Page 245 of Between Two Kings

Tem broke out in a sudden sweat. She shouldn’t be here. It was wrong. But she couldn’t leave. Caspen himself had insisted they attend. If she showed her hand—if she displayed any weakness or emotion whatsoever—Evelyn would win.

So she held her head high and stepped into the crowd.

Caspen never left her side. Despite their circumstances, Tem felt a sudden surge of appreciation for him—for just how difficult it was for him to be here. Every royal they passed looked upon him with pure terror. They recognized his height, his golden eyes. They knew he was a basilisk and that he had trained Tem. He was the Serpent King, after all. Many of them had been at the wedding of Leo’s mother, and Caspen had trained her too. There was no end to his influence. His legacy was not the only presence the basilisks had here. Tem saw gold everywhere—in the veins of the marble columns, in the grout between the tiles. Caspen’s people were tortured here. Her people were tortured here. And Evelyn wanted to bring it all back.

They made the rounds of the room, hardly speaking with anyone. Finally, she saw a familiar face:

“There you are, dearest.” Gabriel bound up to them, wrapping Tem in his arms. “How are we tonight?”

“Could be better.”

“Good thing I’m here to cheer you up.” He moved on to embrace Caspen, who received it with a bemused expression. “I know where they keep the good booze.” He brandished two glasses of whiskey.

Tem took them both, downing them one after the other.

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Celebrating tonight, are we?”

When Tem didn’t reply, he turned to Caspen.

“I heard about the weasel,” he said, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “I’m so sorry.”

Caspen shook his head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. It was not your doing.”

“I know. But I tried to warn you, and I couldn’t.”

“What?” Tem asked. This was news to her.

“Vera was in the Horseman bragging about it just before it happened. When I asked her where she got the idea, she said she was just following orders. I ran to the caves, but they’d already sent someone with the weasel.”

Tem and Caspen both stared at him, stunned.

“Orders?” Tem said. “Who is Vera taking orders from?”

At that exact moment, the sound of clinking glass filled the room.

“I’d like to make a toast,” Leo said. He was standing next to Evelyn, who clung tightly to his arm.

Tem turned to Caspen. We don’t have to stay. This is going to be boring. And probably horrible.

Caspen’s hand darted around her waist, as if to hold her in place. We shall stay.

They watched as the crowd cleared around Leo and Evelyn, giving them space to speak. Leo raised his glass.

“I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for coming back so soon.”

A gentle ripple of laughter. Tem had forgotten how good Leo was at disarming people with his words. He waited until the crowd was quiet before continuing.

“For some, the path to love is simple,” he began. “For others, it is not so easy.” He paused, turning to Evelyn. “You were my first love, and I was yours. Our paths may have diverged, but we found our way back to each other again.”

It was an odd speech—notably different from the lyrical way he usually spoke. He wasn’t really saying anything. Leo seemed to be listing a series of facts, neither positive nor negative. It was true that he and Evelyn had been each other’s first loves. It was true that they had diverged, then come back together. But what Leo neglected to say was how any of that made him feel.

He looked straight into Tem’s eyes as he delivered his final line. “Somehow I always find my way back to you.”

Again, it was simply a statement. But it was enough for the crowd; they erupted into applause, cheering as Leo gave Evelyn a kiss. Tem’s stomach roiled at the sight.

Leo raised his glass. “To finding your way back.”

The audience raised their glasses. “To finding your way back.”