It wasn’t a question, but Prospero answered as if it were. “I do.”
Then Prospero bent closer and kissed Ellie, swallowing her whimpers and moans as she fell into that silent bliss. Alone.
“Next time,” Ellie started, pulling back just enough that her words fell on Prospero’s lips, “Your turn. None of your rules would be broken by that.”
“Ellie…”
“Say yes,” Ellie whispered.
Prospero gave a single nod. “You’re making my attempts to be a good person harder than they already were.”
“Good.” Ellie leaned away from her. She didn’t again ask Prospero to stay, even though she knew they both wanted that. Ellie knew what the answer would be if she tried. She did, however, add, “Promise me you’ll come back to me.”
And whether or not Prospero meant it in all the ways Ellie did, she agreed. “Yes.”
Prospero paused, as if she couldn’t step away from the edge of Ellie’s bed. Then she released Ellie’s thigh, knuckles briefly trailing upward until they were pressed against Ellie’s throbbing center. “I will return from their world, and I’ll be here. Just be patient for me, please?”
Ellie nodded, but Prospero was already gone, teleporting herself from Ellie’s room to wherever she needed to be.
“Please be safe,” Ellie whispered to her empty room.
22Ellie
When Ellie left her class—History of Magical Bonds—the next morning, she was not expecting to be greeted by the headmaster’s wife and two of her other classmates. They bustled her back into the classroom as their professor was leaving. The professor had a towering hat, peacock feather bouncing erratically as she looked back at them with a reproving look.
“I’m not to talk to you,” Maggie Lynch stated by way of greeting.
“Then don’t.” Ellie put more distance between them. The moment felt like an ambush.
Maggie made a face that was halfway between amused and irritated. “My son is going to live with your aunt. I thought we could try talking since we’ll be almost like distant relatives. That’s not breaking the rules, is it?”
“I don’t know you.” Ellie stared at her, feeling like there was clearly more going on than she knew.
“Awkward panda,” one of the men said softly.
“Monahan, right?” Ellie said.
At the same time, all three of her classmates said, “Dan.” Then exchanged looks as if there was a joke there.
“Right, well,Dan…and Maggie… and…” She looked at the third student.
“Axell,” he offered.
“Axell,” she echoed. “Why do I feel like the three of you are up to something?”
Maggie grinned. “I’m the headmaster’s wife. What could I possibly be up to? Do you know something about me that would make you think that?
Ellie rolled her eyes. Obviously, she didn’t, and she didn’t love the gap in her memory making the whole conversation feel like she was the only person in a game who couldn’t see her adversary’s cards while hers were all face up. She shoved all her anxiety away and said, “Hestia is going to be looking after your kid? Lucky boy. She raised me, and she’s amazing.”
“Truly?” The bravado in Maggie’s expression slipped briefly, and she looked like someone Ellie wanted to help.
“Truly.” Ellie nodded her head. “I wanted her to live here, but…” She motioned to the window of the castle, through which dappled light cast interesting shadows on the floor. “It’s poisonous out there.”
“My kid’s not magic. That’s why he’s going back,” Maggie offered.
“And you?” Ellie prompted.
“They won’t let me. Witches can’t move back there, can’t even visit long, or magic… spills.” Maggie stared at her, seeking something that she obviously wasn’t finding. “Did you know that?”
