She led me into the sleeping space she shared with Merlin. It was the first time I’d been in their private area, which was little more than a bed on the ground and a pile of clothing.
But oh, what clothing they had.
It was clear that Morgan had been on many timewalking trips. She had everything from Greek-goddess-style dresses, to a gown I was sure would have fit in at Louis the XIV’s court at Versailles. Each fabulous find only made me miss my closet and all the beauties within it more.
“How do you get all these?” I held up a sassy flapper gown with an eight-inch long fringe that I’d love to try on.
“You mean how do I pay for them?”
I nodded. M&M weren’t poor, but judging by the styles of dress, she’d have needed dozens of different currencies from different times to pay for them all.
“I conjure something up and sell it.” Morgan shrugged. “Once you know what people want, it’s easy to get what you need to blend in. At this point, I’ve been timewalking for long enough that I have a collection of items from my favorite periods, so I can usually show up already in character.”
“Wow,” I breathed, unable to believe that I hadn’t even considered this aspect of my power.
Morgan’s eyes twinkled at me. “Perhaps when this demon debacle is behind you, you can use your new skill for a little fun.” She handed me a dress almost identical to hers.
“Here’s hoping.” I stripped and put on the new outfit.
Once everything was in place, Morgan appraised me. “Perfect. Now, let’s go outside.”
“Am I going to get to say goodbye to the others?”
She cocked her head. “Goodbye? Why would you need to do that?”
I gulped. “What if we’re gone for a long time?”
She released a musical laugh. “Oh, don’t worry about that, dear. I’ll make sure we return within a few hours.”
I blinked. Morgan was a talented timewalker, but to be able to land somewhere with such precision was almost unheard of. Top timewalkers could land within a day or two of when they desired. Less able ones might be weeks or months off. As a newbie, I’d likely be closer to the latter, something I didn’t really want to think about at the moment.
Hopefully, I can learn to be accurate like her.
She led me away from the cottage, to the outskirts of the woods that surrounded her home. I didn’t spot my other friends or Merlin.
“Here we are.” Morgan gestured down to a spot on the ground.
A white powder, salt, had been laid on the earth to form a perfect circle.
“What’s this for?”
“A protection circle. A precaution in case we get split up. If you leave this circle, you’ll still be tied to it, and will be able to reappear here more easily than if you timewalked without it. Step inside.”
I did as she said, and she joined me.
I was familiar with protection circles. At Spellcasters we sparred inside them. Those circles were mostly used to keep thoseoutsidethe circle safe from stray weapons or spells. As a result they generally felt a little stuffy and constricting. This one, however, felt different.
“Why is it so warm and cozy in here?”
“I designed it suited to your preferences, or as best I could from what I know of you.”
Damn. Morgan was a badass with a capital “B”. I needed to soak up her experience and teachings.
“Will you show me how to do that later? After the timewalking?”
She beamed at me. “Of course. But for now, let’s focus on our main goal. You know of the Colosseum, yes?”
“I’ve been there,” I replied, remembering the amazing family trip I’d taken with my parents before my senior year of high school. We’d traveled all around Italy, and even taken a private tour of the old gladiator ring.
