She nodded. “I can do that. I don’t usually wear perfume, but perhaps I can buy some rose water or an essential oil. I need more clothes and some stationery so I can write my letter.”

Taking one hand, he rubbed her fingers as he thought. “It’s a shame Isabeau couldn’t give you some time to yourself. It’s going to be hard on us both if I have to cast a battle spell on you every day.”

“I don’t think you need to.” Her fingers tightened over his. “When I was playing last night, I felt the ability to play the lute solidify again. When the spell wore off, I was exhausted but I didn’t feel like I had lost it.”

“Are you sure?” He frowned.

“Don’t worry,” she told him reassuringly. She leaned her forehead against his shoulder. “I might be out of my depth here in Avalon in virtually every other subject, but this is the one thing I do know something about.”

“Okay.” Angling his head, he rested his cheek on top of hers. “I’ll trust you.”

Robin stood. “I will return midafternoon for your letter. That should give you time to go to the market and get what you need. In the meantime, good luck to both of you.” He added to Morgan, “Find that summoning spell.”

Morgan didn’t tell them about the geas shifting uneasily. No need to worry them unless it became necessary. Instead, he said, “I’ll do my best.”

Without anything further, Robin melted into the cat again. It blinked at them at the foot of the bed, then trotted to the balcony and disappeared.

Sidonie dug the heel of her hand into her eyes. “I can never really relax when he’s around. I can’t forget what happened.”

“Nor should you.” He thought perhaps the puck regretted what he had done, but that did not lessen Robin’s accountability.

A sharp rap sounded on the door. Sidonie looked at him quickly as she called out, “Yes?”

A deep male voice said, “Castle guard, ma’am. The Queen requests your presence at your earliest convenience.”

Alarm flashed over her expression. Jumping off the bed, she ran to the door. Without opening it, she exclaimed, “I don’t have any clean clothes!”

“You don’t… have any clothes?” The guard sounded taken aback.

“Last night I gave them to Leisha, the inn owner, to have laundered, and I haven’t gotten them back yet. I don’t have that many outfits!” Turning, she rolled her eyes at Morgan and said telepathically, I can’t put off going shopping.

“Ma’am, I will check on your laundry,” the guard said.

She raised her voice again. “If they’re not ready, ask Leisha if she has an outfit I can borrow!”

“Yes, ma’am.” The sound of his footsteps faded.

While Sidonie talked with the guard, Morgan left the bed and dressed quickly. When she turned around to face him again, disappointment darkened her gaze.

Striding over, he kissed that soft, pouting mouth. She hooked an arm around his neck, kissing him back. The fire he felt for her was always present. At the touch of her body pressed against his, it burned hot and fierce.

With an immense act of will, he dragged his lips away. Taking care in case the guard was closer than he thought, he said telepathically, This is good news. Your hour will go quickly, and then you’ll have the rest of the day.

She grasped the front of his shirt in both hands. When will you be back?

Tonight, after sunset. Her bottom lip looked plump and still wet from their kiss. He rubbed it with a forefinger while his unruly cock stiffened. He added in a whisper, And I’ll stay all night, if you’ll have me.

She looked drugged, her elegant eyes dilated. God, yes.

Be careful. Don’t trust anything or anyone, especially her. Don’t believe anything she promises you. She lies more easily than breathing.

Don’t worry, I won’t.

But he did worry. The thought of Sidonie walking back into the castle was like watching her voluntarily step into a pit of snakes. With a final, scorching kiss and a nearly inaudible, frustrated growl, he tore himself away from her. Scooping up his sword and bag, he cloaked himself and slipped out onto the balcony.

Another knock sounded on her door, and he paused outside, listening.

“Yes?” Sidonie asked.

A familiar woman’s voice sounded on the other side. It was Leisha herself. “Musician, I apologize profusely, but your clothes have not had a chance to dry. I did not realize there was some urgency to your laundry, but when you told me last night that bundle was all you had, I should have.”

“Oh, great.” Sidonie thunked against the door.

“I do have a few spare outfits that patrons have left behind…. I think one or two of these dresses might work? They’re not new, but they’re decent, clean, and well cared for.”

“Let’s see them.” Sidonie unlocked the door. “You, guard. Wait for me downstairs.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

As Leisha stepped into the room with an armful of clothes, Morgan relaxed. Finding nothing further to keep him, he scaled the side of the wall to the roof.

He had almost the full day ahead of him, and he needed to use every minute of it to see if he could discover a way to summon a god.

He had a sense of time trickling away, important time he could never get back. With every moment he healed, he became stronger—and grew closer to the next wound, which would weaken him critically again.

Also his movements had become even more hampered now, and if the puck failed to bring back more of the hunter’s spray, Morgan didn’t have a backup plan.

And there were too many pieces at play in the game that were unpredictable.

Isabeau. Robin. The geas. Even Sidonie had managed to surprise him more than once.

And never, ever, did Morgan forget Modred.

* * *

Of the four dresses Leisha brought, only one fit well enough Sid could get by wearing it for an hour or two. It was a dull gold with yellow embroidered flowers, and given how short it was, the dress had probably been a Light Fae girl’s dress. When Sid told Leisha she would take the room for the foreseeable future, the innkeeper insisted she keep the dress as a gift.

After she left, Sid tore off the dress, hung it on a nearby hook, and raced to the bathing alcove. It was too late to worry about getting Morgan’s scent on the new dress. Hopefully she hadn’t worn it long enough for it to matter.