Page 49 of Blood Curse

“I know.”

This time his certainty didn’t feel like reassurance offered because he loved me. It felt like fact.

A knock sounded at the door.

Elias entered with Mara behind him. Her arm rested in a sling, though she looked more annoyed by it than hurt.

“The scratches will close within the hour,” Elias said. “She’ll complain for considerably longer.”

“He put me in a sling for four scratches,” Mara said.

“You tore a muscle pulling that man away.”

“It’ll heal.”

“Faster if you stop using it.”

Stellan pointed at a chair. “Sit down before he makes me ask politely.”

Mara glared at all three of us and sat.

Elias turned to me. “How is the hunger?”

“Manageable now. The Crown liked the blood, but it liked the audience more.”

“Then it has moved beyond simple appetite.”

“Can the spring help?” Stellan asked.

“It may.” Elias closed his medical case. “Silver water quieted the Crown when Cecily wore it. If we can keep the metal under long enough, Bryony may have time to complete a cleansing attempt before the curse wakes again.”

I looked at Stellan. “You said may.”

“I did,” Elias replied. “It won’t be a cure by itself. But it could give you a chance.”

10

STELLAN

A chance wasn’t enough. We needed to know what the attempt would cost before Bryony stood in that spring.

She remained beside the table, one hand curled around her untouched glass. The Crown had gone cold again. Its silence felt watchful.

“What does a cleansing attempt involve?” she asked.

Elias addressed me. “You were present when Cecily was crowned.”

“I remember.”

“Start with the spring.”

The memory had survived the century more clearly than many things I wanted to keep. Cecily had stood waist-deep in silver water, laughing because it was cold and pretending she didn’t care that the whole court could hear her swear.

I hadn’t laughed. I had been too busy trying not to disgrace myself in white ceremonial clothes.

Mara settled deeper into her chair. “You looked like an angry wedding cake.”

“The coat was fashionable.”