“Prospero?” Walt interrupted. “Can we dispense with formality? I am aware that you and Miss Brandeau are intimately involved.”
Sondre started to laugh, but it died as Walt added, “And that you are intimate with the Lynch witch. I cannot prove that you aided their escape, Sondre, or you’d be badgered before sunrise. I might not have watchers in your room, but I know she was there before her escape. I sent out my own retrieval units—this one for information retrieval.”
Sondre met Walt’s eyes in silence.
“What I do know for certain,” Walt continued, “is that both witches need to be brought home as soon as possible, by any means possible, and we need to concentrate on the plague. Witches simply ought not die at this rate. It isn’t natural.”
Prospero and Sondre exchanged a look as Walt opened the basket and pulled out the dessert and supplies. “Oh, a pie lifter! Your hobs really do take care of the details, don’t they?”
When Prospero said nothing, Sondre tentatively spoke. “Walt, the witchfabricates.How do you propose we bring her back?”
“Or keep her here?” Prospero added.
Walt served them each a slice of some sort of red berry pie. “Modify her mind, Prospero. It’s what I already said, and what you do and—”
“I can’t.”
“You suddenly have an objection,” Sondre said incredulously.
“No… Ican’t.Her mind doesn’t allow it. That’s what Cass was hinting about the ‘battery.’ She knows I cannot erase Ellie’s mind. I tried already.” Prospero hated how foolish she sounded, how inept. Mind altering was her magic, the thing she could do that no one else could, and confessing she could not was mortifying. Her hands twisted, clenching the ends of her sleeves as if she could wring the stress out of her body.
“Eat your pie,” Walt ordered. “What about the battery booster then? New witch that was trying to befriend the troublemakers? Take him with you. No one else has ever resisted. So if he aids your mindwork…”
Sondre glanced up from his pie. “It should work. Convince her she already chose to stay.”
“Prospero.” Walt pointed at her with his fork. “Give her a reason to stay near you. Make her your wife. The seeress said she was meant for you anyhow, so speed it up. That way she’ll be with you daily. Easier to watch over. Easier to manage.”
Prospero gaped at him.
“And the other one. It only seems fitting since Sondre is guilty—whether or not I can prove it.” Walt ate another bite of pie. “He needs a wife anyhow. Maybe she can even cook.”
Sondre’s fork dropped. “Are you out of your mind?”
“Take her to wife? Or spend some time as a badger?” Walt didn’t look up from his pie. “Maybe both of you will be more manageable with spouses to keep you busy, and it’ll guarantee that they’re under constant observation. No need for new housing either! They’d be secure, safe, and under watch.”
“You can’t just… take away their choices.” Sondre stared at the chief witch. “It’s barbaric.”
“Break the law and there are consequences. We all know that. They—and both of you—broke the law.” Walt finally looked up from the pie. “It’s not like they’re being married to strangers, and honestly, I can’t spare the Brandeau witch when she’s head of a house. I’m not sure I can spare either of you. So the way I see it, there’s either two new happy couples or four inconvenient badgers. What’s it going to be?”
“Ellie would choose being a badger over being with me,” Prospero admitted, cheeks flaming. “She built a cage around me, Walt. Acage. And I didn’t help her escape. Surely, you know—”
“I know a lot of things, including that you ignored my order to mind adjust her and ended up in a g’damned cage. Shall we discuss theotherlaws you broke?” Walt gave her a look, but he didn’t outright mention her illegal trip to Ligonier.
“No, Chief Witch.”
“Our people are dying. Those two are strong witches, and we all need to work together, so just do whatever it takes to get them here. Then erase their damn memory of the escape, and let’s get to work. All of us. Together. Heads of houses, and you two, and your spouses. Am I clear?” Walt no longer sounded like an affable friend. This was the Chief Witch of Crenshaw speaking.
Prospero bowed her head. “Yes, Chief Witch.”
“You’re cold-blooded, Chief Witch.” Sondre’s voice held a thread of respect.
“When needs must.” Walt gestured with his fork again. “Now eat the damn pie before you go fetch your brides.”
47Dan
When the chief witch, Sondre, and the scary witch all showed up at his door, he figured he was doomed. Maybe Prospero found out he was in the library or Sondre found out he was in the forest. He wished he could tell Axell goodbye before they sent him back or badgered him or something.
Dan dropped to his knees. “Please don’t send me back.”
