“On their own? No. When I find them?Yes.” Prospero paused. “When there is a death, the hobs handle the body. I assume I’ll bring them back, and the hobs will handle the corpses.”
Ellie shivered. “So, take no prisoners and all that?”
Prospero looked over her shoulder at her. “They shot Scylla.” Then she gestured at the vast open space where Scylla’s illusion ought to be. “They left all of us exposed, and if the nonmagical world discovers us, so many witches will die.… People are often not forgiving of difference. Ask women like us over the centuries. Ask Scylla about the racial violence she knew. Look at the religious intolerance.”
Ellie swallowed. Murder seemed so final, so harsh. She could deal with some violence, but premeditated murder felt too far. Carefully, she said, “You’re notwrongto be angry, but surely, they weren’taimingfor that when they ripped down the barrier!”
Prospero leveled a stern look at Ellie. “Is not caring that your decisions harm others really any better?”
And Ellie couldn’t help thinking of racist and homophobic mindsets, religious intolerance, cultural intolerance… hell, basic sexism… people who didn’t care about the well-being of others. Hapless ignorance was still deadly for thousands upon thousands of people.
“No. It’s really not better.” Ellie stepped up to her side, caught Prospero’s hand.
Prospero started to pull away, but Ellie held fast. They could both use a little comfort. “I’m sorry. You’re right to be angry and worried. She was…isyour friend.”
“I knew there was danger coming, but I had no idea what. Cass had no useful prophecies. All she knew was that I had to stop it.”
“You?” Ellie’s voice was hardly a whisper.
“Or they die. Scylla. Walt. A lot of people. This is my problem, but I couldn’t just…attackthe enemy. I can’t even find them, not in the billions of people there, unless they use their magic. I can’t save Scylla, either. I am not a fucking healer.” Prospero pressed her lips together, stopping the rush of words and pausing. “I amuseless,but the gods-damned prophecy says I have to save them.”
“We’ll figure it out.” Ellie touched her cheek. “We will.”
“If I fail…” Prospero started quieter now. “This is ourhaven,our collective of misfits and rebels, dreamers and romantics. We have a peace here that doesn’t happen everywhere. They’ve put all of it at risk.”
“And you wonder why I want to make our marriage work?” Ellie murmured. “You’re a romantic at heart, Prospero.”
“Victorian, love.”
Ellie clasped her hands to her chest, determined to pull her out of this mood. “And she makes jokes.… Is it any wonder I’m smitten?”
Prospero shook her head. “I suspect half the people who know me believe I’ve blackmailed you and the other half think I’m paying you.”
“Well, then, the joke’s on them. Ilikeyou, your heart and your charm, your loyalty and your mind.…” Ellie stared into Prospero’s eyes. “Your strength. Courage.”
Prospero said nothing, simply stared at her like she was at a loss for words.
So Ellie gave her a wicked grin. “Your lovely body is just icing, you know? I realize it’s been… an issue, but it’s not my only reason for wanting us to work out. You know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“So let me in, please.Tell me what you made me forgetbecause I know what I want.” Ellie was coming to realize that she’d had more security than Prospero’d had in her life before magic.
It was easy to avoid the dangers of being out when you were single and straight-passing. She’d neverdeniedwho she was, but she hadn’t exactly walked around with a woman on her arm most of the time.
And if I had, it would be in a safe space where people knew me and maybe whispered at the worst. It wouldn’t be the 1800s or a modern country where being LGBTQIA+ was deadly.
Prospero had nearly died for being a lesbian.
“I know how I feel,” Ellie said softly.
“Right now,” Prospero finally said, sounding as formal as she occasionally could. “Unfortunately, if you knew of what I cannot say, of what you forgot, what I…”
“Fine.”
“It is not fine; nothing is.” Prospero sounded exhausted, as if the things before her were insurmountable.
“First, let me create a wall for Crenshaw. Then we tackle the rest.…” Ellie closed her eyes and pulled upon that space in her belly.
