did not. He spent the night with a basilisk on the final day of mating season,” Caspen said. “That has implications.” Tem sat up. “What implications, exactly?” Now Caspen hesitated. “The point of mating season is to choose a mate.” A beat of silence passed. “So?” “So…my brother chose Gabriel.” “What?”

“I can’t stop thinking about you, Tem.” The words were rushed, his entire body was tilted in her direction. “You’re on my mind every moment of the day. I want you all the fucking time. How can that be? How can you take up so much space in my mind?”

“Surely, my brother told you.” “He didn’t even want to teach me how to petrify in the first place. You think he told me the details of what happens after you do it?” “Clearly he did not.” “Clearly.” Apollo leaned in, and Tem nearly blacked out at his scent. “And here I was thinking you had propositioned our little outing because you knew what would happen after.” “You think I asked you to teach me how to petrify because I wanted to have sex with you?” “I had rather hoped.”

“Your cunt is exceptional.” “I—what?” “One of the best I have ever encountered.” Tem closed her eyes. “That’s what you choose to say to me right now?” “It is simply a fact.” “Basilisks are insane. All of you—insane.” “I understand why my brother is obsessed with it. And with you.” “Are you trying to compliment me? Because it’s not working.”

“It’s complicated, Leo. Basilisks have all sorts of rules—” “Who gives a fuck about their rules? You can’t just marry some other basilisk.” “I can if he wins the fight.” The look on Leo’s face was one of pure horror. And Tem couldn’t blame him. When she spelled out this situation like this, it sounded absolutely unhinged. But that was the basilisks for you. Nothing they did was even remotely normal.

“My dearest Tem.” He threw his arms around her, lifting her from the bench and spinning her in the air. “You didn’t think I’d miss a sex tournament, did you?”

Not the sex tournament lmao

“Do you know what I felt when I took this from you?” Apollo asked quietly. Tem shook her head. “Pain. Not love, Temperance. But pain. You are hurting yourself by loving them both. You must choose.” Caspen’s words came back to her: The time will come when you will have to choose.

“She is in pain, Brother.” Caspen let out a bitter laugh. “She is pain, Brother.”

“Seems like you upgraded. You wouldn’t want your children playing in chicken shit, would you?” Immediately, Caspen opened his mouth to retaliate. But Leo beat him to it. “Watch what you fucking say about my wife.” Tem’s mouth fell open, and hers wasn’t the only one.

SHE'S NOT EVEN HIS WIFE ANYMORE AND HE DOES A MY WIFE MOMENT OMG

“Kora decided your place long ago. Do you think it is a coincidence that you are a Hybreed? You think it mere chance? You are meant for greatness, Tem. It is not your fate to dally with the humans.” For some reason, tears pricked her eyes. “If you hate them so much, it means you hate a part of me.” “I could never hate any part of you, Tem. That, apparently, is my undoing.” His words cut her. “What are you saying?” “I am saying that you are the love of my life. But I am done accommodating the love of yours.”

“I want you for the rest of my life, Tem. I don’t care what it takes. I want you and I need you and I love you and you’re mine.” “You’re mine too.” “You’re fucking mine.” “I know.”

“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.”

Finally, Leo pulled away. Then he followed Gabriel into the passageway. “Who was that man kissing Tem?” she heard him ask Gabriel as Damon ushered them away. “That’s Apollo,” Gabriel replied. “Caspen’s brother.” “His brother?”

You love freely and wholly and without apology. You love even when it is inconvenient and infuriating and maddening. You love shamelessly. It is a stunning quality, and it is one I envy. I love covetously. I love greedily and without regard for others. I swore I would never hurt you, and I have broken that promise many times over. I pray you forgive me. All I ask is that you remember me the way I was—before my anger took my kindness.