Page 67 of Happily Ever Witch
The Heart Castle
“Most women would be thrilled to become a genuine queen.” Trevelyan drawled out, delighting in the witch’s adorable sulking and superior baking skills. “There’s really no need to mope over your royal fate. Although you look delectable doing it, so don’t stop on my account.”
Esmeralda flashed him a look that promised painful death.
Trevelyan smiled. He was back in the palace kitchen, playing with his pretty little mate, and watching her make more ginger-mutants. She wore a black-cat patterned apron and those high heel boots and a very sexy frown. Off the top of his head, Trevelyan couldn’t imagine a place in the world he’d rather be. There surelywasone. Somewhere. But, damn if he could think of it.
“The Heart Kingdom is a nightmare wrapped in pink tchotchkes and Cheshire Carpets, Trev. Youreallywant to stay here?”
“It’s a starter home.” He allowed, waving a dismissive hand. “This hideous castle is a steppingstone to bigger things. We control twenty-five percent of Wonderland already! Even you have to admit that’s impressive, considering we weren’t even trying.”
“This dopey kingdom was begging to be overthrown by the first villains who came along.” She set about adding almond-sliver claws to her dessert army. These insidious ginger-creatures were much like the last batch, only their fangs seemed a bit sharper and there was less cinnamon in the dough.
Trevelyan snatched one up for himself, because they were delicious and because he relished the fact they belonged to him.His mate had baked cookies. They were thereforehiscookies. It was obvious.
“Stop eating all my minions.” Esmeralda chided. “I’m trying to enspell them to do my horrible bidding.”
“You’re adding too much Badness for that.” He chewed on his cookie, enjoying the taste of her exquisitely sugared magic.
She sent him a baffled frown. “It’s a nefarious spell. OfcourseI’m adding Badness.”
“And that would work fine, if you were ninety-eight percent evil… like me. I’m sure I could easily whip them into an obediently homicidal rage.” He shook his head. “But you’re powers aren’t dark enough to enslave baked goods. Under your command, the ginger-mutants are sweet and defiant. Like you.”
Esmeralda scowled at that news.
“I’m sure confronting your forty-nine percent Goodness is difficult.” Trevelyan commiserated. “No one likes to admit their flaws. But, if you practice a bit with lighter magic, I think you’ll see quite an improvement.”
“What would you know about light magic? You hate it!”
A fair point. Trevelyan embraced blackest villainy as a lifestyle, but still… “If I had access to a whole different source of magic, I would use it.” He told her honestly. “Even if it was Good. Extra power is extra power. For dragons, power means survival.”
And really, Goodness wasn’tsorepellant, when the witch was the one who possessed it.
Esmeralda sent him a stern frown. “I’m only casting Bad spells. I’m awickedwitch.”
Trevelyan sighed at her stubbornness. Yep. Sweet and defiant. “Well, if you won’t even get ginger-mutants under control, how do you intend to properly subjugate Wonderland?”
“Oh, I’ll leave all the subjugation to you. If you’re determined to be emperor, fine. Go for it.” She shrugged expansively. “But, I’m too busy for the day-to-day grind of tyranny. For real, I’m launching a new nail polish color next week.”
“Which color’s that?” He asked, interested in how her mind worked.
“I’m calling it, ‘Gold. Really.’” She nodded in anticipation. “Because it’s gold. Really.”
“You’re selling a nail polish made of liquid gold? How much will that cost?”
“Who cares? The look is incredible.” Putting a price tag on her art was clearly beneath her. “Anyway, I can’t be distracted from my vital work on the bottle design to rule stupid Wonderland.”
“I’ll take care of building our empire.” He assured her helpfully. “I’m a natural leader.”
Esmeralda didn’t seem convinced. “What are we going to do with Wonderland, after you conquer it?”
“Burning it to the ground and starting fresh seems like a wise first step.”
“You always want to burn everything.”
He hoisted himself up onto the counter beside her trays of cookies. “Dragon.” He reminded her simply.
“I’m not sure that’s a winning leadership style. People will bitch at us, if we incinerate everybody.”
