Page 252 of Split or Swallow

Caspen was awake, watching her.

I’m hopeless, Caspen.

Caspen touched a single finger to the bottom of her chin, raising her head to his.

I never want to hear you say that again.

Tem was on the verge of tears. Caspen pressed his lips to hers.

Rest today, Tem. We will try again tonight.

By the time Tem got home, she had cried twice more and received a pounding headache in return. The farm work did nothing to soothe her, and despite cleaning the chicken coops with unhinged aggression, Tem’s mood only worsened.

It wasn’t fair that Caspen could transition so easily. There had to be some trick to it—something Tem was missing. And what if she never figured it out? What if she never accessed this part of her—the part that was capable of performing the crest? There was too much at stake for that to be the case. She had to master this. For Leo’s sake, and her own. She could not shoulder the burden of war.

Her mother mercifully made the trip to the bakery again. If this was their new normal, Tem certainly wasn’t going to question it. She savored the time alone in their little cottage, taking the opportunity to smell the sea salt spray on her moth⁠er’s dresser. It had been a long time since she’d used it, and she spritzed a tiny amount in her hair now, pressing her curls to her nose and sniffing deeply. For some reason, it made her feel connected to Caspen, and she wished the claw was inside her.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Tem bound into the kitchen, half expecting to see Leo on her porch. Instead it was a footman, who handed her a letter before disappearing. Tem opened it in a rush to read:

Temperance Verus,

The prince requests your presence at the castle for a formal ball in two days’ time.

The dress code is evening wear.

There was a note on the back, written in tangled red ink:

Next time I get to torture you.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Tem couldn’t help but smile. The memory of what she’d done with Leo in the carriage came back to her in a fevered wave, bringing a rush of heat to her cheeks. Then, just as quickly, her face fell.

Two days.

That meant Tem had only two nights left with Caspen. Two nights to learn how to transition. She crumpled the letter in her hand. She was done holding herself back.

Tem ate a quick dinner with her mother before setting off once more for the caves. This time Caspen was waiting for her, and she knew it was to prevent anoth⁠er incident like the one that had just happened with Rowe.

They didn’t bother going to his chambers. Instead they traversed the passageways that led beneath the mountain, crossing through the empty courtyard before continuing on to the cavern. When they reached the lake, they waded out into the water just as they had the night before. Caspen turned to her.

We will try something new this time.

He leaned in, drawing her into a kiss.

This isn’t new.

She felt him smile against her lips.

We will transition while we are together.

You mean while we’re having sex?

Yes.

And how is that going to help?