Page 67 of Blood Curse

“It will close.”

“Then you can be irritated while it does.”

Her shoulders dropped.

I touched her wet cheek. “Stopping was the right choice.”

“We were close.”

“It put a dagger over my heart. We were finished the moment it took my hand.”

“If I’d held the Crown against the carving, it might have stayed quiet.”

“You did hold it there. The curse waited until I touched the weapon.”

“I should have seen that coming.”

“Why? Because you’re expected to predict every new cruelty it invents?”

“Because you nearly bled for my mistake.”

I took the pad from Elias and pressed it to her palm myself. “Look at my chest.”

She did.

The thin cut had already closed.

“You stopped it,” I said. “You gave up the quickest chance to free yourself because my choice mattered more. Don’t turn that into failure.”

Her eyes burned. “I hated saying the words.”

“I know.”

“I heard myself order you to do it.”

“And I heard you revoke it.”

Elias gathered the loose ends of the cloth around the dagger. “The spring confirmed the rule. It will take both offerings only while both remain willing and free from command.”

Mara returned her injured arm to the sling. “Which means the Crown knows exactly when to interfere.”

“Then next time we plan for that moment,” Bryony said.

“How?” Mara asked.

“I don’t know yet.”

“Good answer.”

Bryony frowned at her. “You just complained when Elias gave it.”

“His was medical. Yours sounded determined.”

“They’re the same words.”

“Delivery matters.”

The answer sounded tired rather than grand. I trusted it more for that.