Page 104 of Happily Ever Witch
“Yes, I promise.” He’d figure out how to make that happen. How hard could it be?
Muttering curses in some witchy language he didn’t speak, she reluctantly unzipped her boots. “Fine, but I hate you, right now.” She threw them at his head, with a bit more force than necessary. “Why are we even doing this, when we don’t have the other three tiaras, yet?”
“Because, I’m going to seal the spell inside of you.” He tossed her boots into the caldron, ignoring her exaggerated wince. “Then, when the time comes, the tiaras will automatically unite on your head,” he snapped his fingers, “and we win the game.”
“I do like to win.” Esmeralda admitted with grudging interest in the complicated magic swirling before her. “Do you have enough power to complete a spell this big, right now?”
“Not on my own, but your magic is supporting mine.”
He wasn’t sure how that was possible, but he felt it happening. The witch’s strange, but familiar energy was helping him with this spell. It wanted him to succeed. And their powerswere so close in color that they almost… That if he just focused, he couldalmost…
Esmeralda kept talking and his half-formed thoughts were lost. “Maybe we could do something safer. Like magic those brilligs of yours here to teleport us out.”
“Even if I could get them here, which I can’t, chances are they’d just get locked in, too. Then, they’d eat us.”
“Eat us?” Her brow furrowed. “I saw some nature documentary about those weird things. Weird people keep them as weird pets. It didn’t mention anything about them eating any owners.”
“Well, it’s not something the breeders advertise, but brilligs feed on rotting corpses. Sometimes they get hungry andmakea rotting corpse for a snack.” Trevelyan shook his head in exasperated affection. “Little scamps.”
“Riiiight.” Esmeralda drew out the word. “We’ll just stick tothisspell, then.” She paused, watching him work. “You’resureit won’t kill me and end all of existence?”
“I’m sure it won’t kill you. I would never risk that.”
She heard the evasion in his answer. “Weexist, Trev. If you doom all of existence, it won’t be great for me and you.”
“Oh, I have enough power to shield us. It’s only everyone else who will perish.”
One blonde eyebrow arched at his flippant reply.
Trevelyan hesitated, trying to find the words to express his odd certainty. The only thing that came to mind was the truth. With Esmeralda, it always seemed easier to just tell the truth. It was very strange. “Ez, this spell… From the firstmoment I heard of it, I knew it was important. I knew I needed to solve the puzzle of it. I knew it was supposed to be,” he lifted a shoulder, “mine.”
Her expression changed, like she heard his sincerity.
“This spell was meant for me.” Trevelyan had never been more sure of anything. “It will work, if I cast it. I promise you.”
Esmeralda gazed up at him. “Okay.” She said simply.
Trevelyan smiled. “That was shockingly easy. I think you’re a little bit sweet on me, witch.”
“Fuck yourself with a blender, Trev.”
He chuckled and grimaced at the same time at that gruesome mental picture. “Ouch. Maybe youarethe Bad influence in our relationship.” Twisting his wrist, he inverted the floor wax. He already knew what would happen next.
Hebelievedit.
The label on the can changed, the upside-down letters bobbing around and rearranging themselves. Now they were right-side up and read “Ceiling Wax.”
Trevelyan smiled. “Fourth impossible thing.” He told Esmeralda proudly and tossed the can of ceiling wax into the cauldron, as well.
Instantly, the flames changed color, burning white hot. The enchanted fire consumed everything in the pot, distilling it into pure magic.
Esmeralda lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the brightness of it. “Now what?”
“Now…” Trevelyan slowly closed his hand and the flames shrank down into a ball. “I’m going to put the spell right insideyour Good little heart, where no one else will be able to access it.”
“If it’s going to hurt, I’d just as soon skip it.”
Green eyes met hers. “I’ll never hurt you.” It was a promise to his mate and he meant it a thousand percent.
