by S Cinders
There was a loud crack, and just when my naked ass hit the floor, my sister broke the door down.
I have never seen Gregory move that fast, in seconds he was crouched in front of me.
Was he protecting me?
“What did you do to her?” El raised her hand.
Growing up with the woman, I knew that this was the only warning we would get before the magic started to fly. And let me tell you, my sister has an incredibly creative mind.
“Stop,” I screeched, “He didn’t do anything!”
El’s gaze seemed to focus, “Prince Gregory? What the fuck are you doing here? And why are you and Lin naked?”
Steele sighed with disgust from the door, “If you would have waited half a damn second, I could have explained it to you. But no, El doesn’t do explanations. El only barges in and starts shit on fire.”
Elphaba whipped around, the look on her face I knew well. I would have categorized it as death is imminent. Steele didn’t even flinch, it was uncanny.
“You want to talk about not communicating? You of all people are going to give me advice on keeping a level head? Why on earth would I trust the dip shit without a single trace of common decency?”
Steele’s face hardened, “We were on a break, El! You were the one that couldn’t handle it!”
They weren’t even paying attention to Gregory and me at this point. We scurried over to the bed and covered ourselves. I didn’t want to miss a moment of the show.
“No,” her hands started radiating power, and she threw what I knew to be a tremendous amount of magic at Steele.
I tensed for impact. I honestly expected to see him transfigured into something—monkeys were my sister’s favorite—flying ones.
He stood there completely unscathed, but there were charred marks on the door.
“I don’t know why you and your sisters insist on destroying the Inn,” Steele rolled his eyes.
I didn’t do anything to Hubert’s!
“I needed a moment to reflect. I asked for time. Not for you to have an orgy in the bar!”
Another flash brightened the room as she hurled a ball of fire at him. The wallpaper lit, but I flicked it out, not wanting to miss a second.
“She kissed me, El,” he roared.
I knew better than to raise my voice to Elphaba, even Gregory winced.
“And are you trying to tell me that you couldn’t have shoved her away? You are a vampire, Steele. Superhuman strength and speed are your m.o., and yet you couldn’t stop that slut from latching herself onto your face? Give me a fucking break.”
“We were on a break!” he thundered as his incisors descended. For the first time since meeting the man, I was beginning to feel a tad nervous. “I could have kissed every occupant in the room!”
Her eyes glittered dangerously, “I knew better than to get involved with you. I thought you were so strong, the man of steel. But you are a fraud. It should be the man of tin—easily crumpled at the first sign of strain.”
In a flash he had her locked in his arms, “Tin Man, you say? I would like to see you break free.”
She struggled in his arms, calling him every filthy name that I knew and many I hadn’t heard of.
Finally, she stilled, “Let go.”
I wasn’t sure he was going to. His arms seemed to tighten for a fraction of a second, but then he let her go.
Gregory cleared his throat, “Princess Elphaba, are you okay?”
He hadn’t risen, mostly because there was one blanket and two naked bodies that needed to be shielded.
My sister turned back to face Gregory and me. I was shocked to see the emotion on her face, but in an instant, it was gone.
“And what the fuck are you doing with Prince Gregory?”
He stiffened, “Don’t talk to her like that.”
“She is my sister. I will talk to her, however—I chose. Steele might be immune to my magic, but you are not.”
“Don’t do anything!” I cried out. “Gregory, please, can I have a minute to talk to my sister?”
He turned to me, “I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here with her right now.”
He said the words under his breath, but I knew she heard them.
“She won’t hurt me,” I turned to El, “Please, assure him that you are my loving sister and not on a rampage.”
El growled at him.
Shaking my head, I smiled reassuringly at Gregory, “See, all is well, nothing to worry about.”
“I need to get dressed,” he blushed, and I remembered that we were both naked. Neither one of us was used to traipsing about in the nude.
“Oh!” I blushed, “Of course, how silly of me. El and I will talk out in the hallway.”
I stood taking the blanket with me and barreling into my sister on the way.
“Let’s go, El.”
She glared at Gregory and flicked her wrists threateningly, but she allowed me to push her out of the door.
We walked past a wide-eyed Steele.
“You have to leave too,” I informed him, and he followed us out into the hallway. I closed the door tightly behind us. It was dusty and narrow. “What is with the face, Steele?”
He blinked, “I have never seen anyone touch her when she was angry and live to see the light of day. Well, anyone besides me.”
“Don’t get too big for your britches, Tin Man,” she sneered. “I love my stupid sister.”
My stupid sister—only in my family does that mean affection.
“Oh, I am well aware that you don’t give jack shit about me, El. Don’t worry yourself about that!”
And in a flash, he disappeared.
“Bloody hell,” I breathed in disbelief.
El was more shocked than I was, but it took me a minute to figure out why. It wasn’t that Steele was a vampire or that, apparently, he was able to disappear into thin air.
“Who are you? And where is Glinda Goody-Two-Shoes?”
Oh.
“Erm, what do you mean?”
Okay, so I will never be a great actress.
