"Strange things are afoot," I tell Emma after Augustus has tea with me and goes back to his practice.
Emma nods.
"Have you heard anything?" I ask her, alluding to our growing network of informants.
"No," Emma says, dousing my hopes. "But it's strange..."
Her voice trails off, which is unusual for her.
"What is strange?" I ask. I lean like a gossip reporter trying to listen to the latest scoop.
Emma looks back at me. "It feels deliberate. Like there is a secret people are tiptoeing around."
"Must be something big," I agree. I start tapping my fingers on my bedspread as thoughts begin to flood my head.
"What?" Emma asks despite herself as I sit up aggressively in bed.
"Whatever it is, Julian is a part of it. Of that, I am absolutely certain," I say forcefully. My throat twinges in response.
"Are you sure, your highness?" She cocks her head to the side like a confused puppy.
