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Adrian’s hand jerked away from the wall. Shock crossed his face, followed by fury.

Harrowmere hadn’t made him obey. The house had used my recognised blood to push him out of its damaged seal.

The clear stone began to darken. Adrian stepped back and pointed the dagger at Stellan.

“When that gate opens again, I’ll bring enough vampires to take this court from both of you.”

31

STELLAN

The damaged wall turned solid again, cutting off Adrian and the noise from the upper court.

White light sealed the fracture, though a red line remained inside the stone. Harrowmere had pushed him out. It hadn’t repaired the harm he’d done.

Bryony kept hold of my hand. She looked at the place where Adrian had stood, then at me.

I knew the question was coming. I also knew better than to make her ask twice.

“Lenora, can you hold this room?”

Lenora nodded. “The witnesses and I can hold the inner door. If Adrian tries the dagger again, we’ll call you.”

“Don’t open the gate for anyone,” Bryony said.

“I’ve learnt that lesson.” Lenora’s gaze moved to me. “Go. She deserves the rest of it from you.”

Bryony led me out of the throne room. She didn’t speak as we crossed the lower hall, and I didn’t use the walk to prepare a kinder version of the truth.

The door to her new room opened at her touch. She went inside and waited while I shut it behind us.

Her coat still lay over the chair where Harrowmere had placed it. The bag she’d brought from her human life sat beside the bed. We’d spent less than two days in the court, yet Adrian had already made the world above feel distant.

Bryony sat on the edge of the bed. I took the chair across from her.

“You already told me how Cecily died,” she said. “What did you leave out?”

“How long I knew she was losing control. What happened while I kept trying to save her. What I did after she died.”

She rested her hands on her thighs. “Start with how long.”

“Eight months.”

The number stripped away any hope that I’d discovered the danger too late to prevent it.

Her face changed. “You knew for eight fucking months?”

“I knew the Crown was making her afraid. I didn’t know Adrian had fed his blood into it until the final week.”

Bryony’s voice stayed quiet. I would’ve preferred shouting. Quiet meant she was listening closely enough to remember every word.

“You still knew she was using it against people.”

“Yes.”

Bryony didn’t fill the silence or offer me an easier question.

“It began with restrictions,” I said. “Cecily closed the outer gate after dark and searched rooms when she thought someone had stolen from the vault. Then she started hearing threats in ordinary disagreements. She ordered guards to confine anyone she didn’t trust.”