As Diana and Matthew travel, they see ongoing fighting between Protestant and Catholic forces over control of the French crown. They ride quickly to Sept-Tours.

Phillippe sees them immediately. His fury is intimidating, but Diana meets his gaze. Phillippe wants to hear Diana’s account before offering her protection. She tells him the truth about timewalking and the Ashmole manuscript.

With the religious and civil war in France, and the recent arrest of over 100 witches in Scotland, Philippe says he cannot help Diana. When Phillipe sees Matthew’s mother’s ring on Diana’s hand, he grows angry, knowing Ysabeau wouldn’t give the ring to anyone while both Phillipe and she were alive; he settles down when he realizes it is he who is dead in the future. Philippe doesn’t ask anything about his death but agrees to use the Knights of Lazarus to protect Diana.

He says he will find a witch to tutor Diana, Matthew can look for the manuscript, and they will go back to the future to live separately. He is insistent that they are not truly married and mated because they have not consummated their relationship. Diana and Matthew both insist that they are, but Philippe maintains his position and makes them sleep in separate rooms.