Page 83 of Blood Ties

I had pulled it tight enough to keep the Crown from making me touch her.

22

BRYONY

The chain was cutting into Stellan’s throat, and he was still pulling it tighter.

Blood covered his chest. His face had lost what little colour it usually held, and the hand wrapped in iron wouldn’t open. The Crown burned red over the throne, but the rest of Harrowmere had gone quiet.

“Let go,” I said.

His eyes stayed on me. “Stay back.”

The words came out broken. I ignored them and crossed the witness rail.

“Bryony.”

“The red command is dead. Adrian can’t move you now.”

“The Crown can.” He pulled the chain another inch. Blood ran over the collar. “Get into Cecily’s room.”

I stopped outside his reach and looked at the iron ring beside the throne. He’d looped the throat chain through it before winding the loose length around his fist. The Crown could still tug at the collar, but Adrian’s red light had gone from the links.

“You came through a wall after me,” I said. “You discovered on the first night that I don’t follow stupid orders.”

The corner of his mouth moved. “I was distracted by your blood.”

His voice broke on the last word. I stepped onto the loose chain and pinned it to the floor with my boot.

“Harrowmere,” I said, keeping my attention on the Crown. “Stellan Varen acted to protect the royal heir. Release the command in his collar.”

The red points over the throne dimmed. The collar remained tight, but Stellan’s shoulders dropped a fraction.

“Again,” he rasped. “Name the sentence.”

I remembered the words carved into the prison wall. “Suspend the Blood King’s sentence while he protects me from the Crown. No command may use his body against mine.”

White light ran across the floor and reached the ring. The iron opened with a hard click.

Stellan’s fist stayed closed.

I crouched in front of him and put the sword down within reach. “It’s open.”

“The Crown is waiting for me to release it.”

I waited until his eyes found mine.

His breathing had become a thin scrape, and his eyes were almost black with hunger. I put my hand over his fist. The iron under my palm was slick with his blood.

“Adrian is outside,” I said. “His command is gone. I’m standing here because I chose to come closer. Open your hand.”

His fingers unlocked one at a time. I took the chain from them and pulled it free of the ring. The loose links hit the floor, and the collar finally slackened.

Stellan dragged in a breath. He swayed towards me, caught himself with one hand and ended up on both knees.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

I caught his face between my hands. The cuts around his neck were deep. One crossed an old scar and refused to close. The wound along his ribs had opened too, soaking the side of his shirt.