Free Elisha Magus by E.C. Ambrose

he’d never met her.“ We’ll finally have a magus on the throne. ”
    A deeper voice put in, “ I just don’t think the time is right. We’re being rushed into this, and I don’t like it. There’s been inquisitors in France for years, there’s a mess in the Holy Roman Empire. Even the Pope himself fears to return to Rome. Too much is happening. ”
    And the magi of Paris were so worried they were seeking a new home. Allyson knew, but neither she nor Elisha knew enough to do anything with the news the dead man had brought, except to be even more vigilant about the Channel.
    “ It’s our own place we need to worry over, Watercress. But I agree with you in principle. We are being pushed. Somebody wants this done and quickly. For that very reason, we ought to stay quiet. ”
    “ We don’t have to cast any spells, ” the first voice protested again . “ You’re all so used to hiding in fear that you don’t recognize the chance we’ve got before us. ”
    “ Listen to Foxglove, ”Briarrose urged. “ Or think of Rowena if you doubt us. She pointed to the signs, she prepared the way for this. ”
    “ For her daughter to be queen, ” Watercress pointed out.“ That hardly seems the mark of an altruistic plan to elevate the magi. ”
    “ She gave the signs, as clear a prophecy as any could wish for. And now here he is, and with a magus prepared to assume the throne—as queen, at least. It’s time for us to come together. The time is now! ”
    “ Bittersweet is hardly the harbinger of light we might wish him to be, ” said Watercress’s friend. “ Or have you forgotten his crime? ”
    “Why not ask what he thinks? I believe he’s joined us,” said Briarrose. “Who’s there?” she called out, almost playfully through their watery contact.
    “Watercress,” in a worried tone.
    “ Briarrose .”
    “ Foxglove, ” wearily.
    “ Thyme,” said Watercress’s friend.
    “Bittersweet,” Elisha announced, using the herbal name that would protect him if any of those gathered were questioned about the other witches.
    And so softly he nearly missed it, “Chanterelle,” in a quiet voice but with a clarity of presence indicating the speaker was very close by. There was another presence as well, or rather, the echo of a presence, as if he felt the silence between breaths.
    Immediately, Watercress said, “ We can’t talk with him around. He’s one of them! ”
    “ Tell me you’re not starting up about necromancers again, ” said Foxglove. “ We can’t even be sure there are any.”
    “ Of course there are! Why do you think the desolati fear us so much? They think we’re all necromancers! ”
    “ I’ve never seen any evidence of such a thing. And we prefer not to use the term ‘ desolati .’ Many of us have spouses without talent — there’s no need to be insulting. ”
    Elisha wanted to protest that he was no necromancer, that he wasn’t even sure what it meant, although he knew it had something to do with conjuring the dead. If any here might be accused of that, it would be him. “Whatever I have done, I did it alone and without instruction. I never meant—” What? To hurt anyone? It would have been a lie.
    “You see? And Marigold trusts him,” Briarrose offered, sending a thread of comfort through the water.
    “ He withered the king and turned weapons to rust! If he’s not a necromancer I don’t know what is. ”
    “ Even if he isn’t we cannot afford to have the king’s murderer on our side. Sorry, ”said Thyme.
    “ He’s not one of them, he’s one of us, ”whispered Chanterelle .
    “ What was that? ”Watercress demanded.“ Speak up, child. ”
    “He’s one of us, the indivisi ,” she said, but no louder than before.
    “ He’s an accursed necromancer! ”
    Foxglove broke in at a shout, “ I told you, there aren’t any necromancers. They’re just a story told to frighten people. Just believing in them gives our enemies power to suppress us. ”
    “ I wasn’t sure