Page 95 of A Court Bright and Broken

A shudder passed through me at the sound of the innocent girl’s name on her lips.

The crone continued. “Raewyn, whom you ran down the steps to see, who was so relieved to see you she cried happy tears? Whose welfare you caredsomuch about, you handed the jailer a bag of coin heavy enough to strain his arm to keep her a secret.”

“What is your game, woman? Blackmail?” I asked. “What do you want?”

“Only to be released to go back… to my grandchildren. I will tell no one what I saw—and heard.”

My mind spun, considering possible outcomes.

If I released this woman, there would be nothing to keep her from breaking her word and identifying Raewyn, nothing to stop her from spreading this tale—which could reach the wrong ears as fast as lightning reached the ground from the heavens.

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I think you’ll be staying right here until the assassin is caught. Unlessyou’dlike to confess? Perhaps you didn’t come here for kitchen scraps but to kill me and my family.”

“No,” she hissed. “It wasn’t I. Send a truthsayer to use lie-detecting glamour on me if you don’t believe me.”

She sounded so confident. Maybe it was because sheknewI couldn’t do that—not if I wanted to keep Raewyn’s presence in the palace a secret.

I didn’t want this woman talking to my father’s truthfinder. I didn’t want her talking toanyone.

Because Iwasn’tmy father, I wouldn’t have her killed just to silence her. But there were other ways to ensure this “Wilda” person wouldn’t be sharing her story with anyone else.

“That won’t be necessary,” I said to her as I turned to walk away. “Time will tell.”

“You can’t leave me here,” she shrieked.

“Watch me,” I said over my shoulder.

Approaching the jailer’s table, I dropped another, even larger bag onto it. It landed with a clank that made his eyes bulge.

“Move the old woman to solitary confinement—and letno onein to see her but me,” I instructed.

“In fact, I want evenyouto forget who’s in that solitary chamber. As far as you’re concerned, if anyone comes asking for her, she doesn’t exist. Understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” the man said. “She doesn’t exist.”

Over the next few days, evidence continued to trickle in.

Pharis joined me in the breakfast room on the third day after the ball.

“Good morning. Has the Swift bird returned from Altum yet?” I asked him.

“Yes, just a little while ago, but it wasn’t carrying anything helpful,” he said. “Lord Elardis denies any knowledge of ‘Lady Wyn’ or anyone matching her description.”

“He would, of course,” I said.

“Of course,” Pharis agreed. “But it doesn’t necessarily convict him of treason—or exonerate him. Don’t forget she admitted to her lack of noble blood. Do you think Lord Elardis knows the name or even the face of every lowborn woman living in his territory—if she was even from there? He said in his message that he’d look into it. Idoubtit’ll be his top priority.”

“I’m beginning to think it should be ours,” I said. “We should send a rider. What of searches along the other roads?”

“Nothing. It’s like she’s vanished off the face of the earth. Of course shecouldhave someone hiding her.”

He rubbed his eyes with one hand, looking tired.

“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. What about you?” he asked. “What of the women in the dungeon?”

My heart kicked an extra beat, and I picked up a bread roll, tearing off a chunk with my teeth and chewing slowly to give myself time to think.

“I spoke to them,” I told him. “The older one was senile, wandered into the kitchens looking for food. Both of them were harmless. I let them go.”

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