Page 55 of Happily Ever Witch
“Trystan’s the tracker guy? Do I know him?”
“I doubt it. You’d remember if you did. He’s a gryphon. So the wings stand out in a crowd.”
“Holyshit! You’ve got a gryphon looking for me?” That was kind of a big deal.
“I haveeveryonelooking for you! Only Trystan can’t find a way to reach you, now. Someone has locked upWonderland, tighter than a drum and it’salwayshard to get into Wonderland.” Scarlett was talking too fast. “The phones and internet aren’t working. It’s a miracle I got you on this one. I have an evil fairy helping me boost the signal, but I’ve been calling you for hours and this is the first time it connected. No one knows what’s going on and I justhaveto find Marrok, Ez.”
“Of course.” Esmeralda nodded. She wanted him found, too. He was her brother.
“I know he’s still alive. I would feel it if something happened to my True Love. I just need to…” She trailed off with a sob, trying to hold herself together.
“Wherever he is, I’ll find him.” Esmeralda vowed. “Tuesday share circle sticks together, right?”
Scarlett sniffed, like she was trying not to cry. “Right.”
“So, I will get Marrok. Wonderland isn’t that big. I will track him down, just as soon as I escape the force field surrounding this castle.”
“Force field?”
Esmeralda made a face. “It’s a thing. Don’t worry about it. You just find a way to get us out of Wonderland.”
“Trystan’s husband is going to figure out that part. He’s the best knight ever, apparently.”
Esmeralda’s eyebrows rose. There was only one “best knight ever” and everyone knew it. “The gryphon’s married to Sir Galahad? Wow, I used to watch his TV show all the time, in prison. He’s amazing! And he’s got puppets.”
Scarlett gave a watery laugh, knowing that Ez was trying to cheer her up. No matter how much time had passed on Letty’send, their relationship was deep enough to resume without even a pause. “I doubt Galahad’s bringing puppets, but heisamazing. I’m confident he’ll figure out a rescue plan. He’s talking about using some portable, rabbit hole creation device thing to get the two of you…”
“Three.” Esmeralda interrupted before she thought better of it.
“Three? Who else is there with you? Bluebeard?”
“No. Jesus, is that asshole kidnapped, too? Why would anyone want him?” As a villain he was strictly B-list. He just killed wives and pranced around in his dumb pirate-captain’s uniform.
“Bluebeard vanished the same time you did. Odds are, he’s in Wonderland.”
“Wonderful.” That was sure to be Bad and not in a fun way.
“Who else is with you, then?”
Esmeralda was silent for a beat. “Trevelyan.” She muttered, not seeing a way around the truth. It would be easier coming from her now, then from Trevelyan later.
“The dragon!” Scarlett shouted, her tears forgotten, as she took in this new twist. “How is he even awake? My God!Hecould be the one who took Marrok!”
“He’s not. The Queen of Clubs nabbed Trev, too. I think that’s why she brought me here, actually. To wake him up from the mystical coma.” Better to just rip off the bandage. “Trevelyan is my True Love.”
Silence.
Esmeralda winced and stared up at the stained ceiling, wishing it would fall and crush her. It would be way more pleasant than this part of the conversation.
“That man isevil, Ez.” Scarlett finally said in a serious tone. “He scared the hell out of me in the Westlands.”
Esmeralda knew the broad strokes of that encounter, but not the gory details. “What exactly did he do?” It was no doubt terrible, knowing Trevelyan. “Was it a spell?”
“A spell? No, mostly it was dire threats.”
Okay, for the dragon, that wasn’ttooawful. It was a low bar. Her True Love was an undeniable shithead, at times. “I’m sorry, Letty. Really. He’s horrible. I’m working on that.”
“You think he could’ve cast a spell on me, if he’d wanted?”
