Page 112 of Between Two Kings

He tilted his head. “You may do that yourself. Remember you are a Hybreed.”

That hadn’t occurred to Tem. She turned to Gabriel. “I can make you calm, if you want.”

But Gabriel waved her off. “I don’t need that.”

Tem blinked. “What?”

“I’m already calm, Tem. I don’t need you to do…whatever you’re trying to do.”

To Tem’s surprise, an amused smile tilted Caspen’s lips. Tem wondered if he’d ever met a human like Gabriel before. Probably not; no one had.

“In that case,” Caspen said. “Let us begin.”

They followed him into the courtyard.

Chapter Nineteen

All around them, basilisks were already having sex.

It was mating season, after all. They would not control their urges just because a human was here. Gabriel’s eyes went wide, his head swiveling from left to right, taking in everything he possibly could. Tem remembered what it was like the first time she experienced all this and knew he had to be overwhelmed, no matter how excited he said he was.

Somewhere along the way, Caspen disappeared. He spoke to her just before he left: I will remain close by, Tem.

Tem let him go; she understood that he was waiting to see how this turned out—to see whether her delusional hope hadn’t been in vain—but almost immediately, she wished he had remained. The Seneca men were in the corner, watching her. Glaring.

Gabriel nudged her shoulder. “Shall we say hello?” he whispered.

“No,” Tem whispered back. “Definitely not.”

“Who are they?”

“Nobody you need to know.”

The last thing she needed was for the Senecas to get their hands on Gabriel. But they weren’t the only ones glaring at them. Evangeline was standing off to the side, her arms crossed, her face twisted in a frown. A fierce protectiveness rose suddenly within Tem. Gabriel was the kindest person she knew. Evangeline had no right to judge him—none of the basilisks did.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing his elbow. “Let’s go.”

“There seem to be a lot of people we’re avoiding, Tem dearest.”

“There’s…a lot going on at the moment.”

“Clearly.”

“Things are tense right now, Gabriel. It’s a risk for you to be here, remember?”

“I remember.”

No sooner had she mentioned risk than Apollo appeared in her peripheral vision. “Oh no,” Tem muttered.

Apollo’s eyes bored into hers before raking over Gabriel. He raised an eyebrow.

“Who’s that?” Gabriel asked, following her gaze.

“He’s nobody.”

Apollo grinned, and she knew he had heard her.

You wound me, Temperance.