“They’ve no doubt doubled the protection along the wall since the last time I was here,” she murmured. “Do you sense anything that would keep me out, Gideon?” To my surprise, the protection spell to guard against those who would harm the king and his family had not been altered since my departure, but the barrier that would specifically keep me from entering was new. I’d called both Ivy and Lily on the drive over, hoping that I could reach one of them and try to persuade them to let me in, but hadn’t been able to get in contact with either. A shitload of good it was going to do me to have Arabella and Merlin causing a diversion if I couldn’t make it past the fucking gates. “I can’t sense anything at all,” I admitted, much to my chagrin. “The spell to keep me out blocks everything from my senses. Whoever put it in place did one hell of a job.” “Well,” Merlin mused, “it’s been a few centuries since I walked into an ambush. About time for another cock-up.”
