"You…" His voice faltered. "You put a collar on me."
Dax's brows drew together. He didn't move away and didn't seem to understand what he had just done. "You agreed," he said quietly, almost defensively. "I asked if I could put it on. I thought Hanna explained…"
"She didn't," Christopher cut in, his voice sharp enough to cut through the still air. The flicker of red from his patch pulsed again, brighter now, betraying his pulse. "She said it was a necklace. That's what you said too."
"It is a necklace," Dax said, his tone steady but uncertain now, his hand hovering near the clasp. "It just…"
"Locks?" Christopher's laugh came out brittle, empty. "Yes, I noticed."
He stood abruptly. The cushions gave way under his weight, the silk folds whispering against his legs as he moved. The chandelier's amber light caught in the diamonds around his neck, turning them into fire.
