Page 61 of A Court Bright and Broken

“Poison.” There was a distinct note of pleasure in her voice.

My eyes flew up to meet hers again. “Poison? What’s it for?”

“Not what. Whom,” the witch corrected.

“You will assassinate the royal family tonight—what remains of it. Our allies did a good job of eliminating the mother during the rebellion.”

Suddenly I felt completely sober.Assassination?

“Now only the Crown Prince and his younger brother and KingPompousremain,” Sorcha said. “Oh, and the sister too. Better take her out as well. She seems a gentle sort, but you can’t be too sure–the throne can do strange things to people. You’ll kill them all then escape.”

All of this was delivered in a matter-of-fact tone, as if she’d instructed me to hang out the wash and then sweep the floor instead of telling me to do something atrocious followed by something impossible.

My body froze in instant resistance.

“I can’t do that.”

Yes, the royal family and their fancy friends had lorded it over us, levied unfair taxes, and conscripted many humans into service here in the castle, but they weren’tallbad.

Well, not Mareth and Ronia anyway.

And even if they all deserved it, I wasn’t a killer.

“Oh you can, and you will. You’ll be a hero to your people. They’ll praise your name and write ballads in your honor,” Sorcha said.

“I don’t want praise and ballads,” I said. ‘If you’d told me beforehand thatthiswas the payment, Ineverwould have made that bargain with you.”

Which was exactly why shehadn’ttold me. It was so clear to me now.

I wished desperately I’d never gone to her cottage that day.

“Yet youdidmake it,” Sorcha reminded me. “And you must pay your debt. I warned you… if you don’t, the penalty will be beyond imagination—your family will beworseoff than before.”

“No, please.” I shook my head, reaching out toward her on instinct before withdrawing my hands. There would be no comfort from her direction.

“Put the substance in their drinks before the evening ends. The Randalins will conduct no more witch hunts after tonight.”

What?I’d heard nothing about the Fae hunting human witches. Had I stumbled into apersonalbattle between the Earthwives and the Elves?

That was a whole different matter than “saving” my people from our oppressive overlords.

After I’d managed to gather enough air to speak, I asked, “Couldyounot do it yourself and let me accomplish someothertask for you instead? You’re here. You’re in disguise as well.”

Sorcha shook her head vehemently. “There’s only so much our spells can do to change someone’s appearance. I couldn’t increase your height by much, and as you can see, I’m disguised,but I still look my age. The High Elves don’t letelderlyhumans serve anywhere near the royal family. Apparently old age disgusts them.”

Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t seen any guests here at the royal ball who were older than middle aged, at the oldest. Most were much younger.

“There arenoold Elves?” I asked, aghast.

Did they leave their elders out to die of exposure when they reached a certain age? Did they send them off to a holding camp for the decrepit until they finally died, ostracized and alone? If so, they reallywereevil.

“There are, but you can’t tell it by looking at them,” Sorcha explained. “The outward aging process stops for all the Fae once they reach about the age of forty. Unfortunately, their lives continue on forever—unless they’re ended by violence.”

“They never get sick?”

“No, so it’ll be obvious their deaths weren’t the result of accidental food poisoning. You’ll have to move quickly to get out of the castle once the deed is done.”

I was filled with an overwhelming sense of desperation. I had never hurt anyone on purpose in my life. Killing four people, Elven or not, was simply unthinkable.

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