A few days ago, Laurel and Rebecca had been messing around in the dark, dark, dark web when the former received an offer to slash my face for a quick ten grand, with half of it paid up front.
She was supposed to call me once she got the job done, Rebecca chokes out, but she didn't even make it home that night, and I...I...
The other girl then looks at me, and I'm not sure whether to feel flattered or offended when I see the expression on her face.
Rebecca actually thought I killed Laurel?!
I take a deep breath, deciding that I should at least act a little affronted—-
Never mind.
No point now, with Haine moving in a sudden burst of speed to cover the other girl's mouth with a familiar-looking hanky. The effect is instantaneous, too, and I can't help wincing as Rebecca loses consciousness for the nth time.
"Should I be worried?" I ask half-seriously.
"About what?" the Hatter asks.
"That." I point to the hanky in his hand. "It's a little serial killer-ish, don't you think, having it with you at all times?"
But Haine only looks puzzled. "Would you rather I chop heads off like the King?"
"Uh..."
Fortunately, Rayé saves me from replying when he takes my hand. "Talk later, little Alice." Although his voice is still gentle, I can't help noticing how his moss-jade eyes turned absolutely cold and deadly as he glances at Rebecca—-
Snap.
I swallow back a gasp. I know I should be used to magic being the norm by now, and maybe I should've expected it even. Since the Cheshire Cat can make himself disappear in the book, it figures that Rayé can make other people disappear as well.
However...
Seeing the girl vanish from view at a mere snap of Rayé's fingers still makes me feel slightly nauseous, and I work hard at getting my stomach to settle while the two shifters start talking to each other in low, sober tones.
They're talking about someone named Elise, I think, and as I try to make up my mind on whether to feel jealous about this or not, that's when I see one of the doors start to glow.
Huh.
I can't seem to look away. It's like I'm under a spell called curiosity, and before I know it, my feet are slowly moving on its own...
Just a little peek, I promise myself.
That's all I want.
A little peek.
But instead I get more than what I bargained for.
The moment my fingers curl around the doorknob, someone from the other side seems to wrench the door open with a forceful yank—-
Uh oh.
I barely manage to hold on to the doorknob as my body swings out of the entryway, and I bite back a scream when I see nothing but infinite dusky skies for me to fall into.
Shit.
I twist around, hoping to pull myself back up, but it's too late, and I hear the Hatter and the Cheshire Cat swearing just as the door knob I'm tenuously holding on to, along with the rest of the entryway, vanishes in a blink.
All of it, gone.
(Like Rebecca)
And now I'm falling—-
Down, down, down.?? Für Elise ??I HEAR IT PLAYING IN the background the moment my feet hit the ground, and I muster enough courage to slowly open my eyes.
Whew.
I was half-afraid I'd end up in dormouse territory again, but this time I find myself standing before a massive stone arch with the words 'Welcome to the Capital of Winter!' carved elegantly on its face.
I stare at it, feeling like I'm missing something...
Oh!
Isn't this where the King of Hearts lives?
The thought makes me feel like someone's just walked over my grave, but I tell myself I'm being silly. Since Nostradamus says the King of Hearts is also one of my fated mates, I have nothing to worry about. And in any case...
First things first, Addie.
First things first, always.
And so once again, I start to walk.
For now, my game plan is simple: I either find a way to contact Rayé and Haine...or I take my chances with the King of Hearts.
Either way, it's a win-win situation...or so I hope.
Although the town proper is still a long way off, I can already tell I'm going to love the place. Even from where I'm standing, Winter's capital looks wonderfully whimsical with its snow-capped roofs and lantern-lit interiors, and it becomes even more magical when I'm finally walking down its cobblestone roads.
The very snow that's falling on my shoulders is pure magic. There's enough of the fluffy white stuff for children to play snowball fights, make snowmen, and sled down small and gentle slopes. But on the other hand, it's also as if the snow itself knows better than to pile up where it's not appreciated. The sidewalks and alleyways are all clear, with the snow fading away before it can touch the ground.
And then there's the air...it's just the right amount of cold that makes you smile while sipping hot chocolate but not cold enough to have your teeth chatter while strolling down the street...in a bloody French maid costume.