“Slower than usual,” Prospero said, surveying him. “Hestia is already inside for the car.”
“Five minutes later isn’t slow.” Sondre watched as Craig looked around with a wide grin.
“Where are we?”
“Los Angeles,” Sondre said mildly.
“Amazing,” Craig whispered. “I’ve never been.”
Although he was never entirely at ease with her, Sondre paced through a shopping center with Prospero and Craig.
He’d be safer if he were a witch.Sondre had qualms about sending the boy to school, to live with Hestia Brandeau, but it was safer and more sustainable long term.
And I can’t shove him into traffic and hope he has latent magic!That thought had actually occurred to Sondre when Maggie had started crying the morning prior.
“You know she’ll rent some old-lady car,” Craig muttered as Hestia waved over her shoulder from inside the rental office.
“Hestia?” Prospero scoffed. “We’ll be lucky if she doesn’t rent a motorbike.”
Craig looked back at her with renewed interest as they waited for Hestia—who was still inside the car-rental center—to finish the paperwork at the desk. Part of Craig’s excitement seemed to be from the game currently on the television. Obviously, Sondre had seen televisions from time to time when he was fetching a newly awakened witch, but he hadn’twatchedone. When he’d become a witch in the 1950s, half the homes had televisions. His was one of them. Most were still black-and-white, but color sets were starting to filter out to the public. Now? They were in vibrant color, and major sporting events were broadcast live even in the lobbies of shops. It was easy to see why people missed these when they came to Crenshaw.
Before he could ask any questions, Hestia came outside, holding a set of car keys. “Convertible. Want a driving lesson?”
“No!” Sondre looked at her. “He’s just a child.”
“Asshole,” Craig muttered.
“Oh, the horrors.” Hestia patted her purse, where she currently had three thousand dollars, donated by Sondre’s wife. “Should we spend it all on booze and horse races since Mr. Cranky Pants won’t let me teach you to drive? What do you think, Craggy?”
“Aunt Hestia,” Craig groaned, but he nudged her gently with his shoulder. “I told you to stop calling me that.”
Hestia cackled. “Should’ve brought the girls instead. Mags and Ellie would be more fun than any of you.”
Sondre glanced at them. Honestly, Craig rarely smiled this much. For a moment, Sondre actuallylikedProspero, because she looked at Craig and asked, “Maybe, but wouldtheyenjoy a Major League Baseball game?”
“No way!”
“You know your mom can’t come, and I need to handle this problem, so I thought it might be a good idea and…” Sondre shrugged as Hestia pulled the tickets out of her purse. Honestly, Sondre wished he could go—both to see the game and to try to bond with his stepson.
“Stay out of trouble,” Prospero said. “Both of you.”
“Spoilsport,” Hestia muttered.
“I will,” Craig promised. “Thank you, Auntie P.”
“Don’t thank me,” she countered. “It wasn’t my idea.” Prospero nodded toward Sondre.
“Oh… err, sorry about the asshole remark, Sondre.” Craig gave him a sheepish look.
“If the worst thing you do this week is call me a name, we’ll be fine,” Sondre said, thinking about finding the boy in a bar drinking with a pair of badgers two days ago.
Prospero added, “And I was talking mostly toyou,Hestia. Stay out of trouble.”
“I’ll look after her,” Craig said, sounding far more mature than usual.
For a moment, Sondre wondered if he ought to hug the boy or something.What was normal dad behavior here?But then Hestia pointed at the lot and the two went off in search of their rental car.
“They’ll be fine. If she’s going to raise him, this will be a good test,” Prospero said quietly. She motioned for Sondre to follow her. “And we have a target.”
