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My hand closed over the chain behind me. “The blade will cut me first.”

“It’s already cutting you.” Bryony shifted the sword, searching for an angle.

The iron edge had opened the skin around my neck. Blood ran under it, hot and fast. The scent reached the Crown, and the chains across the floor lifted again.

Adrian spoke from the dais. “Bring her to the throne, Stellan. The Crown only wants the blood she owes it. Obey, and I may leave enough of her human life intact for you to enjoy.”

My left foot moved towards Bryony.

Bryony raised the sword between us. Her face had gone pale, but her hands were steady. “You’ll have to get past this.”

“I know what you can do with it.”

“Good.” She set her feet.

“Go to the rail.”

Bryony didn’t move. “And leave you here while he drives you around?”

“He isn’t driving me anywhere.” I pulled the loose end of the throat chain across my back.

The next step nearly proved me a liar. I stopped it by catching the throat chain behind my back. Its loose end ran to an iron ring beside the throne. I wrapped it once around my fist.

Adrian’s command pushed me towards her again. I pulled in the opposite direction.

The collar closed.

Pain burst across my throat. I kept pulling until the forced movement stopped. The Crown pressed the command into my bones, but it couldn’t move me forwards without choking the body it needed.

“Stellan, let go.” Bryony lowered the sword and came towards me.

I shook my head once. My sight darkened at the edges. “Rail.”

“You can’t hold that,” Bryony said.

I forced air past the iron. “Watch me.”

She stopped outside my reach. Anger flashed across her face, aimed at me now instead of the room. “There has to be another option.”

“You broke the red line. Harrowmere is already fighting him. Give it time.”

“How much?” She took another step.

“Less if you stop distracting me.”

Bryony glared at me. “I’m distracting you by trying to stop you strangling yourself?”

“You’re close enough to make this harder.”

Heat flashed between us, then she saw the blood running down my chest and swore.

“I’m not feeding you while the court can use you,” she said.

“I haven’t asked.”

“You need blood,” she said.

I pulled the chain tighter when the Crown tried to move me. “Keep your blood. Keep your anger too. I came through that wall because he was hurting you. Get out of my reach and let me hold him here.”