Emmett turns and gasps.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Emmett hurls himself through the door the minute he glimpses me. There’s no hesitation in his actions. One moment he’s standing in Kensington Palace, and the next he’s on top of me.
My broken hand screams with pain as I attempt to push myself upright. I look up through tangled hair. My dress is so thoroughly covered in mud, it sticks to my body like a second skin. “You landed on me,” I rasp.
Emmett pulls himself off of me, then captures my face in his hands. “You’re alive?” he asks with wonder.
“Barely,” I joke.
“How?” He looks around the dungeon.
“The royal family is the door. I thought it just meant Bram and Mor, but I realized it meant me, too.”
“Darling, sweetheart, brave girl,” Emmett whispers as he presses a kiss to my filthy head. “Why did you do that? Why did you let her pull you away from me?”
“I knew she’d double-cross me. I believed it was my only chance to get close enough to kill him.”
“If I weren’t so relieved to see you, I’d be very upset with you for that plan.”
“Be upset with me later,” I say.
“And did you kill him?” Emmett voice goes quiet. I can’t tell if he hopes I did or not.
I shake my head. “The knife didn’t work, I don’t know why.”
In my distraction, the door to England has winked shut, leaving Emmett and me trapped in the dungeons.
“I need to concentrate. I’ll open the door to England again and get us both out of here.” I close my eyes and reach for that strange feeling, but nothing comes. I’m too distracted at having Emmett here. Relief and terror course through me.
Focus, Ivy.
My stomach growls.
Emmett reaches into the pocket of his coat and pulls out a scone wrapped in a cloth napkin. “Olive and Ben baked them this morning.”
I take a bite and resist the urge to groan as butter hits my tongue. It’s the best thing I’ve ever tasted.
It’s finished in just two bites. Emmett watches as I chew and swallow.
“How are they?” I ask.
“Right as rain. Olive has been stress-baking and Eduart wouldn’t stop complaining about the number of cakes filling the house, and they miss you, of course. We were all so worried.”
“I’m sorry. Can I say I’m sorry again?” I ask, and Emmett answers me with a quick kiss.
My focus is broken by the sound of footsteps crashing down the corridor.
Emmett can’t be here; if we’re caught—
I squeeze my eyes shut and reach for that place inside me, but the door won’t come.
I curse under my breath.
A dark figure comes into view.
“Rhion?” I say as he presses his face against the bars.
