“Hush, Maggie.” Ellie patted her back as if consoling her. Her voice grew louder as she announced to the Congress of Magic, “I’m taking her back to the castle.”
“We are sorry for your loss, Ms. Lynch,” one of them said.
“Please take a few days to grieve before making any choices,” the chief witch suggested.
“I’ll escort them,” Prospero offered, stepping up to Ellie’s side. “I’ll make sure they are safely back in the castle and return to you for the siphoning.”
No one replied, and in mere moments, the three women were striding out of the Congress of Magic.
Maggie had a moment of wondering if she could speak freely, but then Prospero said, “They should have told you sooner.” She awkwardly patted Maggie’s shoulder. “I am sorry for your loss.”
“Did you know?” Ellie asked, her voice sounding strained. “Most of us only know what we recall. I do have articles about some people—like Dan—but most of us don’t know what’s going on back there.”
Prospero stood as if frozen, and then she said, “I should have said something. There are rules, of course, as to what we can tell you and when. We don’t want volatile magic hurting anyone! But I’m sorry I didn’t mention it toyou,Ellie. I will do better in the future.”
Ellie’s smile looked strained, but she leaned closer to Prospero. “Thank you for saying that. It helps.”
Maggie opened her mouth, but Ellie grabbed her again. “I’m so sorry. Let’s get you back to your room.” She stared into Maggie’s face, and then she cut her eyes toward Prospero.
And Maggie realized Ellie was well aware they were being lied to bothby the Congress of MagicandProspero. So Maggie kept her mouth shut and let her tears fall. They were not tears of simple grief, though. Much like Leon, these people were trying to stand between her and her son.
The witches of Crenshaw were about to learn the same thing Leon had been figuring out: no one stood between Maggie and her son.
39Maggie
“Your room.” Maggie gestured toward the hall to Ellie’s room once they were inside the castle. The memory of Sondre saying the castle wasn’t secure, that people might listen or watch, made Maggie want to see Ellie’s notes. Saying that out loud was dangerous, though, so she just said, “I need my friend.”
What I need is that article!
Once the door to Ellie’s room closed, Maggie turned to Ellie. “Do you have a notebook?”
Ellie nodded.
Maggie wrote,I want to see the article again.
Without a word, Ellie opened the binder and handed it to Maggie. The words were the same. Her memory wasn’t faulty.
MISSING LAWYER
RALEIGH—The search for 44-year-old Margaret Lynch continues this week. “Ms. Lynch careened off the road. Evidence suggests the mother of one was day-drinking,” localsheriff Bill Bamberg explained. “Maybe she caught a ride with someone. Maybe she planned the whole thing.”
Lynch, an attorney, was last seen by her teen son, who was knocked unconscious in the crash. Several campers saw the two that weekend, but there were no witnesses to the accident. “Maggie was in over her head at work, but there were no cases likely to lead to foul play,” her ex-husband explained. “I think this was her cowardice. We were in a custody discussion, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to kidnap our son.” Authorities are hoping someone will reach out with information on Ms. Lynch’s situation.
She pointed at the damning words: “teen son, who was knocked unconscious in the crash.” Even if her memory was flawed and Craig hadn’t been able to escape the SUV, even if he had been knocked out—which was not what she recalled—the article wouldn’t reference him in thepresenttense if he had died.
Ellie traced her finger on “wouldn’t be surprised if she was trying to kidnap our son.” Then she took the notebook and wrote:It’s as if there is still a son. If Craig had died, they’d mention it.
The Congress lied,Maggie wrote.
Ellie nodded.
Prospero lied, too.We need to leave. We can do that. Right?Maggie stared at her only friend.Or can you help me escape?
Ellie looked away, and Maggie felt like a nest of wasps had set flight in her stomach. She wasn’t sure how to do this. How was she to escape on her own?
After several moments, Ellie took the pen and wroteProspero is the one who makes people forget things. The only one. So she knows he’s alive IF he is.
Maggie mouthed, “If?”
