Page 125 of Witch Queens: Tales from Oz

My lips twitched, “Steele.”

“You need to clean this damn place,” he grumbled.

My castle was spotless.

“Steele?” I kissed the underside of his chin.

“Damn it all to hell!” he cursed, “No one has ever told me that they loved me before. I had no idea it would turn me into such a pansy. Can we not talk about it for fuck’s sake?”

“Oh, Steele,” my heart shattered for him.

“No! I don’t want your pity!”

“I don’t pity you, Steele,” I licked a tear that had escaped down his neck. “But I do love you.”

He moaned low in his throat, “Say it again.”

“I love you, Steele,” I smiled resting my chin on his chest. “I will always love you.”

CHAPTER 45 - PART 4 – Elphaba

“Are you trying to tellme there is a difference between Gnome and Nome?” Scarecrow could hardly contain his amusement. “Are they not all little knobby creatures that roam about the garden?”

What in the hell did Indy see in this man?

“A Gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century,” I tried to explain.

“Para who?” Indy sounded like an owl.

“Never mind that,” I huffed, apparently, I was the only one that cared about the origins of things. “A Nome is a Winkie. At full height, they are just less than four feet. They do not like daylight nor strangers. And they prefer to be left alone.”

Steele choked on his toast, “That sounds promising, I cannot wait to go and visit.”

I ignored him, “They are bloodthirsty creatures that have razor sharp teeth and yellow tinted skin.”

“Yellow?” Scarecrow raised a brow.

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