“This girl and Lady Wyn are one and the same,” I told him. “She was spelled to look Elven so she could infiltrate the Opening Night Ball. Raewyn is the would-be assassin.”
I heard Raewyn’s gasp from behind my back.
You did it. You really did it. I can’t believe you. You’re not my brother anymore,Stellon said, his mental tone anguished.
“I discovered her in Stellon’s chambers and have worked to get her away from him ever since.”
So far I hadn’t said anything that wouldn’t stand up to mind-to-mind scrutiny or a truth-sayer.
My father eyed me skeptically. “So why did you not kill her yourself? Why are you protecting her even now?”
Holding up my bound hands in front of me, I said, “Bear with me.”
“I knew she couldn’t have acted alone,” I said. “I’ve been trying to discover her accomplice, to figure out how a lowly half-human could manage to pull off infiltrating the castle and get so close to the royal family. And now I know.”
I pointed at Sorcha. “This Earthwife is the one who helped her. She used her spell to pull the wool over all our eyes—including yours.”
Father turned to stare at Sorcha, who immediately began lying.
“It’s not true, Your Majesty. He’s still spellbound, Your Majesty.”
“And who cast this alleged spell?” my father demanded.
“One of my sisters?” she said.
“Give me a name,” Father dared her.
The Earthwives were famous for their loyalty to one another. Sorcha sputtered, trying to figure out what to do.
Before she could offer up a false name to buy time or tell any other sort of lie, I told him another truth.
“It was her. They’re from the same village. Raewyn told me herself. I gained her trust,” I explained. “She told me everything.”
Adding a lecherous laugh, I said, “She almostgaveme everything as well. Humans are no match for our gifts, as you well know.”
Father gave me a look of derision. “You’re not the Crown Prince, but still, you shouldn’t waste yourgiftson a half-breed either. Why did you not tell me of any of this sooner?”
“I went to your chambers to talk to you, but your guards wouldn’t admit me,” I said.
That much was true, though my next statement was not.
“I knew Stellon was so lovesick he’d never stop trying to see her, so I got her out of the palace and began working to gain her confidence.”
“Care to confirm all this mind-to-mind?” my father asked.
We shifted to internal communication, and I repeated all the truths I’d already told him verbally, leaving out any elaboration that might reveal thefulltruth.
I’ll do anything to protect my family,I said as I finished the nonverbal recap.
“Very well. Good work, son.” He nodded, satisfied, and ordered me untied.
As a guard released my hands, the King said, “And now that we’ve found both the assassin and her accomplice, I’ll end them here and now. That’ll put a stop to this disgraceful ‘love spell’ business once and for all. Step aside, Pharis.”
I thrust out a hand, daring to grab his wrist and stop him. “Don’t kill them yet.”
“Why the shaded stars not?” Father asked, irritated.
“Hear me out. As I said, if you do, you’ll be missing a golden opportunity to display your greatness and absolute power.”
