Page 147 of A Court Bright and Broken

And itwaswhat I wanted—I was almost certain of it.

There was only an infinitesimal part of me that held out hope my brother’s sweetheart hadn’t been involved, that she hadn’t pulled the wool over his eyes and had nothing to do with those poison vials.

Of course my concern was forhim.The way he talked about her, I knew it would break his heart to find outshewas the assassin.

And if thatwereto be confirmed, it would really make me question my own thoughts about her—about what the matchmaker’s glamour had revealed to me the night of the ball.

“Talk,” I ordered the woman. “You can start with the part about the love spell.”

She smiled. “Your reputation for being charming was a bit overblown, I find.”

“I have the power to charm your head from your wrinkled neck, should it amuse me to do so. Unless you’re in a hurry to reach the Land Without Stars, I advise you to start talking.”

“No need to resort to threats, young man. I’ll tell you everything,” she promised. “And in return, you will release me from this cell and from the castle.”

I hastily nodded agreement, and the woman told me a tale of magic, and murder, and beauty, and lies.

“As for a love spell, there wasn’t one. Your brother is simply a very poor judge of character. I trust you’re a little wiser?”

If she was trying to get me to talk about my own impression of Raewyn, she was going to be very disappointed. That was no one’s business but mine.

Besides, the very last person I’d confide in was an Earthwife.

“You won’t need to bother killing the girl,” she informed me. “Raewyn also made a bargain with me, and she failed to uphold her end. I’ll deal with her. An Earthwife always exacts her price.”

“No,I’lldeal with her,” I growled then slammed the window shut again, turning to depart.

“Where are you going?” the woman howled.

From the sound of her voice, she was just on the other side of the door now.

“You’re supposed to release me now,” she said.

I laughed. “Do you really think I’m stupid enough to free a witch who plotted to kill me and my family?”

The jailer, who’d returned with the food I’d ordered for her, stopped in place when he saw me striding down the corridor.

“Take it back,” I said. “In fact, don’t bring her anything else to eat. Let her starve in there and turn to dusty old bones—unless you fancy a dark cell of your own.”

The woman clearly overheard me because her vengeful screech followed me out of the dungeon.

“You can’t do this! I’m warning you… an Earthwife always exacts her price.”

I was far less concerned about her threats than the price I might have to pay for telling my brother the woman he loved was a liar.

He wouldn’t like it. He’d be beyond angry with me.

My hope was that someday he’d forgive me and realize I’d done what I had to do to save his life—or at least save him from bonding himself to the wrong woman for him.

To the marrow of my bones, I knew that much about Raewyn.

Stellon had to marry the right person and become King of Avrandar and Lord of the Sixlands. He deserved the crown.

Who I ended up with was far less consequential.

When I reached the third-floor hallway, my shoulders sank in dismay. My brother had stationed no fewer than four guards at his door.

Naturally my next move was to try the secret passageway. The door into his room didn’t budge an inch.

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