Page 96 of Split or Swallow

Caspen watched her thoughtfully, as if he didn’t quite believe her.

“If you think of anything else, do not hesitate.”

Tem never expected to get such an open invitation from him. She nodded, and he nodded too. Then he said:

“Would you like a drink?”

She blinked in surprise. “What kind of drink?”

“Anything you wish.”

Tem couldn’t have named a single drink if she’d tried. The evening had already been so overwhelming it felt as if her brain had been squeezed through a sieve.

“I’ll have whatever you have,” she said finally.

He nodded.

“I shall return in a moment.”

In his absence, Tem sat tentatively on the end of the bed.

She wondered whether anything like this had ever happened to the other girls. Had Vera seen her basilisk’s chambers? Or was this a habit specific to Caspen—something the Serpent King did with everyone he taught? Up until now, her interactions with him had been strictly surface level. Even when they were connected with their minds, they didn’t discuss anything of true significance. Now they were spending time together in a different way: talking and getting to know each other, as if they were dating.

Tem stifled the thought. They were not dating, and the basilisk was not her boyfriend. He was a fearsome creature—one who was her mentor and her teacher, training her for a role. He could not possibly care about an ordinary girl like her. Not to mention that their last conversation had consisted of Tem telling him to remove the claw so she could undress in front of Leo. Caspen was probably furious with her.

And yet.

He had healed her. He had taken her into his private chambers, and he had protected her. Those were not the actions of someone who didn’t care. He could have sent her away when she showed up with her ripped dress. Instead he chose to comfort her. Surely that meant something. Tem stared at the fireplace, losing herself in the flames. She knew what she hoped would happen tonight.

But would it?

Some time later, Caspen returned with a bottle of dark liquid. Tem thought it might be wine, and when he poured her a glass, she knew from the smell that she was right. Caspen sat next to her on the bed before pouring himself a glass too, and they drank together in silence. The wine was sweet, and made Tem feel even warmer than she already was. Sitting and drinking with Caspen reminded Tem of the meals they had shared, and another question occurred to her. She remembered he had encouraged her to ask. So she said:

“What do you eat when you wear your true form?”

Caspen was unperturbed by the query, answering easily:

“Many different things. Fish, if I feel like swimming. Small game if I feel like hunting. It depends on my desires.”

She nodded, processing the information. For all their proximity to the basilisks, nobody seemed to know anything specific about them, and Tem found it fascinating to finally learn some of the things she had always wondered about. Now that she had started, she couldn’t resist asking more:

“What does it feel like when you transition? Is it like putting on different clothes?”

Caspen smiled, leaning back on the bed and propping himself up to look at her.

“It is more like taking off clothes. My true form is the most natural version of me. It is the way I am meant to exist, so it takes no effort at all to inhabit it.”

“So it’s not painful?”

“Not in the least,” he shook his head. “It is ecstasy.”

“Then why use your human form at all? Why not remain as a basilisk?”

“Because nobody tries to kill me when I am human.”

“Oh,” Tem said quietly, feeling immediately foolish for asking. She knew all about the war; she shouldn’t have brought it up, especially when he was being so hospitable. “I’m sorry.”

Caspen extended his hand, placing his palm on her thigh.