Mist-Torn 01 - The Mist-Torn Witches by Barb Hendee Read Free Book Online Page A

never a wise move.
    But before Amelie could do anything stupid—like toss the wine in his face—the people around them began to bow, and Céline turned to see a young man in a burgundy tunic walking into the hall.
    “My lord,” Jaromir said, bowing slightly.
    But Céline froze as the young man met her gaze. She knew him, and she could see that he remembered her, although his eyes flickered as if he was somewhat taken aback by the sight of her. He hadn’t seen her since she was fifteen, and she had changed a bit. So had he. He was still pale, with brown hair tucked behind his ears, but now he had circles under his eyes. Without the circles, he would have been handsome.
    He’d been her first patron five years before, and he’d asked her to help him decide if he should marry a girl he loved named Joselyn or a wealthy girl named…
    Rhiannon.
    Céline fought to keep her face still as the past and present collided. Damek and Anton werebrothers, and Rhiannon’s father had first tried to marry her to Anton, and he had refused in order to marry a penniless girl. What a blow that must have been to Rhiannon. Then her father had tried again five years later to marry her to Damek, and now Rhiannon was refusing the marriage. No wonder she’d been so worried about how her father would react.
    Jaromir walked to Prince Anton quickly and leaned over, whispering in his ear. Anton’s dark eyes widened as he glanced at the sisters.
    “Burned?” he mouthed.
    Jaromir kept speaking in his lord’s ear, and Céline began growing nervous. What was he saying?
    “What do you think this is really all about?” Amelie whispered.
    “I’m not sure. But I think we have to play along.” She choked once. “I’m so sorry about the shop.”
    “Why? You didn’t burn it down.”
    But Céline could hear the cold anger in her sister’s voice and hoped Amelie could hold herself together just a little longer. Amelie might not be angry with Céline, but she was angry and feeling trapped and needed an outlet.
    Prince Anton turned from Jaromir and looked at Céline. “In there,” he said, pointing to a small side chamber. “I would speak with you alone.” His tone was haughty, as if he never expected anything but obedience.
    “No,” Amelie said flatly.
    “It’s all right,” Céline said. “Truly.”
    Before Amelie could argue, Céline walked into the side room and found that she wasn’t even nervous when Anton walked in behind her and closed the door.
    Prince he might be, but for some reason, even after all she’d been through since last night, she wasn’t afraid of him.
    “Why did my brother try to kill you?” he asked.
    This was not the first question she expected, and she looked at their surroundings. The room was small indeed, with a single table, two chairs, and no window. Several candles glowed from the table.
    Anton was looking at her red dress. “Why?” he repeated. “Jaromir says you spoke to Lady Rhiannon? What did you say to her? And why did Madam Zelinka and Captain Kochè visit you that morning?’
    So he knew some of the story already. She wondered how much.
    Sighing, she realized she’d gain nothing by holding information back. “Madam Zelinka paid me three pieces of silver to read Lady Rhiannon’s future and tell her that she’d be happy with your brother and to consent to the wedding. I agreed. I feared what might happen to me and my sister if I did not.”
    He shook his head, puzzled.
    “I found that I could not keep my word…after I saw her future,” Céline went on.
    “What did you see?”
    “He had her falsely accused of adultery and then strangled. I could not counsel her to marry him after seeing that.”
    Anton flinched and sank down into a chair. “Poor Rhiannon,” he said softly. “Her father won’t understand.”
    Really, this was not at all what Céline would have expected from Damek’s brother. Anton seemed almost softhearted. But he certainly voiced no doubts that his brother was capable