“I don’t know,” she drawled, rolling a dark curl between her fingers. El could be scary at times, “Maybe the fact that you are stark ass naked. Or that our arch-enemy is right now searching for his clothes because he is in a similar state.”
I huffed, “Gregory is not our arch-enemy.”
She raised a brow, “Gregory is not our friend, either.”
But he was mine. And he always had been.
“We need to talk.”
Her green eyes searched mine. It was always eerie when the twins stared you down, but I held my own.
“I’m listening,” El said calmly.
“First you need to magic his clothes back into the room,” I motioned to the shut door.
“How did you know?” she pouted.
“You’re my sister, El. I may not be Indy, but I have a pretty good idea how you think. I can also hear him searching in there. It shouldn’t be this hard.”
El rolled her eyes, “Fine. But I want a full explanation.”
“Deal,” a hint of a smile on my face.
“Did you really have sex with Gross Gregory?”
The question came out unbidden, and for a moment she sounded like a much younger version of herself.
I giggled, “Yes—and it was magnificent!”
CHAPTER 40 - PART 3 – Glinda
El kept making gagging noises all through breakfast. I knew she was just trying to get a rise out of me, and it was definitely working.
She had magicked me some clothes, which I was very grateful for. My magic tended to do better when I was using it to help someone else. And growing things, I was excellent at growing things.
And then it struck me.
I am such an idiot.
Gregory was making his way down the stairs when I pushed away from the table and launched myself into his arms.
“I can fix the crops,” I said in a rush as he clutched me to him.
“What?” he said burying his face in my hair.
I heard El groan from across the room, “You aren’t going to be like this all of the time now, are you?
I smiled evilly and pulled Gregory’s face down to mine in a ravishing kiss. There was way too much tongue and plundering for a crowded room first thing in the morning. But it was worth it, damn, was it worth it.
“Stop,” she screeched, “You are killing me! I am melting away in disgust! Melting! Melting!”
She is such a drama queen.
I heard a high-pitched scream that curled the ends of my hair. Pulling back from Gregory I looked over at my sister who had water dripping off of every inch of her.
Steam had begun to sizzle up from her clothing and I knew that we needed to take over.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Steele?” her cold, calculating voice had me grabbing Gregory and hiding underneath a table.
He shrugged, a hint of a smile on his lips, “You said you were melting, I cooled you off. You're welcome.”
He really was a dumbass.
Her hands began to glow, and I felt Gregory pulling me out from under the table.
“We can’t leave!” I hissed, “What if she kills him?”
But no, my sister had a better plan. In a flash she had everyone in the tavern, except Gregory and me, transfigured into flying monkeys.
Steele barked out a laugh, “You shouldn’t punish these innocents for your bad temper, El.”
With a wave of her hand, they all did her bidding circling around Steele.
“I magic may not work on you, but my monkeys will.”
He was starting to look a little hesitant, “What are they going to do? Feed me bananas?”
“Go!” El commanded, and I felt the force of magic that sailed through the room. Suddenly, Steele was being pulled from the tavern. His feet left the floor as more and more monkeys came to her bidding.
“You can’t just kidnap people you are angry with, El!” his eyes were wild as he rose into the air.
“I can do whatever the hell I want, Tin Man! Take him home!”
The monkeys did as she directed and after a moment he was out of sight.
“Thank you, for not making me a monkey.”
She looked at me and I realized that might not have been a good opening statement.
Gregory still had an iron grip on my arm, “What are you going to do with Steele?”
A look a pure devilment crossed her face, “I haven’t the foggiest, but it will be vile, make no mistake.”
Gregory mumbled something about my sisters being wicked, but surely, they aren’t that bad. Just a bit—spirited.
“El, you have to return all of those people,” I said kindly, not wanting to rock the boat.
“I am not giving Steele back,” she retorted. I noticed that she was already fresh and dry as if the water had never happened. El, was a phenomenal witch.
“You can keep him,” I thought that was a fair trade, but Gregory seemed to be choking on something.
“Do you need a drink?” I inquired.
He coughed, “No, but perhaps a protective bubble wouldn’t be amiss.”
I laughed, “We don’t make protective bubbles! El won’t hurt you.”
El shrugged, “If my sister likes you, I suppose I will stop making your life a living hell.”
Gregory looked like he might cry.
“But, I need to talk to you both. That damn Steele and the nakedness distracted me from my task.”
“What is it?” I stepped closer to her.
“Indy and Scarecrow went to the Great Wizard of Oz. It was a scam. There isn’t anyone there. Well, there was some imbecile making minimum wage that peed himself when Indy gave him a snout and a tail.
"He squealed like the swine he really was and spilled the whole story. It is a rich dignitary that comes into the city to visit his mistress. Can you believe it? Why are you looking at me like that?”
I felt sick, “He’s not that rich.”
Her eyes widened as Gregory huffed, “I am not a peasant, Lin! I am a Prince of the realm and the ruler of Sapphire City.”
Shit.
“Um, El, I want to introduce you to the fake Wizard of Oz.”
She looked from my flushed face to Gregory’s heated one.
