Page 122 of Blood Curse

He left without asking me to promise I wouldn’t collapse while he was gone.

That trust mattered more than the fact he paused outside long enough to hear my next three heartbeats.

I showered, dried my hair and opened the wardrobe. Harrowmere had filled it during the night.

A black dress hung in the middle. Silver thread crossed the fitted bodice, and a dark red panel fell from waist to floor. It was beautiful, ceremonial and completely useless for anything involving stairs, breakfast or an ordinary day.

A folded note rested over one sleeve.

For the queen’s first court breakfast.

I read it twice, hoping the bloody words might improve.

They didn’t.

The Crown warmed.

“Absolutely fucking not.”

The metal cooled again.

I took jeans, underwear and a dark green jumper from my bag. My boots still carried mud from the garden, but they were mine. I tied my long red hair back, caught sight of the black points rising above it and left them out of the decision.

The woman in the mirror looked tired. Her green eyes had dark shadows under them. She also looked like herself.

That was enough.

My phone took several minutes to collect everything I’d missed. Messages appeared in stacks. Two came from the friend who had my location when I first entered Harrowmere. Six came from work. The rest were reminders, delivery notices and the ordinary rubbish that continued even when ancient magic tried to stop my heart.

I answered the friend first. Safe. Family problem worse than expected. Will call tonight.

It wasn’t the whole truth, but it didn’t invite anyone into Harrowmere.

The work messages were easier. My colleague had covered the urgent parts. I approved a revised schedule, sent the document waiting in my drafts and moved one call to the following week. Twenty-two minutes after opening my phone, a piece of my life outside the court still existed.

The Crown hadn’t objected. My ordinary name remained on every message. My ordinary work still needed doing. Being able to command a room full of vampires didn’t make either disappear.

Someone knocked again.

“Come in.”

The silver-haired vampire entered. Her fingers were still stiff after the command that had made her hold Mara, but she carried a tray without spilling anything.

“Elias said you should eat before you walk to the hall, Your Majesty.”

“Bryony.”

She paused. “I meant respect.”

“I know. Use my name anyway.”

Her gaze moved to the ceremonial dress. “You don’t like it?”

“I like looking at it. I don’t want to wear it.”

“It was made for the queen’s table.”

“Then it can attend without me.”