"Haine?"
I remember Chassie telling me that's the Mad Hatter's name, and when I hear Redhead Hare say it oh-so-sweetly, something inside of me snaps—-
The fingers around my throat tighten again, but I don't stop glaring at him this time, and I no longer care about his so-called consequences.
"I've already warned you, woman..."
I keep glaring at him.
"Do you know how many men have lost their lives," he asks very, very softly, "just for looking at me the wrong way?"
I don't give a fuck!
It's what I want to yell at his face, and I try my best to do so but the gag just turns everything into garbled garbage.
"I told you, Haine," Redhead Hare insists. "Let me—-" The Mad Hatter's gaze snaps towards her, and the other woman colors, her words dying a quick death.
"Do you also require a warning, March?"
Oh, so she's the March bloody Hare here?
"I'm sorry, Haine." Her voice is now stiff, and her face turns a deeper shade of red as the Hatter's anger shows no signs of abating.
"It is unlike you to forget your place," the were-lion snaps.
The March Hare bows low in apology. "It will not happen again."
"It better not," the Hatter says grimly. "Now go." He suddenly swings around to face me, his gorgeous face still harsh, and if I weren't still pissed, the look on his face would have probably made me quake in my Mary Janes.
But since the memory of the March Hare raking her nails over his arm still stings—-
Our gazes meet, and I still can't help it.
I glare at him, as hatefully as I can—-
Riiiiiiiiip.
He's torn the glass gag off my throat.
"Any last words, trespasser?"?? Nostradamus is an idiot. ??THE WORDS ARE OUT BEFORE I even realize what I'm saying, but it actually works for some reason, and I see the fury in the Mad Hatter's gaze gradually lessen.
"That's truly what you want to say before I kill you?"
His tone is quizzical, but his golden eyes are completely without emotion, and my heart plummets to my stomach. Since I've already seen how he cold-bloodedly ended the dormouse's life earlier, I know he's going to be just as merciless with me.
He'll kill me without hesitation unless...
Aaargh.
A part of me begs to reconsider, urging me to throw away my pride and try playing nice with the Mad Hatter, but when I remember how he's let the March Hare paw him like he's hers...
Annoyance surges back up, and I find myself glaring at him again.
"Yes," I snap. "That's exactly what I want to say because it's true. The first time I learned about his stupid prophecy, I had a feeling he was either drunk or high when he said those words, and I was right. You and I are obviously not—-"
The were-lion roars.
The sound doesn't last longer than a second, but it's bloody effective. My mouth snaps shut as the air becomes painfully taut with tension, and my lungs start working overtime as my oxygen levels take a nose dive.
The Mad Hatter is staring at me, but his metallic-colored eyes have turned opaque, and my heart starts banging against my chest. Have I pushed him too far? Should I even try talking him out of it? Or is it just too late—-
"Out."
His voice is still dangerously soft, and the sound has everyone - and I do mean all of us - jumping in their seats.
"All of you. Now."
No one needs to hear it for a second time, the Hares practically stampeding out of the room while March can only throw me a look of bitter animosity before stalking off. I hear the door slam shut behind her, and I sift through my memories in frantic haste, trying to remember anything that Chassie said which can save me—-
Oh shit.
I see the were-lion leaning close.
He's going to kill me.
But instead he only reaches out to rip the glass cords binding my hands behind my back, and I find myself free instead of dead, dazed and stunned, but still gloriously alive.
The Hatter straightens and leans back against the table. He looks at me, his gaze brutal in its intensity, and I feel my mouth go dry.
"If you lie to me, I'll kill you. Understand?"
This time, the idea of antagonizing him doesn't even cross my mind, and I only nod in response, knowing that he means every word.
"You're saying you're that Alice," he murmurs. "The one from the prophecy..."
I nod again.
"Prove it."
I kinda knew he'd end up asking that, but my heart still shudders at hearing the words, and I unconsciously lick my lips while thinking of the best way to answer him.
"Don't lie," he warns again.
I shake my head. "I wasn't planning to. I'm just trying to think of a way to answer—-"
"The truth is a good start."
"But that's the thing," I say jerkily. "It's the others who think I'm that Alice, but I'm not sure..."