Page 59 of Something Handsome This Way Comes

But before he could climb after the little devil, something blue flashed across his vision. The next second, Pip was on the dragon’s head and gave her nose a hard BAP!

She flinched, blinking and nearly losing her balance. Again, a flash of blue, and she was once again bapped on the nose.

“Your witch gave you order!” Pip’s voice hissed. “Down!”

The Glaceryn looked at Pip, blinking in surprise, as though unsure how to respond to a talking spider.

Milo couldn’t blame her. Especially not when Pip was being so authoritative. He was taking this apprenticeship seriously.

The Glaceryn eyed Pip a moment longer before dutifully climbing down from the rafters, slinking over to Milo, and sitting on her haunches, looking thoroughly told off.

Pip jumped down right at her feet, waving his two front legs at her.

“This is your witch. Your master. You listen, or Pip will attack again.”

Crystal-blue eyes blinked; Andl…was there a hint of comprehension?

“Your naptime is not over. Go back to bed, as Nestmaker said, and wait for dinner. Go.” Pip waved his legs in the direction of the door.

And to Milo’s shock, she obeyed, her tail drooping sadly toward the floor as she made her way back to the makeshift bed they set up for her in the study.

Milo whistled. “Wow. I’m impressed. But don’t you think that was a little harsh?”

“I said I would take apprentice. Did not say I would coddle.”

A deep laugh sounded from the corner of the room.

“Oh, thanks for your help, by the way!” Milo said, rounding on his mate.

“You looked like you had it handled.”

“By handled, do you mean running around like a chicken with its head cut off?”

“Yeah. That.”

Milo tried to glare at his mate but couldn’t muster it through the grin tugging at his lips.

“And I think Pip is right. It’s better to be harsh early on. She will be a very big, very strong MythBeast someday. She needs to learn boundaries now. Also, we should give her a name.”

“I name man-monster. I name baby-ice-monster too,” Pip declared.

It was true; Pip had been the one to give Grievance his name, without Milo’s permission or supervision, of course. But it had stuck, and now Milo couldn’t imagine his mate being called anything else.

“What do you have in mind?”

“She is spoiled ice princess. She is Elsa.”

“Hmmm.” Milo tapped his chin. “A little on the nose, don’t you think?”

“I like Esmerelda,” Grievance said quietly from the corner, as though hoping nobody would hear.

Milo’s head shot up.

“That’s perfect! I love it.”

His mate shrugged. “It’s pretty. Better than Ralph,” he said, his face turning sour.

“Oh, so Nestmaker like that name but not Pip’s?”