Page 63 of A Court Bright and Broken

“I’m not sure how you expect me to put this in their drinks. I’ve been seated far, far away from the head table.”

“So wait until dinner is over,” she said. “Based on what I saw earlier in the ballroom, you’ll have no trouble getting close toeitherprince again.”

This was my chance to ask the question I’d been wondering about all evening.

“You said you’d make me into a beautiful Elven woman for the ball… but did you put anythingelseinto the spell?”

“Why do you ask?”

“You didn’t add a… love spell or something?”

She gave me a speculative glance. “Interesting. Each spell is different because each person is different. It’s always fascinating to see how it turns out. You believe the young princes have paid you attention because of something I did.”

“Didn’t you?”

Sorcha shrugged. “It’s hard to say. As I told you, our magic is variable, particularly when it comes to altering people in some way. In either case, this is good.”

She paused, and a smile developed, growing on her face like a noxious weed.

“In fact, if you can’t manage to poison their drinks, you can rub a little of the powder on your lips. It won’t hurt humans—only the Fae. You can poison the Crown Prince with a kiss. Or even better,bothprinces.”

Her hands rubbed together in front of her as if her victory against her Elven foes was almost in her grasp.

“Perhaps even the King. He seemed to like you as well,” she said.

A shudder passed through me. I had never kissedanyone. I certainly didn’t want to start with King Pontus.

And I didn’t want to kiss either prince—not under these circumstances.

Could there possiblybea more cold-blooded way to take someone’s life than with a gesture of affection?

“I don’t think it would work for the girl, but it’s worth a try,” Sorcha suggested. “Now be off with you—someone’s coming.”

Dreading it with every fiber of my being but knowing I couldn’t let my family pay for my foolish mistakes, I left the corridor and started back toward the ballroom.

What I saw when I stepped into the wide hallway stopped me in my tracks.

Chapter 17

A Lady of Honor

Stellon

There she was.

A long sigh of relief left my chest. After all my frantic searching, Wyn had just appeared in the central hall, stepping out from one of the side corridors.

I’d been so afraid she’d left the palace altogether before I’d gotten a chance to speak with her again. And we did have important matters to discuss, despite my father’s orders to take my time and “explore all the possibilities” that were open to me.

Hurrying toward her, I called out her name.

“Lady Wyn. Hello again.” I reached her and took her hands in both of mine. “My esteem shines upon you.”

“And mine upon you.”

In contrast to her polite words, she darted her eyes away, looking like she’d rather be somewhere else. As I’d suspected, she was insulted.

“I deeply apologize for the seating arrangements,” I said. “I had no idea where you were sitting until I spotted you just now. If I’d seen you earlier, I would have done something about it. In fact, I’ll take care of it right away. Come with me and I’ll speak to—”

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