Page 36 of A Court Bright and Broken

She simply gave me a warm, grandmotherly smile.

“That's fine,” she said. “There are two weeks until the royal ball. A lot can happen in two weeks.”

Lifting the bowls, she poured their contents back into the pot.

“People can get very hungry—and sick—in the span of two weeks. Have a lovely day, Raewyn. You may let yourself out.”

Though it was not a windy day and she was nowhere near it, the door slammed behind me the moment I stepped onto the stoop outside her cottage.

On the way home, her parting words rolled over and over again in my mind like a stone tumbling down the hill. There was a stone in my stomach as well, and it seemed to grow larger and heavier with each step.

How could I go home with a full belly, smelling of stew, when I had nothing to feed Papa and the girls?

I didn'twantto accept Sorcha’s mysterious bargain. The risks seemed too great. But what else was I going to do?

Waiting for a miracle was not going to fix this. Attempting to flirt with Dardick and convince him to marry me—ugh, I threw up in my mouth just a little at the thought—was not going to fix it.

As usual,Iwas the only one who could help myself. And I had only one option for doing so.

Stopping in the middle of the road, I turned around and started back up the path toward the Earthwife’s home.

Once again, she opened the door before I even had a chance to knock.

“I am so glad you've changed your mind,” Sorcha said.

“Yes, I have, but I have one condition,” I told her.

She raised one eyebrow as if entertained by my audacity. “Yes?”

“That you don’t wait two weeks to start helping my family. I want my father healed right away—and food to feed my sisterstonight—before they get any more frail.”

I was pretty surenoneof us would make it two more weeks without immediate intervention.

“You can trust me,” I rushed to add. “I promise I will make good on my end of the bargain when the time comes.”

The Earthwife’s smile was wide—and a little frightening, if I was being honest.

“I know you will, child,” she said. “I know you will.”

Chapter 11

Glamour Gifts

Stellon–Two weeks later

Father and I were the last ones remaining at the breakfast table.

Normally, I wouldn’t linger myself, not exactly eager for more face time with our sire, but he’d asked me to stay when the others had finished their meals and gotten up to leave, eager to begin preparations for tonight’s ball.

Once the room was empty, Father studied me in a narrow-eyed perusal that went on for so long I was beginning to sweat.

“What is it? You wanted to speak with me about something?” I prompted.

“You’re different,” he said. “What’s been going on with you lately?”

I looked down at myself as if the right answer would be written across my shirt sleeve. “Nothing. Just the usual. I am my normal self.”

He shook his head. “No. You’ve been different ever since you were hit by that fallen tree.”

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