Page 254 of Between Two Kings

“Yes,” Tem said. “But he didn’t accept them.”

“I do not blame him.”

The words came quietly. Tem hadn’t expected Leo to say that. Before she could react, he continued.

“Did you tell him I wish to apologize in person?”

“Yes,” she said again, dreading what came next. “And he’s willing to hear it.”

“Good.” Leo nodded. “I am glad.”

Here it came. There was no going back after this. “But he won’t come to the castle.”

Leo paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. “I see,” he said slowly. “Then perhaps I can write him a—”

“He wants you to come to him.”

Leo blinked. He put the fork down. “To him?”

“Yes.”

“In the caves?”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Leo had been to the caves once before, right before their wedding. It was where he and Caspen had agreed to share her, where they had dared to forge a new path together.

But that was a long time ago. And he hadn’t really been to the caves. Going to the cave where Tem was trained and going underneath the mountain were two wildly different things. Leo hadn’t gone where the basilisks were.

“Isn’t that…dangerous?” Leo asked finally.

“Yes,” Tem said honestly. “Very. But he won’t accept your apology otherwise.”

Leo frowned. His unspoken question hung in the air. Tem knew he was wondering why she would ask this of him if it would put him in harm’s way. The truth was that Tem was torn. No part of her wanted Leo to come to the caves. It wasn’t like Gabriel, who was a willing participant. Leo would be coming against his will, forced under the premise of apologizing, with the hope of making peace. It felt like he was walking into a trap. And Tem couldn’t be sure that he wasn’t.

But if he didn’t do this, Caspen would never forgive the attack. And that was too great a consequence to bear. There was no easy option here—no elegant solution to this horrible problem. Tem felt a flare of anger at Caspen for putting her in this position. It wasn’t fair. Then again, nothing ever was.

“You don’t have to go,” she said.

Leo raised an eyebrow. “You just said that he won’t accept my apology otherwise.”

“That’s true. He won’t.”

Leo frowned. “Then I must go.”

Tem felt a surge of affection for Leo. Once again, he was a better person than she was. Once again, he was being brave.

“When shall I come?”

Tem blinked. She’d been so focused on how on earth she was going to convince Leo to come that she hadn’t thought about what to do if he actually agreed to it. “I…don’t know,” she said. “But I can ask.”

“Very well.”

A pause followed, and it took Tem only a moment to reach for Caspen with her mind.

Leo has agreed to apologize in person. When should he come?