Apollo flirts with Tem. When Tem accuses him of only pursuing her to anger Caspen, he denies it and insists their connection is real. Tem admits she is afraid of losing herself if she has sex with him. Apollo shows surprising sincerity in his response, promising he would take care of her. Suddenly, Caspen enters the grotto.

Caspen stands at the grotto entrance, visibly aroused. Both brothers enter Tem’s mind simultaneously. Caspen commands Apollo to touch her; Apollo asks her permission and she says yes. He caresses her while Caspen sends pulses through their telepathic connection, heightening her arousal. Caspen watches as Tem performs oral sex on Apollo and then leaves, encouraging them to continue exploring their connection. Apollo and Tem continue caressing and sharing fantasies, bringing each other to orgasm multiple times. Tem reiterates that she is not willing to have intercourse with Apollo, because she internally reflects that “if she crossed this line with Apollo, it meant she was capable of crossing the line with Leo” (312). Apollo expresses respect for her boundaries, and their sexual exploration cements a new emotional intimacy between them. Before Tem leaves the grotto, Apollo promises to protect her the same way that Caspen does.

Tem and Apollo return to the celebration; the brothers keep their distance for the rest of the night. The next morning, Caspen reassures Tem. Rowe arrives with his brother Eros. Caspen previously castrated Rowe (after Rowe tried to crest Tem without her consent) and everyone is surprised to see that Rowe has fashioned a penis out of gold (made from his own blood). Caspen explains Rowe violated a sacred rule, creating an aberration that made him stronger. Rowe taunts them.

selection of contenders begins; following her instincts Tem kisses eight basilisks to identify them as her choices. A ceremony follows in which a new mother (representing the goddess Kora) inspects the contenders and predicts who is likely to win. When she chooses Apollo, Tem is horrified, but Adelaide insists this ritual has no bearing on the actual outcome (Tem is still free to choose whoever her heart calls to). The basilisks gather for a feast, and Tem sits between the Drakon brothers, who reassure her they will protect her from Rowe. Tem is surprised when Gabriel arrives at the feast.

Tem is nervous about Gabriel’s presence, but Caspen promises he will be safe, since no fighting or violence is permitted at the tournament. The feast progresses and turns into an orgy. Tem becomes uncomfortable watching Apollo having sex with other basilisks and she and Caspen slip away. She ends up having sex with several other basilisks while Caspen watches, drawing strength from the pleasure she receives and affirming their bond. Afterwards, Caspen tells Tem to return to their chambers and sleep, explaining it is tradition for them not to see each other before the tournament.

Apollo is waiting outside her chambers. He has noticed that something is weighing on her and warns that her emotional state directly affects Caspen’s strength and ability to fight in the tournament. Tem admits she is afraid her heart will call to Leo during the tournament. Apollo is compassionate, comforting her and promising to keep her secret. He does warn her that Caspen deserves the truth. Tem finds Gabriel waiting in her bed and falls asleep beside him. At midnight, Adelaide wakes her.

Adelaide leads Tem to the arena where the first tier of the tournament will take place. This takes the form of single combat between Caspen and Rowe in their basilisk forms. All twelve contenders and Tem ceremonially swear to honor the outcome of the tournament. Tem, Adelaide, and Apollo sit together to watch the fight and Tem is very nervous. As the fight begins, Rowe is unnaturally fast and strong. No one can understand why he is fighting so well. In a forbidden move, Rowe bites Caspen’s neck. Gravely injured, Caspen is forced to transition back to human form and Rowe wins the first tier.

Tem is distraught; Adelaide tries to reassure her that Caspen can still win the tournament. Tem points out that since Rowe won the first tier, she will have to have sex with him during the third tier. There is no time for her to process, since the second tier is beginning. This consists of a contest where the remaining contenders masturbate in front of her; whoever orgasms first is the victor. Apollo wins the second tier. Based on the results of the second tier, the contestants arrange themselves in a sequence (Apollo is last). Tem must have sex with each of them: She can dismiss any lover who does not please her, and she doesn’t need to climax with each of them. Caspen is not included, since it is still forbidden for them to touch each other.

Tem begins the contest and briefly has sex with the first few contenders. She does not climax with any of them, craving an emotional connection. She reaches a blond basilisk and, fantasizing about Leo, kisses him and has her first orgasm. She insults Eros by riding him for only a few moments before moving on. When she begins having sex with Rowe, he enters her mind, taunting her and revealing he knows she loves Leo. He threatens revenge on Caspen regardless of the tournament’s outcome. Terrified, Tem mentally calls Apollo for help. He pulls her off Rowe immediately and protects her. Realizing she must finish the tournament, Tem tells Apollo that she is ready to have sex with him.

Apollo and Tem have intense and mutually pleasurable sex. Then, it is time to complete the tournament. The new mother brings a milk-filled chalice, and Adelaide explains drinking it will force Tem’s heart to reveal its true choice. Tem drinks and feels an equal, agonizing pull toward both Caspen and Leo—her heart is split. Apollo, sensing her struggle, warns she must choose or it will destroy Caspen. Unable to choose and unwilling to hurt him, Tem decides to use her power to kill her human side. To stop her, Apollo rips through her mental defenses and declares he will choose for her. He forcibly extracts her love for Leo, and freed from the conflict, Tem’s heart surges completely toward Caspen. She screams his name. Adelaide announces that Tem’s heart has made its choice.

In the wake of the tournament, Tem is confused: When she thinks of Leo, she now simply feels indifferent. Tem and Caspen reunite and have joyful sex. Afterwards, Caspen goes to help with preparations and Apollo pulls Tem into a private passageway. He explains he magically extracted her love for Leo, allowing her to choose Caspen. In holding the emotion, he learned the full truth: The crest must be consummated or Leo will die. Apollo warns the solution is not permanent; he cannot contain the emotion for long. He magically restores her love for Leo and warns she must resolve the situation, or Caspen will be forced to kill her when she consummates the crest. Tem says she cannot stop loving Leo. Apollo says he cannot protect her from herself and cannot bear to watch her die. Caspen returns.

Caspen is drunk and seems threatened by Tem and Apollo’s interaction. He reveals he saw her hesitate while making her selection during the tournament, and accuses her of loving Apollo. Tem denies it and confesses the full truth: She loves Leo. Caspen is furious. He has never truly understood that Tem feels the same way for Leo as she does for him. Caspen can tell that Apollo is hiding something and Tem reveals the crest’s conditions: she must have sex with Leo to consummate the crest. If not, she will permanently lose her ability to transition, and Leo will die.

Caspen is enraged and feels betrayed by both Tem and Apollo, since they have shared this information with one another but not with him. He threatens to kill Leo so that Tem will no longer have to choose whether to consummate the crest. Apollo intervenes, and he and Caspen begin a telepathic argument that Tem cannot access. It escalates into a physical fight between the brothers and Caspen’s wound (from when Rowe bit him) reopens. They realize that Rowe is using magic to siphon power from Caspen and will continue to do so whenever he wishes (the wound reopening signals that the siphoning is occurring).

Caspen storms off and Apollo cautions Tem not to go after him. He comforts Tem but warns that if she cannot choose, she must be prepared to lose both Leo and Caspen.