Page 27 of Happily Ever Witch
Esmeralda was Bad enough to like his unapologetic possessiveness, though. She’d always wanted to belong to someone. True Loves belonged to each other, so it made sense to her that he wouldn’t want to share. Even in their current state of mutual frustration and hostility, the bond was stronger than anything she’d ever felt. God knew, any other woman who came near Trevelyan would find herself transmogrified into a cockroach and then promptly stepped on.
Well, given Esmeralda’s magical limitations, the bitch would probably be transmogrified into a hairy, slimy drainclog,but that would work, too.
Trevelyan held up his glass in a mock toast, casually unconcerned with life, insults, and hexes. “Come have a drink. We’ve conquered our first kingdom together, after all. Be it ever so humble, that’s an occasion of note.” He paused. “Or iswatermore the speed of forty-nine percent Good girls?”
“I’m fully Bad and I certainly don’t drink water.” She raised her eyebrows at him “duh” style. “I’m a witch. Unless it’s mixed with something else, water will melt me from the inside out. Raindrops, bottled water, ponds, streams… anything that’spurewater? That kills me. I even shower with magic, instead of that damn water from the faucets. It’s basically acid to me.”
He frowned slightly. It seemed like the full extent of her melting-when-wet issue hadn’t occurred to him before. “Witches arethatvulnerable? You’re supposed to be one of the most powerful races. Surely, there must be a spell…”
Esmeralda cut him off. “Witches have incredible powers.” Most witches, anyway. “But when you’re given massive abilities, you’re usually saddled with some massive limitations, too. That’s how nature works. It’s balance. At least that was what they taught us at school.”
Esmeralda had never been a great student. She hadn’t really understood most of the magic lessons, but “balance” was always a safe bubble to guess on a multiple choice test. Witches loved to prattle on about it and it seemed to be the answer to everything that didn’t make sense.
Whenever she tried balance, though, Good magic tried to seep through and what kind of wicked witch wantedthat?
“They’re clearly teaching you horseshit in those witchy classrooms.” Trevelyan decided. “No one can match my magical powers and I’m only limited when I run out of victims. That’sthe joy ofhavingmagical powers. I understand the principle of balance, but even someone with level-one abilities should be able to come up with a waterproofing spell.”
“Or I could just not go swimming.”
“If you’re not up to the magic, I’m sure I can find a spell that protects you.” He paused, his eyes skimming over her body in a way that should’ve been way more irritating than it was. “For a price.”
She snorted at that lascivious suggestion. “When pigs fly.”
He glanced towards the window and damn if one of the little porkers didn’t sprout wings. Trevelyan’s expression was one of taunting delight, as the hog took off and soared through the air. It made a “wee-wee-wee” sound of freedom, at home in the sky.
Esmeralda’s lips thinned, refusing to smile. She hated to be bored and life with her diabolical True Love would certainly never be dull. “Aren’t you supposed to be resting your magic, so it gets better?”
“Oh, but how could I resist an opportunity like that?” He defended, watching his porcine prank flap its feathery wings. “You would’ve done the same thing in my place.”
Probably. Not that she’d ever admit it to him.
“And look how pleased that fat little piggy is. We should make themallfly. Easier to get them to market, jiggety-jig.” He paused for a beat. “Or is it jiggety-jog?”
“You are incredibly unlikable.”
“So everyone tells me.” He didn’t sound worried about it. “But I’m also incredibly talented at spells.” He looked back at her. “I really can waterproof you.”
“I’ll pass.”
He hesitated for a beat, not satisfied with her easy refusal. “Think about it for more than three seconds and you’ll see I’m right. In the meantime, I can whip up something to temporarily shield you. My magic is recovered enough to do that much. We’ll call it a favor.”
“Nah.”
Dark eyebrows compressed in frustration, his amusement fading. “I’m offering to save your life.”
“What a hero.”
His jaw tightened, probably because she wasn’t falling for his crap. “You’re being pointlessly stubborn. I’m the only reason you still have a head. You might show a little more appreciation.”
“And I’m the only reason you’re awake, remember?”
“I also saved you from the executioner.”
“And I saved you from the demented Rabbit! We’re totally even.”
Trevelyan didn’t see it that way. “So you’ll endanger yourself, just to avoid owing me a favor?” He demanded. “Just to prove a point?”
“It has nothing to do with proving a point. I won’t make a deal with you, because I don’t trust you. My imagination isn’t vast enough to think of all the vile things you could slip into the spell.”
