Rowan stopped three paces from us, Lina's collared throat under one casual hand. The iron links chimed when she swallowed, a soft, delicate sound that seemed impossibly loud in the silence of the throne room. Her eyes were wide, but she didn't struggle. She had learned that struggling only made it worse.
"You look improved," he observed, studying the faint silver still flickering under Darius's bandages and the scar on my wrist. His gaze was clinical, assessing, like a merchant examining goods. "The bond settled. How touching. And how convenient. A finished bond is stronger… and far more useful as a leash."
He released Lina and gave her a light push forward. She stumbled into the open space between the pillars, her bare feet slapping against the cold marble. The collar around her neck wa
