Page 5 of Split or Swallow

“Bit feisty tonight, are we?”

She smacked him again, and this time he threw his hands up in surrender.

“Fine, neither of us will fuck Old Steve. His loss. I, on the other hand—” he grasped the lapels of his leather jacket, snapping it down smartly against his shoulders, “—am on a mission to get the stable boy to notice me.”

Tem frowned. “From what I saw last night, Henry already noticed you.”

“No, not Henry. Peter.”

“What’s wrong with Henry?”

“Nothing. He’s been commissioned for a travel assignment. He’ll be gone for the next two weeks.”

“What travel assignment?”

“He’s helping ferry people in for the eliminations.”

It was customary for the prince’s extended family to congregate for the duration of the training. Those with a high enough ranking would stay in the castle, while the rest would infiltrate the village’s inns. It was a notoriously fruitful time for the village economy. Even the homeliest bed and breakfast would experience a boost from the uptick in wealthy patrons.

“You seriously can’t go two weeks without kissing a stable boy?” Tem said.

Gabriel laughed.

“I could. But why would I want to?”

She had no answer to that.

By the time they got to the Horseman, Tem was aching for a drink. The bar was busier than usual, which wasn’t a surprise. The entire village was on edge, anticipating the events of the next several weeks.

“Beers?” Gabriel said.

“You’re buying.”

“Anything for you, dearest.”

Tem slid into their usual booth and looked around the room. There was Vera, sequestered in a corner with Jonathan. She was sitting aggressively close to him, practically on his lap, with her breasts pushed together. Two tables over was a group of girls who were talking excitedly. Tem recognized them; they would be going through the training with her. She wondered if they were as nervous as she was. If the way they were laughing was any indication, she doubted it.

By the time Gabriel returned with the beers, Tem’s stomach had worked itself into a fiddly knot.

“To Kora,” Gabriel said, raising his glass to hers. It was the traditional toast.

“To Kora.”

Tem downed half her beer in one gulp. Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

“Thirsty?”

“Very.”

He followed her gaze to Jonathan and Vera, who were kissing each other like it was their last night alive. He raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t they know they’re in public?”

“True love waits for no one,” Tem said bitterly.

Gabriel snorted.

“That’s not true love. That’s an unplanned pregnancy waiting to happen.”