Page 123 of A Court Bright and Broken

I was determined to find a way for her to stay.

But first, I had to make her want to.

Chapter 32

Sure Bets

Stellon

The next morning, I went to see my sister.

Mareth was in the morning room, playing a merry game of chase with a pair of white rabbits who darted from one piece of priceless gilded furniture to another.

Giving up, she collapsed onto the large, tufted sofa, and the elusive creatures settled in the lap of her generous skirts so she could pet them. The glamour mark on her wrist glowed with pink light as she stroked the petal-like ears of one of her fluffy friends.

She looked up and spotted me, breathing heavily and smiling. “Good morning, Stells. I’m surprised to see you up at this hour. You’ve taken to sleeping in quite late the past week or so.”

“Yes, I… didn’t sleep much at all last night, actually.”

Between my racing thoughts and the discomfort of the settee, I’d probably gotten only an hour or two of actual slumber. When I’d finally given up and arisen, the curtains had still been tightly drawn around the bed where Raewyn had slept without me.

She had shut me out physically and figuratively.

Mareth’s eyebrow raised. “Really?”

“Not forthatreason,” I said in a beleaguered tone. I onlywished.

She looked at me strangely. “Are you all right?”

“Of course. I’m fine. Are you well?”

She nodded. “I’m fine, but I’m not the one whose fiancée ran away.”

“If you evergeta fiancé, hewillrun away because he’ll be so intimidated by the threats from your two big brothers,” I teased.

She laughed, the concern easing from her brow. “That’s why I shall have to accept the proposal of only the most intimidating man in the kingdom, someone who’ll be able to stand up to you two bullies.”

“There is no such man,” I said. “Unless you were to marry a dragon-shifter—and in that case, our father would drop dead of horror.”

She grinned. “Don’t tempt me. That would makeyouking, and you are far more fun.”

“Thank you. A feeble compliment, but I’ll take it.”

Dropping onto the sofa beside her, I reached over to rub the soft fur of one of the rabbits. It was extremely tame, allowing the contact without protest.

Of course if my sister urged it to, the thing would chew my arm off.

“It’s not good for you to be alone so much, Stells,” Mareth said. “Especially after what you went through.”

“I’m fine,” I insisted.

She gave me a side glance, and her tone turned brighter, more inquisitive.

“Pharis is convinced you’renotalone in there. He thinks you’ve already made your choice from the available candidates and have gotten anearly startto your bonded relationship.”

Her teasing tone and expectant grin told me she was fishing.

“Well he’s wrong,” I said. “I assure you, I’m still as much a virgin as you are.”

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