Page 97 of Between Two Kings

She shook her head. “He will.”

“No, he will not.”

When Tem didn’t reply, Apollo leaned in. Her breath caught in her throat.

“If you think he will change his mind, you are wrong,” he murmured. “My brother never changes his mind.”

Tem shrugged. “I’ll convince him.”

No part of her believed it. But she said it anyway.

Apollo scoffed quietly. “If you say so.”

A pause. Tem was still staring pointedly at his chest. Apollo raised a single finger, placing it underneath her chin and tilting her face up to his.

“If you cannot convince him, you know where to find me.”

Tem just shook her head. Apollo held her gaze for a long moment before dropping his hand. They walked back to the caves in silence, parting in the passageway without so much as a word. Tem fell asleep alone. When she woke, Caspen’s arms were around her.

“Caspen,” she said immediately, shaking him awake.

“Tem,” he murmured into her hair. “It is early.”

“I don’t care. We need to talk.”

At her tone, Caspen propped himself up on his elbow to look at her with a concerned frown. “What is it, my love?”

“Where were you last night?”

“I was hunting.”

Of course he was. “You’re always hunting.”

“Because I need to eat.”

“I want to go with you.”

“There is no point.”

Tem froze. His words felt like a slap. She slumped back on the bed. “I see,” she whispered.

Caspen pursed his lips. “Tem,” he said quietly. “I should not have said that.”

“But it’s true.”

He didn’t reply. Of course it was true. Caspen needed to transition in order to hunt, and Tem had hardly been able to transition at all, even with his help. She was becoming a burden to him. He was right; there was no point in her coming.

“It is only true if you let it be.”

“What are you saying?”

“I am saying that you are distracted. And you are not applying yourself.”

Resentment tore into her like a thorn. Caspen was no longer her teacher; he had no right to speak to her like that. Against her will, Tem felt the delicate thread that drew her to Caspen tremble. He had been gone a lot lately. He knew it, and she knew it too. Tem tried not to mind, but she did. And his absence had only left her more willing to look for comfort elsewhere. It was killing her, being alone with nothing but her thoughts.

“I needed you last night,” she whispered.

Caspen frowned. “I thought you went to the village for the full moon.”