Page 145 of Blood Curse

“I know.”

“The Crown wanted it to feel like failure.”

“It didn’t.” I put the notebook down. “You crossed. The court crossed. You came back because you wanted to.”

“And you nearly died.”

“Both things happened. One doesn’t erase the other.”

He looked towards the dark windows. “When your heart paused, I thought I had used freedom to lose you.”

There was nothing polished in the admission. He had been terrified, and he trusted me enough to say it without turning fear into an order.

I took his hand. “You didn’t make the Crown attack me.”

“I know.”

“Say the rest.”

He traced one knuckle. “I would cross the boundary again.”

“Even knowing what the Crown will do?”

“Yes. I won’t let it teach me that your pain is the price of my freedom. I also won’t pretend seeing you fall didn’t scare the fucking life out of me.”

“Good. Don’t hide it.”

“I won’t. I would still prefer you didn’t collapse next time.”

“So would I.”

I leaned into him. The Crown was cold, my body was colder and I was tired enough to sleep for a week. Under all of it, I still wanted him.

“One night,” I said against his shoulder. “Then we keep going.”

“One night.”

He kissed my temple, avoiding the metal.

The Crown gave a faint pulse.

Stellan drew back. A lock of my hair had caught around one of the points. He lifted it carefully, his fingers brushing the edge of the Crown.

My heart stuttered.

His hand froze.

A laugh came from my mouth in my own voice.

Neither of us had made it.

26

STELLAN

I pulled my hand away from the Crown.

Bryony’s stolen laugh stopped. Her mouth closed, and the pulse in her throat stumbled once more before finding a slow rhythm.