Page 155 of Happily Ever Witch
“Don’t worry. The spell blocking Bad powers only lasts until the eighth square.”
“It’s an effective enchantment.” Grimhilde said grudgingly. “For a non-witch.”
“Well, my magicisfairest of them all.”
“Is it?” Grimhilde didn’t seem convinced. “In any case, it shouldn’t take long to rip out this Esmeralda’s heart, once I have my full powers. Whoever the girl is, I’m sure she’s no match for me.”
Trevelyan mentally added Grimhilde to his endless list of enemies. He supposed she’d already been on it, really. The Cauldron Society had been mean to his mate. They all had to die. It was simple cause and effect. Really, it was convenient that so many people he hated were gathered in one place. It would cut down on his travel time.
“According to Rule Forty-Two of the Uniform Code of Wonderland, I hereby call this trial to order.” A Knave of Clubs called out, reading from a long scroll held up in front of him. “The People of the Kingdom of Clubs vs. Trevelyan, Last of the Green Dragons.”
“That’s not my name.”
The interruption threw the Knave of Clubs off-script. He blinked at Trevelyan. “Not your name?” He repeated blankly.
“No. Dragons’ full names change throughout their lives, as their familial circumstances evolve. Iwas‘Trevelyan, Last of the Green Dragons.’ Now, I am ‘Trevelyan of the Green Dragons, Mate of Esmeralda.’”
Marrok was listening with unnerving focus, like he was trying to gauge the honesty of that claim.
Trevelyan kept going. “She is ‘Esmeralda of the Green Dragons, Mate of Trevelyan.’ When we have children, their names will be added. ‘Trevelyan of the Green Dragons, Mate of Esmeralda, and Father of So-And-So.’ They will be ‘So-And-So of the Green Dragons, Child of Trevelyan and Esmeralda.’ Until they find a mate themselves, at which time…’”
The Queen of Clubs cut him off. “Is all this necessary?”
“Only if you’d like to avoid looking like an idiot.” Trevelyan lifted a bored shoulder. “Which, granted, doesn’t seem to be a particular concern of yours.”
Her lips pinched in displeasure.
“Rule Forty-two says that every insult to her majesty adds another year to the dragon’s life sentence.” The Knave instructed. “Jury, you can begin tabulating them now, if you’d like.”
The jury opened their club-patterned notebooks and obediently tabulated.
“Thisis the mighty Trevelyan?” Grimhilde eyed him up and down. “How curiouser. Given his vile reputation, I expected him to be far more special.”
Trevelyan didn’t bother to look her way. “Who are you?”
Dragons excelled at insulting people, even when they weren’t trying. With a modicum of effort, though, they could cause decades worth of psychological trauma with a few cutting words. Just the tone of Trevelyan’s voice had Grimhilde flinching.
It was so gratifying to have talents.
“I’m the wickedest wicked witch in the world, boy.” She proclaimed, her voice an over-compensating mix of defensive and superior. “The very best at being Bad.”
He outright laughed at that claim. It wasn’t a pleasant sound.
“The dragon once stole the moon.” The Mad Hatter was happy to inform her. He might just dislike the older woman even more than Trevelyan. “Ninety-eighth percentile of evil.”
Trevelyan appreciated it when other people bragged about him. It saved him the trouble of doing it himself.
“He’s clearly just a pretty face who got lucky with some spells.” Grimhilde decided dismissively. “Evildoers today are all just social media stars and fly-by-night hoodlums. No innate depravity. None of them can inspire thetrueterror of my generation.” She preened a bit. “I once removed a witch’s hands so she was unable to cast spells, just for the fun of watching her scream. …And she was my favorite granny.”
“Oh, thatisinspiring.” Trevelyan drawled and not even the Wonderlandians were dumb enough to believe his smile.
The jury cringed in perfect unison, slinking deeper into their seats.
The Mad Hatter and the Queen of Clubs exchanged a sideways look.
Grimhilde gave a supercilious sniff. “No respect from villains today.” She grumbled and went back to snubbing him.
Trevelyan didn’t care. He had far more important issues to deal with, before he got around to slaughtering her. Like, for instance, figuring out what wasreallyhappening here. The Queen of Clubs should have killed him as soon as she had the chance. The spell was in Esmeralda’s heart, so she didn’t need Trevelyan, now. It was outright stupid to keep him alive and nothing the Queen of Clubs had done up until this point had been stupid.