“Fuck!”
And I ultimately agreed with the sentiment, “Where are Indy and Scarecrow now?”
“They are on their way to Mombi’s,” El ran her hands through her long dark curls. “Do you have any more secrets I should know about? Are there nieces and nephews that turn into dragons or grandparents with horns?”
CHAPTER 41 - PART 4 – Elphaba
My sisters have gone completely off the deep end.
I don’t know if this Dorothy chick is spreading an aphrodisiac around Oz, or if everyone is just in heat, but I have never seen Glinda Goody-Two-Shoes act this way before and with Gross Gregory.
Pigs are definitely flying in Oz—well, monkeys anyway.
I flew home to my castle in Winkie Country, the west quadrant of my father’s kingdom. I was the only sister to have a castle on her lands, although Mombi’s estate was vast, it couldn’t compare to the gothic magnificence of my Winkle Castle.
We have jagged rocks, and trees that will scare the shit out of you. Not to mention the Truth Pond, if one is enchanted they only need to bathe in it to have the magic wash away. The price they must pay is to speak the truth afterward.
I have a feeling my father sent me here because he wanted my people to have a fighting chance against my rotten temper—wise old man.
My people are called the Winkie’s, don’t mock it, that is my job. They love the color yellow. They dress in yellow, and their homes are yellow, at least this is what I have been told.
You see, the Winkie’s are Nome’s and live miles below the surface of the earth. Their base is said to be Nome Mountain. Here they have hordes of the most precious jewels on the planet: rubies, emeralds, diamonds, sapphire, gold, and silver just to name a few. But what did they want above all else?
Tin.
Blast that stupid man, Steele. My monkeys had deposited him in the dungeon, and then I sent them back to their dreary lives.
I knew that Glinda disliked me ‘borrowing’ individuals, but sometimes it was necessary.
“Your Majesty?”
Cassie my right-hand gal looked to be frazzled.
“What is it, Cass?”
“It is the prisoner, Your Majesty.”
Rolling my eyes, I tried to contain my anger. What in the hell did he need now?
“Never fear, Cass, I will take care of it.”
Her small cherub face brightened considerably,
“And Cass, please call me El,” we had been over this a hundred times, but the small Pixie insisted on formal terms.
“I couldn’t!” she squeaked, and a puff of purple smoke came out of her ears, showing her embarrassment.
Taking pity on her, I turned to go and see my very special guest.
When I arrived in the dungeon there appeared to be a party going on. The guards were all chatting, and the door to the cell was open.
I felt fire race up my hands, “What in the hell is going on here?” I bellowed.
Steele waltzed around the corner of the door—whistling.
“Looks like your minions are not immune to vampire persuasion,” he grinned as his silver hair glinted in the light.
My stomach clenched as I watched his handsome face try and cover a smile.
Asshole.
“Well played,” I kept an even tone. “And they aren’t minions. They are paid employees.”
Steele grinned, “Of course, they are. Just as the monkeys were earlier? What did you say? Oh, yes, paid employees.”
I hated this man.
“What is your point, Tin Man?”
He was on me in a flash. His body, pressing mine against the damp coolness of the stone dungeon walls.
“What part of me seems to
be made of Tin, El?” he breathed against my neck and I couldn’t stop the shiver of pleasure that raced through me.
Damn him! I knew what part happened to feel as hard as a rock against my stomach.
“Get your hands off of me,” I seethed.
His cool lips brushed the tender folds of my ear, “Not a chance, El.”
“Erm, Your Majesty, are you quite alright?”
I looked to the side to see little Cass prepared to try and do damage if necessary. She really was adorable.
“I have everything under control, Cass.”
Steele’s low rumble of laughter shook me to the core.
“You, have everything under control?” he murmured right before he took a tiny bit of skin with his teeth and sucked against my neck.
I moaned, almost letting my head fall to give him further access, until I realized that he was seducing me again.
“Cass, could you clear everyone out?”
Her eyes popped, “Everyone?”
It wasn’t like I had prisoners down there, just Steele.
“Everyone!”
Cass fluttered around in a purple cloud shooing all of the guards upstairs with promises of milk and cookies. When the last one had left, she turned to give me a nod and then departed.
“You give your guards milk and cookies?” humor laced, Steele’s words.
I picked up my chin a notch, “Do you have a problem with that?”
Steele’s eyes danced, “Absolutely not, I was just wondering if I could get an application.”
“I wouldn’t hire you,” I said spitefully, “You would never fit into the uniforms.”
Mostly because they were made for Pixies and Nome’s, but I didn’t clarify that part.
He pushed his pelvis into my stomach, “I’m too large? Most ladies like that, El.”
Clenching my jaw, I bit back a nasty retort, “And you are welcome to them!”
Steele’s gray eyes bore into mine, “I don’t want them.”
Hope flared in my stomach, but I stamped it down. I wasn’t about to fall into this man’s arms again.
“That is too bad,” I shoved against his immovable chest.
He growled at me, “Aren’t you going to ask me who I want?”
I lifted an innocent brow, “No. Why should I care?”