Page 152 of Blood Ties

Adrian smiled and pushed the dagger closer to my heart.

“Take it, Bryony.”

40

BRYONY

The Crown hung behind me, close enough for its points to catch in my hair. I kept my hands down.

Adrian’s smile disappeared as he repeated the order. “Take it.”

“I’m not taking it because you order me to.” Blood from my throat slid under the collar of my shirt.

The dagger point stayed pressed over Stellan’s heart. Red chains held his wrists apart against the floor, with another locked around his throat. His shoulder and side were soaked with blood, but his gaze remained fixed on me.

Anger burned through our bond over the control I trusted. He wasn’t offering himself or asking me to give in.

Lenora fought near the foot of the dais. The two freed guards held the last marked vampire between them while she tried to reach his chest with the seal blade. Every second they kept fighting gave Adrian another second with the dagger.

I looked at the Crown. “You said it has to accept me.”

“It will.”

“Then you wouldn’t need the dagger.”

The cut across Adrian’s head had opened again. Blood ran into his eyebrow, and his careful regent act had gone with it. He looked furious, sweaty and far less powerful than he’d ever wanted me to see.

He caught the Crown with his free hand and dragged it down. The black points turned towards my scalp.

I tried to move, but the throne slammed into my back hard enough to knock the breath from me. Adrian brought the Crown closer while keeping the dagger angled over Stellan. Cold rolled over my face as the lowest point caught in my hair.

White light tore up the carved wood and struck Adrian’s arm.

Adrian shouted and lost his grip. The Crown flew from his hand, spun once above the dais and stopped beyond his reach.

Harrowmere had allowed the Crown close, then attacked when Adrian tried to finish the act. The house would accept it only from my hand.

Stellan moved the instant the light hit Adrian. He dragged one wrist half an inch towards his body before the red chains tightened and pulled him flat again. The effort tore open his shoulder wound.

Adrian shoved the dagger through his shirt.

The point broke skin. Stellan’s breath caught, and pain punched through the bond.

“Try that again,” Adrian said, “and I’ll take enough blood to leave him dead even if the transfer fails.”

“You need him alive until I’m wearing it.”

“I need his heartblood fresh. His comfort is irrelevant.”

Stellan bared his fangs. “You always did need a woman and a weapon to make you feel like a king.”

Adrian drove the dagger a little deeper.

“Stellan.” His name left me before I could stop it.

His eyes found mine. The sharp pain in the bond eased into grim patience. He’d wanted Adrian’s attention on him, and the bastard had taken the bait.

The last mark broke in a burst of red light. The vampire dropped between the two guards, and Lenora pulled the black blade free and started towards us.