“Let me out so I can preserve her vessel,” Red hisses.
“Don’t be cross with me!” Hart scolds. “You had to know this would be the result when you put the spell upon her.”
“No. Once the netherling side fully awoke to madness, it was supposed to absorb the human one, transform it. I could never have predicted the mortal half of her heart would put up such a fight. That it would be strong enough to hold on for so long and endanger them both.”
A whimper lodges within my throat and a bitter metallic flavor gags me. I want to clench Red’s neck, to choke her. Instead, I’m the one choking . . . on my own blood.
“It’s your spell. Simply reverse it,” the queen suggests, ignoring my struggle.
“Now that the heart is splitting in two, I know of no magic that can save her. Nothing for me to do other than pull her together from the inside.”
I moan.
“Hurry, you fool,” Red prompts the queen, desperation in her voice. “Set my spirit free.”
“I need collateral,” Hart counters. “For the trade of the medallion. I want more than one measly human life-clock. I want them all.”
One human life-clock? Who could they be talking about? Jeb? My dad? Did they catch Uncle Bernie again?
Whoever it is, one of my loved ones is in danger.
I try to move, but agony slices through me, a metal stake splitting and gouging my breastbone. To keep from crying out, I freeze in place. My eyelids seal tighter.
“I already told you you’ll get more. My bargain with Morpheus is to hand over the medallion once the marriage is official. I said nothing about leaving you here.”
“You don’t think your king will have something to say about my following you through the gate?”
“Once Morpheus realizes I’m the only thing keeping his cherished Alyssa alive, he will do whatever I command.”
I inhale a sharp breath. The air scalds and scrapes my lungs, as if sprouting thorns on the way in. The sensation dulls my reasoning; still, I try to piece things together. Red plans to trick Morpheus. He must already suspect this. He’s a mastermind. The wise and cryptic caterpillar, emerged from his chrysalis in the form of a beautiful winged fae.
But he doesn’t know what she has for leverage. He’s unaware of my dying heart, or Red’s spell on me.
Other than Wonderland, I’m his only weakness. And she’s using both.
How can he refuse her?
I’m the only one who can stop this. I open my eyes to slits and groan, trying to concentrate enough to unleash my magic. Black fog crowds my peripheral vision . . . makes it impossible to focus.
The Queen of Hearts crouches in front of me, one half of her hair bright crimson and the other side burgundy. “This is all moot,” she says to Red. “You heard what the ear mite said. The dullard girl has made a vow to the mortal. There will be no marriage betwixt her and Morpheus.”
“Everything will fall in place once we find the boy. The vow is binding only for as long as he lives. We kill him, you have the start to your human collection, and I have my royal wedding.”
“No.” I try to speak over the blood gurgling in my throat. I’ve done it again. I’ve endangered Jeb’s life more than it already was. “I . . . won’t let . . . you.”
I attempt to slap Hart’s face, but my hand falls limply to my lap.
The queen’s clammy palm cups my chin. “How remarkable. Her life-clock is split in twain, hanging by mere threads. Yet still, she has fight in her.” Her expression grows intense. “I already have the medallion. I have my own way into Wonderland. There’s no reason I should do anything you ask, Red. I’m going to let her die and take her specimen. I’ve never seen another like it.”
“There will be another, one day,” Red insists, frantic. “Morpheus and I will have children through her. I’ll spare you one of their hearts. But not hers. Hers belongs to me. It doesn’t matter if you get into Wonderland. You won’t have access to the humans without the portals. Alyssa is the only one who can reopen them. And my plan for her and Morpheus reaches beyond your petty ideals. I am giving their firstborn—the first netherling capable of dreams—to Sister Two. She abhors chasing down human children. For centuries she’s complained about how tedious it is. So in exchange for an immortal child that will forever supply the souls in her lair, she and her disgruntled toys will aid me in overthrowing Ivory. Once I have the magic of both crowns, my control over all of Wonderland will be absolute. And you and every inhabitant of AnyElsewhere will be welcomed upon our borders to come and go and plunder the human realm as you please.”
I sob, at last face-to-face with Red’s horrific plan yet physically unable to intervene.
Hart clucks her tongue. “You’ve made a fair point. We have an accord. But the girl is barricading the transfer of your spirit by sheer will.” The queen draws her hand back, fingers dripping with my bloody saliva. “She’s the one who needs convincing now.”
“Let me in, Alyssa.” Red’s entreaty is eerily tender. “ You’re bleeding to death. What good will such a loss be to anyone? It will endanger both the human boy and Morpheus. Not to mention all of Wonderland.”
Tears trickle down my face.
Her argument is sound. As terrified as I am for my future child, he’ll never exist if I don’t save everyone today. The only way is to let Red’s spirit hold me together, then hijack her magic to fix Wonderland. I know her strategy now. If I can be stronger than her long enough, I’ll defeat Hart and cast Red out once and for all. I can’t let myself consider what will happen to my heart after that.
I slump forward in surrender.
My lungs shrink and my veins wither, depleted of oxygen. My eyelids droop, unable to resist the welcoming darkness that waits there.
“Hurry, hag. Release my spirit before she fades to ash and neither of us gets what we want.”
Hart groans in resignation and her clammy hand presses my forehead. A bright light bursts behind my eyes.
White-hot tendrils shoot from my skull into my spine, forcing my body to straighten. To awaken.
I remember this feeling . . .
My eyes flutter open. The colored streak of my hair pulls loose, dancing. Bit by bit, my bobby pins drop to the floor until all of my hair matches the enchanted strands, free and flowing around my shoulders in vivid crimson waves.
