The spell that bound Lady Maris and Emmanuelle in silence worked like an invisible chain. If one of them broke the spell, the other would instantly sense it, a warning to prepare for the inevitable consequences.
However, the bond was only between them—once broken, the survivor would be free from its grip, but also left vulnerable, with nothing to shield her.
Lady Maris had been clear in her instructions. "When you feel the spell break, run. Leave the kingdom by sea, by land, whatever means you can find. Don't look back. Disappear, change your name, and make sure no one can ever trace you."
Emmanuelle knew her time in the royal palace was drawing to an end. She had been brought there by Queen Isolde upon her marriage to the king, and now, with the queen gone, there was no reason for her to stay.
Transferring her loyalty to Lady Maris would only raise questions, drawing unwanted attention to their connection—and risking the discovery of the boy.
