“Good.” Ellie felt victorious. She’d bought time to figure out both the witch thing and the Prospero question. She’d helped Crenshaw, too.
Everything will be fine.
After an awkward moment, Prospero took Ellie’s hand again. “I am not interested in hiding what’s happening between us, but for your own safety, we will walk into the Congress without contact.”
Ellie frowned. “And after?
“I will dote on you as much as you—and my own comfort—allow.” Prospero squeezed her hand. “I’m not particularly good at relationships, Ellie. I need you to know that.”
They walked through the hall and out of the castle in comfortable silence. By the time they were beyond the edge of the town, Ellie ask-ordered, “Tell me about your last serious relationship.”
Prospero shrugged and didn’t make eye contact. “My husband who nearly killed me? Or the woman who died for kissing me? There’s no good story there, Ellie.”
Ellie stopped walking. “Wait. You didn’t dateanyonein Crenshaw? Ever? In like a hundred years?”
“Or more,” Prospero corrected.
“My goodness… so you… I mean, not that there’s anythingwrong with self-satisfaction.” Ellie paused. “Are there, you know, magical vibrators?”
Prospero almost stumbled. “Somehow, you are never what I expect, Miss Brandeau.” She gazed at Ellie. “I have not beencelibatefor that century. I simply haven’t been in any relationships.”
“Ah. That makes more sense.” Ellie looked at Prospero.
“I have never promised anyone a relationship, Ellie. Not once since I became a witch.”
“Right… so…”
Prospero stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, stepped in front of Ellie, and took both of Ellie’s hands in hers. “Make no mistake, though. I was not suggesting thatwehave a casual dalliance. I wanteverythingwith you; that means I am going against more than a century of habit. I am, in fact, suggesting a relationship. Now. With you.”
“Oh.”
Prospero lifted one of Ellie’s hands and kissed the very edge of her knuckles. “I am interested in knowing you.”
“Define knowing,” Ellie whispered.
Prospero’s smile was a beautiful, wicked promise. “Thoroughly. Your mind, your foibles and victories.” She lifted Ellie’s other hand, gently flipping it as she did, and pressed a firm kiss into the palm of Ellie’s hand. “And what makes you sigh and quiver and gasp.”
Ellie stared at her. “And willyoulet yourself be known? You… earlier you seemed hesitant to let me look after your needs.”
“I have been rather celibate since our first kiss,” Prospero whispered. “Then you resisted my magic, and it made me uncomfortable. I do not like giving anyone power over me, and I am at your mercyalready,Ellie. That makes it hard to surrender.”
Her rather proper phrasing made Ellie smile. It was quite the contrast to her enthusiastic and somewhat aggressive actions in bed. It made Ellie want to be uncommonly honest. “I haven’t really dated in a while either. Not as long as you, of course! I was always afraid.… It sounds weird to say, but I was afraid I’d vanish, becoming one of the missing if Idid. I tried to be different than Hestia, so I wouldn’t go missing like she did.” Ellie gestured around the street. “But here I am.”
“On my life and magic, I swear to you that I had no idea that you were her niece.”
“What about the cows?” Ellie asked. “Did you cause the accident to make me come here? Near-death experience and all that?”
Prospero frowned. “I didn’t.”
“Was that why you kissed me?” Ellie felt vulnerable the more they talked.
“Youkissed me,” Prospero corrected. “But yes, I was there to… attempt to hurt you.”
“Right… the shock.” Ellie glanced around, and as much as she realized Prospero was making a statement by doing this in public, Ellie was over others watching them.
“I stopped, Ellie. I couldn’thurtyou.” Prospero gave her such a vulnerable stare. “I wanted to bring you here, but I couldn’t.”
Ellie’s heart thrummed at the longing in that admission. “We should discuss this somewhere more private. I don’t need all these people overhearing us.”