“Don’t be cross with me!” Hart scolds. “You had to know this would be the result when you put the spell upon her.”
“No. Once the netherling side fully awoke to madness, it was supposed to absorb the human one, transform it. I could never have predicted the mortal half of her heart would put up such a fight. That it would be strong enough to hold on for so long and endanger them both.”
A whimper lodges within my throat and a bitter metallic flavor gags me. I want to clench Red’s neck, to choke her. Instead, I’m the one choking . . . on my own blood.
“It’s your spell. Simply reverse it,” the queen suggests, ignoring my struggle.
“Now that the heart is splitting in two, I know of no magic that can save her. Nothing for me to do other than pull her together from the inside.”
I moan.
“Hurry, you fool,” Red prompts the queen, desperation in her voice. “Set my spirit free.”
“I need collateral,” Hart counters. “For the trade of the medallion. I want more than one measly human life-clock. I want them all.”
One human life-clock? Who could they be talking about? Jeb? My dad? Did they catch Uncle Bernie again?
Whoever it is, one of my loved ones is in danger.
I try to move, but agony slices through me, a metal stake splitting and gouging my breastbone. To keep from crying out, I freeze in place. My eyelids seal tighter.
“I already told you you’ll get more. My bargain with Morpheus is to hand over the medallion once the marriage is official. I said nothing about leaving you here.”
“You don’t think your king will have something to say about my following you through the gate?”
“Once Morpheus realizes I’m the only thing keeping his cherished Alyssa alive, he will do whatever I command.”
I inhale a sharp breath. The air scalds and scrapes my lungs, as if sprouting thorns on the way in. The sensation dulls my reasoning; still, I try to piece things together. Red plans to trick Morpheus. He must already suspect this. He’s a mastermind. The wise and cryptic caterpillar, emerged from his chrysalis in the form of a beautiful winged fae.
But he doesn’t know what she has for leverage. He’s unaware of my dying heart, or Red’s spell on me.
Other than Wonderland, I’m his only weakness. And she’s using both.
How can he refuse her?
I’m the only one who can stop this. I open my eyes to slits and groan, trying to concentrate enough to unleash my magic. Black fog crowds my peripheral vision . . . makes it impossible to focus.
The Queen of Hearts crouches in front of me, one half of her hair bright crimson and the other side burgundy. “This is all moot,” she says to Red. “You heard what the ear mite said. The dullard girl has made a vow to the mortal. There will be no marriage betwixt her and Morpheus.”
“Everything will fall in place once we find the boy. The vow is binding only for as long as he lives. We kill him, you have the start to your human collection, and I have my royal wedding.”
“No.” I try to speak over the blood gurgling in my throat. I’ve done it again. I’ve endangered Jeb’s life more than it already was. “I . . . won’t let . . . you.”
I attempt to slap Hart’s face, but my hand falls limply to my lap.
The queen’s clammy palm cups my chin. “How remarkable. Her life-clock is split in twain, hanging by mere threads. Yet still, she has fight in her.” Her expression grows intense. “I already have the medallion. I have my own way into Wonderland. There’s no reason I should do anything you ask, Red. I’m going to let her die and take her specimen. I’ve never seen another like it.”
“There will be another, one day,” Red insists, frantic. “Morpheus and I will have children through her. I’ll spare you one of their hearts. But not hers. Hers belongs to me. It doesn’t matter if you get into Wonderland. You won’t have access to the humans without the portals. Alyssa is the only one who can reopen them. And my plan for her and Morpheus reaches beyond your petty ideals. I am giving their firstborn—the first netherling capable of dreams—to Sister Two. She abhors chasing down human children. For centuries she’s complained about how tedious it is. So in exchange for an immortal child that will forever supply the souls in her lair, she and her disgruntled toys will aid me in overthrowing Ivory. Once I have the magic of both crowns, my control over all of Wonderland will be absolute. And you and every inhabitant of AnyElsewhere will be welcomed upon our borders to come and go and plunder the human realm as you please.”
I sob, at last face-to-face with Red’s horrific plan yet physically unable to intervene.
Hart clucks her tongue. “You’ve made a fair point. We have an accord. But the girl is barricading the transfer of your spirit by sheer will.” The queen draws her hand back, fingers dripping with my bloody saliva. “She’s the one who needs convincing now.”
“Let me in, Alyssa.” Red’s entreaty is eerily tender. “ You’re bleeding to death. What good will such a loss be to anyone? It will endanger both the human boy and Morpheus. Not to mention all of Wonderland.”
Tears trickle down my face.
Her argument is sound. As terrified as I am for my future child, he’ll never exist if I don’t save everyone today. The only way is to let Red’s spirit hold me together, then hijack her magic to fix Wonderland. I know her strategy now. If I can be stronger than her long enough, I’ll defeat Hart and cast Red out once and for all. I can’t let myself consider what will happen to my heart after that.
I slump forward in surrender.
My lungs shrink and my veins wither, depleted of oxygen. My eyelids droop, unable to resist the welcoming darkness that waits there.
“Hurry, hag. Release my spirit before she fades to ash and neither of us gets what we want.”
Hart groans in resignation and her clammy hand presses my forehead. A bright light bursts behind my eyes.
White-hot tendrils shoot from my skull into my spine, forcing my body to straighten. To awaken.
I remember this feeling . . .
My eyes flutter open. The colored streak of my hair pulls loose, dancing. Bit by bit, my bobby pins drop to the floor until all of my hair matches the enchanted strands, free and flowing around my shoulders in vivid crimson waves.
