The sun was bright the next morning, shining through Ammy's window and coaxing her into wakefulness. The fireplace was cold and dark and Ammy huddled under her threadbare blanket, curling upon herself, desperate to chase away the morning chill and hold onto her dreams.

She barely remembered her journey home last night. Jason' valet, a beta named Ray, had been easily spotted, pacing the veranda and muttering to himself in a language Ammy didn't know. The valet had been stoic, polite and had wasted no time calling for a carriage to take Ammy home. Ammy was sure she had looked frightful, her clothes in disarray, her jacket missing, and she...