“Gross,” Craig said from the doorway.
Sondre lowered Maggie’s feet to the ground and muttered, “I’m going to put a bell on him.” Louder, he said, “Why are you here?”
“Dan said you were in here talking. I saw him in the hallway.” Craig grinned. “Do we need to talk about hanging a sock or something on doorknobs?”
“Only on holidays,” Maggie said lightly. She glanced at Sondre. “Now?”
He gave a nod.
Craig looked at Sondre. “The solution you mentioned?”
Sondre nodded again.
“You could go to a high school over in the old world, where we used to live—”
“The Barbarian Lands,” Sondre interjected.
“Pennsylvania. Live with Hestia. She’d be your guardian, and you could visit me on holidays. Want to try that?” Maggie offered, trying to sound casual despite the growing fears and panic she felt.
“You’d be good with me going there? Livingnotwith you?” Craig asked, looking only at her. He might be getting on slightly better with Sondre, but she was his mom.Shewas the parent he’d always looked to for answers.
“You’ll visit.” Maggie swallowed her burst of doubt. “It’s not perfect, but it’s a lot better than never seeing you because you think I died…and it’s better than being here where you aren’t happy. Even with the air cleaned, there’s no one your age. No sports. It’s got to suck a little.”
“A lot,” Craig said. “But it’s better than living with… Leon.”
Maggie paused at Craig calling his dad by his first name.
“He tried to kill me,” Craig said. “I don’t think he deserves to be called Dad.” He shot a glance at Sondre. “I don’t know if I’ll call anyone else that ever, but… Leon lost that right.”
Maggie felt teary.
“So, let’s tell the old lady you want to go to school in Ligonier,” Sondre said, filling in the awkward silence. He held out a hand toward Craig.
“That hand was on my mother’s ass, and who knows where else.” Craig gave Sondre a look. “No thanks.”
“Craig!” Maggie looked upward. “Seriously.”
“We’re going to need house rules when I come home on holidays.” Craig wrapped an arm over her shoulders. “This is how kids end up needing therapy. Parents who act like horny teenagers.”
41Prospero
When Walt himself appeared at her door a day later, Prospero stayed in the doorway, not inviting him in. She liked him, but that didn’t mean she was going to start inviting anyone into her house. When she looked down, she realized he had a badger sitting beside him.
“Cassandra would like you to know she requested badgering for going to the Barbarian Lands and putting cattle in the way of your wife’s car,” Walt said solemnly.
“I didn’t turn her in for it.” Prospero folded her arms, but it was hard to look stern when she was wearing pajamas and a robe at almost midday.
Walt nodded, the corner of his mouth starting to curve like a twitch. “Can we come in?”
“No.” Ellie’s voice preceded her presence, but her arms wrapped around Prospero’s middle in the next moment. “We aren’t entertaining guests.”
“I see.” Walter tilted his head as if to see her, but she was well snuggled against Prospero’s back. “Well, we’ll wait here while you dress. Aggie is due to be causing trouble any moment, according to the seer.”
“You speak badger?” Ellie asked from behind Prospero.
“She told mebeforethe badgering,” Walt corrected. He paused then as Grish popped up behind him with Dan and his boyfriend. “Ah, we’re all here. I will converse with the others while you find your clothing, Lady Prospero.”
Prospero closed the door before she or Ellie could say something inflammatory. She turned within the circle of Ellie’s arms and met her gaze. “I can do this without you or with you. It’s up to you.”
