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Adrian’s guards raised their weapons. He lifted one hand to hold them back.
“Keep walking,” he said. “The service door is open at the top. You can be outside the boundary before Harrowmere repairs the seal. Once you’re clear, the collar loses its claim on you.”
“And Bryony?”
“The court will crown her. She’ll survive if she stops fighting what she inherited. You’ve wanted freedom since Cecily died, Stellan. Take it while she can’t change her mind and lock you down again.”
For one second, I wanted to.
The passage rose ahead of me. The collar stayed loose, and I could reach the upper door.
Then Lenora cried out behind me.
I turned.
Bryony’s attacker had driven his shoulder into her knees. She hit the path and lost the sword. The marked woman had torn free of the last vines and was crawling towards them on one ruined arm. Lenora tried to rise between the two attackers and collapsed.
Bryony reached for the knife at her waist.
I went back through the gate.
Adrian swore behind me. “Bring him out.”
The marked guards in the roses fought to stand. I passed them before they could obey and drove the black blade through the mark over the crawling woman’s heart.
Red light burst under her skin. She screamed once, then sagged against the path. Her claws shortened into bloodied fingers.
“The blade cuts Adrian’s control without killing them,” I called to Bryony. “We keep it.”
Bryony’s attacker closed his hand around her throat. She stabbed his wrist, but his grip stayed tight.
I caught him by the back of the neck and lifted him away from her. The red marks covered his chest under the torn armour. I pushed the point of the black blade into the brightest line.
“Hold still if any part of you can,” I said. “This will hurt.”
His body went rigid. I cut across the mark.
The red command snapped. He dropped to his knees and vomited Adrian’s blood onto the stones.
Bryony rolled away and dragged air into her lungs. Finger marks darkened around her throat, but her eyes stayed clear.
Her hand closed around my wrist. “You came back. I saw the passage, Stellan. I know you could’ve kept walking and been free.”
I crouched beside her and checked the bruises with two fingers. “I knew it too. Then someone put a hand around your throat, and leaving stopped being a choice I wanted.”
A groan came from the spring wall. Lenora had slumped onto her side. Blood had spread across the path under her.
Bryony released me and crawled towards her. “She’s losing too much.”
I reached Lenora first and slid one arm under her knees. Her eyes opened as I lifted her.
“Don’t drop me.”
“Still issuing orders.”
“Save the reunion. Get me away from the gate.” Her voice weakened. “Adrian can restore the marks if those guards leave the lower court. Keep them inside until Harrowmere records his blood.”
Bryony picked up her sword and the black blade. “The garden is holding them. We take Lenora to my room, then I’ll close the royal door and make sure Adrian can’t reach them.”
