The Dresden Files/Codex Alera is copyright Jim Butcher. This story is licensed under the Creative Commons as derivative, noncommercial fiction.

"Well, if it isn't the Queen of Air and showing up at the wrong time," I said, panting and pulling on one of my bathrobes, not remembering that said bathrobe no longer fit me appropriately. Flustered, I took it off again, then donned Murphy's black robe that hung from the hook on the door.

"Apologies, Sir Knight." Mab touched a perfectly sculpted nail to her alabaster chin. "Or, I guess that would be Lady Knight?"

"This is temporary," Murphy said, scrambling to clean himself up. He put my robe on and adjust the bedclothes.

"Tantric magic, I assume, child?" Mab said.

"Unintentional, but yes."

"Well, pardon my intrusion, Lady Knight. I felt the disturbance in the Mantle and thought I'd investigate."

"We were just about to put things right when you interrupted," I said.

She nodded. "Hmmm, is that so?"

"Yes, that's so. So if you can kindly amscray we can get back to it."

She stared at me, confused. "I know approximately one-thousand seven-hundred and eighty-six languages, girl, and in none of them is the word 'amscray.'"

I felt myself blush. That was a strange reaction, and I blamed it on the body. "It means, scram, my Queen."

She nodded. "I suspected it might mean something like that, child."

She'd never called me 'child' before. And given our new height difference, I didn't like it.

"I have another reason for coming here today. Thee can hold off on thy little sexplay for now to attend to me, Lady Knight?"

I grit my teeth at that. "Of course."

"Pull thyself together and visit me in the living room."

"Yes, my Queen."

She dissolved back into the night.

"That was awkward," Murphy said.

"I'll say." I shivered. "I was so close too."

"Well, it sent me over the top. Sorry about that, I feel like a teenager."

I giggled. "We'll get this sorted out after she leaves."

"You do realize it's after 3 am, Dresden."

"Yesssss," I hissed a bit. "But I'm still…you know…frustrated."

He chuckled. "So now you know how I feel."

I rolled my eyes. "What can I wear that's better than this?"

She nodded toward her closet. "There's a pair of running tights, sports-bra and a t-shirt in there."

I put the clothing on, trying not to think about how Murphy's body jiggled, and how sensitive certain areas were.

"How do I look?" he said, holding his arms up. He had on a t-shirt and my sweats.

"Like you should. How about me?"

"As you should," he chuckled. "How's the sports-bra feel?"

"Let's get this over with so you never have to say that again."

"Agreed," he said and followed me out into the living room.

Somehow, Mab had whipped herself up a cup of tea, with accompanying biscuits, honey, lemon slices, and other items decorating a porceline tray.

"Tea?" she said.

I nodded. "Might as well."

She poured us each a cup. Murphy and I sat on the couch, and Mab perched perfectly on the edge of one of our chairs.

I took a sip of tea. It tasted…different with Murphy's tastebuds. Not bad, but needed a bunch more sugar. I dropped in several cubes, and found it much more to my liking.

"So what else can we do for you, my Queen?"

Mab took a perfect bite of a corner of a scone. I wondered how she did that, everytime I ate scones they crumbled like I was a heathen.

"There is a," she paused a moment, and took a sip of tea. "Situation, thee could help me remedy, Lady Knight."

"Okay," I said, taking a sip of tea myself. I think I might end up becoming a tea drinker.

"You are aware, of course, of your former protege?"

"Molly, yes." I set the teacup down, maybe a bit too loudly. "What's happened? Is she okay?"

"Yes, yes. She is fine. However…"

Mab was being evasive. She was never evasive; she usually came in like a thunderstorm, told me exactly what she wanted, and left like a tornado.

I wanted to prompt her, but from long experience, and months of torture at her hands, I knew better than to press her. She would get around to it in her own time.

"At our last occasion to speak, she grew a bit…wrought, with me. And has fled Arctis Tor, and any area of my influence, completely."

For the third time in 12 hours, I felt my heart tumble down into my socks. Or, running tights.

"Where did she go?"

