For a moment, Emmett thought the girl might refuse. But Guinevere—magnificent, brilliant Guinevere—leaned forward and flashed a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry if it sounded as though I was trying to dismiss you. It’s only that I worry about your constitution. I’ve seen an unbreaking spell performed before, and it was so unexpectedly . . . messy.”

The girl blanched. “In what way?”

Guinevere bit her lip. “I really shouldn’t say.”

“I’ll just see about that tea, Your Highness,” Linota said, making a hasty retreat.

After she was gone, Emmett slouched back against the paneling. “Messy?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Your sister pulled that trick on me, and it was too clever not to borrow.”

“Sounds like Emry.” Emmett laughed.

Guin shot him a withering look. “I have attendants,” she said severely. “And they gossip. This can’t happen again.”

By this, Emmett hoped she meant his dropping in unannounced, as opposed to other things.

“Then it won’t,” Emmett promised. “I’ll leave the passage for your use only.”

“Good.” Guinevere lifted her chin. “I prefer it when things are for my use only.”

She let that one sit there a moment, torturing him with a coy little half smile. Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing. And he adored it.

“Aren’t you going to thank me?” Emmett asked with a slight pout.

Guinevere tossed her curls. “For?”

“Mending your perfume decanter, of course.”

Guinevere choked back a laugh. “Aren’t you going to thank me for sending away my maid?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

Emmett’s gaze dropped to her lips. He was going to kiss her, he decided, until she was gasping for him. And it seemed Guinevere had a similar idea. With a deeply wicked gleam in her eyes, the princess set down her embroidery.

Emry bolted upright in bed, her heart pounding. Someone was screaming.

The scream sounded again, and she realized where she’d heard it before: on Avalon. The Lady of the Lake had told her it was the forest. But she was in London, not Avalon. And there was no magic forest here.

She crossed to the window, curious what was going on. There, on the castle lawn, a hooded figure stared up at her, concealed beneath a dark cloak.

She frowned, wondering why the guards hadn’t noticed.

And then the figure reached up to lower its hood, and Emry stumbled back in shock.

It couldn’t be.

Her father stood on the castle lawn, looking just as she remembered.

She pressed her hand over her mouth, staring down through the leaded glass in disbelief.

Impossible. Yet it really was him. She was sure of it.

She unlatched the window and leaned out, waving to catch his attention. But he turned away, raising his hood, as if he meant to leave before anyone noticed his presence.