A Court Bright and Broken (Age of Fae #1)

28. Unrecognizable

Chapter 28

Unrecognizable

S tellon

Blowing out an exasperated breath, I rolled away from Raewyn and very reluctantly left the bed to go deal with my soon-to-be-dead brother.

“I’ll be right back,” I said to her. “Stay here, out of sight.”

Walking away from her—and the moment we’d almost shared—felt like tearing off a limb.

When I’d awakened beside her, I’d been half-convinced I was still living in one of the dreams I frequently had about her.

My hands had literally shaken with the restraint required to keep myself from reaching over and pulling her lovely figure close to me.

So I’d given them something else to do. Fetching my drawing pad and pencils, I’d returned to the bed and attempted to capture the ethereal beauty of Raewyn dreaming.

Now all I wanted to capture was my brother’s neck in a chokehold.

Closing the bedroom door behind me, I strode across the adjoining sitting room to the door of my suite, yanking it open to find Pharis’ smug grin.

“What are you doing awake at this hour? You usually sleep till noon,” I said.

“Maybe I felt the unquenchable urge for a flower bath ,” he drawled. “I hear they’re available daily in your chambers, as of late. Servants talk, remember?”

I stiffened and braced myself for the coming accusation.

“Yes, well… they relax me,” I said through gritted teeth. “If you’re so interested, order your own flower bath.”

I attempted to close the door in his face, but Pharis stopped it with his boot.

Pushing the door aside, he strolled into the sitting room, noting the fresh-cut star-poppies in several vases placed around the room and the extra throw pillows and blanket on the chaise along with a book Raewyn had left open.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in here,” he said. “Not since the day of the ball. It’s a lot more… hospitable than I remember.”

He stroked his chin, his tone mocking.

“One might even call it ‘charming.’ A bit of a feminine touch to the environs, I’d say.”

Sweat popped out at my temples, and my stomach fell to the richly patterned carpet. My brother wasn’t a fool. He knew something was going on.

I rolled my eyes and kept my tone blase. “What are you blathering on about?”

His jovial expression flattened as he nodded toward the closed bedroom door.

“She’s in there, isn’t she?”

A giant hand reached into my chest and squeezed my heart, stealing my breath.

“Who?”

“Lady Wyn ,” Pharis said as if it should have been obvious.

The giant released me, and I took a full breath once more.

“There’s no other explanation.” My brother raised his arms out to the sides. “No one disappears into thin air, even if they’re aided by an Earthwife. No one saw Wyn leave the palace grounds. No one has seen her since the ball—anywhere. All the searches and queries have turned up empty. There’s only one explanation—she’s been here the whole time… in your room.”

“What? You are mad,” I told him. “I vow to you that Lady Wyn is not in my bedroom.”

“Care to say that in a way that removes all doubt?” he challenged.

Shifting to mental conversation, I repeated myself. Lady Wyn is not in my room. I haven’t seen her since the night of the ball, and I have no idea where she is.

“Now what is all this about?” I asked.

Pharis slid his gaze to the bedroom door again, glaring at it as if it had personally offended him.

“You’ve been spending an unusual amount of time holed away in here,” he said. “The only thing that made any sense to me was that she was in here with you. That she still had you under her spell.”

“Well she’s not, and I’m not under any sort of spell. Satisfied?”

He must not have been because he scrutinized my face for a long moment then started moving toward the bedroom. I stepped into his path.

“It’s early , and I plan to go back to bed,” I said. “The social will run late tonight. You might want to rest up as well.”

Pharis didn’t look pleased about it, but he stopped and didn’t force himself past me to the bedroom door as I’d worried he might.

“Wyn might not be in there,” he said. “But something strange is going on with you.”

“You’re right. I’m being forced into marriage with a stranger. Can you blame me for wanting to enjoy my last moments of freedom to myself? I’d recommend you do the same. Both our lives will be irrevocably changed by the time this Assemblage ends.”

My brother stared at me a few moments longer before speaking.

