Page 141 of Happily Ever Witch
“You’ve never liked Marrok, either!” Snow White screamed at her. “You were against my marriage from the start, Mommy! My husband told me so!”
The Queen of Clubs’ mouth thinned, her deadly gaze zeroing in on the wolf. “What are you doing? We had a deal.”
“We still do.” Marrok drawled, throwing her own words back at her. “I’m just making sure we all know that I hold some cards in this game.” He lounged there, casualness personified. “Snow’ll take my side, if you and I have a falling out. The little woman’scrazyabout her new hubby.”
Snow White’s big, damp eyes swung towards her father. “Daddy!” She wailed at an octave that had the crystal chandelier ringing. “Bluebeard’s trying to ruin my marriage and Motherisn’t stopping him!” She broke down in hysterical sobs, her arms flailing. “Why is this happening to me!?”
The Mad Hatter fished the oversized pocket watch out of his “Kiss the Cook” apron, fully occupied with his mustard omelet. “Fine, Snow. I’ll help you kill the man. Just stop crying.”
“You always give into her tantrums.” The Queen of Clubs turned her ire towards her husband, throwing up her hands in frustration. “Thatis why she’s like this!”
“Wait, who are we killing?” Bluebeard demanded, his eyes cutting around the room.
“Doyouwant to listen to her caterwauling all day, Anna?” The Mad Hatter clicked the plunger on the top of his watch. “No, this is simpler.”
Bluebeard froze. Literallyfroze.
He tried to move, but it was impossible. That pocket watch trapped him in time, somehow. It was the same magic the Mad Hatter had used by the Pool of Tears, when he stopped the Queen of Diamonds and chopped her head off. Only nowBluebeardwas the one stuck in some fixed moment and awaiting death. Everyone else in the room was still moving and talking, but he was suspended like a living statue. Imprisoned in his immobile body.
Marrok’s eyebrows shot up, like he hadn’t been expecting that outcome.
The Queen of Clubs barely even noticed Bluebeard’s plight. “Raising a child isn’tsupposedto be simple.” She told the Mad Hatter angrily. “You want every day to be an unbirthday. That is not how we should co-parent. I’malwaysstuck with being the mean one, becauseyoudon’t enforce boundaries with her.”
“Bringing the wolf here wasyouridea.” The Mad Hatter reminded her. “I thought Snow could do better. …But, I guess William won’t be marrying her, now.” He shot the Queen of Clubs a pointed look. “Since that pigeon gardener of yours fed his body to the roses.”
“Isthatwhat your mood is about? Me killing some stupid tea party lizard?”
“I’m not in a mood. But, you would be pissed too, if I murdered any of your friends. In fact, youhavebeen. Remember that ugly duchess?”
“Don’t youdarecompare the situations! Just because you don’t like spices, you bludgeoned a noblewoman to death with crockery.”
“She was getting pepper in my jam!”
Snow White selected a knife from the table, turning it over in her hand. Frowning, she shook her head and set it back down again. “Too small.” She picked up another, examining the blade and finding it lacking, as well. “Too big.”
“Is Bluebeard really worth ruining brunch?” The Mad Hatter asked the Queen of Clubs, like he was trying to defuse the whole situation. “Let’s just give Snow her way.”
“Well, I’m not dealing with the mess.” Turning on her high heel, the Queen of Clubs went stomping towards the door. “Not again.”
“Anna…”
“No!” She turned back to him. “The eighth square will happentodayand the empress will be crowned.” She sounded frustrated to the point of tears. “I need that spell to claim my rightful position as empress! Only I’ve gotten new reports from the Heart Kingdom. Trevelyan and the witch aren’t there, anymore. The palace isempty.”
The Mad Hatter’s brows went low over his spirally eyes. “How did they get out of the castle?”
Marrok’s mouth curved. “Level six witch, that’s how.”
The Mad Hatter and the Queen of Clubs sent him identical glowers, then went back to scowling at each other.
“Even if Esmeralda found them a path somehow, Trevelyan is still the one to worry about.” The Mad Hatter insisted. “He’s a merciless villain and he’ll shield his True Love. It’s biology. Itoldyou he was too dangerous to keep alive.”
“I can’t kill him, until I arrest him.”
Marrok nodded, like that was a very wise decision… which probably meant it was total bullshit.
“Arresthim?” The Hatter scoffed.
“Yes! The brilligs are tracking Trevelyan, now. Once they bring him here, we’ll put him on trial. We’ll force him to undo any traps he’s laid. Then, we can finally get the spell off the witch’s heart and the tiara off her head.”
