“You’re Hestia’s niece.” Prospero’s eyes widened. “I haven’t thought about her in years.”
“You know my aunt?”
“Archaeologist with more attitude than caution?” Prospero laughed. “She was here for a few years until…” Her words faded. “She begged to go home. To give up her magic and go back for…”
“Me.”
Prospero nodded. “Your parents had—”
“Died. Orphaned me. Yes, that.” Ellie stiffened, expecting the wave of pity that usually followed, but it didn’t come.
“Hestia adored you.” Prospero offered her a small smile. “She spoke of you often.”
“So you understand why I will need to go home once I help you with your ‘save the witches’ campaign,” Ellie said in her most sensible voice. “I’ll help, though, before I go home.”
Ellie braced for arguments or objections, but instead, Prospero said, “I think we need to try to go over to the Barbarian Lands to find out why you matter to this world.” Her voice was half a whisper, as if there were spies lurking nearby.
“Is that legal? For witches?” Ellie asked, knowing the answer.
“Not unless they are retrieving a newly wakened witch,” Prospero admitted.
“Do you break a lot of laws?” Ellie thought about the fact that Prospero, by her own admission, was not to hop between worlds.
“For you? For Crenshaw’s survival? I will break whatever law I must.”
Swoon.Ellie’s entire being—heart and mind and other parts—was smitten by the passion in that declaration.Maybe I’ll get my swept-off-my-feet romance for a little while after all.
Prospero stood. She looked as if she wanted to say or do something to ease the panic that Ellie suspected she ought to feel right about now, but Ellie wasn’t panicking. Instead she felt energized.
She stared at Prospero as the piece clicked into place. “This is where my aunt was. The missing… this is wheretheygo.”
“Yes.”
“And I’m… missing.” Ellie closed her eyes and counted to ten. It was one of the tricks she’d adopted to keep her very impulsive streak in check. It had always worked. The people who went missing were peculiar, bold, adventurous—like Hestia.
Like me.
Ellie opened her eyes and laughed. “I’mmissing!” She continued laughing. “I’m missing over here, too. Ellie the Missing.”
After all the years of trying to be sensible, Ellie had failed spectacularly. She was right where she’d tried to avoid—but from where she sat, sliding slowly to the floor and staring up at Prospero, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad as she’d feared.
Giddiness washed over her now.
“Miss Brandeau,” Prospero said, squatting down to pull Ellie a bit more upright. “Why are you in a heap at my feet yet again?”
“Magic?” Ellie suggested.
“Yes, actually.” Prospero brushed Ellie’s hair back. “Tomorrow when you’re sensible, we shall plan.”
Ellie nodded. “Then I’ll have an adventure and go home.”
“Is that what you truly want? What you dream?” Prospero asked, pulling Ellie into her arms with remarkable ease. “A regular safe life?”
“Honestly,” Ellie confessed as she wrapped her arms around the witch carrying her up a surprisingly steep set of stairs, “I try not to think too much about what I want. I was being practical, uninteresting Ellie so I didn’t end up missing. Except now I am exactly that.”
Prospero didn’t look at her as she asked, “If you had a dream, what would it be?”
“A sweeping romance seems like a selfish dream, right?” Ellie’s cheeks burned as she realized a gorgeous, passionate woman was literally carrying her upstairs.
