"So we don't get to choose?"
Chassie shakes her head. "As far as I know, no."
"So if I'm an Alice, I'm guessing you're a Rabbit—-"
"I am."
"And that's it?"
"The wildcards are the third and last type—-"
"It's so bloody complicated," I groan.
"It gets more complicated, I'm afraid. Blood types also predetermine where you end up. Alices like you always end up in Winter territory, Rabbits like me end up in Summer, while Wildcards can end up in any of the four territories."
"And then what?"
"The rulers always know when an entryway in their territory is, um, occupied by a first-time visitor..."
I see her hesitate, and I wag a finger in warning. "Don't leave anything out."
Chassie takes a deep breath. "So, those admission tickets...they're only typically, um, charged on your first visit, and in those instances, it's the rulers who always have..." Chassie bites her lip. "I guess you can call it first dibs?"
While listening to her, a part of me's convinced that there's nothing else my friend can say which would shock me...but I now stand corrected.
"First dibs?" I nearly shriek. "Seriously?" Forget Paradise Lust or any other classic. This is just a world based on straight-up porn, and if I have any sense left, I should forget Wunderland ever existed.
"I know it sounds bad," Chassie quickly clarifies, "but you should also know that none of Winter's rulers ever used their, um, dibs—-"
"I don't care," I bite out. "I'm never going back to Wunderland anyway." And yes, I know I've said that before, but I mean it this time. Really.
"Um, Chassie?"
My temples start to hurt when I see the pained expression on the other girl's face. "There's something else. Again. Right?"
My friend slowly nods. "Remember how you first came into Wunderland?"
"What about it?" I ask warily.
"No one's supposedly able to use any other person's entryway. That's always been one of the rules, which is why when you ended up accidentally using mine, Damyan and the others say it wasn't an accident—-"
"Maybe a glitch then?" I guess.
Chassie shakes her head. "They think it's preordained."
"Chassie." I can't help feeling a little exasperated. "There's no such thing—-"
"That's what you thought about Wunderland, too, didn't you?" my friend reminds me.
Grr. I hate it when someone makes a point I can't rebut.
"Damyan told me about it," Chassie shares, "when you were unconscious. It was one of Nostradamus' prophecies—-"
I forget my disgruntlement at her words and nearly choke in my shock. "Nostradamus?"
"The Caterpillar in the book is based on him—-"
"Get outta here!"
Chassie's lips twitch. "It's true."
I stare at her.
"Really," she insists.
I think about it...and then I say it again. "Get outta here!"
Chassie giggles this time, and it's just too contagious I also end up smiling a bit, albeit grudgingly.
Nostradamus, the Caterpillar in Wonderland!
Imagine that.
"You believe me now, don't you?" Chassie asks.
I lift my chin. "Let's just say I'm willing to listen..."
"Well, in that case, maybe it's best I don't say anything—-"
"Oh, for shit's sake, fine. I take it back." I have to. It's Nostradamus, guys. How many people in this world can say they've had Nostradamus predict something about them?
"You're sure?" Chassie teases.
"If you don't say it in the next five seconds, I think I'm going to strangle you—-"
"Sorry, sorry." But she's having a visibly hard time keeping her face straight, and she has to clear her throat a few times before she can speak again. "The prophecy goes like this: First comes an Alice who breaks all the rules..."
That sounds exactly like me, I can't help thinking.
"And soon after..."?? The Same AliceShall BecomeWinter's Queen. ??IT'S ALREADY MIDNIGHT, and I still can't stop thinking about Nostradamus' prophecy. Mad respect to his legacy, but...honestly? I think he was either drunk or high when he uttered those words. It's gotta be one of those reasons he saw all sorts of crazy stuff in his crystal ball.
I mean, seriously.
Me? Winter's Queen?
Get. Outta. Here.
Just the thought of it has me shaking my head again, and I bite back a sigh of frustration, not wanting to accidentally wake Chassie, who's already fast asleep in my bed.
I can't be Winter's Queen.
It's a ludicrous idea, and even if there's a smidgeon of possibility it could be true...
Doesn't matter.
I turn restlessly from one side to another on my makeshift bed on the carpet.
I won't go back to Wunderland, ever.
I say this over and over in my mind as I flip on my back. I stare moodily at the ceiling, which turns into a galaxy of glow-in-the dark stars with the lights off and the windows shuttered.
Never ever ever..
I keep repeating the words in my mind, hoping they'll eventually make me numb and the heaviness in my chest will finally ease. Never going to Wunderland again will also mean never seeing Rayé...and that's fine. Or it will be fine, eventually. We're just like two ships that pass in the night and—-