Page 242 of Between Two Kings

Chapter Forty-One

Tem’s blood ran cold.

“I found them one day when I was wandering the castle,” Evelyn said, twirling her champagne glass. She hadn’t taken a single sip. “Funny thing to leave lying around, don’t you think? Where anyone could find them?”

Tem’s heartbeat slammed in her chest. Evelyn had read the letters. Her letters. The ones she had told Leo to write—the ones where he had written everything he couldn’t tell her now that they were with other people. Fierce jealousy whipped through Tem. Evelyn got to read them? It wasn’t fair. But more importantly, it was dangerous.

“He doesn’t know I read them,” Evelyn continued calmly, as if this weren’t earth-shattering information. “But I did. Every single one.” She leaned in. “He loves you. He always will.”

It wasn’t new information. But it wasn’t something she ever thought she’d hear from Evelyn.

“But I have him, Tem,” she continued. “He’s mine. I won.”

Tem opened her mouth, but Evelyn still wasn’t done.

“I had him before you, and I will have him for the rest of his life.”

Tem almost laughed. Unless she slept with Leo, the rest of his life would not be very long. “You will never have him,” she said. “Not as long as he loves me.”

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Both Evelyn and Tem stood abruptly, their conversation immediately abandoned. Evelyn opened the door to reveal the one person Tem wanted to see more than anything.

Leo was wearing a dark suit, his hair slicked back. He looked similar to the way he’d looked for their wedding, and the thought made her want to cry. His eyes went to Tem’s before settling on Evelyn’s.

“The guests are arriving,” he said. “Are you coming downstairs?”

“Yes, of course.” Evelyn threw a glance over her shoulder at Tem. “We were just finishing up.”

But they were far from finished. So much had happened in the past few minutes that Tem could barely process it. There were a hundred loose ends, a thousand new problems, and no way to solve them. Tem realized suddenly that if there were to be no more Sunday dinners, this might be her last chance to talk to Leo. She had to seize this moment right here, right now.

Tem squared her shoulders, stepping forward so she was right in front of Leo. His eyes flicked to hers as she said, “There is something you must know.”

Evelyn’s head whipped around, her eyebrows raised in disbelief.

But Tem would not reveal her secret. Evelyn’s undoing would be her own. Instead, she would tell Leo the one thing she hoped would make him see reason—the only thing that could convey the gravity of just how bad things had gotten between the kingdoms: “Earlier this week, a weasel was released underneath the mountains. Forty-six basilisks died.”

Leo’s eyes widened. Evelyn’s narrowed.

Tem knew Leo was imagining, just for a moment, what life would be like if forty-six villagers died on his watch. She let the silence sit, wanting him to stew in that thought.

“So many deaths,” he said. “From a weasel?”

“Their scent is fatal to the basilisk. Everyone knows that.”

Leo nodded quickly. “Of course, it just seems…unbelievable.”

“Well, believe it.” Her answers were tight. Stilted. Tem was not in the mood to coddle Leo right now. She needed him to see her pain.

“What about you?” Leo asked.

“What about me?”

“I mean…does the weasel…affect you?”

He was asking if she was hurt, if she had been in any danger. Evelyn’s lips pursed.

“No,” answered Tem. “I’m fine.”