erzulie was impassive, watching the exchange between her wife and caiaphas. it would have been amusing, to see rosalyn react so when she herself was so explosive, had not the situation been grim. like the sea witch, who had cunningly regained her rank above all of them, erzulie thought nothing for the children of drageda. the curs upon the cliff would have slaughtered her own babes wholesale, given half the chance.
but even the existence of caiaphas' own split brood had not staved off war, though she wisely did not mention such. when the former dragedan spoke, the harlot glanced toward him with a spare approval. "whoevah she is, she must be dealt with, an' swiftly. i care for no one who would settle there. dey pose a danger toward our children." a roll of her shoulders. "it would send a message."

she wanted to be part of this fight. erzulie's realization was swift, silent — it would not do well to run off into unyielding teeth as a new mother. but she was not the only one with milk. "where is grezig?" the reticent female's absence was not unnoticed. "i would lend my streng't, if she would be willing to keep an eye over de children."