Page 30 of Happily Ever Witch
“Shit!” Esmeralda cut him off. “The Queen of Clubs is sending an army on Monday.” She’d only just remembered that part. It had been a busy afternoon. “Literally. They said anarmy.”
He perked up. “Excellent. We can ambush them.”
“Ambush an army?” Esmeralda blinked. “Are you out of your mind? We need to find a way out of here.”
“So the Queen of Clubs can ambushuslater? No. If my powers are back by the time they get here, I can fight them. We can…”
“I don’t want to fight an army!” Esmeralda interrupted at a shout. “I just want to go home.”
“And how do you intend to do that, exactly? Do you see a lot of exits on that map?” He gestured back towards the desk. “Do you know a way through the castle’s force field that you’re just not sharing? Explain your plan to me.”
“I don’t have a plan. I never have a plan. I just knowyourplan is terrible.”
“Magic is the only way out of Wonderland. …And we don’t have any magic. We’re stuck here until the Queen of Clubs lets us go or we kill her.”
“When you’re recuperated, you’ll have plenty of magic.” No one could match Trevelyan’s abilities. She believed that.“You can bring down the invisible barrier, find a path out of Wonderland, and get me home. I know you can.”
“Even if I had my powers, I wouldn’t send you back to the Enchanted Forest.” He made it sound like she was the crazy one.
Esmeralda gaped at him. “You’re not going to help me get home?”
“Of course not.” He leaned closer to her and lowered his voice in commiseration. “Dragons don’t help damsels in distress. It’s exactly the opposite, I’m afraid.”
“Just when I thinkmaybeyou can be salvaged…” She made clawing motions with her hands, imagining grabbing his head and squeezing until it popped. “You’re the most irritating, insane, aggravating…” She broke off with a frustrated sound.
“Use words, darling.”
“Normal people don’t hold their True Loves hostage!” She moved away from him, furious and hurt. “Do you seriously not get how psychotic this is? You can’t justkidnapme!”
“I didn’t. The Walrus kidnapped you.” He shrugged in total innocence. “I’m simply not going torescueyou.”
Esmeralda covered her eyes and took a deep breath, unable to believe what was happening to all her dreams. “You think I’m going to accept this shit? My True Love was supposed to be better than this! I thought you’d be so muchbetterthan this.”
“Better?” He didn’t like that word. “Like wolves and record store boys, you mean? I’m gratified to be left out of that esteemed group of imbeciles. All I’ve asked for is loyalty, but apparently that’s far too much for you to give. So, we’re both doomed to be disappointed.”
“Loyalty?! Are you kidding me? You’re plotting to abduct me, you fuckwit! How is that loyal?”
“I told you there are only two sides to this war. You chose Marrok’s, remember? Everything that happens now is onyourhead, not mine.”
“You’resuchan asshole.”
“Your precious ‘family’ isn’t going to rescue you from this mess, you know. I’m your best bet to stay alive. We’ve agreed not to save each other… But I’m willing to deal.” Dragons loved to make deals. They were transactional creatures. Trevelyan’s palms opened in a graceful sweep of enticement. “I’m happy to take your vulnerable little body into my very capable hands, if you make it worth my while.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You really want to play it this way?”
Trevelyan arched a brow. “Oh, I always want to play.” That was true. He seemed interested in anything that even hinted at a game, no matter how twisted.
Witches liked to play to, but she wasn’t getting any deeper with this man. No way.
“Well, you’re losing this round, Trev. I told you: I don’t need your help. And I don’t need Marrok to save me, either. I can rescuemyself.” She’d been doing it all of her life. This whole thing was fixable. She just needed to take it one step at a time. “Now, I’m getting out of this castle,right now, and there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”
Muttering in the forgotten language of witches, Esmeralda headed for the door. There had to be a way through the force field. Some spell she could use or key she could turn. She would start doing every crazy thing she could think of,including hitting it with fuckingpogs, until something worked and then…
Outside thunder clapped.
And that’s when it started raining.
Chapter Seven
