Page 45 of Happily Ever Witch
He closed his eyes in staggering relief. There was no other word for the emotion. “Tell me something true, Ez.” He ordered, still not turning around.
Esmeralda thought for a beat, coming up with a baldly honest fact to share with him.
Taking his turn was the best part of this game. Also the worst part. Trevelyan was incapable of not striking out at people who pissed him off. Esmeralda had sounded distressed, when she discussed her childhood. So, now he was going to burn alive every single prospective parent who’d refused to adopt her. Who’d made her feel unwanted at that fucking orphanage.
Surely there would be other people he needed to massacre as well, once she began sharing more with him. If they’d mistreated his mate, they would all die. Horribly. It was a matter of principle.
She cleared her throat. “When you told the Walrus I was yours, I felt…” She trailed off uncomfortably.
“Aroused?” He finished for her, reading it in her scent. He liked this confession, so far.
“Yes. And scared. I’ve never belonged to anyone. Not in my whole life.” She swallowed. “Do you believe me?”
“Of course. How could you possibly belong to anyone else? You’re mine.” Any other man who thought to claim her would be dead within minutes. Less, once his powers returned.
“I’ll be yours, Trev. But only if you’re mine.” She shook her head. He heard the thick curls moving. “And I don’t think you’re mine. I think you only belong toyou.”
“No. I’m all that’s left of the Green Dragon line, butthat’swhat I belong to.” Trevelyan had loved his parents, for all their homicidal tendencies. Perhapsbecauseof their homicidal tendencies. He always wanted to make them proud. Their pitiless example was an inspiration of blood and flames and fear. “I’d consider allowing you to join my family, if you weren’t aligned with Marrok and his horde.” He shrugged, like her preference for the wolf wasn’t a constant nagging irritant, grating along his very bones. “You’re the one refusing to show any loyalty, not me.”
“That’s an interesting read on the situation. Not at all self-serving.”
“Can I help it if the truth supports me and not you?” He was baffled as to how she could see this any other way. “I gave you a choice and you chose to side against me.”
“You want to eviscerate the Four Kingdoms!”
“No. I’mgoingto eviscerate the Four Kingdoms. But, if you’re standing in it at the time, I’ll give you one last chance to move out of the way first.” He finally looked at her over his shoulder. “See? There’s really no need to be scared of belonging to me. I can be merciful.”
Esmeralda’s pretty fingernails, painted like remorseless evil, drummed on the tabletop. “I’m not scared of belonging toyou, Trevelyan. I’m scared you’re going to screw this up and break me into pieces.”
His forehead creased. Nothing in his life had prepared him to respond to a statement like that. He was ninety-eight percent Bad. Not breaking things went against all his instincts and they both knew it.
Esmeralda stared back at him, beautiful crimson eyes solemn.
“Teach me not to, then.” He finally told her and went stalking out of the room.
Chapter Nine
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The Diamond Castle
The mermaid was the first to die.
She’d lived in the Pool of Tears, the huge lake at the center of the Diamond Kingdom. Nautical creatures didn’t do well in the relentless heat of the open sand. Mermaids were supposed to frolic in waves and sing at starfish. Those cheerful airheads couldn’t stay on dry land for long, which was why this kind of punishment was so damn effective against her. The iridescent colors of her enchanted tail withered in the unrelenting sun and her lush body crumbled into the dunes.
It was just what the Queen of Diamonds wanted.
The row of condemned prisoners was both an object lesson and a cheap source of entertainment for the Diamond Kingdom. The mermaid hadn’t let them down on either front. She’d perished faster than even the bookies expected, keeping the deathwatch interesting. She also went out begging for water, ensuring that no one was eager to repeat her mistake.
The mermaid had played a prank on the royal yacht. As the rowers rowed, their oars became stuck in place, like the water was glue. It had stopped the boat’s forward progress and caused a lot of panic on board. The mermaid had thought it was hilarious. Clearly, she’d had the IQ of a beach ball. She was promptly arrested and sentenced to death for her temerity.
She’d used magic, after all.
The Queen of Diamonds didn’t like magic, because she didn’t have any. The woman was human and part of some un-magical sect calling itself the Gyre. They hated anything that even hinted at enchantment. Bluebeard had never heard of the bigots before, but it seemed to him that Wonderland was a damn stupid place to live if you didn’t like magic. All the talking animals would be a constant irritation, right? Maybe that was why the Queen of Diamonds kept killing everybody.
