away from her eyes.
Instead of being afraid, she remembered what her sister had said and let herself feel only the excitement at this new state of things. Maybe magic was for her, too.
Just maybe.
“So, to start with, I’m pretty old. Time used to pass differently outside of Ever After. So, wait, we agree that magic is real? Because you won’t believe any of what I have to say without that basic foundation.”
“Okay. Magic is real.” The words tasted strange on her tongue, and for a moment, she doubted. Okay, for more than a moment. She wondered if this was a newbie prank they played on everyone who was new to the area, but Zuri didn’t think that people as sweet as the godmothers would do that.
Only, that seemed more likely than believing in wands, fairy dust, and . . . seven men of small stature who owned a bar and . . .
“Did I lose you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Yes. For a minute. I’m back now.”
“There used to be more of us, but when love began to disappear from the world, so did our lands and our power. We stepped back from the mortal world and went about our business without interacting too much. The godmothers went back and forth, because it was still their job to meddle, as they so enjoy doing.”
Zuri nodded. “Do they have wings? Because I just feel like they need wings.”
“They most definitely have wings, but they hide them when normies are around.”
This thrilled Zuri to no end.
“Anyway, our stores of magic began to run quite low, and—”
“Wait! Your parents. Your family. They didn’t . . .”
He shook his head. “No, they didn’t make the jump. They didn’t want to change. They liked the old ways and thought that maybe it was time for magic to disappear.”
“Phillip, I’m so sorry.” She reached out for his hand.
His fingers were warm and strong when they closed around hers. “The same is still true as I said before. The town is my family. We’ve all had one another.”
“I think that’s more magical than wings, honestly.”
“I do, too. I think we’re very lucky the godmothers are who they are. Back to my story, though, if you still want to hear it.” There was no judgment in his voice, just a calm curiosity.
“Yes, sorry. Go on.” She looked into his eyes and couldn’t help but wish he’d kiss her.
Not that he’d want to, since she looked like the creature from the black lagoon.
Oh God, her hair was probably a wreck.
Why was she worried about how she looked? Zuri decided she definitely needed therapy. She wondered if the health insurance plan from FGI covered it.
“You saw Ravenna, and you know the black castle is hers. She’s a queen. Some would say Evil Queen, and the claim is not without merit. Alec is lucky she’s trying to turn over a new leaf.”
“She’d curse him for me? Really?”
“Really. She’s the sort who might even put his heart in a box.”
“You’re not kidding.” That was the kind of friend to have, though. Another woman to fix your crown, or your pitchfork, before anyone knew it was crooked.
“Not in the least. She wouldn’t kill him, either. She’d make him walk around without his heart so he could learn what it’s for.”
Zuri wasn’t sure if she was scared of Ravenna or had a massive girl crush. “Way to smash the patriarchy. And in those shoes.” She sighed.
Phillip laughed. “You got it. That’s Ravenna. A Gothic fashion icon, dark magic powerhouse, and a literal queen.”
“You’re a prince but not a king?”
“Ouch,” he said. “But we’ll get to that. Hunter is also a prince. It’s not a skin condition. He made the mistake of crossing a witch, and he’s cursed. He’s a man wearing the skin of a beast.”
“A werewolf?”
“No, no. We have one of those. Grammy. She’s out at the ranch these days. She was bitten saving Red. We give her room to run. She doesn’t bite anyone. Usually.” He shrugged.
Zuri was even more gobsmacked. “I still feel like you’re taking the piss, as they say on the BBC.”
“Definitely not taking the piss.”
“Okay. Okay. So. I have a feeling what’s coming next, but I need you to say it out loud.”
He nodded slowly. “I haven’t had to confess this to anyone. Ever. Everyone here already knows. They’ve always known.”
She nodded and took a deep breath, waiting for the words that were going to challenge everything she knew to be true.
“The reason I’m still a prince and