Page 259 of Split or Swallow

By the time her mother returned, Tem had no desire to remain in the cottage. The claw had given her energy; it was her first taste of what it felt like to draw pow⁠er from Caspen, and she was aching to expend it. But instead of going to the caves, she wanted to savor what could be her last night in the village—to be young and impulsive one last time.

Without a second thought, she pulled on her cloak and set off for the Horseman. It was early; she figured she’d be the only one there. To her delight, she was wrong.

“Temperance,” Gabriel threw his arms wide as soon as she pushed open the door. He was seated in their favorite booth, several empty beer glasses in front of him. “It’s been too long.”

Tem slid in beside him.

“Shouldn’t you be at the castle helping prepare for the ball?”

“I’m injured,” he brandished his thumb, which was wrapped in an astonishing amount of bandages. “They sent me home.”

Tem took a sip of his beer.

“How’d that happen?”

“Had a little disagreement with a steak knife.”

“Who knew cutlery could be so disagreeable.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Gabriel,” Tem said slowly. “Thank you.”

He cocked his head.

“For?”

“For…” Tem paused, remembering the way Gabriel had protected Leo at the Passing of the Crown—how he’d shoved away the villager who’d launched himself at the prince. Tem knew he’d done it for her—because he understood, even after only seeing them together briefly, how much Leo meant to her.

“Everything,” she finished quietly.

Gabriel pressed his lips to her cheek.

“Anything for you, dearest,” he said just as quietly. He threw his arm around her, pulling her against him. “But enough about me. How’s my future princess?”

The last time Tem was here, she’d been about to tell Gabriel what Caspen had done to Jonathan and Christopher. Then Leo had shown up, and the evening had gone in a completely different direction. So much had happened since then; there was so much more to tell.

“The future princess is tired.”

Gabriel laughed at that.

“I’d be tired too if I was fucking two people at once.”

“You are fucking two people at once.”

“Oh that’s right,” he said, tapping his good finger against the beer glass. “I am, aren’t I?”

Tem rolled her eyes.

“Besides, I’m only fucking one person,” she said resolutely.

Gabriel raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

“Come on, Tem. You mean to tell me you haven’t taken a dive in the princely waters yet?”