Page 3 of Blood Curse

“Again,” Stellan said.

I shoved with everything I had. The door flew inwards. Lenora came through holding one half of the broken dagger. Her dark braid was half undone, blood streaked one sleeve and her expression promised murder to the first person who wasted her time. She took in Stellan beside me, the vanished chains and the blood running from my mouth.

“Can she hear us?”

“Yes. She revoked the order and the chains disappeared.”

“Good.” Lenora wedged the dagger fragment into the door before the ward could close it. “Bryony, move whatever you can.”

I lifted two fingers.

“Once for yes, twice for no. Can the Crown speak without your mouth?”

I lifted two.

“Is it trying to command Stellan now?”

One. His hand tightened around mine. “It tried the heartblood order. She stopped it.” Lenora’s gaze stayed on the Crown. “Can it hear us?” One.

“Can it hear what you think?”

I waited, testing the pressure in my head. The woman reached memories when she wanted them, but my thoughts still felt like mine. Two.

“Can it use Harrowmere without you?”

I lifted one finger, hesitated, then lifted it a second time. The answer wasn’t clean. Lenora nodded. “It can push through you, but it needs your blood.” One.

“Then you’re the stronger half of this arrangement.”

Stellan’s gaze cut to her. “She isn’t half of anything with that Crown.”

“I’m telling her where the leverage is.” Lenora looked back at me. “It needs you. You don’t need it. Remember that.”

I lifted one finger. Lenora came to the other side of the throne, within reach if I needed her, but kept her hands away from the metal. “Can you breathe?” One.

“Can you stand if we lift you?”

I didn’t know. I kept my fingers still. Stellan watched me. “Try?” One.

“If the pain changes, squeeze my arm. If you want me to stop, squeeze twice. I don’t care what the Crown wants. I’ll listen to you.”

I lifted one finger.

“And if you can’t move?” Lenora asked.

Stellan’s eyes stayed on mine. “I stop the instant her face tells me to.” The certainty in his voice warmed something the Crown couldn’t reach.

“Slowly,” Lenora said.

“I was planning to throw her over my shoulder.”

“Save that for when she can enjoy it.”

Heat rushed into my face. Stellan almost smiled. “Three people in the room and only one of us is behaving.” Lenora looked at his fangs. “It isn’t you.” The exchange gave me a second of normality. I used it. I wrenched my other hand free and gripped Stellan’s forearm. Black ink curved under my fingers, warm against my palm.

“Now,” I forced out.

He slid one arm behind my back and the other under my knees. Lenora caught the Crown with both hands, holding it steady as he lifted me. Agony tore across my scalp. I screamed. Stellan froze with me half out of the throne. “Bryony?”