“I won’t be at the social tonight,” he said. “I’m planning to depart for Altum shortly.”

“Shouldn’t you wait for the envoy to return? It’ll be any day now,” I said.

“I can’t trust an envoy,” Pharis muttered. “Lord Elardis could have all sorts of advisors with glamours we know nothing about. And I’m pretty sure I know what hers is. He could have sent Lady Wyn to use her particular wiles on you—on all of us.”

“You’ll miss the remainder of the Assemblage,” I said.

Pharis smirked. “Pity.” He turned to leave, speaking over his shoulder as he made his way to the sitting room door.

“The envoy could very well return brainwashed. If Wyn could do it to you at the ball, she could do it to him—or any of our guards who might come across her. I’m going to get to the bottom of this myself. If Lady Wyn is within his palace or his territory—or ever has been—I’ll find her.”

It was a surprise to witness so much determination from Pharis. I’d never seen him latch onto a purpose like this. Lady Wyn had gotten under his skin as well, if only to irritate him.

But while my fascination with her had faded almost entirely, Pharis seemed to be on the verge of obsession.

“Well, ride safely then. I’ll see you when you return,” I said and locked the door behind him.

When I returned to the bedroom, Raewyn was up and dressed, to my great dismay. I noticed she was getting around much better on the injured ankle now.

Soon it would heal completely, and the Assemblage would be over as well. Our time together was coming to an end.

The thought dropped on me like a heavy cloak, weighing down my shoulders.

“I’ll be out late tonight,” I informed her.

“Oh? What’s the occasion this time?” she teased. “An ax-throwing competition between the ladies vying for your attention? A timed tapestry-weaving contest?”

“It’s just a social for the guests and locals who are still unbonded. Drinks and light fare and conversation. It’s mandatory, even for me.”

“You Elves are serious about your mating rituals, aren’t you?”

“It is one of the main purposes of the Assemblage,” I told her. “Anyway, it will probably run late. You may be asleep by the time I return.”

“In that case, I’ll go ahead and bid you a good day and a good night—and wish you, ‘happy wife hunting.’”

Was it my imagination, or had there been a hint of bitterness in her tone?

I was the absolute embodiment of bitterness when I had to leave my chambers early to assist my father in some matters of state then attend to other various duties.

It was one thing after another all day, to the point I had no time to even return to my rooms and change clothes before attending the social in the small ballroom.

No matter—I didn’t really care about dressing to impress anyone there .

An hour passed slowly as I engaged in one repetitive conversation after another and watched the primped and pampered ladies move about the room, casting come-hither glances my way.

My eyes glazed over, and my mind filled with thoughts of Raewyn upstairs.

What was she doing right now?

Perhaps she was stretched out in front of the fire, reading a new-to-her book. Or sitting just inside the open windows, enjoying the sea breeze and gazing up at the moon.

Or maybe she’d gone to sleep early and was lying there in my bed, warm and beautiful and looking like a perfect angel.

Suddenly I was filled with a sense of alarm.

Here I was at a gathering of the finest Elven women our kingdom had to offer, and all I could think about was her —a human woman.

It was inappropriate. It was impossible. And yet, there it was.

I felt like I was teetering at the very edge of the sea cliff outside, one stiff breeze away from plunging to the sharp boulders below.

It had all been fun and games when Raewyn was just a human acquaintance of mine, but being with her on a daily basis had changed things.

Somehow, in the course of a week, my life had become unrecognizable.

My resolve to keep our relationship on a friendship basis had been unraveling day by day—as evidenced by my intention to kiss her this morning. The urge to try again tonight felt like a possession.

Grand Star… I think I love her.

My mind, my body, my heart… she had overtaken all of it. Nothing else seemed to matter.

It’s too dangerous. It’s forbidden, I reminded myself.

All too true. There was no way things could possibly work out between us. Not to mention the fact I had no idea how she felt about me .

And yet… I couldn’t stay away.

Walking quickly to the door, I left the ballroom and sprinted up the stairs to the third floor, desperate to see Raewyn.