Page 106 of Blood Curse

Her finger tapped once.

The Crown made my body rise.

The vampires at my waist lost their footing and fell away. The table scraped aside. Mara knelt a few feet from me, held upright by the two people forced to restrain her. Her neck remained turned. Her pulse beat in the open.

I crossed the gap.

“Bryony,” I said.

My hand caught Mara’s shoulder.

“Now.”

My mouth lowered.

Bryony tore her voice free.

“This Crown used my authority to give those commands. I revoke every one of them.”

The chains vanished.

My body stopped.

The guard released Mara. The man’s hands opened. Mara’s head dropped, and she covered her neck with one palm.

My fangs hovered an inch from her skin.

I stepped back because I chose to.

Mara stayed on her knees. Elias reached her first and put two fingers against her throat.

“Skin’s intact,” he said.

“I noticed.” Mara flexed both wrists. “Everything else is going to hurt.”

“You insisted on being difficult.”

“It kept me alive.”

The dark-haired man studied his hands. “I couldn’t release her.”

“You were commanded,” I said.

“So were you.”

“Yes.”

His gaze went to Mara’s neck. “Did I break anything?”

Elias examined her right wrist. “Bruising. The joint still moves.”

Mara held out her hand to the man. “Help me stand.”

He looked shocked. “After I held you down?”

“The Crown held me down. You can either help or make Elias do it, and he’ll complain about his back.”

“My back is fine,” Elias said.