Page 25 of Blood Curse

“Simple isn’t the same as easy.”

Mara picked up a bottle. “Excellent. Our queen admits the cursed Crown is dangerous, gives us permission to escape and objects to being worshipped. Adrian would have hated her.”

“That may be the nicest bloody thing anyone’s said about me tonight.”

A few smiles appeared. The tension didn’t vanish, but it loosened enough for people to breathe.

Stellan stepped away from me only when I was steady. “Listen carefully. Bryony is queen because Harrowmere and the Crown recognised her blood. She is beside me because I chose her. Those facts don’t require you to surrender your judgement.”

His gaze moved around the hall, catching every face.

“You came by choice. You stay by choice. You may offer respect, advice or an argument. You will not offer ritual submission to the Crown. If anyone tells you otherwise, you come to one of us.”

Nobody knelt.

The Crown didn’t react when they nodded, even though their agreement was clear. Chosen respect didn’t feed it. Submission did.

That distinction might keep us alive.

Stellan sent two of the healthier vampires to watch the gate and asked the others for only what we needed tonight: who required blood, who needed a room and who had seen more travellers on the road. Answers came quickly. Mara took charge of sleeping arrangements. Lenora returned to the cellar.

Within minutes, the Night Hall sounded less like a royal court and more like a crowded pub after a very bad journey.

I drew Stellan into the passage.

“The rush felt good,” I said before fear could dress the truth in nicer words. “Not just pleasant. Powerful. I wanted it to continue.”

He leaned against the wall, within reach if the cold returned. “And what did you do?”

“I got them up.”

“Then both facts are useful.”

“You’re not horrified?”

“I’m horrified by the Crown. I’m not going to confuse its reward with your character.”

“Part of me wanted to keep them down.”

“The part the Crown had just flooded with pleasure?”

“That doesn’t make it feel less like mine.”

“Your body had the reaction. Your mind heard the temptation. Then you chose against it in front of a room full of people who might have obeyed.” He held my gaze. “I’m interested in the choice you made.”

“What if resisting gets harder?”

“Then you tell me that too. We don’t wait for either of us to become perfect before we trust each other with the truth.”

I released a breath. “You make honesty sound annoyingly practical.”

“I have occasional lapses.”

I looked through the open doors. He had settled a room full of hungry vampires in less time than I usually needed to arrange a meeting. They listened when he spoke because he made them feel safer. No magic forced them.

The sight made my body warm all over again for a much better reason.

Stellan followed my gaze. “What?”