“I’ll be waiting!”
The wedding was sounding better and better. I was eager to start our new life together—wherever it led us.
I shut off the moaning of the prisoners in the dungeon, and dragged myself up the stairs. We hadn’t talked about a honeymoon. I wasn’t even sure Chase could get the time off. But if we did have a honeymoon, I wanted to stay somewhere with a tub. The shower was fine, most of the time. I just really wanted a few days with a hot bath—maybe one big enough for two.
I unlocked the door and couldn’t believe my eyes. Tim, the young squire from the Field of Honor that Chase had rescued, was sitting in the middle of our bed.
“Hello?” I looked at the door that had certainly been locked. “What are you doing in here?”
“I wanted to have a private word with you, Lady Jessie.” He smiled as he scanned the apartment. “This seemed appropriate.”
“You’re lucky it wasn’t Chase that found you here.” I sat on the edge of the bed. “He would have booted you out of the Village.”
He smiled shyly. “It would not have been the Bailiff who found me here. I cannot be found when I don’t wish to be.”
I had been in such a good mood. Now I was suddenly tired and cranky. I wanted to be alone for a few minutes. Was that too much to ask?
“You should go.”
“I am leaving very soon.”
“No. I mean you should go now.”
“I haven’t completed my business here, lady, or I would oblige you.”
“What do you want?” I admit that I was whining.
The lid on the box that held Wanda’s personal belongings opened, and the beautiful bracelet with the blue stones that I’d always admired, floated across the room to him.
“Oh my God! You’ve got to be kidding me.” I watched with disbelieving eyes. “You’re the sorcerer?”
He bowed his head, his hand on his heart. “Yes. I came for this. I rarely give gifts, and when I do, I retrieve them when something happens to the people I give them to.”
“Like Wanda?”
“Yes.”
“So you and Wanda . . .?” He was just a kid.
“I am not always in this form, lady.”
The smile he gave me almost melted every bone in my body. There was a wealth of knowledge in his eyes that I knew I would never have.
“Okay.” I put my hand to my head, wishing I could pace. But I was too sore and tired to do it. “Okay. So you’re the sorcerer who can take Wanda away with you, right?”
“I shall gladly grant you a boon for retrieving this gift for me. It saved me from having to search for it elsewhere.”
“Yes! Please take Wanda away. I don’t care what you do with her. Just take her away from here. Please.”
He nodded. “Wanda Le Fey: come to me.”
As if his low voice had called her, she was suddenly there with us.
She looked around herself. “Jessie? How did you do that?”
“Wanda.”
She finally stared at the boy beside me. “You! Who are—?”
“Know me,” he murmured.
“Oh my God! I thought I’d never see you again!” She hugged him and then stood back. “But why have you come in this form?”
“I am never the same to look upon.” He got to his feet, her bracelet in his hand. “Come. It’s time to go.”
“Go?” She stared at me. “What did she tell you? I haven’t done anything that bad. Please don’t take me away from here.”
I was confused. “Don’t you want to go with him?”
“You don’t know where he spends most of his time. There’s nothing there. It’s like living in a vacuum.” She was crying. “Please don’t take me there. I’ll die of boredom.”
He nodded to me. “Lady Jessie requested a boon of me. It was to remove you from this place.”
“How could you?” She turned on me. “All I’ve done is have a little fun. Can you blame me? I was murdered, cut down. I want to live here. I’ve always wanted to live here. Please don’t send me away.”
She threw herself on my feet. Seriously. It was cold and felt kind of slimy touching her.
“Please, Jessie? Please don’t send me away. You of all people understand how I feel about the Village. I want to stay here. Don’t let him take me.”
I glanced at the sorcerer. He shrugged. It meant nothing to him either way.
I thought about it, moved by her plea, despite myself. She was right about me. I knew what she meant about staying here. If I died, I’d want to be a ghost here too.
But there had to be some guidelines.
“Is it possible to keep her out of my apartment?” I asked the sorcerer. I couldn’t think of him as Tim anymore.