Page 11 of Happily Ever Witch
The Walrus had said it twice.
Esmeralda felt herself start to hyperventilate. That couldn’t be right. It justcouldn’t. Not even her luck was that terrible. She found herself shaking her head, refusing to believe that her life wasthatfucked up.
Maybe “Trevelyan” was a more common name than she thought. Maybe this guy was some other, better,sanerTrevelyan, who maybe worked in a record store. Esmeralda liked guys who worked in record stores. They tended to be just the right amount of Bad. They’d help you transport your annoying roommate into space or something, but they didn’t try to decimate kingdoms or slaughter all your friends. Record store guys were interesting, without being some crazy-ass lunatic bent on destruction.
Not like certain criminally insane, megalomaniacal, mortal-enemies-of-the-Tuesday-share-circle.
“You’re not the Trevelyan who tried to kill Marrok and Scarlett, and help that depraved nutcase Cinderella conquer the Four Kingdoms, are you?” She asked, even though she already knew the answer. “That wasn’t reallyyou, was it?”
The Walrus was still blathering, but Trevelyan didn’t seem to care and Esmeralda’s heart was pounding in her ears, so she didn’t hear his words. Their attention was locked on each other.
“I’m Trevelyan, Last of the Green Dragons.” The deep angles of his face were hard, now. “Marrok betrayed me and betraying a dragon carries a death sentence.”
She wasn’t sure if that melodramatic statement was an explanation, a boast, or a threat. Regardless, it snuffed out the last of the excitement she’d felt over finding her True Love. All her dreams were crushed and he didn’t care. The dragon was watching her likeshewas the one who’d done something wrong.
It was… devastating.
“I’d always hoped my True Love worked in a record store.” Esmeralda heard herself say in a faraway voice. “And liked black cats, and going to sci-fi conventions, and working on spells together.”
He was wrecking all her dreams! Did he not get that?
Trevelyan got to his feet, brooding, and dark and scarily big. He was still naked, which should’ve made him seem vulnerable, but it didn’t. It made him seem dangerous. The tattoos that covered the left side of his chest were all of fire-breathing monsters and skulls. The illustrated flames somehow moved against his skin, like they were flickering and hot.
“I always hoped my True Love would be smart.” He intoned. “So, it seems like we’re both about to be disappointed, if you align yourself with the wolf. Only an idiot would get between me and my adversary.” He loomed over Esmeralda, making her feel small and unsafe.
She’d been right before. He was definitely tall. …And way,waytoo powerful for a witch with twitchy magic to stop if he went psycho. In his dragon-form, the guy would be fifteen feet tall and could breathe fire. In his human-form, he was ruthless and prideful and cold. Dragons were the most unpredictable, untrustworthy species in any kingdom. No one sane wanted them as a True Love. A girl would be lucky to survive the wedding night.
She automatically took a step backwards. Away from him.
Trevelyan’s jaw ticked at her quick retreat.
Esmeralda barely noticed. “Marrok didn’t help you break out of prison, right? That’s how he betrayed you?” Esmeralda had heard this story from Marrok. “You were going to burn down half of the WUB Club and he stopped you.”
Having done time in the Wicked, Ugly, and Bad Prison herself, Esmeralda felt some sympathy for Trevelyan’s desire to escape. In fact, she’d been part of a breakout, too. But when the Tuesday share circle fled, they hadn’t bombed anybody.
“Marrok ruined my plans. Instead of a simple, clean-cut explosion, I had to sleep with Snow White to get out. I had to put my hands on her stinking body, wait until she fell asleep and then escape out a fucking window. Do you have any idea how degrading that was?”
The WUB Club’s chief administrator had helped herself to half the prisoners in the place, so Esmeralda wasn’t surprised by the angry words. Dismayed and furious, but not surprised.
She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. “What happened to you was wrong.Sowrong and I’msosorry. Dr. White was a psychotic, abusive skank.”
“No shit!”
“None of this is important.” The Walrus interjected. “The witch isn’t a…”
Trevelyan interrupted him. “Stop talking.” He ordered, not even glancing his way.
The Walrus stopped talking.
Esmeralda kept her attention on Trevelyan. “We erased Snow White’s memory in the Lake of Forgetting. She’s probably in some care facility, now. If you’re still pissed at her, I get it. I do. I willhappilyhelp you find her and wipe her out of existence, altogether. I swear. But it wasnotokay to target Scarlett for any of that and you need to apologize to her. I mean it.”
Trevelyan had the nerve to look insulted. “I was targeting the wolf. Scarlett was just a way to get to him. I didn’t harm the girl.”
“It’s not fair to blame Marrok for what Snow White did.”
“I blame him for whathedid. Marrok was supposed to be my friend and he didn’t have my back when I needed it.”
“So you hold a grudge about it for years, plotting to get even? To come after Letty, when Marrok finally found her? To try and destroy the Four Kingdoms and everyone in it?”
