they emerged from the dark forest, the black castle was alight with brightly burning torches and a fountain of fire. Phillip wondered if they hadn’t accidentally wandered into hell.
A homey hell, with happy flying foxes and giant vampire bunny rabbits, but hell nonetheless.
The giant arched doors opened, and the mistress of the castle herself stood there waiting to greet them. She was regal in her bearing, dripping with onyx jewelry and black pearls on a shimmery, yet still black, baroque-style dress. He had to admit, Ravenna knew how to make an entrance.
“Esmerelda informed me we’re having guests,” she said, arching a perfect black brow. “Do come in.”
Phillip hadn’t thought that his friend could square his shoulders wider, or stand up taller, but he did. He was like a full-grown grizzly standing on its back legs.
A full-grown grizzly with an addiction to beard oil.
Phillip bit his cheek to keep from snickering and followed his friend toward the stairs.
When Hunter approached Ravenna, he bent at the waist and offered his massive paw for her hand.
Ravenna studied him for a long moment before giving him her hand.
Instead of brushing his snout over the back of her hand, which would’ve been awful all around, he pressed it to his forehead.
“It’s a pleasure to see you, Ravenna.”
“Is it?” She curled her lips in a smirk and looked to Phillip, obviously waiting for his greeting.
“Majesty,” was all he could offer. He noticed that the place smelled like incense and cinnamon. Unexpected.
“Hmm. So proper. So polite. You must want something, and you must want it badly to have made the trek in the dark to my humble home.”
“I would’ve come just to visit if I knew I’d be received,” Hunter interjected.
“Really? Would you like to come for tea, then? Come sit in my parlor with my spiders and eggplant sandwiches and blood orange tea,” Ravenna teased.
“I would like that. I’ll bring my mother’s spell book and share a reading or two, if you’d like.”
Ravenna laughed. “Oh dear. How could I say no to that?”
“I’d rather you didn’t.”
Hunter’s blunt honesty was endearing, even to Ravenna, Phillip could see. He didn’t want his friend to get his feelings dumped in the shredder, and Phillip was pleased to see that it didn’t seem like Ravenna had any dark intentions toward his friend.
“I think you might’ve lost your mind, Hunter. But come for tea and we shall see. Now, tell me what you really came for.”
“Perhaps in the parlor?” Esmerelda suggested.
“Oh, I suppose.”
Esmerelda led them inside the castle, and Phillip realized it was the perfect mirror of his own home.
“I hope you don’t mind, I may have borrowed some ideas for upgrades. Like the elevator,” Ravenna said to him.
“Not at all. This is beautiful. It’s like the Wonderland version of my castle.”
Ravenna laughed again. “I’ll admit, it’s nice to have visitors.”
Phillip suddenly saw her in a whole new light. He hadn’t made an effort to be her friend. To get to know her. Not many in Ever After had. She was the Evil Queen, after all. So why would she have offered to help him with his affliction?
Why would she say yes, even now?
“What made you rebuild your castle? I thought you were content living above the bank?” he asked.
“Like a dragon hoarding my gold, you mean?”
“I’ll be honest. I would,” Phillip confessed.
“Ah, yes, but you’re a man, and you can do all the things I’ve done and all you get is turned into a frog. Me? I’m a pariah.”
“Listen, the change back with dragonfly wings still in my teeth every day for the last three hundred years hasn’t exactly been a picnic.” Then he shook his head. He’d been eating out of doors. That was, by definition, a picnic. “At least not one I’d choose to attend.”
Ravenna wrinkled her nose. “Eww. That’s horrible.” “So, the castle?” Hunter asked.
“There was finally enough magic back in the world that I could. I wasn’t going to take from the town wells that keep us safe from outsiders, so I waited.” She narrowed her eyes.
“But don’t let that confuse anyone. The town wells kept me safe from outsiders, too. It wasn’t selfless or anything.” She lifted her chin.
“Of course not,” Phillip agreed easily.
Hunter said nothing but continued to stare.
“Why is he staring at me?” Ravenna demanded, obviously confused.
“You’re gorgeous?” Phillip shrugged. He thought it would be obvious.
“I want to be terrifying. I want to be the destroyer from the deep. The end of all things. The darkness at the end!”
“Bitch Goddess of Doom,” Esmerelda