Page 16 of A Court Bright and Broken

And they were all… beautiful. There was no other way to put it. All of these Elves had such perfect features, I wondered if they had any difficulty telling each other apart.

Glancing back up at Sam, I wondered whathe’dlook like without all the blood and grime.

We must have been quite the spectacle, a human woman escorting a bruised and bloodied Elven man down the main thoroughfare.

Some of the Elves did stop what they were doing to watch, but no one rushed forward to offer help—or to accuse me of trespassing where I did not belong.

Still, I was uncomfortable under their scrutiny. I couldn’t have been more out of my element.

“Is it much farther?” I asked when we came to the end of the village’s central street.

I didn’t see any houses beyond it, only the imposing walls surrounding the royal city of Merisola and the enormous castle where King Pontus lived with the two wicked young princes and their sister.

Was he a servant living in the royal city then?

“Not much,” Sam said. “If you need to get back, you can leave me here. I’ll rest a little while then go the remainder of the way myself.”

“Don’t be silly. If it’s not much farther, why would I leave you now?”

He gazed down at me as if he’d never seen a woman’s face, studying every aspect of it at length.

“What?” I asked with an uncomfortable giggle.

“I think you’re probably the best person in the world,” he said.

“Certainly the kindest human I’ve ever met. And clever,” he added in a tone that told me it came as a surprise to him.

Unable to stop myself, I laughed. “Do your people think we are all dullards?”

“No of course not,” he said hurriedly, but I could tell he was lying.

Then he added, “My people very rarely think of yours at all.”

Nowtherewas the truth.

“Only when it’s time to take our money and crops and livestock,” I said. “Your lords and ladies must be well fed indeed.”

My stomach picked that moment to let out an angry growl loud enough for Sam to hear.

“It must be past time for your midday meal,” he said. “I’m sorry I took you from the market before you had a chance to eat. When we reach the palace, I’ll send someone to fetch some food for you. Can’t have you traveling home on an empty stomach.”

A cold wave washed over my body, raising the hairs on my arms and prickling my scalp.

There were so many alarming things about his casually delivered words, I hardly knew where to begin.

Firstly, he’d said we were going all the way to the palace.

Secondly, he’d said he wouldsendsomeone to fetch me some food.

I pulled away from Sam abruptly, causing him to rock back and forth before he managed to regain his balance.

“Who are you?”

His eyes flickered away, then came back to meet mine. “I told you, I can’t remember my full name.”

“You’re High Fae though, aren’t you?”

His refusal to answer was an answer in itself.

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