Page 111 of A Court Bright and Broken

Was it my imagination, or had there been a hint of bitterness in her tone?

I was the absoluteembodimentof bitterness when I had to leave my chambers early to assist my father in some matters of state then attend to other various duties.

It was one thing after another all day, to the point I had no time to even return to my rooms and change clothes before attending the social in the small ballroom.

No matter—I didn’t really care about dressing to impress anyonethere.

An hour passed slowly as I engaged in one repetitive conversation after another and watched the primped and pampered ladies move about the room, casting come-hither glances my way.

My eyes glazed over, and my mind filled with thoughts of Raewyn upstairs.

What was she doing right now?

Perhaps she was stretched out in front of the fire, reading a new-to-her book. Or sitting just inside the open windows, enjoying the sea breeze and gazing up at the moon.

Or maybe she’d gone to sleep early and was lying there in my bed, warm and beautiful and looking like a perfect angel.

Suddenly I was filled with a sense of alarm.

Here I was at a gathering of the finest Elven women our kingdom had to offer, and all I could think about washer—a human woman.

It was inappropriate. It was impossible. And yet, there it was.

I felt like I was teetering at the very edge of the sea cliff outside, one stiff breeze away from plunging to the sharp boulders below.

It had all been fun and games when Raewyn was just a human acquaintance of mine, but being with her on a daily basis had changed things.

Somehow, in the course of a week, my life had become unrecognizable.

My resolve to keep our relationship on a friendship basis had been unraveling day by day—as evidenced by my intention tokiss her this morning. The urge to try again tonight felt like a possession.

Grand Star… I think I love her.

My mind, my body, my heart… she had overtaken all of it. Nothing else seemed to matter.

It’s too dangerous. It’s forbidden,I reminded myself.

All too true. There was no way things could possibly work out between us. Not to mention the fact I had no idea howshefelt aboutme.

And yet… I couldn’t stay away.

Walking quickly to the door, I left the ballroom and sprinted up the stairs to the third floor, desperate to see Raewyn.

Chapter 29

Wishful Thinking

Raewyn

The pitcher of saol water was empty.

I hadn’t meant to drink itall. When night fell and Stellon hadn’t returned to the room, I’d grown restless—and bored with reading, a condition I’d believed impossible before tonight.

And I was irritated. At my stupid ankle. At being stuck in this suite, as luxurious as it was, day after day.

At him for being gone all day and night. Which made no sense.

Stellon had no obligation to me, other than, I supposed, the aversion to having a starved human skeleton cluttering up his fancy room. He was taking care of my needs only so that I could recover enough to leave.

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