Page 114 of Blood Curse

“Don’t turn the least into nothing.”

He studied my face. “And don’t turn what happened in the hall into a victory.”

The words caught me. “We learned how to revoke linked orders. The court learned how to slow a compelled vampire without hurting him. That matters.”

“It does.”

“Then it wasn’t useless.”

“We learned from it. That doesn’t make what the Crown did useful.” His hand moved from my back to my waist. “It hurt you. It nearly made me kill Mara. I won’t pretend either was a good price because we survived it.”

I wanted to argue. Mostly because he was right.

“I hate that you’re sensible at inconvenient times,” I said.

“I work hard to limit them.”

“I’ve noticed.”

He touched his forehead to mine. His mouth brushed mine once, too brief to satisfy either of us. “Those who stayed don’t owe us for staying. Those who left don’t owe us for what they received here.”

“Good.”

“But I owe them a court that doesn’t eat them.”

“That seems like a fair minimum.”

His laugh warmed my cheek.

For one quiet moment, the open gates were ours. The people walking away had chosen the road. The people inside had chosen Harrowmere. Stellan’s arm around me was a choice too.

Then the Crown tightened around my scalp.

My heart missed one beat.

Then another.

Stellan’s smile vanished.

20

STELLAN

Bryony’s heart missed a third beat.

I caught her as her knees gave way.

“Elias.”

He was already running from the gate. Mara swore behind him, but stayed at the post she had chosen.

Bryony gripped my sleeve. Her green eyes remained open and furious.

“I’m still here,” she said.

Her heart struck once and knocked the breath from me. The next beat followed too slowly.

“Don’t move,” Elias said.