“You sure about that?” she asked cynically. She was not in the mood for any detour of proselytizing.

“Oh, I am quite sure,” Robin said in a soft voice that was, nevertheless, unshakable in its conviction. “I have heard Lord Death’s horn sounding the call for his Wild Hunt, and the baying of his hounds on a windswept night. It’s never wise to be away from shelter when Azrael rides at the death of the year. That is a sound I will never forget, although…” He frowned. “I have not heard the Wild Hunt in many years now.”

His words caused a shiver to trickle down her back. “Well, Morgan said the knife Isabeau wears is a very old, Powerful magic item.” Driven by a sense of urgency, she talked faster. Their luck couldn’t possibly hold for too much longer. “Apparently, she struck him with it, and she not only bound him somehow with the geas, but it turned him into a kind of lycanthrope. He’s the one who creates her other lycanthropes.” Pausing, she added slowly, “He called them Hounds too. It’s not that common of a word in the United States, so it stood out to me.”

Robin’s eyes narrowed. “Hounds created by Death’s Knife,” he murmured. “I would like to get to the bottom of the truth behind that tale.”

“So do it,” she hissed. “The only way to break Morgan and Isabeau apart is to free him from the geas. He’s trying to do it himself, but he keeps getting pulled away from his research to save my useless ass because of you! But he can’t help to free me, because he’s been forbidden to help prisoners escape. And he’s running out of time.”

“How so?” Robin asked quickly.

Voices sounded outside the doors. One of them was Kallah. Robin’s form shimmered and transformed into a black cat again.

Picking up the cat, Sid switched to telepathy. I can’t tell you right now. You’re just going to have to trust me. For God’s sake, go find him and see what you can do to help! I’m not leaving Avalon without him. Lifting the cat up, she stared into its wide green gaze. You and I—we’re never going to be friends, and apparently, you can survive just fine without my forgiveness. But I will forgive you anyway, if you help set Morgan free.

Because without her kidnapping, she would never have met her Magic Man. She would never have experienced the night they had just shared. She would never have gazed into his eyes as he moved so deeply, so gently inside her, or experienced the profound emotion with which he held her.

Everything she had endured to reach this point had suddenly become worth it, all the pain, the terror, and the uncertainty.

Just as Robin had not struggled against her blows, the cat hung limp in her grasp, not struggling against her hold.

His telepathic voice sounded oddly gentle as he said, That is no small thing you offer, Sidonie Martel.

I know, she replied curtly.

As she strode toward the doors, carrying the cat, one of them opened, and Kallah walked in, carrying an outfit over one arm. Kallah raised one eyebrow as Sid dropped the cat outside the room.

Sid watched the cat race down the hall, a sleek black streak of speed. When it had disappeared around a corner, she shut the door, turned to face Kallah, and said, “I have no idea how that got in here.”

“Cats are everywhere,” Kallah said indifferently. “They keep the castle free of mice and rats.”

“Pity they can’t do the same for the underground prison,” Sid said, ending each word with a delicate bite. When Kallah frowned at her, she shrugged. She couldn’t care less what the other woman thought.

“I have news for you,” Kallah said as she walked over to the table.

Sid followed. “Let me guess, this evening I’ll be playing in the great hall.”

Kallah paused. “Yes, how did you hear?”

“Triddick told me this morning, when I went to beg some breakfast from him. I don’t know how he heard of it.”

“I must say, you’re taking the news quite calmly.” Kallah gave her a quick, keen glance.

Sid compressed her lips into a tight smile. The casual contempt buried in Kallah’s assumptions was like having her skin rubbed with sandpaper. As Sid had performed regularly in front of thousands of people in almost every type of venue imaginable, she hadn’t given the great hall a second thought.

However, she was going to have a serious struggle with not being able to practice three times in the great hall before the performance.

She managed to bite back the snarl that wanted to come out. Instead, she said blandly, “I’m not concerned about where I will be playing. The only person’s opinion that really matters is her majesty’s.”

Kallah’s voice turned wry. “True enough. I also wanted to warn you. It’s possible you play well enough that you might rouse one or two of the harmonics set in the hall.”

Sid’s eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

“There are spells in silver glyphs set throughout the hall that respond to music. Lights and colors may appear. True masters can evoke images. If any colors appear, you mustn’t be startled into faltering.”

So the Light Fae had their version of a light show. She managed not to roll her eyes. “Got it.”

Kallah’s expression turned curious. “You and Triddick have struck up an acquaintance?”

Sid watched her lay the outfit over the top of the table. “I’ve been too busy to keep to the meal times, and he’s been good enough to accommodate me.”

“I am somewhat surprised,” Kallah remarked as she pulled folds of the garment straight. It was a dress. “He can be temperamental.”

“We came to an understanding. He wishes for the Queen to know he supports her love of the arts in any way he can.”

“I will be sure to pass that on.” Kallah let go of the fabric and straightened. “This dress is for you to wear tonight. Your other two outfits won’t do.”

Angling her head, Sid inspected the dress. It was brown, which was seriously unfortunate. She had never been a big fan of plain brown. But despite the color, it was a much richer, finer outfit than her regular brown dress, made of velvet with black decorative stitching at the wrists and the hem.

“Okay,” she said.

Kallah turned to face her, eyes narrowed. “Is there anything you want to ask me about this evening?”

She shook her head and shrugged, then thought better of her surly attitude. “Actually, I do. How am I supposed to behave when I get to the hall?”