Page 138 of A Court Bright and Broken

Pharis turned back to him, a new gleam in his eye.

“What will you give me to keep the secret?”

Ihatedthat guy.

He held a life—possibly two—in his hands, and all he could think about was making deals. About how to benefit himself.

“What do you want?” Stellon asked.

“Well, I don’t know. Let me think…”

Pharis struck a dramatic pose, planting his widespread feet and stroking his irritatingly handsome chin.

“This is a pretty big breach of Elven rules, not to mention palace etiquette.”

Stellon hung his head and sighed. “Just get on with it. Name your price.”

“Very well,” Pharis said. “I want you to give me your glamour, whenever I ask for it, no questions asked. Just hand it over, no matter what may be happening at the moment.”

“You told me before it was useless to you.”

“I’ve changed my mind,” Pharis said.

“Fine,” Stellon agreed.

Pharis smiled and extended a hand for his brother to shake.

Stellon took it. “And I have your word you won’t tell Father about Raewyn?”

“Raewyn?” He sent a sharp glance in my direction.

His face split in a predatory grin. “What a lovely name.”

The exact words he’d said to me the night we’d met, when I’d introduced myself as “Wyn.”

He definitelyknew. I didn’t know how he knew, but he knew.

Why wasn’t he telling Stellon about my duplicity? From the moment I’d met him, I hadn’t been able to figure this guy out.

“Well, goodnight, lovebirds,” Pharis said. Winking at his brother, he added, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

Just before turning to leave, he gave me a long look and sent another eerie personal mind-to-mind message.

Tell him. Or I will.You know it can’t last anyway.

Then he was gone, and I was alone once more with Stellon. Stellon, who’d returned after I’d thrown him out of his own room and saved me from gods only knew what fate Pharis had intended for me.

And he’d secured my safety by offering up his own glamour gift for Pharis to take at any time and use for any purpose he desired. I didn’t know you could even lend out a glamour.

“Does he do that a lot?” I asked.

“Do what?”

“Make deals like that? Doesn’t he ever do something for free just out of the goodness of his heart?”

Stellon huffed a small laugh. “I’m sure Pharis would tell you thereisno goodness in his heart.”

Taking my hand, he drew me over to the settee and urged me to sit on the cushion closest to the fireplace. He brushed my hair back from my face and looked me over as if checking for damage.

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