Page 98 of Split or Swallow

“Tell me,” she murmured. “Please.”

Caspen sighed again. He closed his eyes as if to block out her request.

“Tem,” he said quietly. “Some things do not concern you.”

Tem had nothing to say to that. If he didn’t want to tell her, she couldn’t force him to do so. Still, she worried what powers he might possess. What could a basilisk do to ordinary boys like Jonathan and Christopher? Caspen could infiltrate minds; he had access to magic she could only imagine. There was no limit to the damage he could cause.

“It was nothing serious,” she said quietly. “They were just…playing around.”

Caspen’s temple tensed.

“You are not to be played with.”

A memory came back to Tem with striking force—the question she had asked Caspen the first time he’d touched her:

Am I to be played with?

His answer had been different then.

“They’re just boys,” she whispered.

“Boys who hurt you. They will answer for that. Now let it be.”

Tem pursed her lips. It was clear there was no arguing with him, and she was⁠n’t sure she wanted to anyway. It was true the boys had hurt her, and part of her did want them to answer for it. But she worried Caspen would take it too far—that he would cause irreparable harm. Tem didn’t want blood on her hands.

But clearly it was out of her control.

Tem laid her head on the mattress, studying the sharp angles of Caspen’s face. He turned to look at her, his expression softening.

“I only wish to protect you,” he said quietly.

“This isn’t protection.”

“Then what is it?”

“Retaliation.”

“Would you have me do nothing?”

“I would have you be merciful.”

Caspen snorted.

“Mercy is for fools. I owe nobody my mercy.”

“Not even me?”

A pause. They studied each other in the flickering firelight.

“I owe you many things, Tem. But mercy is not one of them.”

Many things. What did he owe her?

Her heart slammed in her chest as he raised his fingers to her face, brushing gently along her cheek.

“Am I not allowed to protect you?” he murmured.

“You are,” she murmured back. “I just didn’t realize you wanted to.”