"Did thee not hear what I said, my Kight? The part where I said 'out of my influence?' I suspect she is within Summer's Domain though I shoulds't think she'd be smarter than that."

I sighed. "so Molly ran away. If I know the grasshopper, she had good reason. What did you do to her?"

Mab steepled her fingers under her chin. She had extremely long fingers, alabaster white, with purple nails, so dark they appeared almost black.

"What I did, or didn't do, is no concern of thee, my Knight. I am assigning thee to return the Winter Lady to her proper place at court. Use force, if you have to."

I clenched my jaw. "This isn't the way to get someone to work with you, my Queen. Perhaps if you, oh, I don't know, apologized?"

"It is not within my nature to apologize, my Knight. Thee, more than anyone should know this."

I knew the truth of that very well, indeed.

"Well, I won't haul her to you with force. I can agree to talk to her, though."

"You will do as I say, Knight!" She said, and on the last word, I heard a thunderclap.

I stood up and put as much steel in Murphy's voice as I could. "You and I had an agreement, Queen, that I would perform the duties of Winter Knight, but in my way. I refuse to be your puppet, but I will speak to her on your behalf, that is all I can agree to."

Mab closed her mouth with a click, and her eyes faded to black for a brief moment. I was treading perilous ground here, but a few moments later, they returned to normal.

"Very well. You will speak to her on my behalf, and report back, Knight. I can accept that adjustment to our agreement."

"Thank you."

"You can find your way to summer, I imagine?"

"I still have contact with Sarissa, at times."

Mab nodded. "A pity we lost that one. She was such an efficient tutor for you."

I nodded, remembering. Sarissa helped me after my ill-fated assassination suicide attempt. She was my trainer, healer, and sometime tormenter. I liked her, liked her company, but she had been elevated to be the Summer Lady when Molly had been turned.

"I'll manage," I said.

She stood up. "You know, as much as I like the idea of thee learning the more feminine side of your life, this form does not behoove thee to the summer court. Your Mantle will be ineffective there, my Knight."

"We'll have it worked out by then."

"Perhaps I can assist thee? A snap of my fingers and—"

"We'll do it on our own," Murphy said. "Thanks for the offer."

Mab gave a brief small sigh. "Very well. When can I expect the Winter Lady to return?"

"That's up to her," I said.

"I'll expect her by the new moon, my Knight. And then I'll be…displeased."

I shivered at that. Mab being displeased is what causes hurricanes, tornadoes, death, and destruction.

"Thanks for stopping by," I said in Murphy's best snark voice.

"Fare thee well, Lady Knight, she nodded her head to me. Sir Guardian," she nodded toward Murphy.

"Fare thee well, my Queen," I said. Best to stick to Sidhe formalities when meeting and departing.

With a thud of a quiet thunderclap, she was gone.

Murphy sighed. "Jesus, Harry, that lady is scary."

"I know, right?"

"Sexy, though. Why is it I only now notice it? It's like the moment I saw her, I started to get turned on. How do you ever stand it?"

That did not bode well.

"What?" Murphy said, looking at my face.

"Well, that comment makes me think we should have taken her up on her offer to swap us back."

"And give her unfettered access to our spirits? Thank you, but no."

I nodded. "Let's go back to the bedroom and do it again. It's concerning that you felt attracted to her."

"How do you mean?"

I took her hand, leading her back. "Nothing I want to discuss considering our current state of affairs. Let's just say, the sooner, the better. Tantric magic can be a bit…unpredictable."

He nodded. Then he stooped and lifted me up into his arms.

I squealed, "Hey, what are you doing?"

He chuckled. "I've always wanted to do this, and wondered what it felt like."

I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck, trying to make myself as light as possible. He kissed me as we entered our bedroom, then set me gently on the bed.

Leaning me back, he kissed me hungrily. There was a part of me that was yelling that this wasn't the way, but I shut up that part of me and allowed him to take me.

Afterward, we both fell asleep. I didn't have the ability to figure out where I began, and Murphy ended. We were a jumble of exhausted arms, legs, fingers, and toes.

Sleep claimed me.